It's understandable then that certain publishers - including McAfee and Symantec - have chosen to ditch the traditional 'antivirus' and 'security suite' labels altogether. Many security suites no longer even include a firewall, as we discuss below. Some 'antivirus' products come with more extra features than you'd expect, like browser extensions and password managers - while conversely there's no guarantee that a given security suite will include a particular feature. Unfortunately, different publishers have different ideas about where exactly to draw the line. Clever hackers are always looking out for ways to dupe innocent computer users into installing malicious software, or giving up their valuable credentials. And it's not just about technical tricks: the number one vulnerability is - no offence - you. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to bypass your security, and even if the vast majority of their efforts are thwarted, they only have to get lucky once to ruin your day.

Sadly, it's not enough to guarantee your safety. Nowadays, Windows 10 has all sorts of protections built-in, and receives regular security updates to ensure that newly discovered vulnerabilities are fixed before they can be exploited. All you had to do was open a dodgy email attachment, click on a malicious web link or plug in an infected USB flash drive. It's a fair question: back in the days of Windows 98, it was horribly easy to get a virus.

Be sure to also check out our guide to the best antivirus suites for 2018.

Yet, it's not always clear exactly what you're buying, or if you even need the services on offer - so here's a run through of some of the most frequently asked questions.

2018 best internet security suite