{"id":11286,"date":"2025-07-24T23:16:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286"},"modified":"2025-07-24T23:16:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:16:33","slug":"the-finest-antivirus-software-program-we-have-examined-july2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286","title":{"rendered":"The Finest Antivirus Software program We have Examined (July2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>\n                    Deeper Dive: Our High Examined Picks\n                <\/p>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-overall\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best Overall\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best Overall', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-64.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1701895300.jpg\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"Bitdefender Antivirus Plus\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_53 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\" role=\"button\"><label for=\"item-69e7f81b69909\" ><span class=\"\"><span style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input aria-label=\"Toggle\" aria-label=\"item-69e7f81b69909\"  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69e7f81b69909\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_General\" title=\"Finest General\">Finest General<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Bitdefender_Antivirus_Plus\" title=\"\n                                                    Bitdefender Antivirus Plus \n                                            \">\n                                                    Bitdefender Antivirus Plus \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_for_Additional_Safety_Options\" title=\"Finest for Additional Safety Options\">Finest for Additional Safety Options<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Norton_AntiVirus_Plus\" title=\"\n                                                    Norton AntiVirus Plus \n                                            \">\n                                                    Norton AntiVirus Plus \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-2\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-2\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-2\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-2\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_for_Speedy_Scans\" title=\"Finest for Speedy Scans\">Finest for Speedy Scans<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Malwarebytes_Premium_Safety\" title=\"\n                                                    Malwarebytes Premium Safety \n                                            \">\n                                                    Malwarebytes Premium Safety \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-3\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-3\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-3\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-3\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_for_Single-PC_Households\" title=\"Finest for Single-PC Households\">Finest for Single-PC Households<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#McAfee_AntiVirus\" title=\"\n                                                    McAfee AntiVirus \n                                            \">\n                                                    McAfee AntiVirus \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-4\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-4\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-4\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-4\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_for_Thrifty_Customers\" title=\"Finest for Thrifty Customers\">Finest for Thrifty Customers<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Sophos_House_Premium\" title=\"\n                                                    Sophos House Premium \n                                            \">\n                                                    Sophos House Premium \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-5\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-5\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-5\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-5\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_for_a_Small_Footprint\" title=\"Finest for a Small Footprint\">Finest for a Small Footprint<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Webroot_Necessities\" title=\"\n                                                    Webroot Necessities \n                                            \">\n                                                    Webroot Necessities \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-6\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-6\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-6\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-6\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-37\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Finest_Breadth_of_Options\" title=\"Finest Breadth of Options\">Finest Breadth of Options<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-38\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#G_Knowledge_Antivirus\" title=\"\n                                                    G Knowledge Antivirus \n                                            \">\n                                                    G Knowledge Antivirus \n                                            <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-39\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Professionals_Cons-7\" title=\"Professionals &amp; Cons\">Professionals &amp; Cons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-40\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Why_We_Picked_It-7\" title=\"Why We Picked It\">Why We Picked It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-41\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-7\" title=\"Who It\u2019s For\">Who It\u2019s For<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-42\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Specs_Configurations-7\" title=\"Specs &amp; Configurations\">Specs &amp; Configurations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-43\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Keep_Protected_With_the_Newest_Safety_Information_and_Updates\" title=\"\n                                    Keep Protected With the Newest Safety Information and Updates \n                            \">\n                                    Keep Protected With the Newest Safety Information and Updates \n                            <\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-44\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#The_Finest_Antivirus_Software_program_for_2025_Evaluate_Specs\" title=\"\n            The Finest Antivirus Software program for 2025 \n            Evaluate Specs \n        \">\n            The Finest Antivirus Software program for 2025 \n            Evaluate Specs \n        <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-45\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Are_Viruses_Malware_and_Ransomware\" title=\"What Are Viruses, Malware, and Ransomware?\">What Are Viruses, Malware, and Ransomware?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-46\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Is_the_Most_Broadly_Used_Antivirus_Software_program\" title=\"What Is the Most Broadly Used Antivirus Software program?\">What Is the Most Broadly Used Antivirus Software program?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-47\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Is_the_Finest_Free_Antivirus_Software_program\" title=\"What Is the Finest Free Antivirus Software program?\">What Is the Finest Free Antivirus Software program?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-48\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_macOS\" title=\"What Is the Finest Antivirus for macOS?\">What Is the Finest Antivirus for macOS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-49\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#McAfee_vs_Norton_Which_Is_Higher\" title=\"McAfee vs. Norton: Which Is Higher?\">McAfee vs. Norton: Which Is Higher?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-50\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Is_the_Finest_Virus_Safety_In_line_with_Impartial_Exams\" title=\"What Is the Finest Virus Safety In line with Impartial Exams?\">What Is the Finest Virus Safety In line with Impartial Exams?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-51\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#How_We_Take_a_look_at_Malware_Spyware_and_adware_and_Adware_Defenses\" title=\"How We Take a look at Malware, Spyware and adware, and Adware Defenses\">How We Take a look at Malware, Spyware and adware, and Adware Defenses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-52\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_Malware_Safety\" title=\"What is the Finest Antivirus for Malware Safety?\">What is the Finest Antivirus for Malware Safety?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-53\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Advisable_by_Our_Editors\" title=\"Advisable by Our Editors\">Advisable by Our Editors<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-54\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_Ransomware_Safety_and_Firewall\" title=\"What is the Finest Antivirus for Ransomware Safety and Firewall?\">What is the Finest Antivirus for Ransomware Safety and Firewall?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-55\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#Past_Antivirus_Set_up_a_VPN\" title=\"Past Antivirus: Set up a VPN\">Past Antivirus: Set up a VPN<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-56\" href=\"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/?p=11286\/#What_Is_the_Finest_Antivirus_Software_program_Now\" title=\"What Is the Finest Antivirus Software program Now?\">What Is the Finest Antivirus Software program Now?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_General\"><\/span>Finest General<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bitdefender_Antivirus_Plus\"><\/span>\n                                                    Bitdefender Antivirus Plus<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Glorious scores in impartial lab checks &#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Excellent protection in opposition to phishing fraud&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Multi-layered ransomware safety&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Remoted browser for banking security&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Prevents advertisers from monitoring you&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Many security-centered bonus options&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Safety for Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Poor rating in hands-on malware blocking check&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Mediocre rating in hands-on malicious URL protection check&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Full VPN entry requires a separate subscription<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>Each antivirus ought to scour away any present malware infestations when it\u2019s put in after which stand guard in opposition to future assaults. The perfect ones additionally examine your internet browsing and steer you away from harmful pages of all kinds. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus does all this and a lot extra, and the impartial testing labs rave about it. You gained\u2019t go flawed counting on Bitdefender on your antivirus safety.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> Yr after 12 months, Bitdefender hovers at or close to perfection in impartial lab checks. And 12 months after 12 months, it doesn\u2019t fare fairly as properly in my hands-on malware safety checks. It did handle to detect 99% of our real-world phishing samples, although, and I can\u2019t argue with its thick stack of lab honors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores:<\/strong> The impartial testing labs routinely grant Bitdefender excellent scores, with an occasional rating that\u2019s merely near-perfect. At current, it seems in present reviews from three of the 4 labs I comply with, with excellent scores throughout aside from one simply wanting perfection. My algorithm yields an mixture lab rating of 9.8 factors (out of 10) for Bitdefender, placing it among the many greatest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> At $49.99 per 12 months for one license and $69.99 for 3, Bitdefender prices greater than lots of its opponents. Not much more, however extra. Check out how rather more you get, although, and also you\u2019ll understand it\u2019s nonetheless a discount.