Antivirus and Parental Controls: What the FTC and NCSC Say

TL;DR: The NCSC says to always use antivirus, that most operating systems include free built-in protection, and that phones need no extra antivirus if you only install from official stores and keep updates on. Parental controls need to be set up on every device.

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Rather than ranking security suites, this guide covers what the official guidance says you actually need, and what parental controls can and cannot do.

Updates come first

The FTC says operating system updates often include critical patches and to set phones to update automatically, lock the phone with at least a 6-digit passcode or biometrics, turn on Find My features and back up regularly. CISA says software updates mainly patch security weaknesses and to turn on automatic updates. It suggests a weekly manual check if automatic updates are unavailable, warns that update prompts in browser pop-ups or emails are commonly phishing, and says to install updates only through the device's native update feature or legitimate app stores. If a developer stops issuing security updates, CISA says upgrade or switch to a maintained app.

Do you need antivirus?

The NCSC says to always use antivirus and keep it updated, and that most operating systems include free antivirus you can switch on. It names Windows Defender Antivirus and SmartScreen and macOS XProtect as built-in protections that will meet the needs of many users, and Google Play Protect for Android. It also says phones and tablets do not need antivirus if you install apps only from official stores and enable automatic updates. It warns that trial antivirus bundled on new computers expires and can conflict with built-in protection, and says not to use more than one antivirus product on a device.

Google says Play Protect is on by default, scans Play Store apps before download and can warn about, deactivate or remove harmful apps. See how to spot a fake browser extension and check for a hijacked browser.

Parental controls

The FTC says parental controls can manage time online, restrict content, show app and website activity, limit who a child can communicate with and restrict purchases. It stresses there is no substitute for talking with your child about family rules, and that controls must be set up on every device the child uses. It lists Apple Family Sharing, Google Family Link and Microsoft Family Safety as built-in tools.

Google Family Link: manage apps, set screen-time limits and bedtime, locate Android devices and restrict mature content on Google Play. It cannot supervise iPhones or iPads, needs Android 6.0+ or Chrome OS 71+, and the parent must be 18 or older in the same country as the child.
Apple Screen Time: Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse approvals, Schedules and Time Allowances, and control over who a child can contact. Communication Safety, which protects against viewing or sharing photos or videos with nudity, gore or violence, requires Family Sharing and a separate child Apple Account.
COPPA: for children under 13, sites need parental consent before collecting data, and parents can withdraw consent and have collected information deleted, per the FTC.

Tools protect accounts, but they cannot un-leak data that is already out. A free digital footprint check shows whether your email or number appears in exposed data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to buy antivirus?

The NCSC says most operating systems include free antivirus, and that phones need no extra antivirus if you install from official stores and keep automatic updates on.

Should I run two antivirus products?

No. The NCSC says not to use more than one antivirus product on any device.

Is Google Play Protect on by default?

Yes. Google says it is on by default and scans apps before download.

Can Family Link control an iPhone?

No. Google says Family Link cannot supervise iPhones or iPads.

Do parental controls replace talking to my child?

No. The FTC says there is no substitute for talking with your child about family rules.