1. Best Internet Security Software For Mac
2. Best Security Software For Pc
3. Best Security Software For Laptop
4. Best Security Software For Mac Free

Internet security software provides all-in-one protection. The best Internet security software typically includes three essential components -- antivirus, anti-spyware and a firewall -- along with optional features, such as a spam filter and parental controls. Apple helps you keep your Mac secure with software updates. The best way to keep your Mac secure is to run the latest software. When new updates are available, macOS sends you a notification.

USB storage has long been the ruler when it comes to carrying large volumes of data. This is primarily because USB drive is universally compatible, lightweight and portable, and does not have specific minimum power requirements which means that it can run as seamless with mobile devices as with laptops or desktops. But with the easy portability comes the possibility of easily misplacing or losing tiny thumb drives or other USB storage drives. That’s where USB encryption software can make your life so much easier.

If you don’t want your confidential data to fall into the wrong hands, it’s a good idea to protect your vital USB drives with a password and encryption. There are a variety of options which will help you achieve it, either for free or for a price, and whether you’re an average Joe or a secret spy, encrypting USB drives is a reasonable measure to protect your data. In this article we are going to show you 7 best USB encryption software that you can use to encrypt USB drive to secure the data that you carry everywhere with you.

Best USB Encryption Software to Secure your Flash Drives in 2019

1. VeraCrypt

Picking up where the hugely popular (but now defunct) TrueCrypt left off, VeraCrypt is an extremely feature rich encryption tool. Although it’s primarily geared towards encrypting hard disks, VeraCrypt plays equally nice with USB flash drives and is one of the best USB encryption software on the market.

VeraCrypt basically works by creating password protected disk volumes, which are encrypted with industry standard encryption algorithms like AES, Serpent, and Twofish. It also lets you further secure the encrypted volumes via the use of passwords and keyfiles. All you have to do is plug-in the flash drive, and follow the steps mentioned in the volume creation wizard. You can either create an encrypted volume of a specific size on the flash drive, or encrypt all of it. The USB flash drive (and the data on it) thus encrypted can only be accessed by mounting it through VeraCrypt, once you’ve entered in the specified password and/or keyfile.

If you’re looking for a USB encryption software that includes top-grade encryption prowess, and is totally gratis, go for VeraCrypt. However, it’s worth noting that using VeraCrypt involves a bit of a learning curve.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP; Mac OS X 10.6 and above, Linux.

Price: Free.

2. EncryptStick

EncryptStick allows you to encrypt USB drives and create virtual vaults or folder protected with a password. EncryptStick provides one of the strongest mechanisms to encrypt a flash drive or any fixed drive on your Windows, Mac, or Linux machines with inter-operability features. The software supports up to 1024-bit AES encryption which is harder to decipher than 256-bit encryption, which most common software that let you encrypt USB drives or disks offer.

Besides promising you impenetrable data encryption, EncryptStick’s USB encryption software lets you encrypt a flash drive with an easy-to-use interface. The interface allows easy copy-paste and drag-and-drop functionality, letting you effortlessly choose files or USB drives which you want to prevent from being sabotaged. Furthermore, every time you forget after switching windows, the software asks you to enter the password, and ten wrong attempts lock intruders out.

The only caveat is that in order to access encrypted disks or files from the other PC, you need to install the software. But, you can also install it and run it from the disk itself without installing on the system separately. With EncryptStick, you get 14 days of trial after which you’ll be needed to pay $19.99 and you can use the same license on up to three devices. For a limited duration, the price has been reduced to $14.99, which seems to be a good purchase if you’re looking to safeguard USB drives with strong security features.

Platform Availability: Windows, Mac, Linux

Price: Paid version licensing starts at $19.99, which is $14.99 currently; 14-day trial with limited features available.

3. Rohos Disk Encryption

Not only does it have all the bells and whistles that you’d expect from an excellent USB encryption software, Rohos Disk Encryption also packs in some really nice extras that make it even more awesome.

The core functionality of Rohos Disk Encryption is centered around creating encrypted volumes. When you plug in the USB flash drive, it automatically determines the best size of the encrypted volume (container) to be created on it. Of course, it’s also easy to specify a custom volume size, along with other parameters like encrypted volume’s container file location, and mount point letter. Once created, the data stored on the encrypted volumes can be conveniently accessed by mounting them.

Rohos Disk Encryption lets you dynamically enlarge the size of the encrypted volumes, as per requirement. Not only that, you can also encrypt installed programs and custom folders on your computer, so that they are accessible only when a USB flash drive having an encrypted volume, and the auto-configured portable Rohos Mini Disk companion application, is plugged in. Then there’s the ability to hide encrypted disks in media container files (e.g. AVI, MP3). Dope, right?