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> Bitdefender\u2019s Superior Risk Safety depends on behavioral monitoring to detect malware, together with ransomware. Behavioral detection doesn\u2019t kick in till the ransomware <em>does<\/em> one thing, so it\u2019s conceivable just a few recordsdata may get encrypted earlier than Bitdefender provides it the boot. A separate Ransomware Remediation function kicks in to revive recordsdata if that occurs. In testing, with no assist from the common antivirus, Bitdefender\u2019s multi-layered ransomware safety proved efficient.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> The Plus within the title Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is there for a motive. This app does all the pieces you\u2019d count on, and does it properly, plus much more. Ransomware safety, a hardened browser on your monetary transactions, VPN safety on your on-line connections, a function that smacks down advert trackers, computerized detection of lacking safety patches&#8230;the record goes on. You need to use it on Home windows or macOS, and even apply any spare licenses to guard your cellular gadgets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The laid-back person:<\/strong> In order for you complete safety with little interplay, simply hearth up Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and activate its Autopilot. Now you possibly can sit again and do, properly, something you need!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The function collector<\/strong>: Positive, you can purchase an antivirus utility that merely does the minimal an antivirus should. However you need one which does extra\u2014far more. Bitdefender\u2019s assortment of options beats out many safety suites, and there\u2019s no padding. All of the added options actively enhance your safety or privateness.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best Overall\" data-item=\"Best Overall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-plus\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-for-extra-security-features\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best for Extra Security Features\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best for Extra Security Features', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-77.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1698870853.jpg\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"Norton AntiVirus Plus\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_for_Additional_Safety_Options\"><\/span>Finest for Additional Safety Options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Norton_AntiVirus_Plus\"><\/span>\n                                                    Norton AntiVirus Plus<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-2\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>High scores in impartial lab checks &#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Glorious scores in hands-on checks&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Knowledge Protector foils ransomware assaults&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Clever firewall safety&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Contains vulnerability scan and different suite-level options<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Can now not create native backups&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Comparatively costly<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>Fast, title three antivirus firms. Was one in all them Norton? In all probability. Norton\u2019s antivirus prowess has developed over the many years, and Norton AntiVirus Plus is the top of that evolution. It will get excellent scores from the impartial labs and ranks close to the highest in our hands-on checks, together with a check utilizing greater than a dozen real-world ransomware samples. If malware by some means slips previous, Norton guarantees to repair the issue. And it consists of loads of options above and past antivirus fundamentals.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-2\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> Whereas Norton didn\u2019t hit 100% in any of my hands-on checks, it got here very shut in <em>all<\/em> of them, which is greater than most opponents can say. Norton detected phishing websites at 99% accuracy and prevented malware downloads from 99% of my pattern malware-hosting URLs. In my malware blocking check, it detected 97% of the samples and completely quashed their actions, scoring 9.7 out of 10 attainable factors. That\u2019s fairly an array of prime scores.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: If an antivirus seems in check reviews from an impartial lab, it signifies that the lab thought-about the app vital sufficient to check, and the safety firm thought-about the check price its participation. Norton is clearly vital, because it routinely graces reviews from all 4 of the labs that I comply with. Combining outcomes from the 4 labs, my mixture rating algorithm places Norton at 9.6 out of 10 attainable factors, a powerful achievement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> Fairly just a few antiviruses promote for slightly below $40 for a one-year subscription, and there\u2019s one other cluster at slightly below $50. With a yearly value of $59.99, Norton prices greater than most. To be honest, it additionally provides extra options than most. And if it&#8217;s worthwhile to defend a number of gadgets, even gadgets working macOS, Android, or iOS, you may get a five-pack for $84.99 per 12 months.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> When ransomware hits, it holds your most vital paperwork hostage till you pay as much as have them decrypted. It may be a nightmare. Norton\u2019s Knowledge Protector part heads off this hazard by stopping all unauthorized adjustments to recordsdata in protected folders. With real-time safety, behavioral detection, and exploit safety turned off, Knowledge Protector caught all however one in all my real-world ransomware check specimens. Some attackers did handle to encrypt hundreds of recordsdata <em>exterior <\/em>the set of protected folders. You\u2019ll need to be sure to\u2019ve protected all vital areas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> There\u2019s rather more to Norton than simply antivirus. Its firewall protects in opposition to exterior assaults and betrayal from inside, with out bombarding the unsuspecting person with complicated pop-up queries. Energetic exploit detection gives one other layer of safety in opposition to network-based assaults. Norton\u2019s backup system archives your recordsdata within the supplied on-line storage, and the software program updater ensures your apps have the most recent safety patches. Tune-up instruments serve to wash up junk recordsdata, handle applications launched at startup, and handle disk fragmentation. To prime it off, your subscription can defend Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS gadgets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-2\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The rating tracker<\/strong>: Which antivirus do you have to purchase? Nicely, which one will get the very best scores? For people who depend on the laborious numbers, Norton is tough to beat. It will get prime scores from all of the impartial labs and likewise stays within the winners\u2019 circle in my hands-on checks of antivirus effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The old-school fanatic<\/strong>: Norton&#8217;s know-how has been preventing viruses and different malware for ages, courting again to MS-DOS. In order for you safety equipped by a identified model that has established its chops over many years, Norton AntiVirus Plus is simply what you want.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The loyal buyer:<\/strong> While you purchase antivirus safety, you count on it to do its job, proper? Norton makes that expectation specific with its Virus Safety Pledge. If malware eludes all of the protecting layers, Norton\u2019s consultants will log into your system and chase down the infestation by hand. Within the unlikely occasion that the malware wins, Norton refunds your cash. To get this promise, you need to present your loyalty by signing up for computerized renewal, however that\u2019s solely affordable.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-2\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best for Extra Security Features\" data-item=\"Best for Extra Security Features\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Norton AntiVirus Plus Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-for-speedy-scans\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best for Speedy Scans\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best for Speedy Scans', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-39.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1694640437.jpg\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Premium Security\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_for_Speedy_Scans\"><\/span>Finest for Speedy Scans<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Malwarebytes_Premium_Safety\"><\/span>\n                                                    Malwarebytes Premium Safety<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-3\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>High malware detection rating in our hands-on check &#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Excellent safety in opposition to malicious and fraudulent websites&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Glorious scores from one impartial lab&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Efficient ransomware safety<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Few options past fundamental antivirus&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Some scores down from earlier evaluation<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>For a few years, the cleanup-only Malwarebytes Free was (and nonetheless is) the go-to answer after a failure by common antivirus safety. It has at all times been a specialty device, not for on a regular basis use. Malwarebytes Premium extends that safety with all of the options you count on in a full-scale antivirus, scanning on demand and on schedule, in addition to on file entry. Its full scan is speedy, and it makes use of numerous real-time safety methods, together with behavior-based detection, ransomware exercise detection, and safety in opposition to exploit assaults. Anybody who\u2019s used Malwarebytes Free to treatment one other antivirus device\u2019s slip-up will admire the full-powered Malwarebytes Premium. Even in case you by no means wanted that form of rescue, this app&#8217;s speedy scan and versatile pricing are an enormous draw.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-3\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> Till not too long ago, Malwarebytes was on a streak in my hands-on malware blocking check, scoring 9.8, 10, and 9.8 in three successive evaluations over the previous couple of years. That rating dropped to 9.3 of 10 attainable factors earlier this 12 months once I examined it simply after finishing my new malware assortment. For now, I contemplate that one decrease rating to be a fluke. Malwarebytes earned an excellent 95% detection rating in my antiphishing check, however didn\u2019t do as properly at stopping malware downloads. In my check, utilizing malware-hosting URLs, it solely achieved 88% safety.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: Early in its existence, Malwarebytes didn\u2019t take part in lab checks in any respect, because the builders contended that its superior methods weren\u2019t appropriate with normal testing. Through the years, it has popped up in some checks, with scores starting from dismal to excellent. In 2022, it took excellent scores from MRG-Effitas and AV-Take a look at; AV-Comparatives additionally licensed its safety, although not on the highest degree. In 2023, it aced MRG-Effitas and acquired a near-perfect High Product ranking from AV-Take a look at. But it surely hasn\u2019t appeared within the reviews I monitor since then, so I don\u2019t have any <em>present<\/em> scores to view and analyze.