The best antivirus for windows 7. Antivirus for Windows
In this review, we have collected for you the TOP 11 antiviruses for your computer in 2017. Use one of these antivirus programs and don't worry about your computer.
Digital technologies develop, making people's lives easier. This demonstrates the automation of most household processes - payment for goods, orders through online stores, network banking. But hackers are on the alert, programming new viruses designed to disrupt the computer, steal personal data or violate privacy. privacy user (KeyLog programs, webcam video capturing utilities).
According to statistics, at the end of 2016, viral activity increased. It is noteworthy that, without reducing the attacks on Windows systems, hackers are increasing pressure on Linux users. A new virus for the Android mobile platform has also appeared, which is notable for being embedded in system processes, thereby getting full control above the device. The most common threat in 2016 was Trojans - the organizers of DDoS attacks, whose purpose is to cause a denial of service to the system.
In the third quarter of the year, leading anti-virus laboratories will present their new products. At first, everything looks nice - the devices will be protected from the intrusion of any threat. To confirm the honesty of antivirus software manufacturers, the world's leading laboratories studying Internet thunderstorms conduct their own tests, based on the results of which the TOP presented here is compiled.
Microsoft Security Essentials
Eleventh place in the ranking is occupied by the Microsoft product. It relatively recently appeared on the anti-virus software market, but it is developing rapidly, which could push out such unshakable titans as Symantec, which are not included in the rating.
Microsoft uses Dynamic Signature Service in its products, an innovative technology that helps protect your computer from new threats. Anti-Virus has a built-in module that analyzes the behavior of programs, identifying potentially dangerous ones. Like nothing new. But Essentials has a centralized database where information from all users is collected.
When a program that behaves suspiciously is analyzed on one computer, the results of the study will be available to everyone. If the utility turned out to be malicious, then Essentials will eliminate the threat, and then the virus signature will be instantly calculated and stopped in the bud. The operability of the system implies the collection of complete information from the user's device, which not everyone will like. But safety is above all!
Of the minuses note the following:
- Poor performance with different types viruses that are not yet in the database.
- Infrequent signature updates.
- Weak "engine", which will lead to a "fall" of the program in the event of a DDoS attack.
Eset NOD 32
One of the most popular utilities of its kind. Ranked 4th in terms of number of downloads (with official sources). But is everything so wonderful? NOD has shown impressive results when tested by independent laboratories. Forte- blocking URLs leading to infected sites. Additionally, the software provides social media scanning and offers supportive security tools.
The anti-virus received a certificate for its high performance in the fight against software viruses. AV-Comparatives conducts tests in five different categories:
- Basic protection against malicious files.
- Detection of an attack when simulating a zero-day threat - files with expired signatures.
- Dynamic complex tests.
- Malware removal.
- Performance test.
According to the results of all checks, NOD received the highest score.
The impression was spoiled by the low performance on non-executable files. Here Eset showed poor results.
AhnLab V3 Internet Security
Many have not heard about this product, which is logical - until the latest version of the program, the test results were poor. But the 2017 version broke into the TOP. Ahnlab gives users a standard set to deal with:
- Zero day viruses.
- Trojan programs.
- Advertising banners.
There is a proprietary TruFind protection module. Its task is to scan the computer system, identifying vulnerabilities and fix them.
Being Internet Security software is equipped with a firewall, a scanner Email and URL filter. A new version The product has an entertaining protocol that deletes all important information from the computer if it is impossible to fix a virus attack. An extravagant way to leave especially cunning intruders in the cold.
According to the test results, the program demonstrated a 100% rate when working with zero-day viruses. This indicator is identical to the world market leaders in the production of anti-virus software. False positive tests showed a phenomenal result - 3 false positives out of 500,000 signatures. Minus AhnLab - performance. Therefore, only 9th place in the ranking.
FortiClient
Works great for phishing attacks. Test labs noted that the program is one of the best in protecting local networks. All software is provided free of charge.
