Antivirus is just one part of keeping your PC secure. What about backups, password storage, and software updates? Do you use a VPN? Are you monitoring the dark web for your personal data? That’s where security suites come in — they bundle all the tools you might need into a convenient package. Everything is available in one place for a single payment, no juggling eight different applications with different subscription fees.

There are all kinds of features you’ll find in premium security suites. We’ll use Norton 360 Deluxe as an example here, as it’s our top antivirus security suite pick here at PCWorld. But all popular security suites from Avast One and AVG Internet Security to Avira Prime and McAfee Total Protection offer a variety of similar features.

Dark web monitoring

Security suites frequently include dark web monitoring for details like your e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and credit cards. The dark web is a place where people can better hide their identity and be anonymous. It may involve using software like the Tor web browser and anonymous .onion sites, for example.

Given the vastly improved anonymity, there’s a seedy underbelly of criminal dark web sites where databases full of e-mail addresses and passwords, payment details, and other private information are sold. The dark web scan feature will let you know if your information appears in one of these breaches. You’ll be able to see what appears in various leaks.

Chris Hoffman/IDG

Chris Hoffman/IDG

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Norton 360, like many other security suites, offers dark web scanning for your e-mail addresses as well as any phone numbers and credit card numbers you may want to provide. You’ll get reports about the contents of each breach the scan finds.

You can get this kind of monitoring in a lot of places. For example, Google’s Google One subscription offers dark web monitoring, too.

A built-in VPN service

Premium online security suites usually include built-in VPN services. While our top-rated VPN services aren’t the ones built into online security applications, VPNs built into security apps work fine. A VPN is a nice to have security feature and having it built into your security app means you don’t have to juggle a pile of different system tray icons. Everything is in one place.

Chris Hoffman/IDG

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The VPN built into Norton 360, for example, can be configured to automatically start and protect your connection whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi network. You can turn it on and off whenever you want — on any connection — and choose what region it connects to. It supports optional features like split tunneling (only sending traffic from some apps through the VPN) and a kill switch (automatically cutting off all network access when the VPN connection goes down to protect your privacy).

Dedicated VPN apps may be shinier and have more bells and whistles, but you may not need them. A capable VPN is a great additional value in a security application. You won’t have to pay for a VPN subscription separately and you won’t have to deal with the drawbacks of a free VPN like a limited monthly data allowance.

A password manager

Everyone should use a high-quality password manager. After all, you need to use strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and unless you have a photographic memory, there’s no way to remember them all.

Online security suites have bundled password managers. For example, you get Norton Password Manager with Norton 360. Like with other password managers, you can generate and autofill passwords and access them on any browser you use — with Android and iPhone apps, too.

Chris Hoffman/IDG

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman/IDG</p></div>

If you’re seeking out the absolute best password manager, you may want to look for a dedicated one (check out PCWorld’s top password manager picks). But Norton’s password manager is perfectly capable.

In fact, there are a wide variety of solid password managers these days. We even think using Google Chrome’s built-in password manager is fine. An online security suite that bundles a solid password manager means you don’t have to pay for anything extra.

Cloud backups

Online security suites also often bundle some cloud backup capabilities. Norton 360 Deluxe gives you 50GB of online storage so you can back up your personal files.

These built-in cloud backup tools are nice to have in