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> Most antivirus apps supply a quantity low cost of some form for these needing to guard a number of gadgets. Nonetheless, the low cost tiers don\u2019t at all times jibe exactly together with your wants. Suppose an antivirus provides subscriptions for one, three, 5, or 10 gadgets, however you want seven. You\u2019ll have to purchase 10 licenses and waste three. That\u2019s not the case with Malwarebytes. A single license prices $44.99, however after that, the worth is $29.99 plus $10 per system, from $49.99 for 2 gadgets all the way in which as much as $229.99 for 20, with no licenses wasted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> This app\u2019s real-time safety worn out all my ransomware samples on sight, so I needed to disable real-time safety earlier than working checks utilizing real-world ransomware specimens. With common safety crippled, Malwarebytes nonetheless detected all my file-encrypting ransomware samples. As can occur with behavior-based detection, just a few recordsdata on the check system acquired encrypted earlier than Malwarebytes moved in for the kill, however nearly all of those have been logs and different unimportant ancillary recordsdata.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> Malwarebytes focuses strongly on antivirus fundamentals, although it does prolong its safety with a behavior-based detection layer that proved efficient in opposition to ransomware. Its exploit safety system is tough to check, because it solely reacts to exploits that match an precise vulnerability on the sufferer system.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-3\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The effectivity fiend<\/strong>: Malwarebytes has a clear, tidy look, however extra importantly, it runs a full scan in minutes, the place the typical app takes hours, or at the very least an hour. In order for you an app that takes care of enterprise expeditiously, this one\u2019s for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The thrifty person<\/strong>: Do you hate paying for stuff you don\u2019t use, like paying for 10 antivirus licenses while you solely want six? Malwarebytes has the treatment. With Malwarebytes, you possibly can put in an order for exactly the variety of licenses you want, as much as 20, so there\u2019s no waste.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-3\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best for Speedy Scans\" data-item=\"Best for Speedy Scans\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/malwarebytes-premium-security\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Malwarebytes Premium Safety Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-for-single-pc-households\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best for Single-PC Households\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best for Single-PC Households', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-102.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1727363877.jpg\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"The McAfee logo\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_for_Single-PC_Households\"><\/span>Finest for Single-PC Households<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"McAfee_AntiVirus\"><\/span>\n                                                    McAfee AntiVirus<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-4\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Close to-perfect lab check scores&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Glorious scores in a few of our hands-on checks&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Cash-back virus safety pledge<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Missed two ransomware samples in testing&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Protects only one PC with no quantity low cost&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Many long-standing options at the moment are absent<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>McAfee AntiVirus used to supply cross-platform safety for limitless gadgets, however the present version strictly protects one Home windows PC. It clearly appeals to a unique viewers than it as soon as did. Nonetheless, testing labs proceed to bathe accolades on its core antivirus safety, and it continues to supply options far past the core antivirus requirements. Not everybody has a houseful of gadgets. When you simply need to defend that one all-important PC, you need to give McAfee a glance.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-4\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> Together with just a few different regulars, McAfee routinely tops my phishing safety check, detecting 100% of the real-world phishing pages. It additionally scores properly at stopping malware downloads from ever reaching my check programs, although its newest check in opposition to malware-hosting URLs didn\u2019t attain the very prime. Like Bitdefender, McAfee doesn\u2019t exhibit the identical peak prowess in my malware safety check that it does in lab checks. When the 2 don\u2019t jibe, I give extra weight to the labs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: The impartial labs adore McAfee&#8217;s malware-fighting know-how. Three of the 4 labs I comply with embody McAfee of their present analyses, and it earned an ideal rating in all however one of many newest check reviews. Processing its present scores by my mixture lab check algorithm yields a powerful rating of 9.8 factors, the place 10 is the utmost.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> For a few years, a McAfee AntiVirus Plus subscription provided limitless cross-platform antivirus safety for all of your gadgets. Nonetheless, in late 2023, McAfee chopped the Plus from the title and in the reduction of on protection. The present McAfee AntiVirus stays a strong alternative for a single Home windows PC, however doesn\u2019t prolong to different platforms. It now not provides limitless gadgets and even the same old quantity reductions for a number of licenses. To get limitless safety from McAfee, you need to improve to the McAfee+ safety suite. That\u2019s what McAfee hopes you do. You gained\u2019t even discover the $49.99 McAfee AntiVirus on the McAfee web site. Somewhat, you need to search it from third events like Amazon and Finest Purchase.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> Many antivirus apps allow you to configure ransomware safety individually from common real-time antivirus safety, which makes ransomware testing simple. With McAfee, the 2 are inextricably mixed, so as a substitute I examined utilizing brand-new hand-modified copies of my samples. The common antivirus nonetheless worn out half of these on sight. The remaining managed to at the very least launch, giving the behavioral detection system an opportunity to shine. McAfee caught all however one of many file-encrypting ransomware specimens, however the one which slipped by encrypted 10,000 recordsdata and displayed its ransom word. A wiper-style whole-disk assault additionally succeeded. And once more, all of McAfee\u2019s protecting layers have been turned <em>on<\/em> throughout this check.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> McAfee AntiVirus has lengthy been greater than a easy antivirus app, however a few of its bonuses have fallen by the wayside. It now not consists of the vulnerability scan or residence community administration parts, and the App Increase and Internet Increase options have departed. The builders discovered that clients simply weren\u2019t utilizing these. Nonetheless, it nonetheless integrates a fundamental firewall, and its WebAdvisor browser extension flags unsafe hyperlinks in search outcomes and social media. It may well foil snoops by cleansing up traces of laptop and browser exercise. Its File Shredder completely deletes delicate recordsdata past forensic restoration, and it even detects and prevents cryptojacking. There\u2019s rather a lot right here.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-4\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The rating tracker<\/strong>: Some customers prefer to get a really feel for various antivirus apps earlier than selecting, whereas others reduce straight to the scorecards. Is that you simply? McAfee earns glorious scores from the impartial testing labs, reaching perfection in nearly each check. It additionally tops out some (however not all) of my hands-on checks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The loyal buyer:<\/strong> While you present your loyalty by signing up for computerized renewal, McAfee, in flip, provides a Virus Safety Pledge. If malware will get previous its safety, McAfee consultants will remotely remediate the infestation; if they will\u2019t, you get your a refund. It\u2019s a comfortable relationship.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-4\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best for Single-PC Households\" data-item=\"Best for Single-PC Households\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McAfee AntiVirus Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-for-thrifty-users\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best for Thrifty Users\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best for Remote Management', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-50.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1638303842.jpg\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"Sophos Home Premium\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_for_Thrifty_Customers\"><\/span>Finest for Thrifty Customers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sophos_House_Premium\"><\/span>\n                                                    Sophos House Premium<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-5\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Glorious scores in a few of our hands-on checks&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Efficient ransomware safety&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Remotely manages as much as 10 PCs or Macs&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Cheap<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Restricted outcomes from testing labs&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Ineffective parental management&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Not provides cellular administration or keylogger safety&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Superior options require unusual tech experience<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>Sophos is an enormous title in business-level antivirus, with distant administration to maintain the IT workforce completely in command of safety. Sophos House Premium brings that very same distant administration to you, the buyer. You possibly can set up antivirus safety for your loved ones and buddies, whether or not they\u2019re on the opposite aspect of city or throughout the nation, and handle all of the installations from your personal desktop. Better of all, it\u2019s critically cheap, with a 10-license value that matches what many opponents cost for 3 licenses, and even for only one.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-5\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> I put Sophos by my hands-on checks, which yielded scores starting from superb to excellent. Reaching that excellent rating, Sophos fended off malware downloads from 100% of the malware-hosting URLs I threw at it. In my easy malware blocking check, it detected 98% of the samples and earned 9.6 out of 10 attainable factors. Sophos didn\u2019t max out its rating in my check utilizing not too long ago found phishing frauds, however its 95% detection rating continues to be superb.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: As I discussed, Sophos is an enormous title in enterprise safety, maybe making promotion of the consumer-grade app much less of a precedence. Sophos doesn\u2019t make investments effort in taking part with many impartial testing labs. Nonetheless, for the final 4 years, it has taken AAA certification, the highest of 5 certification ranges, in each check by London-based SE Labs. With out a number of scores, I can\u2019t derive an mixture lab rating, however a four-year span of perfection speaks for itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> The yearly value to guard one PC with antivirus may be $39, $49, and even $59. The value per system usually goes down with multi-license subscription tiers. Sophos, against this, has a single pricing tier\u2014defend 10 gadgets (Home windows or Mac) for $59.99. Per system, that\u2019s about $6 per 12 months, decrease than nearly any competitor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> \u201cZero-day ransomware\u201d is a phrase to throw concern into the hearts of safety professionals. Zero-day means it\u2019s so new that normal antivirus methods don\u2019t acknowledge it, so recognizing it based mostly on habits is the one risk. With regular real-time safety fully suppressed for testing, Sophos detected nearly all my ransomware samples by their habits. The one ones it missed have been those who didn\u2019t take any motion\u2014no habits, no detection. And in contrast to many opponents, it smacked down all of the assaults earlier than they might encrypt even a single doc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> You handle Sophos by a web based console, sending directions to the tiny native agent on every system. Tiny or not, the agent packs in loads of bonuses, together with ransomware safety that aced my checks, protection in opposition to exploit assaults, an admittedly less-effective parental management content material filter, safety for monetary transactions, webcam hijack prevention, and extra. It\u2019s small, however mighty.