FortiClient is a modern approach to network access. The program has the following built-in utilities:
- Parental control.
- Blocking potentially malicious URLs.
- Blocking fraudulent sites.
The anti-virus has successfully passed two main tests - checking the operation of files with outdated and new signatures. FortiClient received the highest Advanced+ score on both scores.
The product occupies the 8th place in the list due to the fact that it is only a component of the security complex. FortiClient is most effective when it works in tandem with the FortiGate firewall.
AVG Free Antivirus
Demonstrated good performance both when tested by independent laboratories and licensed ones. Among the advantages of the software are:
- An impressive level of protection against phishing.
- High performance.
- Web traffic protection.
- Ad blocking.
- A utility that determines the speed of the computer and, if necessary, optimizes it.
A worthy product, if not for the recent scandal. It turned out that the privacy policy contains a clause according to which software manufacturers can collect the history of the user's browser and search queries.
If we ignore the scandal, then AVG is enough powerful machine to protect your computer, which is confirmed by the test data of laboratories. But to rise higher in the ranking does not allow low, in comparison with other programs, performance.
Trend Micro
Internet Version Security 2017 copes with malicious files (executable / “sleeping”) and spam with a bang. Ratings from independent labs are somewhere between good and excellent.
A bonus is the presence of a spam filter, which has its own database. The work of the antivirus spreads globally - links leading to infected sites on social networks are blocked.
Trend Micro is a young product that has just started participating in serious trials. When checking, complex massive attacks were carried out, with which the defense coped, having received the highest score. But Trend Micro did not participate in all tests due to the disagreement of the developers. But where the test was successful, the antivirus showed above-average results. Again, insufficient performance prevented us from climbing higher.
F-Secure
Being Internet Security, it does not have its own firewall, which makes life difficult for users. And the parental controls leave a lot to be desired. Has a 75% test score. main reason this is a false positive. If not for them, the antivirus took one of the leading positions.
The main advantage of the program is the behavioral analysis detector. Unlike similar utilities, it did not react to 20 licensed programs where there were no virus signatures.
From the side of users, annoying pop-up window and clunky interface are noted.
panda free
This product turned out to be worse than commercial projects at the top of the rating, but many ordinary paid antiviruses were far behind. This conclusion was made based on the tests of licensed laboratories. Independent experts did not check.
The main test (AV-TEST) includes three categories:
- Protection level.
- The degree of impact on operating system performance.
- Ease of use of the software when affected by false positives.
The antivirus received the highest rating for the quality of cleaning the system from malware, and a “good” rating in comprehensive testing - false positives summed up.
The disadvantages of protection include a poor anti-phishing module. But this can be offset by a good score for blocking malware, and an excellent score for detecting dangerous URLs.
AVIRA Free
In third place is the best among free antiviruses. Showed decent results according to independent experts, who noted excellent performance in blocking infected URLs. On the test, AV-TEST scored 18 out of 18 and the highest score in comprehensive testing.
The disadvantages include cleaning up malware infections. They also note weak protection against phishing. But this is a free product. If the user does not want to spend money on computer protection, then AVIRA Free is the best options.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus
The software interface has changed little compared to the previous version. And the defense has become even stronger. This is proven by numerous tests, where Kaspersky received the highest score. Experts focus on excellent anti-phishing results and additional protection tools that will fully ensure security.
Kaspersky received the highest score in a unique test, where for several days the system was continuously attacked by the same viruses.
The initial check of the computer takes no more than an hour. Subsequent scans are faster. This test shows the ability of the antivirus to intelligently weed out uninfected files, which has an amazing effect on performance. But there are products with better results.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
- Password manager with secure scripts.
- System vulnerability scanner.
- Browser safe operation module.
- Protection against ransomware.
In absolutely all tests, Bitdefender showed the highest score. There is nothing to add except that this is the best personal computer protection that combines performance, low system load and efficiency.
