It’s quite a different setup from most antivirus utilities. You can even launch a scan of the remote computer if necessary. They don’t have access to the controls unless you give them the login credentials. Since all configuration happens in this online dashboard, your friends and family members can’t mess up their antivirus installation. The Web tab (also reached by clicking Web Protection on the Status tab) similarly contains settings that you shouldn’t turn off. If you like, you can set Sophos to run a full antivirus scan on any day of the week. The one exception is turning on the scheduler. Most users shouldn’t touch the controls on the General tab, as doing so would turn off various protective features. Well, any except Privacy Protection-that one takes you to the Privacy page. Note that clicking any of the feature panels on the Status tab takes you to the corresponding area on the Protection tabs. This tab has four sub-tabs: General, Exploits, Ransomware, and Web. That leaves the Protection tab, the place where everything happens.

The Privacy page just contains Webcam Protection, and Web Filtering lets you configure the parental control system. On the History page, you see a list of everything Sophos has done to protect you, with an option to filter on different event types. The Status page features five large panels representing five protective components: Antivirus Protection, Web Protection, Ransomware Protection, Privacy Protection, and Malicious Traffic Detection. When you select a device, you get a page with five tabs: Status, History, Protection, Web Filtering, and Privacy. Either way, it both installs Sophos and connects the installation to your account for remote management. You can click to download and install on the current system or copy a link that you can send to someone else. Click any device for more details and configuration options, or click Add Device to extend protection to another PC or Mac. The main screen of your dashboard displays all the devices you've protected, each with a number representing outstanding notifications. Would you really want to manage more? (Credit: Sophos/PCMag) There is a limit of 10 installations per subscription, which seems reasonable.

It's easier than driving across town to sort out the mess they've made or trying to walk them through diagnosis and repair over the phone. If you're the go-to tech support person for your family or circle of friends, consider installing Sophos for the whole gang and managing it remotely. IT departments take care of antivirus management from a central console they don't rely on untrained employees to keep things running. That makes a lot of sense, given this app's business origins. All configuration and logging activities take place in the online dashboard. Sophos just installs a small, local client on your PC.

Even so, until you pass the 10-device mark, Sophos costs less. With McAfee AntiVirus Plus, your $64.99 subscription lets you install antivirus on all the devices in your household, whether they run Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, or even ChromeOS. Sophos has the lowest 10-license price among popular brands, undercut only by the less familiar SecureAge CatchPulse, which charges $39.90. And paying $59.99 per year for ESET NOD32 Antivirus gets you licenses for five devices. With Bitdefender, Emsisoft, or Malwarebytes, paying that amount protects three devices. Norton AntiVirus Plus costs $59.99 to protect just one device. For $59.99 per year, you can install Sophos Home Premium on up to 10 devices running Windows or macOS. Sophos skips the small stuff and jumps straight to an inexpensive 10-pack. Many antivirus companies let you purchase subscriptions for one, three, or five devices some of them go up to 10 or more. Both receive high scores from testing labs, and both have even more bonus features than Sophos. If your needs don’t precisely match its profile, though, you’re better off choosing one of our Editors’ Choice antivirus apps, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus or Norton AntiVirus Plus. It’s a godsend if you’re the antivirus guru for your family or friends, and it costs much less than the competition. You can manage up to 10 devices remotely when logged into the Sophos online dashboard. Yes, a local app on your PC or Mac handles the bare-knuckles malware fights, but its management lives in the cloud. With Sophos Home Protection, that idea is only half right. You probably picture antivirus protection as something that resides on your computer and protects it against security dangers.

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