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-5\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The thrifty person<\/strong>: You need to hold your loved ones group secure from malware, however you don\u2019t need to break the financial institution. A Sophos subscription allows you to defend as much as 10 PCs or Macs for a similar value as a single Norton set up. Now that\u2019s a discount!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The household tech assist<\/strong>: Are you the default safety knowledgeable on your prolonged household or circle of buddies? Are you bored with driving throughout city to rescue the one that you love uncle after he clicked one thing he shouldn\u2019t have? With Sophos House Premium, you possibly can take excellent care of your peeps from your personal residence base.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The organizer<\/strong>: The native Sophos agent takes up minimal area in your laptop. Configuration and monitoring get punted upstairs to the web console. When you\u2019re not the account supervisor, you\u2019ll hardly discover Sophos. And if you&#8217;re, properly, you\u2019ve acquired a single spot to handle all of your installations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-5\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best for Remote Management\" data-item=\"Best for Remote Management\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/sophos-home-premium\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sophos House Premium Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-for-a-small-footprint\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best for a Small Footprint\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best for a Small Footprint', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-36.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1740603327.png\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"Webroot Essentials\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_for_a_Small_Footprint\"><\/span>Finest for a Small Footprint<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Webroot_Necessities\"><\/span>\n                                                    Webroot Necessities<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-6\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Small footprint on disk&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Aced our hands-on checks&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Can remediate ransomware injury&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Contains LastPass password supervisor&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Superior options<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Restricted lab check outcomes&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Superior options require unusual experience<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>Webroot Necessities is the smallest antivirus we have seen. Again when diskettes have been widespread, it might match on only one. Webroot\u2019s native presence may be tiny as a result of its intelligence resides within the cloud. Like most antivirus instruments, it wipes out identified malware on sight, however unknowns get particular remedy. It sends particulars about any unknown program to the cloud and lets that program run in a bubble, virtualizing any system adjustments in order that they don\u2019t turn into everlasting. Cloud evaluation can take a while, but when it determines this system is malicious, Webroot wipes out this system itself and rolls again any system adjustments.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-6\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong> Whereas Webroot doesn\u2019t at all times work properly with full-scale lab checks, it has turned in some glorious scores in hands-on checks. In my easy malware blocking check, it accurately recognized 99% of the samples as malicious and scored 9.7 out of 10 attainable factors. Challenged to detect harmful web sites and head off malware downloads, it scored 97% safety. And in my antiphishing check, it detected 100% of the fraudulent web sites. That\u2019s an superior assortment of scores.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: Webroot\u2019s delayed-action detection isn\u2019t a great match for many standardized lab checks. The labs principally count on that an antivirus will flag malware instantly or by no means. Up to now 10 years, Webroot has popped up often in checks from MRG-Effitas and AV-Take a look at, with blended outcomes. Within the final 5 years, its solely scores have been from SE Labs, principally the highest AAA ranking, with a sprinkling of AA and A scores. Its present certification on the AAA degree isn\u2019t enough to generate an mixture lab rating, however it\u2019s a great signal the antivirus is doing one thing proper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> At $49.99 to guard a single laptop, Webroot is on the medium-high aspect, with many opponents coming in $10 decrease. Three Webroot licenses for $69.99 look higher, although, and at 5 licenses for $89.99, you\u2019re paying about $18 per system. That\u2019s nonetheless barely excessive in contrast with most, however definitely higher.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> Webroot eliminates dangerous applications and lets good ones run unhindered. For unknowns, it applies shut scrutiny and checks with the cloud, preserving a journal of any adjustments this system makes. After a thumbs-down from the cloud, Webroot wipes this system and reverses these journaled adjustments. Up to now, I\u2019ve been in a position to show for myself that the journal-and-rollback system reverses the results of ransomware. Extra not too long ago, the app\u2019s detection is simply too good; I haven\u2019t been in a position to simulate an unknown ransomware pattern with the most recent model. However my previous checks confirmed that it really works.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> Regardless of the title, Webroot Necessities covers greater than the antivirus necessities. For starters, your subscription comes with a full subscription to LastPass Premium, in case you don\u2019t have a password supervisor. A firewall part screens community utilization by unknown applications and kicks into excessive gear if the app detects any ransomware. You\u2019ll additionally discover some bonuses of a technical nature, like a listing of all energetic processes, an in depth report of Webroot\u2019s exercise, and a group of superior options for cleansing up after malware.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-6\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The organizer<\/strong>: Do you imagine that good issues are available small packages? Webroot is among the smallest antivirus apps round, with an installer that might match on a single diskette.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The tech knowledgeable<\/strong>: Not each shopper is able to confront a listing of energetic processes or manually restore system settings broken by malware. When you\u2019re able to face these and different technical options and will run a customized malware elimination script with out flinching, Webroot could also be simply the factor for you.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-6\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best for a Small Footprint\" data-item=\"Best for a Small Footprint\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/webroot-essentials\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Webroot Necessities Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"roundup-product-card mx-auto !mb-16 max-w-3xl rounded-md p-6 shadow-box sm:!mb-32 sm:p-8\" id=\"best-breadth-of-features\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-product-card\" aria-label=\"Best Breadth of Features\" x-data=\"{ intersectItem: $refs.intersectItem }\" x-ref=\"intersectItem\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents('Best_Product_Card', 'Best Breadth of Features', intersectItem)\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"order-last aspect-video w-full border border-gray-300 object-contain md:order-first md:w-1\/2\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pcmag.com\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-37.fit_lim.size_320x180.v1717174062.png\" data-lazy-sized=\"\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 180\" fill=\"%23f7f7f7\" alt=\"G Data Antivirus\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"order-first flex w-full items-center pb-6 md:order-last md:ml-8 md:w-1\/2 md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"w-full md:leading-normal\">\n<h2 class=\"font-stretch-condensed text-lg font-semibold leading-compact text-red-400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finest_Breadth_of_Options\"><\/span>Finest Breadth of Options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-condensed my-2 text-2xl font-semibold leading-compact md:text-3xl md:leading-tight\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"G_Knowledge_Antivirus\"><\/span>\n                                                    G Knowledge Antivirus<br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  true  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professionals_Cons-7\"><\/span>Professionals &amp; Cons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 gap-x-8 gap-y-6 sm:flex-row\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Good rating on our hands-on malware safety check&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Protects in opposition to banking Trojans, keyloggers, ransomware, and exploits&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Comparatively cheap&#13;<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-green-400 shrink-0 size-5\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M7.66659 6.33331H13.6666V7.66665H7.66659V13.6666H6.33325V7.66665H0.333252V6.33331H6.33325V0.333313H7.66659V6.33331Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Contains spam filter<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"!my-0 flex-1 space-y-3 !px-0 text-base font-semibold [&amp;&gt;li]:leading-normal\">\n<li class=\"flex items-baseline gap-x-3\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"pt-1 text-red-400 shrink-0 size-4\" width=\"14\" height=\"2\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 2\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.6666 0.333313V1.66665H0.333252V0.333313H13.6666Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>                                <span>Just one current lab rating out there<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"rich-text my-8\">\n<p>G Knowledge Antivirus has been defending PCs in opposition to viruses and different malware for nearly so long as PCs have existed. Chances are high good that it\u2019s older than you\u2014at the very least, it\u2019s older than the median age within the US. Regardless of this venerable historical past, it prices lower than most opponents, and its function assortment goes properly past the naked requirements. Impartial lab checks and our personal checks present that it does its job, although it doesn\u2019t rating as excessive as the highest opponents.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_We_Picked_It-7\"><\/span>Why We Picked It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>Scores in hands-on checks:<\/strong>. I get good hands-on expertise by placing every antivirus by testing with real-world threats. The checks additionally present helpful scores for comparability. G Knowledge fended off 97% of malware downloads in my malicious URL blocking check, which is its greatest rating in all my checks. It didn\u2019t fare as properly in my straight malware blocking check, scoring 9.0 of 10 attainable factors, only a tenth above what Microsoft Defender scored. And its phishing detection rating of 91% places it within the backside half.