Bitdefender provides multiple layers of security to protect the unwary.
© BITDEFENDER
DOES ANYONE NEED paid-for security software these days? Indeed, does anyone need any third-party security, given Windows now ships with a full-fledged antimalware tool in the form of Windows Security? That’s the conundrum we’ve put to this issue’s head-to-head, focusing on two products—one free (Avira Free Security) and one paid-for (Bitdefender Total Security)—to see whether you should still be paying for security in 2021. We’ve also taken the liberty of measuring both against Windows Security (Win 10’s built-in protection) to see whether you actually need to install either.