Floods, hurricanes, snowstorms, blizzards - no matter where you live, nature could have prepared something special for you! And what dangers can affect the computer? Ransomware encrypts sensitive data all year round, regardless of the season. Hackers and scammers can commit their illegal actions from anywhere in the world. Do you have a comprehensive antivirus installed? Is his subscription still valid? If not, then you need to choose and install a comprehensive antivirus that offers all types of protection in one integrated solution.
Leading antivirus software vendors offer products that combine multiple security features. Some antiviruses are limited to solving basic tasks, while others contain many useful additional features. Read reviews of comprehensive antiviruses from PCMag portal and choose the product that suits your needs. This article contains the top 10 comprehensive antiviruses according to PCMag. All of them are quite diverse, so each user will be able to choose the most attractive product for themselves.
This article briefly mentions comprehensive antivirus reviews and lists the best products according to PCMag. If you want to get detailed information, read the reviews of the respective solutions on our website.
| Antivirus | Price per year (number of devices) | Rating PCMag |
|---|---|---|
| 2699 rub (unlimited) | ||
| 1540 rub * (3 devices) | ||
| 2599 rub (10 devices) | ||
| 1750 rub * (5 devices) | ||
| 1760 rub * (5 devices) | ||
| 1900 rub (3 devices) | ||
| 2390 rub (3 devices) | ||
| 2499 rub (unlimited) | ||
| 1205 rub (5 devices) | ||
| RUB 997.50 (3 devices) |
* Depends on the dollar exchange rate .
Reviews and tests of antiviruses
Comprehensive antivirus and all-in-one solutions
Most vendors offer three levels of antivirus protection - a standalone antivirus, a comprehensive entry-level product, and an advanced package with additional features. Most entry-level suites include anti-virus protection, firewall, anti-spam, parental control, and different types additional privacy protection. Advanced mega-complexes usually additionally contain a backup system and a system optimization tool, and some solutions include a password manager and other additional security tools.
When a new product line comes out, PCMag starts with an antivirus review. The review of the basic complex solution summarizes the results of testing the antivirus and discusses in detail additional functions found only in the complex. In the advanced all-in-one solution review, PCMag concentrates on advanced features, referring to lower-end product reviews for a detailed look at common features. Your choice of a basic or advanced antivirus solution depends only on what features you really need.
Symantec is an exception to this model. Previously, the company offered a variety of standalone antivirus and comprehensive packages for Windows, Mac and mobile platforms. Then all separate products have been abolished and combined in a single product - Symantec Norton Security.
One more clarification. The considered solutions are intended mainly for end users. You can use them for small businesses, but as the company grows, you may need a cloud-based SaaS solution. This type services offers single system monitor and administer security features for all company computers.
Basic antivirus protection
Anti-virus protection is the heart of the complex product. Without anti-virus protection, there is no point in the complex. Naturally, users want effective anti-virus protection. When evaluating an antivirus, special attention is paid to the results of testing in independent antivirus laboratories. The fact that labs consider a product significant enough to take part in tests already speaks of a serious vote of confidence. The best antivirus products score highly in lab tests.
PCMag also runs its own amateur tests. For one of the tests, a static set of malicious samples is used, which is used regularly throughout the year. During the test, the reaction of the antivirus when trying to run samples is recorded, and the product itself receives points depending on how carefully it protects the test system. Another test downloads malicious files from the Internet using URLs that are less than 4 hours old. The final protection rating is influenced by the results of laboratory tests, own amateur tests, as well as other factors such as ease of use.
Network protection and firewalls
A typical personal firewall offers protection in two main areas. On the one hand, the firewall monitors network traffic to prevent unauthorized access from the outside network. On the other hand, the firewall keeps a close eye on running applications in order to eliminate attempts to abuse the network on their part. The built-in Windows Firewall monitors traffic, but does not include software control. Several comprehensive antiviruses are devoid of a firewall, believing that the system firewall already copes with the most important tasks of this kind of component.
