What Antivirus Software/Cybersecurity Software Do I Use?

People often ask me what antivirus software/cybersecurity software I run on my computers. I’ve tried various solutions over the years. I am now doing advisory work for Cyber Team US. Cyber Team US uses the MSP version of PC Matic. The benefit of the MSP version of PC Matic over the Home version is that Cyber Team US offers an extra level of support and management included with using PC Matic, so they can easily adjust any settings for the customer without making the customer have to self-support their PC Matic installation. Cyber Team US also includes a bundle of other services such as a password manager, identity theft protection, a VPN and encrypted email, and the ability to have your data removed from data broker websites.

I prefer PC Matic (MSP) to other antivirus/cybersecurity software because of the following benefits it offers:

First, it offers a “whitelist” of allowed apps, whereas most antivirus software only uses definitions of known viruses, malware, etc. By using a “whitelist” approach, PC Matic retains a list of known/good apps and only allows those apps to run by default. Unknown apps are blocked by default. This is especially useful at combating ransomware, as instead of allowing new forms of ransomware to infect your machine before they are blocked by an antivirus/anti-malware definition update, unknown apps are blocked by default, which prevents new forms of ransomware from infecting your system. If you have a legitimate app that you need to run that PC Matic doesn’t know about yet, you’re prompted to allow or deny running the app when you launch it. Take a moment to look at the screen and ensure it’s an app you know you can trust. If it is, click allow. PC Matic will also analyze the app and add it to its list of known good apps in the future. Government agencies and major enterprises are moving to this approach, and now you can have the same approach in your home or small business. With PC Matic, you don’t need an extra traditional antivirus app. It will handle everything you need.

Second, I like the idea that 100% of PC Matic’s research and development is done in the USA. Most of the other antivirus/cybersecurity solutions I have used over the years outsourced at least some of their research and development overseas (Europe, India, or even Russia). PC Matic performs all of its research and development in the USA, so I can recommend it to government clients and clients with sensitive cybersecurity needs. It also feels good to know I’m supporting cybersecurity jobs in the USA and know my cybersecurity software isn’t sending my data to an unknown country.

Lastly, PC Matic also offers some excellent optimization tools (on both Mac and Windows, but primarily on Windows) and the ability to perform scheduled scans. Once everything is set up, I no longer need to think about optimizing my computer or dealing with manual virus scans. PC Matic does all the work for me, keeping my devices in excellent condition.

I do run PC Matic on both my Windows PC and my Macs, even though Macs are less vulnerable to malware. The fact is, they could still receive ransomware if you’re not careful (although practicing safe computing is still important), plus since I have to email files to people using Windows, it’s good to be able to ensure I’m not passing on malware to others.

I have used PC Matic for a few years now, and I highly recommend it. The best way to purchase PC Matic is through my friends at Cyber Team US so that you receive a full bundle of cybersecurity solutions backed with excellent support from a US and Veteran-owned company.