In a nutshell, Rohos Disk Encryption is a lightweight USB encryption solution that also throws in some extremely useful goodies into the mix. When compared to VeraCrypt and DiskCryptor it’s also fairly easier to use. However, it supports just one encryption algorithm, namely AES 256.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

Price: Paid version licensing starts at $35.00, 30 days trial available.

4. Gilisoft USB Stick Encryption

Having a pretty funky UI, complete with glossy buttons and a brushed metal finish, Gilisoft USB Stick Encryption is undoubtedly a looker. But good looks are just a part of the picture, and are complimented by simple but effective encryption features.

Gilisoft USB encryption software is ridiculously easy to use. Simply plug in the flash drive, and it is automatically detected. After that, all you have to do is specify the size of secure (or encrypted) area that you want to create on the drive (via the handy slider), along with the encryption password, and the application will take care of the rest. The secure partitions are encrypted using the AES 256 algorithm, and are accessible after being mounted through the program. There aren’t too many unnecessary extras here, just great encryption goodness. If the companion secure access application on the encrypted USB drive is accidentally deleted, it can be easily recovered too. So there’s nothing to worry about!

If all you need is a no-fuss USB encryption software that doesn’t contain too many additional options, Gilisoft USB Encryption is just the thing to go for. But it does have some disadvantages, such as the 10 time usage cap for the free trial, and an annoying nag screen that pops up more often than it should.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

Price: Paid version costs $59.95 but currently available for $49.95, 10-time maximum usage limit on the trial.

5. DriveCrypt

If you often deal with some highly sensitive information, DriveCrypt could be the one-stop solution guaranteeing the security of files by any means. DriveCrypt comes in handy when you want to encrypt USB and fixed drives, and besides that, it even lets you encrypt files selectively. The software disguises the encrypted files as music files or fake disks, without any keywords or information suggesting that there is some sort of encryption or protection. This can be seen as a digital camouflage and if that’s not enough, the software comes with password sniffing protection features which prevent any trojan files or hackers from learning about your DriveCrypt password.

DriveCrypt has many options to let maximize the security of encrypted USB or local drives. One such feature is the invisible container or partition. You can set up two different passwords for an encrypted vault or drive such that one password gives you the access to files you are comfortable sharing with others while the second one will allow you to access a more secure portion of the vault. This allows you to share the encrypted USB drive with others without letting them of your secret files.

Apart from securing your data with a password, you can use external hardware devices such as USB security keys or fingerprint scanners to authenticate access. Lastly, DriveCrypt promises 1344-bit military-strength encryption.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2003

Price: Paid version licensing starts at 69.95 € (~$80), which is 39.95 € (~$46) currently; 30-day trial

6. Kakasoft USB Security

It’s easy to dismiss Kakasoft USB Security as yet another run-of-the-mill USB encryption software, given its diminutive size and a (fairly) limited feature set. But if you’re looking for exactly that, and don’t care for the other flashy features, it’s hard to go wrong with it.

Just like LaCie Private-Public, Kakasoft USB Security is also completely self contained on the USB flash drive, and can thus be used anywhere. The utility installs on the USB flash drive itself, and can be configured to run automatically everytime the drive is plugged in. Like similar applications, it also supports other flash based memory devices such as memory cards and external disks. All that needs to be done on your part is to specify an encryption password, and Kakasoft USB Security will encrypt the entire drive, as well any data that is stored on it. Encrypted disks are accessible using the same method of unlocking and mounting through the application.

The only problem that I have with this USB encryption software is the fact that it doesn’t explicitly mention the encryption algorithm(s) it utilizes to secure the data. If you can live with that you are going to love this one. Best blu ray burning software for mac.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

Price: Paid version costs $35.90 for two USB drives and $47.90 for six USB drives; Feature-restricted trial available.

7. BitLocker To Go

Want a robust and capable USB encryption software but don’t want to use a third-party software? Not a problem, as BitLocker To Go has you covered.

Built right into certain versions of Windows, BitLocker To Go is an extremely handy encryption utility that lets you easily secure the data stored on your USB flash drives. It can be configured in mere seconds using the BitLocker Drive Encryption applet of the Control Panel. The USB flash drives are encrypted using the AES 256 encryption algorithm. Also, if you forget the unlocking password, the same can be recovered via the automatically generated recovery key, which itself can be saved to a file, or synced to your Microsoft Account.

All in all, BitLocker To Go is an extremely reliable method of encrypting USB flash drives, if you don’t want to mess with any extra software. But it’s only available in certain versions of Windows, so that’s a bit of a bummer.