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impartial lab check scores<\/strong>: Two impartial labs embody G Knowledge of their newest reviews, and it acquired simply wanting an ideal rating from one, ok to earn it the tag High Product. The opposite lab honored it with one excellent certification and two certifications slightly below excellent. Poured into my mixture scoring algorithm, this mix comes out as a decent 9.3 of 10 attainable factors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing and pricing tiers:<\/strong> When you\u2019re searching for a discount, you\u2019ll like G Knowledge\u2019s pricing. A single license goes for $29.95 per 12 months, among the many lowest for a business antivirus. You possibly can up that to a few licenses for $39.95 or 5 for $49.95. That five-license value is similar as what you pay to guard a single system with Bitdefender, McAfee, or Webroot, and a single Norton license runs even greater.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware safety:<\/strong> With G Knowledge, you get a number of layers of safety in opposition to malware. Along with the same old real-time safety, it consists of ransomware-specific detection, a behavioral detection system known as Beast, and the DeepRay machine studying system. In testing, G Knowledge caught all of the real-world ransomware samples besides a pair that took no motion. The behavioral detection programs ran a bit behind, letting about half the ransomware samples encrypt some recordsdata earlier than quashing them. Keep in mind, although, that I couldn\u2019t start to carry out this check with out disabling common real-time antivirus checking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Options past antivirus:<\/strong> All through its evolution, this antivirus app has picked up many bonus safety instruments. With the common antivirus disabled, its behavior-based ransomware safety layers proved efficient. An exploit detection part scored higher than most opponents in testing. Different bonus options embody spam filtering, BankGuard safety for monetary transactions, energetic protection in opposition to keyloggers, and fine-grained management over startup applications.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_It%E2%80%99s_For-7\"><\/span>Who It\u2019s For<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mb-8 rich-text !mb-0\" x-collapse=\"\" x-cloak=\"\" x-show=\"drawerOpen\">\n<p><strong>The function collector<\/strong>: Viruses and Trojan Horse applications are widespread threats, blasted by each antivirus. G Knowledge additionally takes up arms in opposition to exploits, ransomware, keyloggers, assaults on monetary transactions, and spam, with startup program management as properly. When you\u2019re trying to get all of the protecting options you possibly can out of your antivirus, look no additional.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The old-school fanatic<\/strong>: The G Knowledge web site states that G Knowledge launched the first-ever antivirus program in 1985. Whether or not or not it was the very first, G Knowledge Antivirus has a protracted and storied historical past. Some people lean towards the latest, shiniest antivirus safety, whereas others favor a mature program that\u2019s had loads of time to shake out any weaknesses. G Knowledge Antivirus is a full-fledged utility with quite a few safety bonuses. It\u2019s simply the factor for these in search of a barrel-aged antivirus device.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"border-b-1 border-t-1 border-gray-300 [&amp;+section]:border-t-0\" x-data=\"{ drawerOpen:  false  }\">\n        <button class=\"rich-text my-4 flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-x-4 text-left md:my-6 [&amp;&gt;*]:!m-0 [&amp;&gt;*]:w-fit [&amp;&gt;h3&gt;strong]:font-semibold\" aria-label=\"Pros &amp; Cons\" aria-controls=\"pros-cons\" :aria-expanded=\"drawerOpen\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_Configurations-7\"><\/span>Specs &amp; Configurations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>        <\/button><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-4 text-center md:mb-8\">\n<p>Be taught Extra<\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"mt-2 inline-block font-semibold leading-normal text-red-400 underline md:leading-loose\" data-module=\"Best_Product_Card\" data-element=\"Best Breadth of Features\" data-item=\"Best Breadth of Features\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/g-data-antivirus\" aria-label=\"{ $item-&gt;product_name }} Review\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">G Knowledge Antivirus Evaluate<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ziff-component relative m-auto my-12 border-b border-t border-black bg-white py-4 md:my-16 md:p-6 md:px-4\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Newsletter Sign-Up\" x-data=\"window.newsletters()\" x-init=\"initNewsletter({&quot;id&quot;:5,&quot;list_id&quot;:17707707,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;SecurityWatch&quot;,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Our experts keep you safe from malware, viruses, hacks, and privacy exploits by keeping you current on the latest vulnerabilities.&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;securitywatch&quot;,&quot;courier_list&quot;:&quot;PCMag Security Watch&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;newsletters\/17707707.jpg&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;security watch&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;preview_link&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/secure.campaigner.com\/csb\/Public\/show\/g6xi-2v61w9--18a0qz-ky07csq2&quot;,&quot;contextual_title&quot;:&quot;Stay Safe With the Latest Security News and Updates&quot;,&quot;contextual_tagline&quot;:null,&quot;contextual_image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;newsletters\/17707707-contextual.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;SecurityWatch Newsletter Image&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: PCMag&quot;}},&quot;contextual_deck&quot;:&quot;Sign up for our SecurityWatch newsletter for our most important privacy and security stories delivered right to your inbox.&quot;,&quot;contextual_body&quot;:[],&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2021-09-30T21:22:09.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-23T20:52:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-23T20:52:46.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:null,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-23T20:52:56.000000Z&quot;})\" x-show=\"showEmailSignUp()\" x-intersect.once=\"window.trackGAImpressionEvents(&quot;pcmag-on-site-newsletter-block&quot;, &quot;SecurityWatch&quot;, $el)\">\n        <!-- Envelope image absolute top right for desktop --><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"opacity-20 absolute right-0 top-0 z-0 hidden md:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/images\/newsletter-envelope.svg\" alt=\"Newsletter Icon\" style=\"max-width:220px; 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Keep watch over your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"my-16 flex flex-col gap-8 py-6\" data-parent-group=\"roundup-compare-chart\" aria-label=\"Roundup Compare Chart\" x-data=\"{&#10;        options: [],&#10;        specNames: [],&#10;        specLength: 0,&#10;        specLengthVisible: 0,&#10;        selectionCount: 0,&#10;        selections: {&#10;            selection_1: '',&#10;            selection_2: '',&#10;            selection_3: '',&#10;            selection_4: ''&#10;        },&#10;        scrollable: false,&#10;        scrollEnd: false,&#10;        gridHeightStyle: '',&#10;        gridRowStyle: '',&#10;        init() {&#10;            $nextTick(() =&gt; {&#10;                this.setSelections()&#10;                window.onresize = (() =&gt; {&#10;                    this.setSelections()&#10;                    this.gridHeightStyle = this.calculateGridHeight()&#10;                })&#10;                if (this.scrollable) {&#10;                    $refs.specs.addEventListener('scroll', () =&gt; this.scrollEnd = $refs.specs.scrollTop + $refs.specs.clientHeight &gt;= $refs.specs.scrollHeight)&#10;                }&#10;            })&#10;    &#10;            $watch('selections', () =&gt; { this.gridHeightStyle = this.calculateGridHeight() })&#10;    &#10;            this.options = [{&quot;id&quot;:3538,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:325394,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;03Qob8chPxSvlvrLpJaqgk0&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;bitdefender-antivirus-plus&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Feature-rich antivirus that beats many full security suites&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:true,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 4394 --&gt;n&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/the-best-tech-products-of-2018&quot; class=&quot;no-underline&quot; data-link-type=&quot;lineup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1708&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Best of the year 2018 logo small' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 181 150'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-1.fit_lim.size_181x150.v_1569469938.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-1.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Best of the year 2018 logo small' width='181' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-1.fit_lim.size_181x150.v_1569469938.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-1.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 4394 --&gt;n&lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;148&quot;&gt;Antivirus tool&lt;\/a&gt; Bitdefender Antivirus Plus has long boasted a feature set that puts some complete security suites to shame, and the latest iteration adds a new anti-tracker component to keep your browsing history private. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus remains a top choice when it comes to protecting your PC's security.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some antivirus products, such as &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/cylance-smart-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;522&quot;&gt;Cylance Smart Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; and F-Secure, stick strictly with the essential task of an antivirus: removing existing malware infestations and foiling new attacks. Bitdefender, by contrast, packs a huge collection of security-centered features, among them password management, enhanced security for online transactions, multi-layered ransomware protection, and even a VPN. To be sure you realize how much you're getting, the installer runs a slideshow detailing the features while doing its job.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;At $39.99 per year for one license, Bitdefender's pricing is in line with the competition's. More than a dozen others go for roughly the same price, among them Kaspersky, Webroot, Trend Micro, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/eset-nod32-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6897&quot;&gt;ESET NOD32 Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt;. F-Secure charges $39.99 too, but gives you three licenses for that price. Three Bitdefender licenses will run you $59.99 per year. You can also get five licenses for $69.99, or 10 for $79.99. McAfee costs $59.99 per year, the same as Bitdefender's three-license price, but sets no limit on the number of Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices you can protect.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender's main window displays a security dashboard by default, with a left-rail menu that offers detailed access to features. Security recommendations occupy the top half of the rest of the window, with a collection of what the product calls Quick Actions below. By default, you can start a quick scan, open the VPN, install protection on another device, and turn on Safepay online protection. You can make your own choices from a list of eight possible quick actions, for a total of five visible at any time.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 493'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-2.fit_lim.size_740x493.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-2.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-2.fit_lim.size_740x493.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-2.