The last thing users want is a firewall bombarding them with an endless stream of incomprehensible questions about online activity. Allow OhSnap32.exe to connect to 111.222.3.4 using port 8080? Allow or block? Modern firewalls reduce the need for such requests by automatically setting permissions for known programs. The very best of them handle even unknown programs by carefully monitoring for unauthorized network activity and other suspicious signs.
Spam Protection
Few users encounter spam in their inbox these days because most email services have server-side spam filtering. If your ISP does not support this service, then finding the right letter among the huge number of quick money offers, men's accessories and Russian brides can be a daunting task.
If the mail service does not support blocking spam, then you should choose a comprehensive antivirus with anti-spam protection. Choose a product that integrates with your email client. This integration allows you to automatically redirect junk messages to a separate folder, as well as manually add erroneously allowed messages to spam and restore access to trusted messages that were erroneously sent to the spam folder.
Privacy Protection
The best antiviruses in the world will not be able to help in cases where a user submits personal data to a phishing site. Websites with phishing attacks masquerade as regular sites for banks, online auctions and online games. When you enter your username and password, your account becomes hacked. Some sophisticated attacks allow the user to be redirected to a real site with correct credentials to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
Preventing visits to phishing sites definitely helps protect sensitive data, but it's not the only way prevent leakage of personal information. Some solutions offer specialized protection components for sensitive user data, credit card details, bank accounts, and so on. Any attempt to transfer sensitive information is blocked and causes a warning to be displayed. Some vendors partner with third parties and offer line of credit monitoring. Some antivirus software vendors equip their products with secure browsers that allow financial transactions to be carried out in a separate environment isolated from other processes.
Parental control
When evaluating complex products, their rating is not reduced due to the lack of a parental control system. Not every user has children, and not every parent needs monitoring and control over their child. However, if parental controls are offered, they should work correctly.
Blocking unwanted sites and managing the time you use the Internet and your computer are the basic components of a parental control system. Some complexes also offer advanced features, such as monitoring instant messaging clients, restricting game launches depending on the ESRB rating, and tracking children's social activity. Some components cannot successfully perform even basic tasks.
Performance Impact
One big reason to opt for a comprehensive product over a collection of individual utilities is that an integrated package can do the same tasks using fewer processes and fewer system resources. At least that's how it should be in theory. In fact, many modern antivirus packages have a noticeable impact on performance.
To assess the impact on system performance in the PCMag amateur tests, three standard system actions are performed with and without protection installed. For each type of activity, a large number of measurements are taken, and the final result is an average value. One test measures system boot time, another test moves and copies a large collection of large files between drives, and a third experiment archives and decompresses an identical set of files. Integrated solutions with the best performance have virtually no impact on system performance.
Backup and optimization
In a sense, having a backup copy of your files represents the ultimate level of security. Even if the cryptolocker destroys access to all your data, you can still restore it from a backup. Some vendors omit the backup system for advanced versions of complex products, while some developers include these components already in entry-level complexes. The capabilities of backup systems differ greatly, you can get acquainted with them in detail in the reviews of individual products. Some vendors only offer standard features that you can get from Mozy, IDrive and other cloud storage services. On the other hand, you can get 25 gigabytes of cloud storage on the vendor's server along with the ability to create local backups.
Optimizing system performance is not directly related to security unless it serves to compensate for the slowdown caused by an antivirus solution. However, many optimization tools offer privacy-related features, such as clearing browser history, deleting temporary files, and deleting the list of recently used documents.