Note: If your choice of Operating System is Mac OS X, don’t worry. You can use the built in FileVault utility to encrypt USB flash drives. FileVault also uses AES algorithm to encrypt disks, utilizing the login password as the encryption pass-phrase.

Platform Availability: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 (Pro and Enterprise editions).

Price: Free.

Bonus: Hardware Encrypted USB Drive

Apricorn Aegis Secure Key

While software to encrypt or decrypt USB drives are cheap and easily available, there still lies a possibility of a failure in these software methods. To keep hackers at bay, one must not only constantly upgrade the software but also their knowledge about potential attacks. Besides this, software encryption can be limited to those users who have sufficient knowledge of computers.

A relatively easier-to-use and more secure option is using USB flash drives or disks which can be encrypted physically, such as with the help of a passcode – as in the case of Apricorn Aegis Secure Key. Apricorn Aegis features a numeric pad and allows 7 to 16 digit keys, and works in any software ecosystem including Windows, Mac, Linux etc. It is also IP58-certified for protection against dust and water. The USB stick features military-grade 256-bit encryption and has a read-only mode so that you or someone else does not accidentally or willingly delete critical files.

Buy Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 30GB: ($128.18)

SEE ALSO: How to Enhance Google Chrome Security in 2019

Best Software to Encrypt USB Flash Drives

USB Encryption software help you secure flash drives which you might lose while also giving you the assurity that your personal data will not be misused by someone else. Many of these software packages also allow you to encrypt files or entire local drives, and ones like DriveCrypt and EncryptStick offer military-grade protection for your classified data.

Depending on your utility, you can try free or trial versions of some of these software options to encrypt USB drives, to protect your data anywhere you go. You may also choose hardware encryption options if you want to cent-per-cent sure about your data.

So, what is your preferred choice when it comes to encrypting USB drives? Let us and otehr know in the comments below.

Many casual users may think that identifying the best Mac antivirus software in 2019 is rather redundant, given that Macs 'don't get viruses.'

Yet although Apple machines are targeted less than their Windows counterparts, they can still be infected - and the risks are increasing, which is why you need protection.

Every product in this list has been chosen because it's especially designed to protect Mac systems and has scored highly at identifying and removing viruses and malware.

• We've also highlighted the overall best antivirus

The macOS operating system is based on Unix, which is sandboxed, meaning it can be very difficult for viruses to do any damage. Think of them as locked in a little box from which they can’t escape, no matter how hard they try.

This means that you will need specific Mac antivirus software - whether that be the very strongest paid-for protection or a free download that we've picked out at the bottom of this guide - that's been designed to work with the unique demands that macOS has.

So read on for our top choices..

• Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.

Mac antivirus: which is best at detecting threats?

The excellent AV-TEST regularly puts anti-virus programs through their paces, and their most recent tests took place in June 2018 on macOS High Sierra. They tested two key areas: how well the packages detected Mac-specific threats, and how well they protected against Macs in mixed-OS environments being hijacked to spread Windows malware.

While the amount of Mac malware is still considerably less than that targeting Windows, its still 100 times higher than what experts predicted just a few years ago.

For Mac malware, six packages achieved 100 percent detection without false positives:

1. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is one of the most accurate virus protection suites for Apple devices on the market, and it comes with a host of features, including multi-layer ransomware protection, adware removal, and it can also scan for Windows PC malware as well.

If you're concerned about internet nasties, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is the best software for Macs in 2019.

2. Intego Mac Internet Security X9

Intego has been protecting Macs for 20 years, so if there's any software that knows what kind of security Apple machines need, this is it.

It comes with an antivirus engine that cans for the latest Mac threats, as well as Windows and Unix malware as well, and it also features a full firewall for managing network permissions.

3. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac

Kaspersky is a well regarded name in the field of antivirus protection, and it maintains that reputation with its Internet Security for Mac software, which brings a range of features that put much of its competitors to shame, including protection against ransomware, parental controls and tools to make sure you can shop and bank completely securely online.

The huge range of features are certainly welcome, but it can make the interface a bit cumbersome to navigate if you're looking for a particular tool.

4. Norton Security Deluxe

Norton is another brand that's well known in the antivirus world, and the Norton Security Deluxe software helps protect your Mac with an excellent malware detection engine. It can cover a range of devices, so you can have it protect your Macs, or even any Windows PCs you have, or mobile devices. While the security it offers is great, there can be a noticeable impact on system speed when in use.

If you want to keep your Mac feeling as speedy as possible, look at one of the other choices in this best software for Mac list, but if you want robust, dependable protection, no matter what, then Norton Security Deluxe is definitely worth investing in.