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Clicking Protection, Privacy, or Utilities in the left menu brings up detailed pages of features and settings, though some of the features aren't available in the basic antivirus. For example, on the Protection page the Firewall and Antispam items require an upgrade, and everything on the Utilities page requires Bitdefender's top-tier suite, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/bitdefender-total-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;4338&quot;&gt;Bitdefender Total Security&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;011Q2vQ9si3Bj4Ttv9le2lU&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For years now, Bitdefender's Autopilot mode quietly handled security issues without requiring user intervention. More recently, Autopilot evolved into a more active role. The aim is to make sure you get the full benefit of this product's many, many features. For example, during this review it suggested that we run a scan for outdated (and hence vulnerable) applications. Autopilot might also suggest that you explore the Wallet password manager, or check the privacy of your online accounts.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Glowing Lab Test Scores&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Three of the four labs that we follow include Bitdefender in their testing. In the three-part test regularly reported by &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/a&gt;, Bitdefender earned 6 of 6 possible points in all three categories, for a perfect 18 points. F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee, and Norton also earned the maximum points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-11.v_1569469938.png', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Lab Results Chart', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The researchers at &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-comparatives.org\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Comparatives&lt;\/a&gt; perform a wide variety of tests; we follow four of them. Products that pass a test earn Standard certification, while those that do significantly better receive Advanced or even Advanced+ certification. Bitdefender took Advanced+ in all four tests. Kaspersky did nearly as well, with three Advanced+ and one Advanced.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The tests performed by London-based MRG-Effitas are a bit different from the rest. To pass this lab's banking Trojans test, a product needs a perfect score; anything less is failure. Another test using a wide variety of malware offers two passing levels. If a product absolutely blocks every installation attempt, it passes at Level 1. If some malware gets through, but is eliminated within 24 hours, that earns Level 2. Anything else is a fail. Bitdefender passed the banking test, along with Avira, ESET, and Kaspersky. It also received Level 1 certification in the broad-spectrum test, along with Kasperky, Trend Micro, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10841&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;, and six others.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt; &lt;span&gt; &lt;\/span&gt;attempts to simulate the real world of malware as closely as possible for testing purposes, using a capture\/replay system to present each product with a real-world Web-based attack. Certification from this lab comes at five levels, AAA, AA, A, B, and C. Alas, Bitdefender doesn't appear in the latest report from SE Labs. When last tested, it took AA certification.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I have contrived an algorithm that maps all the test results onto a 10-point scale and returns an aggregate lab score, as long as the product has results from at least two labs. Avast, Avira, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt; are among the products that appear in reports from all four labs. In terms of aggregate score, Kaspersky rules that group, with 9.9 of 10 possible points. Bitdefender, tested by three labs, holds the top score overall, a perfect 10. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Impressive Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Even though the labs heap praise on Bitdefender, we still need our own hands-on experience. Our &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; test starts when we open the folder containing an eclectic collection of malware samples whose behavior we've analyzed. At this point, Bitdefender displayed a notification, saying, &quot;Disinfection in progress&amp;hellip;please wait until complete.&quot;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This proved to be a long wait&amp;mdash;more than five minutes. When the antivirus finished, it offered a link to display just what it accomplished. The real-time on-access protection system eliminated 65 percent of the samples on sight. We continued the test by launching those samples that survived the initial massacre.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender caught many of the remaining samples at or shortly after launch, though in several cases it didn't prevent the installer from planting executable files on the test system. Bitdefender detected 85 percent of the samples, down from 93 percent when last tested. It scored 8.0 of 10 possible points, which isn't great. However, when the labs praise a product to the skies, we give their results more weight than our hands-on tests.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tested with this same set of samples &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8502&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/a&gt; achieved 100 percent detection and scored 9.7 points, the best so far. Norton also scored 9.7, but it earned that score against our previous set of samples.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-12.v_1569469938.png', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Because gathering and analyzing malware takes a significant effort, we use the same sample set for many months. To check how well an antivirus handles the very latest attacks, we use a feed of malware-hosting URLs kindly supplied by &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt;. Typically, these are no more than a few days old. We launch each one in turn, discarding any URLs that are already defunct, and record whether the antivirus steered the browser away from the dangerous URL, eliminated the malicious download, or sat on its hands doing nothing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Danger' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 510'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-3.fit_lim.size_740x510.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-3.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Danger' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-3.fit_lim.size_740x510.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-3.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender's Online Threat Protection turned in a decent performance, blocking access to 83 percent of the malware-hosting URLs. The regular antivirus component wiped out another nine percent at the download phase, for a total of 92 percent protection. That's good, but Bitdefender managed 99 percent when last tested. {Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security currently tops the list, with 99 percent protection. McAfee and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/sophos-home-premium&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1331&quot;&gt;Sophos Home Premium&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;01dYajUhYMn4W9Q3kmAAabO&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; are close behind with a 97 percent score.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Phenomenal Phishing Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malware attacks your computer, or your data, to rake in cash for its creators. Phishing attacks go straight for the most vulnerable component&amp;mdash;you, the user. If you encounter a fake PayPal site and don't notice that the URL in the address bar isn't right, you could wind up handing your login credentials to the creeps who built the fake. These fraudulent sites don't last long; they quickly get blacklisted and taken down. But the phishers just build new ones.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Any competent coder could put together a system that steers users away from sites on a phishing blacklist, but that's not enough in itself. A really good phishing protection system analyzes pages for signs of fraud, and blocks even those too new to be blacklisted. Some products, such as Norton, distinguish between blacklisted sites and those identified by analysis. Bitdefender's Online Threat Protection tars them all with the same brush, and it proved extremely effective in our testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-13.v_1569469938.png', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We prepare for this test by scouring phishing-reporting sites for the latest possible frauds, making sure to get a goodly number that are too new for the blacklist. We launch each in four browsers. The product under test protects one, of course, while the other three rely on protection built into Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. If one or more browsers can't load a page, out it goes. If the page isn't clearly attempting to steal login credentials, likewise we toss it. When we have 100 or so data points, we run the numbers.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender detected almost every one of the fraudulent pages, coming in with a 99 percent detection rate. But that doesn't make it the top scorer in this test. In their latest phishing challenges, both Kaspersky and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7456&quot;&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; managed to detect and block 100 percent of the frauds. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you click to see the chart, you may notice that &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-free-edition&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;11679&quot;&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition&lt;\/a&gt; didn't do as well as its for-pay cousin, coming in with 91 percent detection. The free product relies on a different system to detect phishing frauds, one that clearly isn't quite as effective.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Network Threat Prevention&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Network Threat Protection component works alongside Online Threat Protection to detect and fend off attacks on security vulnerabilities in the operating system and popular applications. This sort of protection is more commonly associated with a firewall, but it can stand alone.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trying to see this feature in action, we bombarded the test system with 30-odd exploits generated by the &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.coresecurity.com\/core-impact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CORE Impact&lt;\/a&gt; penetration tool. This collection includes exploits aimed at Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Java, and several Adobe products. Bitdefender flagged 40 percent of the attack pages as dangerous, and picked up another 4 percent by identifying the exploit payload by its official CVE name, for a total of 44 percent. Note that as the test system is fully patched, none of the exploits had a chance to subvert its security.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Exploit' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 493'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-4.fit_lim.size_740x493.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-4.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Exploit' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-4.fit_lim.size_740x493.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-4.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton is the big winner in this test. Its exploit-specific protection component blocked 85 percent of the sample attacks, more than any other recent product. It identified more than half of the attacks by their official CVE numbers. Exploit protection isn't a core antivirus component, especially if you keep your operating system and applications up to date, but in Bitdefender's case it's a nice bonus.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469938.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469938.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Additional Browser Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This product's previous version automatically installed Bitdefender Traffic Light, a browser extension that marks up search results with colored icons, green for safe, red for dangerous, grey for not yet checked. You can still install Traffic Light, but the current edition's browser protection consists of the new Anti-Tracker module. This module is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you visit a site that contains ad trackers, site analytics trackers, or other trackers, Bitdefender puts the number of trackers on the extension's toolbar icon. By default, its active Do Not Track system blocks them all. You can click for a summary by category, which includes an estimate of the page load time saved. And you can disable blocking of specific categories. You'll find similar Do Not Track functionality in a variety of security tools including Abine Blur, AVG AntiVirus Free, and Kaspersky Internet Security.