The best comprehensive antivirus 2017
The PCMag portal has compiled a collection of the top 10 comprehensive antiviruses based on its own assessment. The list includes multi-platform solutions, all-in-one solutions and complex entry-level products. If you're happy with basic security tasks, then Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 and Kaspersky Internet Security (2017) share the Editors' Choice award in the Standard All-In-One category. Among full-featured all-in-one solutions, the Editors' Choice award was shared by Bitdefender Total Security and Kaspersky Total Security, which offer all sorts of security tools and features. Symantec Norton Security allows you to protect up to 10 devices, and McAfee has no limit at all on the number of personal devices to protect. Both of these products received Editors' Choice awards in the cross-platform antivirus category for protecting multiple devices. With one of these powerful tools protection, you can relax and not think about security issues.
In addition to protecting all personal Windows, Android, macOS and iOS devices, the product offers encrypted cloud storage with unique authorization methods.
Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 includes all the expected features of a comprehensive antivirus and additionally offers useful security support tools. The new look revitalized an already high-quality antivirus product.
Symantec Norton Security Premium (2017) combines high-quality security features with 25 gigabytes of cloud storage and powerful system parental control. The product allows you to protect up to 10 devices on Windows, Android, macOS and iOS platforms.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete offers non-standard yet effective antivirus protection, a system optimization tool and 25 gigabytes of cloud storage for backups. It is the most compact and undemanding product on the market.
Bitdefender Total Security 2017 offers a comprehensive set of security features for Windows devices, enhanced with numerous additional security tools. Plus, you get award-winning Android protection and powerful antivirus for Mac.
Excellent ratings in independent lab tests and wide range security features make Kaspersky Internet Security (2017) one of the best choices for securing your computer and mobile devices.
To the impressive feature set of a comprehensive entry-level solution, Kaspersky Total Security (2017) adds a password manager, an advanced parental control system, encryption and secure deletion of files, and other useful tools. This is one of the best choices among full-featured all-in-one mega solutions!
To the feature set of the junior comprehensive antivirus, McAfee Total Protection adds file encryption and 4 True Key password manager licenses. Most importantly, you can install the product on all personal and home devices.
Norton Security Deluxe (2017) offers award-winning antivirus protection and an efficient self-contained firewall with minimal component impact on performance. The product allows you to protect up to 5 devices on Windows, Android, macOS or iOS platforms.
Although the product does not include a personal firewall, Trend Micro Internet Security (2017) offers antivirus protection, spam protection, parental controls, and numerous additional features to help maintain high level computer security.
Anti-virus protection does not stand still and developers are constantly coming up with new protection options and updating not only databases, but also the shell and core of the anti-virus itself.
Last year, some companies made such loud statements as “ cloud antivirus will stop virus threats 100% of the time". American company Reason Software even invented one such cloud-based antivirus, which, according to the company itself, catches 100% of threats, in real time, and the database is allegedly constantly updated on their server. In fact, any antivirus must go through many years and gain tremendous experience in order to cover virus threats from around the world. So it works much better in the US than in other countries. Also stated the ability to work in conjunction with other antiviruses as a "helper". This project is at the testing stage and was created only in 2015. You can get to know him. There is also a free, limited real-time version available for download.
Currently, companies are "catching up" with all hackers and inventors of new viruses. Antivirus vendors release databases only on the analyzed viruses. The latest viruses can only be detected by the real-time protection system, but it can miss 0.01% of viruses from the best antiviruses.
Let's see how to identify these best antiviruses of 2017. In this article, you will see:
- Comparison Best Antivirus 2017
- Highlighting in separate lists of paid and free antiviruses 2017
- Expert test scores
- Tables, graphs and download links
Antivirus 2017 and their Developers
AT Table No. 1 "Antiviruses and their Developers" the companies leading constant development of antiviruses are presented. Most of them have rich experience in developing security programs. Among them are companies from all over the world. Most of them were created in the early 90s.
Some antiviruses can be seen for the first time only in this review, because. they have not previously been evaluated by information security experts.
Some companies provide users with both paid and free antiviruses.
Recently, the trend has become very popular to displace the simple name of the antivirus and use Complex Systems Internet Security (Internet Security). This fashionable trend is gradually moving from paid antiviruses to free ones.
