When you browse the internet, you expose your system and your data to several online threats. The cases of cyber-attacks have become very common nowadays. With advanced technology, the types of online threats and dangers have also increased. There are various types of online threats designed to harm your devices like malware, trojans, hackers, computer virus, worms, ransomware, spyware, adware, keylogger, etc. All these variants harm your device in different ways like ransomware locks your data, spyware keeps a check on your browsing history and surfing habits. Similarly, other variants affect your privacy and security in different manners. Hence, to safeguard your personal data and ensure your online safety, antivirus is a must-have.
The first and foremost duty of an antivirus is to keep your device safe from threats. There is a wide range of free and paid antivirus in the market, and you can choose any of them as per your requirements. VPN or Virtual Private Network is another aspect that keeps your online privacy safe. It creates a private network across a public network to maintain your online privacy and anonymity. There are many other features that both antivirus and VPN possess. Out of these two, which is a must-have in your system to enjoy complete protection against online threats? Well, if you wish to safeguard your system, then it’s always advisable to have both antivirus as well as a VPN.
How does an Antivirus work?
An antivirus is a software that detects, prevents, and blocks malicious threats like malware. It performs several types of scanning, like on-demand scanning, smart scanning, and full scanning. Several detection methods like sandbox detection, data mining, behavior-based detection, etc. ensure that your device is free from infected files.
How a VPN works?
A VPN creates a tunnel between your system and the internet connection. It encrypts your data to maintain your online privacy, and it even hides your original IP address to make you untraceable. When you make an online payment on an unsecured network or unsecured Wi-Fi, it encrypts your data. It creates a private network so that your personal information is unreadable by hackers. If you have a VPN, even the government and your internet service provider can’t access your browsing history.
Difference between Antivirus and VPN:
A question arises whether a VPN or an antivirus is more effective at providing complete protection to your system. But it’s not fair to compare these two as both are quite different from each other. Here are some of the differences between antivirus and a VPN.
- The primary task of antivirus is to protect your system from malicious malware that is capable of harming your system. In contrast, a VPN encrypts your data to protect your online identity.
- There are various viruses or malware that delete your data and files, but you can avoid such losses with an Antivirus. In contrast, a VPN focuses on hiding your Internet Protocol address and replacing it with another address, making you untraceable.
- There are several videos and series that are not available at your location. VPN enables you to bypass such geoblocking by changing the IP address, and thus you can enjoy them all. In contrast, an antivirus focuses on providing you an ad-free computing experience by blocking unwanted and malicious advertisements.
- A VPN makes sure that when you surf the internet on an unsecured network or Wi-Fi, your personal information and data are not at risk by creating a private network across this public network. Talking about antivirus, it comes with parental tools to manage the device usage and filtering content.
- Antivirus programs have dynamic scanning features that enable it to constantly keep a check on your system and eliminate any infected entities. In contrast, a VPN focuses on keeping your browsing history safe.
Best Antivirus with VPN:
- Bitdefender Total Security (Bitdefender VPN) – It performs all the functions of protecting your system and comes with a free VPN that enables your device to maintain its anonymity. You can also always check for the latest Bitdefender coupon codes available year-round for the best deals and offers.
- Avast Ultimate (Avast SecureLine VPN ) – The Ultimate Suite comes with many features and provides ultimate protection. For your total online security, it even has a VPN in its suite.
- Norton Security (Norton Secure VPN) – It is one of the most popular antivirus software that comes with the VPN tool, which is excellent at keeping you safe on an unsecured network or Wi-Fi.
Conclusion:
We already know that the web is a dangerous place for your system as well for your privacy. Your online as well offline experience can be affected by various types of threats. When you use the internet, you get exposed to numerous online security threats. These malicious entities infect your device and steal your valuable information. In such a scenario, you cannot afford to make any mistake in providing your system complete protection against all these. Hence, if you are willing to provide complete and robust protection for your system, it’s better to have both an antivirus and a VPN.
We have seen in the points mentioned above that both of them perform different functions. The antivirus is primarily for protection from other variants of malware, while a VPN focuses on ensuring you a safe internet browsing by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address. So, always go for both instead of any one of them for your ultimate protection.