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Multi-Layered Ransomware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;No antivirus is perfect. They'll all occasionally miss a brand-new attack. Sure, within a few days most security companies will broadcast an update that cleans things up, but in case of a ransomware attack, it's too late to save your files. Bitdefender has been on the cutting edge of &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;76&quot;&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/a&gt;, and the latest edition adds more layers.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ransomware works by encrypting important files and demanding that you pay for the decryption key. It typically looks in folders such as Documents, Pictures, and Videos. Bitdefender's Safe Files feature simply prevents all unauthorized modification of files in these locations, for all users. If you have an unusual folder scheme, you can add other protected folders. On detecting an unknown program attempting to modify a protected file, Safe Files suspends the program and asks whether to allow the change. If you've just installed a new image editor, you can simply mark it as trusted. But if the warning comes as a surprise, let Safe Files keep the program away from your files.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Safe Files' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 645 400'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-6.fit_lim.size_645x400.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-6.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Safe Files' width='645' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-6.fit_lim.size_645x400.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-6.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Advanced Threat Defense feature supplements regular antivirus scanning with behavior-based detection, including detection of ransomware behavior. Network Threat Prevention blocks the exploit avenues that some ransomware attacks rely on. More recently Bitdefender added Ransomware Remediation. At the first hint of a possible ransomware attack, it backs up important files, restoring them after Bitdefender neutralizes the attack. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We've tested Safe Files before, but we repeated the test just to be thorough. When we tried editing text files in the Documents folder with a hand-coded (and hence unknown to Bitdefender) text editor, it caught the attempt and offered to stop it. It also caught a simple-minded fake ransomware program, even when that program launched at boot time.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Bitdefender Shield real-time protection components wiped out all our actual ransomware samples on sight. To even get a glimpse of the other protective layers, we had to turn off real-time protection. In fact, we couldn't copy the samples back to the test system without disabling network protection and web protection. It seems some component got a whiff of ransomware, because just after we copied the samples over Bitdefender suggested turning on Ransomware Remediation.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 3993 --&gt;n&lt;A HREF=&quot;http:\/\/securitywatch.pcmag.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 95 85'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-7.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469938.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-7.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' width='95' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-7.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469938.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-7.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 3993 --&gt;n&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Almost all our samples are the common file-encrypting ransomware, though we do have one screen locker and one whole-disk encryptor. Two of the file encryptors saved themselves by refraining from any activity&amp;mdash;probably they detected the presence of antivirus. Advanced Threat Defense handled all but one of the rest. The pernicious &lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/petya-ransomware-what-you-need-to-know&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;34209&quot;&gt;Petya ransomware&lt;\/a&gt; got past the behavior-based detection system and encrypted the virtual drive, rending the virtual test system unusable. To be fair, this could only happen because we disabled several real-time protection layers.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We've occasionally run across ransomware protection systems that don't start early enough at boot time and hence can miss ransomware loaded at startup. To check Bitdefender's protection, we copied several samples that triggered protection into the Startup folder and rebooted. Bitdefender silently eliminated all of those samples.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We also tried running KnowBe4's RanSim ransomware simulator. Safe Files blocked its access repeatedly, but this activity interfered with the simulation, to the point that it just didn't work. In a real ransomware situation, I wouldn't complain about protection that renders ransomware ineffective.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ransomware protection is showing up in more and more antivirus products, but most don't go as far as Bitdefender. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/trend-micro-antivirus-plus-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3078&quot;&gt;Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security&lt;\/a&gt; is among the few others with a multi-layer approach. It blocks unauthorized changes to protected files, detects ransomware behavior, and restores any files that got encrypted before the behavior-based detection kicked in. Webroot uses behavior-based detection, and its journal-and-rollback system for handling behavior of unknown files can even reverse the effects of ransomware.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;A Wallet for Your Passwords&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Password management is a feature more commonly found in security suites than in standalone antivirus products (though Avast products starting with &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/avast-free-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;5185&quot;&gt;Avast Free Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; includes password management). Bitdefender's Wallet feature stores passwords, personal information, and credit card details for use on websites, and also saves passwords for applications and Wi-Fi networks.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Wallet has changed very little in the last few versions. It still requires a &lt;a href=&quot;\/how-to\/simple-tricks-to-remember-insanely-secure-passwords&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7122&quot;&gt;strong master password&lt;\/a&gt;, separate from your Bitdefender Central password. It still allows creation of multiple wallets (password databases), and lets you choose whether to sync between devices or keep passwords local-only. And it still automatically captures login credentials as you type them and replays them as needed.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:BdoM2qyG09\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;autoplay=true&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In testing, it managed standard password entry forms but couldn't handle some two-page login systems. Wallet doesn't store as much personal data for web forms as some dedicated password managers, but it correctly filled all the fields that it does store.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you're signing up for a new account, you can use Wallet's &lt;a href=&quot;\/how-to\/how-to-use-a-random-password-generator&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;30638&quot;&gt;password generator&lt;\/a&gt;, which defaults to creating 15-character passwords made of letters and numbers. That's a good default length, but I advise enabling the use of special characters, for even stronger passwords.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Wallet completely handles the basics of password management, but doesn't go much beyond that. If you want high-end features like automatic password changing, two-factor authentication, secure sharing of credentials, or handling of password inheritance, you should consider a standalone &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-password-managers&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;168&quot;&gt;password manager&lt;\/a&gt; utility.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Bitdefender VPN&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender's many layers of antivirus, web, and network protection keep your devices and their data safe. However, when you connect to the internet your data in transit is potentially at risk. To ensure privacy for your data, you need a &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-vpn-services&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;315&quot;&gt;VPN (virtual private network)&lt;\/a&gt;. When you connect using a VPN, nobody, not even the owner of the shady Wi-Fi network you're using, can access your network traffic, and you'll be harder to track as you move across the web.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus VPN' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 333'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-8.fit_lim.size_740x333.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-8.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus VPN' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-8.fit_lim.size_740x333.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-8.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Pricing for Premium&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender VPN isn't available as a standalone product. Even the feature-complete Premium edition requires that you're already running a Bitdefender antivirus or security suite. This VPN is a rebranded version of the &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/anchorfree-hotspot-shield-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3961&quot;&gt;AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Elite&lt;\/a&gt; VPN service. Bitdefender uses AnchorFree's servers and services, but your information is secure with Bitdefender. AnchorFree cannot see your online activities and only receives a Bitdefender identifier.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The VPN service will work out of the box, but only in a limited mode until you pay for a Premium subscription. The free version of Bitdefender's VPN restricts your use to 200MB per day. That's more generous than &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/tunnelbear-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7387&quot;&gt;TunnelBear VPN&lt;\/a&gt;'s free version, which offers only 500MB per &lt;em&gt;month&lt;\/em&gt;. The free version also limits which VPN servers you can access. At the other extreme, the free version of ProtonVPN doesn't impose any limits.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you decide to upgrade to the Premium edition of the Bitdefender VPN, you get access to all available VPN servers, with no data cap. An annual subscription costs $39.99 per year, or you can pay $6.99 per month. That's a remarkably low monthly cost, comparable to very affordable &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/private-internet-access-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;4067&quot;&gt;Private Internet Access VPN&lt;\/a&gt;, which costs $6.95 per month. It's also notably less expensive than Hotspot Shield itself, which costs $12.99 per month.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The average price per month for a &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-vpn-services&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;315&quot;&gt;PCMag top-rated VPN&lt;\/a&gt; service is about $10.50. Bitdefender is a little more than half the price of NordVPN and only 4 cents more than Private Internet Access. A typical standalone VPN allows use on a specific number of devices, most commonly five. With Bitdefender, you get as many devices as you have licenses for the underlying antivirus or suite. The price of the Premium VPN doesn't change.