The Microsoft Windows Defender program is presented below to compare the performance of professional antiviruses with the standard built-in protection in Windows. In Windows 10, this protection also works as in the tables below.
Table No. 1 "Antiviruses and their Developers"
In 2010, Intel bought McAfee, but the brand was never officially renamed - the antivirus is still called McAfee Internet Security.
Indicators and overall rating of paid antiviruses 2017
For comparison with paid antiviruses and a more complete analysis of antiviruses 2017, below is provided table No. 2 "Overview of paid antiviruses 2017".
Among paid antiviruses, 4 antiviruses can be distinguished that received the highest scores for 3 indicators derived Independent Institute of IT Security - AV-Test in April 2016. Table #3 "Best Paid Antiviruses 2017".
Indicators and overall rating of Free Antivirus 2017
Chart #1 "Real Time Security Test - June 2016"
According to the chart above, we are interested in companies which have the largest block green, a red blocks— compromised attacks, when viruses got into the system — are minimal. orange blocks are virus attacks that depend on the decisions made by the user. If the user decides to continue working without blocking a potentially dangerous file, then the computer may be infected.
orange lines represent the number of "false virus alerts".
Speed Test Data AV-Comparatives.Org
According to Schedule #2 "Speed Test - June 2016" above, the speed test data carried out by AV Comparatives.org shows deep Scan level of influence installed antivirus for computer operation. Computer speed is usually slower when antivirus is running. And how many specific resources the antivirus will “eat” is shown as a percentage in the table above, the numbers are indicated above the histogram columns.
Popularity of Antiviruses according to a survey on www.site
Since 2013, this site has been running a survey among site visitors about which antivirus they use. You can see the result of the survey as of August 2016.
Table No. 6 "Number of Users who completed the Survey on the website www.site"
Rating of the Best Free Antivirus 2017
| № | Link | Antivirus | Protection | Speed | Convenience | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Download | Bitdefender Antivirus Free | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| 3 | Download | kaspersky free antivirus | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| 1 |
The main evaluation criteria, which included 200 indicators, were:
- virus protection;
- Ease of use;
- impact on computer speed.
Malware protection is the most important evaluation criterion: indicators within this group of parameters gave 65% of overall assessment antivirus. Ease of use and impact on computer speed accounted for 25% and 10% of the overall score, respectively.
Anti-virus programs were selected for research on the basis of popularity among consumers and affordability. For this reason, the list of antivirus programs studied included:
- Free programs - both built-in and offered separately.
- Paid programs from leading antivirus brands. Based on the principles of selection, the study did not include the most expensive versions software products from these brands.
- From one brand for one operating system, only one paid product could be presented in the rating. The second product could get into the rating only if it is free.
This time in international study The category also included products developed by Russian companies. As a rule, in the list of goods for international tests includes products with a sufficient market share and high recognition among consumers, so the inclusion of Russian developments in the study indicates their wide representation and demand abroad.
Top Ten for Windows
All antiviruses in the top ten cope with protection against spyware and protect against phishing - attempts to gain access to confidential data. But there are differences between antiviruses in the level of protection, as well as in the presence or absence of a particular function in the tested versions of the antivirus.
The pivot table shows ten the best programs by overall rating. It also takes into account the features of the packages in terms of the set of functions.
How good is standard Windows 10 security?
As of February 2018, the share of Windows PC users with Windows 10 operating systems installed on their desktops was 43%. On such computers, the antivirus is installed by default - it protects the system Windows program Defender, which is included with the operating system.
The standard antivirus, which, judging by the statistics, is used by most people, was only on the 17th line of the rating. Overall, Windows Defender scored 3.5 out of a possible 5.5.