The next four achieved between 99.5 percent and 98.4 percent without false positives:

5. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac

Good security that includes social network protection

If you're running the latest version of macOS, macOS High Sierra (10.13), then Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac is a very good choice, as it has been built for compatibility with the recent operating system. It brings antivirus protection, email scam filtering, a social media privacy checker and new ransomware protection tools.

Scanning speed has also been improved since the last version, making it faster to check your Mac for any viruses.

6. ClamXAV

A trusted scanner for macOS

ClamXAV doesn't have the catchiest of names, but it's the antivirus software for Mac that many IT professionals swear by - not least because it only creates AV for Apple computers.

That doesn't mean it's overly complicated - in fact, it has one of the most simple and easy-to-use interfaces out of all the Mac antivirus software on this list.

It's particularly adept at catching viruses in email attachments, and while it doesn't come with some of the internet safety tools of other suites, it's still an excellent choice for protecting your Mac.

7. ESET Cyber Security for Mac

ESET Cyber Security for Mac scores highly from independent testing labs, so you can rest assured that your Mac is being well looked after if you have this installed.

It's not the quickest software to scan your Mac for viruses, but it digs deep into your system to make sure your machine is completely free from viruses, and it has a pretty competitive price tag as well.

8. F-Secure SAFE

Best Internet Security Software For Mac

F-Secure SAFE is pitched as an antivirus service for the entire family, protecting all manner of devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets as well as Macs, and strong parental controls.

AV-Test found F-Secure protected against 100 per cent of zero-day threats during March and April 2018, as well as 100 per cent of all widespread and prevalent malware discovered during the previous four weeks. However as of June 2018, detection rates of MacOS malware are 96.4 per cent.

Best Security Software For Pc

Concerns about the suite slowing down the installation of frequently used applications also persist, as does a relative lack of features. Having said that it does offer some nifty capabilities such as banking protection, which blocks specific sites and apps from interacting with your system while you’re logged in, and specific safeguards across the scourge of ransomware.

In short, F-Secure’s user-friendly UI and accurate protection make it an adequate choice, but it is lacking in the feature department.

Do I need free or paid-for antivirus for Mac?

The debate is the same regardless of whether you have a Mac or a PC. Free antivirus products are effective at protecting against threats but they lack certain premium features.

Having multiple systems on a network means cyberattacks have more users and more endpoints to target. Additional management tools that let you set policies can help mitigate this risk.

Macs might be considered safer than PCs, but it still might not be risking it for the sake of saving some money.

Top 5 best free antivirus for Mac in 2019

1. Avast Free Mac Security

Strong all-round protection for your Mac

Avast Free Mac Security goes the extra mile to protect your Mac with an unusually lengthy feature list.

The core antivirus engine offers real-time protection to catch threats when they appear, for instance. You can run on-demand full system scans if you suspect a problem, or launch a more targeted check on specific files, folders or drives. It's even possible to schedule scans to run automatically when you're not around.

A Web Shield warns you about malicious websites, blocks dangerous downloads and email attachments, and protects your privacy by eliminating intrusive ad tracking.

There's an unusual extra in Avast's wireless network scanner, which quickly checks your network, router and connected devices, alerting you to any vulnerabilities.

Mac antivirus software isn't often checked by the independent testing labs, but Avast's most recent results were good, with AV Comparative's 2018 test finding the package detected 100 percent of sample threats.

If you'd like even more, upgrading to Avast Security Pro gets you ransomware protection and instant alerts of Wi-Fi intruders or changes in your network security. A one Mac, one-year licence can be yours for £49.99 ($70).

2. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac

Block the latest malware before it can cause damage

While many antivirus companies try to win you over by piling on the features, Avira Antivirus for Mac takes a simpler, more lightweight approach. There's no web filtering, no network scanning or other security extras: it's purely focused on keeping your system malware-free.

That doesn't mean the package is short on power. Its real-time scanner checks any file the system accesses, picking up threats before they can do any harm. The scheduler enables setting up the app to scan your system automatically, or you're able to check your entire system whenever you like.

As a bonus, the app doesn't just protect against Mac threats. It also uses Avira's Windows experience to pick up any PC-related malware, ensuring you won't share any files that might endanger your friends.

The main testing labs haven't evaluated Avira Free Antivirus for a while, but AV Comparatives last report found the Avira engine blocked 100% of test malware (tying with Avast), and with Avira's strong record on the PC we've no doubt that this is an app you can trust.

