Best antivirus for remote workers: Keeping your home office secure

The rise of remote work has brought many benefits, including greater flexibility and an improved work-life balance. However, some security challenges come with remote work. Unsecured networks and the risk of compromised devices, especially in less secure home office setups, are why antivirus software is vital if you work remotely and want to do so securely.

Antivirus software can solve a number of the security problems posed by remote work. The real-time protection provided blocks malware before it can damage your devices. Many antivirus programs include valuable extras like a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic or a password manager to secure your login credentials. Below, we’ll take you through the best antivirus tools for remote workers and provide tips for keeping your home office secure.

First things first, let’s do a quick rundown of the best antivirus programs for remote workers, along with some highlights for each. Want to know more? You’ll find reviews of each further down.

Best antivirus for remote workers:

1. Norton 360: Best antivirus for remote workers. Choose from four different plans with varying numbers of extras. Very strong protection, a password manager, and cloud backup.
2. Surfshark Antivirus: Best value antivirus for remote workers. Beginner-friendly and lightweight with 24/7 support. High level of protection and includes one of the best VPNs.
3. Intego Antivirus: Specializes in antivirus protection for Mac. Real-time protection and a two-way firewall. Balances performance and protection and has quality customer support.
4. TotalAV: Real-time protection and many extra useful features for remote workers, including a VPN and password manager. Option to secure multiple devices.
5. McAfee Total Protection: Protect one or all of your personal and work devices. Recognized for its protection by independent testing labs. VPN is available on all plans.
6. VIPRE Antivirus: Proven to be a strong all-rounder, testing well in terms of protection and performance. 24/7 support and Ultimate Security Bundle with many valuable extras.
7. Bitdefender Internet Security: Data breach protection and password manager with all individual plans. Higher tiers include unlimited data VPN. Protect five devices at once.

Criteria for the best antivirus for remote workers

Although there are a lot of good antivirus programs out there, some are better suited to the needs of remote workers than others. When testing antivirus programs with remote workers in mind, we looked for the following:

• Real-time protection to stop threats before they can cause damage
• Extra security features such as a VPN or password manager
• Lightweight enough that it doesn’t negatively impact performance
• User-friendly app design as well as 24/7 live chat support
• Compatible with major operating systems, including Windows and Mac
• Provides the option to secure multiple devices at the same time

Best antivirus for remote workers

Here’s our list of the top antivirus for remote workers:

1. Norton 360

Norton 360 gives remote workers plenty of choice with four plans that scale according to the level of protection required. Every Norton 360 plan includes a password manager and cloud backup. The cloud backup starts from 2 GB with the Plus plan and goes all the way up to 250 GB with Select Plus. Whether you only want to secure one device or as many as 10 remote work devices, Norton has you covered.

Norton’s protection impressed us most in our in-house testing. This is further backed up by consistently perfect scores in the same category from AV-Test. The higher the Norton 360 tier you subscribe to, the more features you’ll have to play with. For remote workers, Norton’s VPN is a valuable addition. Norton 360 also has dark web monitoring, parental controls, and identity theft protection.

You can use Norton 360 via its Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS apps.

BEST ANTIVIRUS FOR FREELANCERS:Norton 360 has plans to suit all remote workers’ needs. Very strong protection from malware including ransomware. Includes valuable extras such as a password manager and VPN. You can even try Norton 360 risk-free thanks to the 60-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Norton Antivirus review.

2. Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus lets you secure up to five devices simultaneously, which is generous considering the price. Surfshark Antivirus is part of Surfshark One and includes a top-rated VPN. With the Surfshark One plan, you’ll also get an ad blocker and data breach alerts. Surfshark Alternative ID lets you opt out of giving out personal data online.

The key difference between Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ is that the latter includes data removal from company databases and people search sites. Surfshark is lightweight enough to work without interruptions or slowdowns during full scans. Surfshark Antivirus couldn’t be easier to use, but if you require assistance, you’ll have access to 24/7 live chat and email support.

Surfshark Antivirus apps are available to download for Windows, Mac, and Android.

BEST VALUE ANTIVIRUS FOR FREELANCERS:Surfshark Antivirus can be used on up to five devices at the same time. This antivirus offers very impressive protection which is further reinforced by its excellent VPN. 24/7 live chat support included. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark Antivirus review.

3. Intego Antivirus

Intego Antivirus differs from most antivirus solutions in that it focuses on providing MacOS protection. Real-time protection and a two-way firewall protect your security from various online threats. The Mac Premium Bundle allows you to access extra features such as parental controls and data backup.

