No two computer viruses are the same, but the worst ones can enable cyber criminals to steal your most personal information, destroy your data, and even damage your computer’s hardware.
Macs and PCs both have built-in firewalls that help shield your computer from malicious cyber attacks, but if you want an extra layer of protection, you can purchase and download a personal firewall.
Personal Firewall Definition
A personal firewall is software application that shields internet users from potential hackers by permitting or denying network traffic to and from their computer and warning them about attempted intrusions. It’s like a filter between the Internet and your network.
Check out the following personal firewalls to figure out which one is right for you.
5 of the Best Personal Firewalls for Mac and Windows
1. McAfee LiveSafe
Price: $104.99 Per Year For an Unlimited Amount of Devices
Available On: Mac and Windows
McAfee LiveSafe is an antivirus software that protects your computer from viruses and ransomware.
It offers a safe web browsing tool that warns you about risky websites, links, and files, a multi-factor password manager app, a digital file shredder, and encrypted storage, which protects your most sensitive information on your computer with 128-bit encryption.
McAfee LiveSafe performed well enough in recent third-party tests to be considered one of the best antivirus software out there, and since you can use it on an unlimited amount of devices, it’s also one of the most affordable options on the market.
2. Norton Security Premium
Price: $54.99 Per Year For Up to Five Devices
Available On: Mac and Windows
Norton Security Deluxe leverages one of the largest civilian cyber intelligence networks to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, malware, ransomware, and other advanced online threats.
Norton Security Deluxe also offers a Smart Firewall, which can shield your personal and financial information from hackers that gain unauthorized access to computers from seemingly "broken” sites that actually download viruses once people visit it.
Norton Security Deluxe scored high on Top Ten Reviews ’ in-house testing, so if you’re looking for a powerful firewall solution, it’s the personal antivirus software for you.
3. Kaspersky Internet Security
Price: $47.99 Per Year For Up to Three Devices
Available On: Mac and Windows
In addition to shielding your computer from viruses, ransomware, and cyber attacks when you surf the web or download anything, Kaspersky Internet Security can also protect your bank and card details when you bank or shop online and safeguard your personal information from malicious links on social media.
The software constantly scores high on independent laboratory tests that assess its capability of detecting and stopping malware, and the cheapest plan can protect up to three computers in your household, so if you need an affordable antivirus solution for your family, consider choosing Kaspersky Internet Security.
4. Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9
Price: 69.99 Per Year For Up to Three Devices
Available On: Mac
After purchasing and downloading the latest version of Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle, you can leverage a real-time antivirus protection software that automatically scans your Mac, and an intelligent firewall and a hotspot network protection tool that blocks cyber criminals from accessing your computer through the internet.
You also get access to a Cleaner Software that can remove unnecessary files from your computer, a parental control tool, and a data backup tool.
Ranked as the best personal firewall for Mac by Top Ten Reviews and earning perfect scores on their in-house testing for blocking spyware, ransomware, and phishing attempts specifically designed to infect Macs, the Intego Mac Premium Bundle is one of the best antivirus softwares for Mac users.
5. Bitdefender Internet Security
Price: $79.99 Per Year For Up to Three Devices
Available On: PC
By constantly testing different types of protection in malware detection tests run by independent labs, Bitdefender Internet Security has refined their solution enough to offer some of the best web attack prevention, ransomware protection, real-time data protection, anti-fraud, and anti-phishing tools out there. They also offer access to their own VPN, webcam protection, and vulnerability assessments.
Ranked as the best overall personal firewall in 2019 by Top Ten Reviews and the most expensive solution on this list, Bitdefender Internet Security is perfect for people who make shielding their computers from the most advanced cyber attacks a top priority in their lives.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in January, 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