Although this list is all about free Mac antivirus, Avira deserves a mention for its commercial Avira Antivirus Pro product. It includes tech support and protects up to three devices with one licence (Mac, Windows and Android) for a cost of £39.99 ($42) a year.

3. Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac

Bitdefender Virus Scanner is a lightweight free malware hunter which can track down and remove both Mac and Windows-related threats.

A simple and straightforward interface makes the app extremely easy to use. A status display keeps you up-to-date on how your system is doing, and four buttons enable running a quick scan of critical locations, an in-depth check of your entire system, or speedy scans of running applications or a folder of your choice.

Although this looks all very basic, use Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac for a while and you begin to notice some very neat touches.

The app doesn't force you to wait a day for your next virus signature updates, for instance. Bitdefender issues updates every hour and Virus Scanner always fetches the latest version before it starts a scan.

An option to exclude files and folders from the scan - network shares, system backups - is another plus, reducing the work the engine has to do and significantly speeding up your scan times.

What you don't get here is any form of real-time protection or web filtering, essential tools for a complete security solution. This simplicity also reduces the chance of conflicts with other apps, though, suggesting Bitdefender Virus Scanner could be a useful second opinion tool which you run alongside another security app.

Quick and easy anti-malware from a big-name provider

Mac antivirus software isn't just about detecting the latest most deadly ransomware, or other high-risk threats. Most tools can also strip out adware and other potentially unwanted programs which may not be highly dangerous, but are wasting system resources and slowing your Mac down.

Malwarebytes has been eliminating the full range of Windows threats since 2006, and the Mac edition is just as simple, straightforward and effective.

The app is such a lightweight installation, the size of three digital music files, that you'll barely notice it's there. And while the lack of real-time protection means Malwarebytes can't stop attacks - only remove existing infections - it also ensures there's no real impact on your system resources and the app is unlikely to conflict with other antivirus tools.

Performance is another highlight, with Malwarebytes claiming the average system is scanned in less than 15 seconds. Set it running when you check your emails in the morning and it'll be finished before you are.

Installing Malwarebytes for Mac also gets you a 30-day trial of the Premium edition which is able to detect and block threats as they appear. If you're not interested in this, ignore it; real-time protection will disappear when the trial expires and you'll get on-demand scanning only.

Alternatively, upgrading to Malwarebytes Premium with a one-year licence costs just £29.99 ($38), with another option to protect up to 10 devices for £49.99 ($65)

5. Sophos Home for Mac

The free antivirus market is highly competitive and it can be difficult for individual companies to stand out from the crowd, but the British vendor Sophos has found a way: it gives you more features in its free products than many competitors provide in their paid editions.

On-demand scanning to clean up infected systems? Check. Real-time protection to prevent attacks in the first place? Of course. Browser filtering which blocks access to dangerous sites? Naturally. Parental controls to define the content your child can access online? Yep.

Just as long as you have the cash to bankroll it. Best price for mac pro laptop. With performance like this, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the best MacBooks not only this year, but of all time.

Oh, and you can cover up to three Mac or Windows devices with a single account, and remotely check and manage their status from a central web console - potentially very useful when protecting the whole family.

Sophos isn't just piling on these extras to disguise a weak antivirus engine, either. AV Test's December 2017 Mac detection rate tests showed Sophos delivered the same level of protection as products from Avast, Bitdefender, Kaspersky and other big names.

This works for us, but if you need more, Sophos Home Premium does have some worthwhile extra features: advanced ransomware protection, monitoring of access to your webcam and microphone, live chat and email support, and the option to protect up to 10 devices. It's a strong feature set, and competitively priced at £37.50 ($48) a year.

Mac antivirus: what’s the effect on performance?

Most of us believe that virus protection software has a negative effect on performance, but chances are it’s much less negative than we think: in their tests, AV-Test found that there was no measurable performance drop when using ClamXav, MacKeeper, Kaspersky or Norton. There was a measurable difference with Sophos and Trend Micro (two per cent of additional system load), and with ESET and Bitdefender, which added around four per cent to the overall system load.

Mac antivirus: do I really need it?

Best Security Software For Laptop

That really depends on you. The risk of infection remains pretty remote, and if you practice basic security measures and don’t fall for common scams then you’re very unlikely to suffer from any problems. Even ransomware can be defeated with the cunning tactic of having a backup of anything important.

That said, if you’ve ever experienced the mess malware can make on a Windows system you’ll know that just getting things back to normal can be an incredible time thief, especially if key data has been damaged. Perhaps the question shouldn’t be whether anti-virus is worth the money, but whether your time is more valuable than the cost of a security app.

Best Security Software For Mac Free

• VPNs are another great way to stay safe online - check out the best Mac VPN