This antivirus has received impressive scores from independent testing labs, demonstrating that it’s possible to provide a balance between protection and performance. One area in which Intego excels is support. Its 24/7 live chat support gets consistent customer praise – that’s not something you can say about every antivirus. Intego’s plans offer flexibility in that you can choose whether to protect one, three, or five devices.

The version of Intego that we’ve covered above is only available for Mac. A separate Windows antivirus is also available.

ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC USERS:Intego Antivirus is one of the few antivirus providers whose primary focus is MacOS protection. Comprehensive protection from malware and viruses and option of a VPN. Quality customer support available 24/7. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Intego Antivirus review.

4. TotalAV

TotalAV offers real-time protection against malware and viruses, including phishing and ransomware. On top of this is a host of extras that further bolster your security as a remote worker. The most comprehensive plan, TotalAV Total Security, includes an ad blocker, VPN, and password manager. All subscription tiers provide a disk cleaner and system tune-up tools to improve your device’s performance.

Depending on the plan you choose, you’ll be able to protect up to five, six, or eight devices, which should be more than enough for most remote workers. TotalAV is one of the top antivirus options for customer support, available 24 hours a day via live chat and phone. TotalAV offers some very attractive subscription prices for the first year and it’s possible to manually turn off auto-renewal via the dashboard (although it does push hard to try and change your mind).

TotalAV provides apps for desktop and mobile (Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS).

MANY EXTRA FEATURES:TotalAV not only offers real-time protection but plenty of valuable extras, be it an ad blocker, system tune-up tools, a password manager, and VPN. 24/7 support is included and you’ll pay little for the first year. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full TotalAV review.

5. McAfee Total Protection

McAfee Total Protection offers three subscription tiers suitable for remote workers who require anything from antivirus to identity protection. Unlike with many antivirus providers, you’ll find a single-device plan and the option to secure five devices or an unlimited number of devices. McAfee Total Protection has earned impressive protection scores from independent testing labs and won’t slow down your devices.

Some base plans from antivirus providers don’t include many extras, but McAfee offers several highly sought-after features for remote workers. For example, a VPN encrypts and hides internet traffic from prying eyes, while a password manager makes it easier to generate complex passwords for online accounts. The highest tier plan adds features such as a social privacy manager and identity theft coverage for the most comprehensive protection.

To use McAfee Total Protection, you’ll need to download and install its app on your Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS device.

SINGLE DEVICE COVERAGE:McAfee Total Protection can be purchased for one device but has an unlimited device option. Strong protection scores from independent testing labs. All plans include a VPN and password manager. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full McAfee Antivirus review.

6. VIPRE Antivirus

VIPRE Antivirus is one of the strongest all-rounders in the antivirus market. It performed admirably in all areas in our latest in-house testing, achieving a near-perfect protection score and full marks in the false positives and transparency categories. Whether malware, spyware, or ransomware, its powerful virus engine and real-time scanning protects your work and personal devices from various threats.

VIPRE antivirus provides 24/7 support based in the US; you can always get help when needed. The VIPRE Antivirus Plus and Advanced Security plans don’t include too many extras. However, the Ultimate Security Bundle has a VPN, webcam, microphone protection, a dark web scanner, and more. The latter offers excellent value for the first year but renews at a much higher rate as with most antivirus subscription plans.

VIPRE Antivirus is available for both Windows and Mac.

IMPRESSIVE ALL-ROUNDER:VIPRE Antivirus performed well in all of our in-house tests. Real-time scanning blocks malware including ransomware and spyware. High quality support available 24/7. Ultimate Security Bundle offers many extras. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full VIPRE Antivirus review.

7. Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender offers three different plans, allowing you to protect up to five devices. It isn’t the most affordable option, but it provides an impressive selection of features. With the base Bitdefender Total Security plan, you’ll have a password manager and data breach detection. The VPN is limited to just 200 MB a day however. Upgrade, and you’ll get unlimited VPN data, dark web monitoring, identity protection, and more.

Our testing shows that Bitdefender provides the kind of security remote workers require. It scored 99.3 out of 100 for protection, which has been recognized by the likes of AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, too. Although we found Bitdefender to be easy to use, that doesn’t guarantee you won’t ever need help. If any issue does pop up, rest assured that Bitdefender provides 24/7 support via live chat, email, and even by phone.

Bitdefender supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

IMPRESSIVE PROTECTION:Bitdefender Internet Security protects against all kinds of threats, performing well in our in-house testing. Comes with a password manager and dark web monitoring. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus review.

