The main purpose of anti-virus software is of course to provide good all-round protection. This includes good virus detection performance and a high level of protection against threats of all kinds. In the meantime, however, there is also a wide range of anti-virus software that has much more to offer. These include, for example, additional functions such as parental control, mobile protection or system tuning tools.
The most important additional features of anti-virus software at a glance
Parental control
AntiVirus programs that offer parental control are particularly relevant for home networks in families with children. If this protection is activated, certain content in the form of Internet pages can be blocked if desired. But there is also the all-round protection. This again means that this security blocks all content that is not approved for children. This is done via a Databasewhich has collected exactly this content and is provided by the respective provider.
Mobile protection
This additional function is also interesting. If you have a smartphone in addition to your PC or laptop, you can protect all devices against threats of any kind with just one software. This is made possible by virus programs with mobile protection functions. The program is simply downloaded and installed on the smartphone in the form of an app. The big advantage here is that the smartphone software of some providers can also be managed via the PC.
Password Vault
By now, every Internet user has numerous accounts in the Internetbe it on social networks, dating portals, online shops right up to online banking. To protect your user accounts from unauthorized access, the password is of course extremely important. Unfortunately, with so many different passwords, you quickly lose track of what you are doing. A so-called password safe provides a remedy. This is of course also offered as separate software, but it makes much more sense to use it if it is directly integrated into the selected anti-virus software. Extensive password safes offer numerous functions. For example, all stored passwords are not only encrypted, but can also be managed or regenerated using a generator.
System tuning
Over time, a lot of data garbage collects on the PC. Unfortunately, this has the big disadvantage that the PC becomes slow with time. To prevent this, there are system tuning tools that are also integrated in many anti-virus programs. You can often recognize them by the names Speed-Tools or Tuning-Tools. These tools are usually quite similar in structure. They have an evaluation of the system health of the individual components in the form of hard disk, processor, performance etc. After the evaluation the areas with problems are listed. With one click these problems can be solved and the performance of the PC improved. Even traces of activity on the Internet can be eliminated practically and easily.
Browser protection
Anyone who travels a lot on the Internet should also pay attention to this additional feature when choosing an anti-virus program. The Browser Protection is used to warn the user of dangerous websites that contain viruses and can damage the PC or laptop. In most cases, the installation of a toolbar is required to activate the protection, which is part of the respective anti-virus software that is installed on the PC.
Bottom line:
Anyone looking for a suitable anti-virus software should not underestimate the additional features presented. They offer all-round protection and can be individually adapted to the respective user behaviour. Basically, there are both free programs and paid programs with premium features. Paid programs are not always a "must". There are also numerous free programs that offer sufficient protection and convince with their many additional features. To get an up-to-date overview, virus software tests and field reports can also help.