Built-in protection latest versions Windows is only getting better every year, but it still falls short of the level of many specialized antivirus programs, including those that are distributed for free. Windows Defender showed satisfactory results in terms of online protection, but completely failed the test for phishing and ransomware. By the way, protection against phishing is declared by antivirus manufacturers. It also turned out that he does a poor job of protecting your computer in offline mode.
Windows Defender is quite simple in terms of design. It clearly communicates the presence of a particular threat, clearly demonstrates the degree of protection, and has a "parental control" function that restricts children from visiting unwanted resources.
The standard protection of Windows 10 can only be called decent. Based on the overall rating, 16 programs for protecting a personal computer on Windows turned out to be better than it. Including four free ones.
Theoretically, you can only rely on Windows Defender if the user has regular updates enabled, their computer most time connected to the Internet, and it is advanced enough not to knowingly visit suspicious sites. However, Roskachestvo recommends installing a specialized anti-virus package for greater confidence in the security of the PC.
How We Tested
Testing was carried out in the world's most qualified laboratory specializing in anti-virus programs for six months. A total of four groups of anti-malware tests were conducted: general test online protection test, offline test, false positive rate test, and auto-scan and on-demand scan test. To a lesser extent, the final rating was influenced by checking the usability of the antivirus and its impact on the speed of the computer.
- General protection
Each antivirus package was tested online for a set of viruses, totaling more than 40,000. It also tested how well the antivirus copes with phishing attacks - when someone tries to access the user's confidential data. Ransomware has been tested to protect against ransomware that restricts access to a computer and data on it in order to obtain a ransom. In addition, an online test of a USB drive with malware is carried out. It is needed to find out how well the antivirus copes with the search and elimination of viruses when neither the presence of malicious files nor their origin is known in advance.
- USB offline test
Detection of malware residing on a USB drive connected to a computer. Before the scan, the computer was disconnected from the Internet for several weeks so that the anti-virus packages were not 100% up to date.
- False alarm
We tested how effective the antivirus is in identifying real threats and skipping files that are actually safe, but which are classified as dangerous by the product.
- Auto-scan and on-demand scan test
It was tested how well the scan function works when it automatically checks the computer for malware and when it is started manually. The study also tested whether it is possible to schedule scans for certain time when the computer is not in use.
Reviews and tests of antiviruses
It is unlikely that your computer will be infected with a virus, but at the same time, there is a risk of infection with other types of malware and online threats. Ransomware Trojans encrypt important files and wait for a ransom payment before unlocking access to them. Banking Trojans interfere with online transactions and try to steal money. A botnet infection will make your computer a link in a chain of devices used to organize DDoS attacks. For these and many other reasons, you should protect your computer with an antivirus. Don't worry about the price. The best free antiviruses are more effective than some commercial solutions. The PCMag Internet portal has conducted a comprehensive review of more than a dozen free antiviruses and recommends the best products for selection.
Many of the presented antiviruses are free for non-commercial use only. If you want to protect computers in your organization, you will need to purchase the paid version. In this case, it is worth considering switching to a full-fledged complex antivirus. After all, the security of your business depends on it. If you need to protect large enterprises, then SaaS solutions come to the rescue, which allow you to centrally monitor and manage the protection of all computers in the company.
Your antivirus must reliably remove malware that has taken root in the system, but its main task is to prevent new infections with ransomware Trojans, botnets, Trojans and other types of threats. All antiviruses presented in this rating offer real-time protection against malicious attacks. Many products offer strong web protection that blocks access to malicious object sources and prevents sensitive data entry on fraudulent sites.
Laboratory testing
Researchers at independent labs spend a lot of time and effort testing antiviruses. Some organizations regularly publish test reports. PCMag tracks results from 5 major labs: AV-Comparatives, AV-Test Institute, Simon Edwards Labs formerly Dennis Technology Labs), Virus Bulletin, and MRG-Effitas. The presence of certification in ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs is also taken into account.
