Excellent web filter and antivirus!
Designed to protect every desktop and laptop, Sophos Home Security safeguards your system against viruses, malware, malicious software, ransomware, and compromised websites. The best part about using this program is that you can customize security settings for each account or device from a wide range of browsers, such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge.
A great tool to keep your system secure!
A simple interface, a user-friendly dashboard, and an effective security program at your disposal.
For over 30 years, Sophos has been delivering high-end business security software. With the development of Sophos Home Security, the company expanded into the consumer market. The free version of the software provides you with prominent security essentials, including web filtering and antivirus.
Additionally, you can keep multiple devices secure from a single web console. Unlike most free antivirus programs, this one comes with parental web filtering, allowing you to restrict the kind of content your kids can access online.
Pretty quick setup
In order to download and install Sophos Home Security, you need to create an account with your email address. While Kaspersky and Bitdefender also require you to create a user account before installation, Avira and Avast keep this optional.
Once you share the details, download the program, and launch the installer, it doesn’t take much time to get started. Within a couple of minutes, and without any further intervention, the program sets itself up quickly.
Though the program isn’t exactly lightweight, you won’t notice a lot of visible changes on the desktop. Just a new system tray icon and a couple of shortcuts are added to your screen. Once installed, Sophos Home Security starts working instantly.
Easy to use
Sophos Home Security is one of the few programs that manage your system’s security on the Cloud. With a simple and clean interface, using the program is pretty straightforward. From a single user-friendly dashboard, you can customize settings, check threats, and do a lot more.
Configuring changes on the Sophos website is easy and quick. Settings are categorized as per function, ensuring you can manage virus protection, privacy protection, and website protection on different screens.
Effective web filtering and parental controls
Instead of configuring and updating everything locally, Sophos Home Security keeps your settings secure on the Cloud. The free version comes with a basic web filtering tool, which lets you block certain websites and allow access to others.
There’s an option to create a whitelist with websites that you frequently visit. It saves you from the trouble of allowing every website each time you visit. The parental control tool is probably the most impressive addition in a free tool. Using the function, you can provide access to or block certain online activity.
Keep your banking safe and private
Sophos Home Security gives you a safe browsing environment and keylogger protection. Considering the rampant growth of digital transactions, it’s a good way to keep your banking safe and private. Moreover, the webcam protection notifies you whenever any websites or programs try to access your webcam.
Keep a check on threats
While using the program, you have access to an alerts log on a web-based interface. It lets you get a clear idea about threats faced by the system. With the click of a button, you can administer multiple devices running the program, add more devices, or remove a few from the dashboard.
Solid customer support
Unlike most antivirus programs available in the market, this one provides you with a good amount of information regarding issues. You can simply ‘submit a request’ on the website to get in touch with a representative.
While creating a ticket, you can add attachments, including logs and screenshots, which allow the team to resolve the issue promptly. Most people don’t realize that the website supports live chat, which opens in a separate window.
Where can you run this program?
Sophos Home Security is available for Windows 7 and higher, as well as Mac OS X 10.8 and higher. A single user account can be used with multiple devices.
Is there a better alternative?
While Sophos Home Security is an excellent choice, you might be looking for a few alternatives. Avast, one of the most popular security programs, comes with advanced, customizable, and intuitive scanning methods. Several other modules keep your system protected from online threats. The downside is that the free version comes with restrictions and doesn’t really match the standard of Sophos Home Security.
Another good choice is Windows Defender! Built into the operating system, this program guards your PC against spyware, malicious software, and viruses. Since it’s a native free tool, it’s not a surprise that the program isn’t very effective against big threats. Windows Defender still needs to go a long way to be considered a full-fledged security software.
If you’re using UNIX, Clam AntiVirus will be a good choice. It’s an open-source toolkit designed for email scanning on gateways. Recently, the company introduced ClamAV for Windows. The free Windows-specific program uses advanced Cloud-based protection. Unfortunately, the scanning speed is slow and you may come across quite a few false positives.
Our take
For several years, Sophos has been producing business security solutions. For Sophos Home Security, the company has used the same award-winning enterprise technologies. In the recent past, it has received a lot of praise and recognition from a wide range of independent testing labs. An effective and free antivirus program, Sophos Home Security exceeds expectations in keeping your system secure.
Should you download it?
Yes, definitely! Remote management, antivirus protection, web filtering, and parental controls are just a few key features in Sophos Home Security. With regular updates, the company keeps improving the platform. Since it’s free, there’s good enough reason to start using Sophos Home Security for your Windows and Mac devices.