Antivirus testing methodology: How we found the best antivirus for remote workers

Our established testing methodology helps us accurately and fairly evaluate each antivirus. Some things don’t change regardless of the use case. Whether we’re looking for an antivirus for remote workers or an antivirus for families, their effectiveness at detecting and removing malware comes first. However, we still want the flexibility to look for features that are particularly useful for remote workers, be it a VPN or the ability to secure multiple devices.

• Comprehensive threat protection: Using malware test files as well as live malware samples, we verify that an antivirus is capable of detecting and blocking different types of malware. We then compare the results of our own in-house testing with that of trusted independent testing labs.
• Multi-device compatibility: It helps if an antivirus supports a variety of operating systems so that remote workers can secure all of their devices. Most of the antivirus providers covered offer apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and also allow offer plans which let you secure multiple devices simultaneously.
• Lightweight performance: Protection comes first but there has to be a balance with performance. An antivirus is little good if it significantly slows your device when real-time protection is enabled, preventing you from working. We measure how each antivirus consumes system resources when idle and during quick and full scans.
• Automatic updates: When you have to focus on work, automatic updates make life easier in that you won’t often need to intervene. This ensures you can continue your work while your antivirus stays effective against the latest threats.
• Extra security features: There’s sometimes very little to separate some antivirus providers, particularly when it comes to their protection and performance. Sometimes, the deciding factor is the extra features on offer. Particularly useful to the remote worker is a VPN, password manager, and file encryption or secure file shredding.
• Value for money: We’ve attempted to find antivirus solutions that meet all budgets. One advantage of those we’ve chosen is that they offer attractive discounts for the first year. What’s more, you’ll find discount coupons included in this post to get an even better price. It’s risk-free to try them because they all include money-back guarantees.

In case you’re wondering about how we test an antivirus’s effectiveness at detecting and removing malware, or how we measure performance, you can always take a look at our antivirus software testing methodology.

How to use an antivirus for remote workers

You might not know where to start if it’s your first time using an antivirus. Getting set up with the best antivirus programs for remote workers is relatively straightforward. Still, we’ve provided step-by-step instructions to make things even easier.

Here’s how to set up an antivirus for remote working:

1. First, you’ll need to sign up with one of the antivirus programs covered in this post. We particularly recommend Norton 360.
2. Download the antivirus for the device or devices you’d like to secure. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
3. Open the antivirus software and log in using the account credentials you created during the signup process.
4. Enable real-time protection. This may require granting certain permissions to the antivirus software. If you have any trouble, contact your provider’s support.
5. Make any further adjustments, such as scheduling scans for non-working hours or enabling extra features such as a VPN or cloud backup.
6. Run a full scan to detect and remove any existing malware infections. Review the results in case any action is required on your part.
7. Last but not least, make sure automatic updates are enabled so your device stays protected against the very latest threats.

How can I secure my home office?

Remote workers can secure their home offices and protect sensitive data with a quality antivirus. Here’s what else you can do to strengthen security further:

Physical security

Not all security threats are online. Locking doors and windows to prevent unauthorized access to devices and their data is vital. If you’re a remote worker with particularly sensitive information to protect, you may even want to consider installing a security system with a camera, alarm, and even motion sensors. Store important documents in a fireproof and waterproof safe.

Use multi-factor authentication

Enable multi-factor authentication on all of your accounts, especially email, cloud storage, and financial apps. This requires you to provide two or more verification factors to access an account, making it more difficult for attackers to compromise them.

Secure your connection

Be sure to use a strong and unique password for your wifi network and wifi router admin console. A password manager can help with this. Enable WPA3 or WPA2 encryption on your router to better protect your connection. A VPN encrypts your connection so that even if traffic is intercepted, attackers won’t be able to read it. Many antivirus programs include a VPN but the best VPNs tend to be standalone products.

Make regular backups

Backing up data and doing so on a regular basis means you’re prepared for the unexpected, be it hardware failure or a data breach. Create backups on a secure cloud service as well as to encrypted external hard drives. It’s good practice to test backups periodically, to make sure they’re working as expected.

Use a password manager

Accounts are often compromised due to weak passwords. If you’re using the same password across multiple accounts and devices, it’s time to make use of a password manager. Not only will this create unique passwords for each account, it allows you to create passwords that are sufficiently complex that they can’t easily be guessed (no more birthdays or pet names!).

Antivirus for remote workers: FAQs