Typically, antivirus developers pay for the opportunity to participate in testing. In turn, the labs provide vendors with detailed reports that help improve products. Thus, the number of laboratories that test a particular product is an indicator of the significance of this decision. In each case, two conditions must be met in order to test an antivirus: the laboratory must consider the product important enough, and the development company must be satisfied with the cost of participation. Labs are not required to test free products, but many vendors include full protection in free solutions, adding only advanced features to paid products.
PCMag Tests
In addition to a thorough analysis of the results of laboratory tests, PCMag conducts its own amateur testing of antiviruses to block malware. Each antivirus encounters a set of different types of malware, after which the product's response to the threat is recorded. Typically, the antivirus removes most of the samples at once and detects a few more instances of malware when it tries to run. Based on the results of the test, the product can receive from 0 to 10 points for blocking, depending on how carefully it protects the system from test samples.
The test collection has been in use for months, so the malware blocking test does not provide an indication of the ability of antiviruses to detect latest threats. A separate test attempts to download malware from online sources less than a day old, provided by the MRG-Effitas laboratory. The testing process notes whether the product blocked access to a network location, cleared the malware payload at boot time, or ignored the threat. Norton scored the highest in this test, followed by Avira Free Antivirus in the final standings.
Useful Features
Each antivirus product in the collection scans files on access to prevent potential malware from running, and scans the system on demand or on a set schedule. Blocking access to malicious links is a great way to stay out of trouble. Many products expand protection to prevent visits to fraudulent resources, phishing sites that try to steal your credentials. Some solutions rank search results by flagging suspicious and dangerous links.
Behavioral detection is featured in some of the products in the collection. On the one hand, this component can detect malware, which are unknown threats. On the other hand, behavioral analysis can lead to false positives for trustworthy programs.
One in a simple way for maximum computer protection is to install security updates for Windows, browsers and other popular programs. In Windows 10, updates are mandatory and fully automated, but there are still a lot of gaps in the old ones. Windows systems, popular apps and plugins. Scanning for vulnerabilities in the form of missed updates is a feature often found in commercial antivirus products. However, some free antiviruses have similar functionality.
Who is not ranked
This rating contains information only about free antivirus solutions that have received at least a “good” (Good) rating from PCMag reviews. Among those products that did not make it into this rating is Windows Defender, which was awarded 2.5 stars. Microsoft participates in the tests of all monitored antivirus labs, but only as a baseline protection. If a product can't beat the basic level of protection, it's not worth considering.
Avast Free Antivirus 2017 combines highly effective antivirus protection with an extensive collection of additional tools.
AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) has received an updated interface and new security technologies. Tests by independent laboratories and PCMag's own tests show that protection is even stronger than before.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition includes the same antivirus protection as the paid Bitdefender Antivirus, but lacks the additional functionality of the commercial version.
Free Kaspersky Antivirus offers full-featured basic antivirus protection that scores excellent in lab tests.
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+ combines powerful antivirus protection from Kaspersky with a high-quality firewall. The product is an excellent choice for users who do not wish to install a comprehensive solution.
Sophos Home allows you to provide powerful corporate antivirus capabilities to ordinary home users absolutely free of charge. The product performs well in tests by independent labs and in most of PCMag's own tests.
Avira Free Antivirus (2017)
Avira Antivirus gets excellent scores from independent labs, but in amateur tests, PCMag was very slow in scanning the test system. Also, web protection only works in Chrome and Firefox.
Adaware Antivirus Free 12 has received a new name and a new look. However, its test results are not the best, and competing free antiviruses offer more features.
Comodo Antivirus 10 received a new look and achieved a perfect detection rate in the malware blocking test. However, the product performed worse in other tests by PCMag and in tests by independent labs.
Panda Free Antivirus has an attractive user interface and an unusual USB vaccination feature. However, the product showed not the most top scores in tests by independent laboratories and in PCMag's own tests.
Qihoo 360 Total Security comes with a powerful set of additional tools, but its basic antivirus protection can't compete with the best free antiviruses.