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Simple User Interface&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Bitdefender VPN is very simple: a slender grey rectangle with a large, blue button to connect the VPN. You change the VPN server from the pull-down menu, although you can only select the country to which you will connect. Other services, like &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/nordvpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2777&quot;&gt;NordVPN&lt;\/a&gt;, let you select the specific server in a given country, and even tell you what kind of load that server is experiencing. Bitdefender is more of a set-it-and-forget-it affair. That said, it has only a few options: turning notifications on or off, configuring the VPN to connect automatically on unsafe (read: unsecured) Wi-Fi networks and having it launch on Windows startup.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The stripped-down nature of Bitdefender VPN Premium is understandable when you consider that it's being sold as an add-on to Bitdefender antivirus products. In fact, you cannot use Bitdefender VPN Premium as a standalone product&amp;mdash;it must be installed alongside a Bitdefender antivirus or suite product. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Other VPN services, like &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/torguard-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2758&quot;&gt;TorGuard VPN&lt;\/a&gt;, have a host of add-on options, like dedicated IP address and access to a 10GB network. NordVPN and ProtonVPN let you connect to the Tor anonymization network through their clients. Several VPN services also offer servers designed for specific activities, like P2P file sharing or Netflix streaming. The Bitdefender VPN doesn't have these, although it allows file sharing on the networks used by the Bitdefender VPN.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;On the subject of Netflix, we found that we could not connect to the popular video streaming service while the Bitdefender VPN was active. That's not surprising, since we couldn't access when using Hotspot Shield, either. Netflix is very active about blocking VPNs, but VPNs are active in trying to keep their customers streaming happily. It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. When we last tested the services, NordVPN, Private internet Access, ProtonVPN, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/cyberghost-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2456&quot;&gt;CyberGhost VPN&lt;\/a&gt;, and IPVanish were the top-rated services that successfully worked with Netflix.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;None of the documentation we found on the Bitdefender VPN outlined how many servers are available, but we've been told it's the same as those available with the first-party Hotspot Shield client. Hotspot Shield has 2,500 servers in 73 countries. That's a strong showing, beating out much of the VPN small fry. It's just shy of the heavy hitters, such as Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN, all of which have 3,000 servers or more. NordVPN, however, leads the pack with around 5,300 servers. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A large number of servers is useful, since it means fewer people will be allocated per server. Fewer people in a server generally means better performance, as you won't have to share as many slices of the bandwidth pie.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Server locations also matter, partly because more locations means more options for spoofing your own location, but mostly because a closer server will usually yield better speed and will definitely have lower latency. NordVPN, for example, is available in 62 countries, and ExpressVPN covers an impressive 94 countries.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You won't find an option to change the protocol used by the Bitdefender VPN client to create its encrypted tunnel. That's because Bitdefender always uses the OpenVPN protocol. That's good. We prefer OpenVPN, which has the advantage of being open-source and picked over for potential vulnerabilities.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469938.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469938.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-5.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;\/about\/how-we-test-vpns&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;5963&quot;&gt;See How We Test VPNs&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Average Impact on Connection Speeds&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A major concern with using a VPN is it impact on your internet connection speeds. Using the &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.speedtest.net\/&quot;&gt;Ookla speed test tool&lt;\/a&gt;, we find a percent change between speed test results with the VPN and without the VPN. Our testing was carried out in our New York offices, using the VPN server automatically assigned to us. These results are not the final word on Bitdefender VPN Premium's speed test performance, but rather for comparison between other products. Your results will differ depending on your location and connection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;(Editors' Note: Ookla Speedtest is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.)&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In our testing, we found that the Bitdefender VPN Premium reduced download speed results by 97.3 percent, and upload speed results by 87.9 percent. Bitdefender VPN also increased latency by 3,994.4 percent. As of writing, HideIPVPN is the &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-fastest-vpns&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;258&quot;&gt;fastest VPN&lt;\/a&gt; we've yet tested, due to its low impact on upload and download speed test results.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You can see how Bitdefender compares in the chart below. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; class=&quot;no-underline&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-14.v_1569469938.png', 'Fastest VPN 2019 Feb 21 2', 'Fastest VPN 2019', '');&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt='Fastest VPN 2019' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 1250 590'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-9.fit_lim.size_1250x590.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-9.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Fastest VPN 2019' width='1250' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-9.fit_lim.size_1250x590.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-9.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender VPN Premium's upload speed test results were close to the median of 82.4 that we've recorded across some three-dozen VPN products. That's the end of the good news, however. We've recorded a median latency of 100 percent and a median download speed reduction of 88.1 percent&amp;mdash;a far smaller impact that Bitdefender VPN Premium. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As noted, Bitdefender didn't roll its own VPN. Instead, it whitelabeled the Anchorfree Hotspot Shield VPN product. Interestingly, in our testing the Bitdefender VPN Premium results didn't match with the Hotspot Shield VPN results. Hotspot Shield reduced download speed results by only 69.3 percent, and decreased upload speed results by 88 percent. Hotspot Shield increased latency by 5,300 percent&amp;mdash;the worst score we've yet recorded.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you're already paying for Bitdefender and are looking for a no-frills VPN service at a bargain basement price, Bitdefender VPN Premium fits the bill. If you're looking for more features, such as Tor-over-VPN, multi-hop connections, and so on, we recommend looking at NordVPN or &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/protonvpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;9135&quot;&gt;ProtonVPN&lt;\/a&gt;. Private Internet Access is slightly cheaper, and TunnelBear VPN significantly friendlier. All four of these products have received the coveted PCMag Editors' Choice award for their individual excellence.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You might also consider &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-360-deluxe&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1662&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton 360 Deluxe&lt;\/a&gt; if you want powerful security that includes VPN protection. At $99.99 per year for five licenses, it looks more expensive than Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which charges $69.99 for the same number. However, with Norton you get a full-features VPN at no extra charge. Norton is a full security suite, with firewall, parental control, hosted storage for your online backups, and more.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Safepay for Online Safety&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Online security is important even when you're just watching cat videos or fainting goats, but it's absolutely critical any time you log in to a financial website. Bitdefender's Safepay automatically kicks in when it detects that you're about to connect with a banking site or other sensitive site, offering a secure connection. You can tell it to always use Safepay on the site in question, or never use it for a particular page. Kaspersky's Bank Mode works in much the same way, though it doesn't open a separate desktop.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Safepay is a desktop all its own, with a hardened browser built in. Processes running in the Safepay desktop have no connection with the regular desktop. The Safepay browser supports Wallet, naturally, and you can install Flash if required, but supports no other extensions.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus SafePay' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 462'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-10.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1569469938.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-10.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Bitdefender Antivirus Plus SafePay' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-10.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1569469938.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-10.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Safepay browser's process isolation should protect against any software keylogger or other keystroke-stealing &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-spyware-protection-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;294&quot;&gt;spyware&lt;\/a&gt;. Going beyond that, a virtual keyboard serves to defeat even hardware keyloggers. It also prevents programs from snapping screenshots to capture sensitive information. You can optionally configure Bitdefender to activate the VPN any time SafePay is in use, for enhanced protection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We tested Safepay by trying to log into a dozen financial sites, some big, some small. It shepherded them all to the safety of SafePay. However, it did not offer SafePay for &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-mobile-payment-apps&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;160&quot;&gt;payment sites&lt;\/a&gt; such as PayPal, VenMo, and Zelle. Of course, you're free to open the SafePay browser and navigate to whatever site you want secured. And if you no longer want to automatically open a domain in SafePay, you can just open settings and remove it.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Even More Features&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The list of features packed into this antivirus just goes on and on. The vulnerability scan feature automatically runs in the background and warns you about missing Windows security updates, missing security patches for popular apps, and weak Windows account passwords. The related Wi-Fi Security Advisor warns about any security problems with your home, office, or public Wi-Fi hotspots, advising that you use the VPN as necessary.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;One great way to protect your most sensitive documents is to &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-encryption-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;343&quot;&gt;encrypt them&lt;\/a&gt;. After encryption, its essential to securely delete the unsecured original, to avoid even forensic recovery. You need a Bitdefender suite to get file encryption, but the secure deletion File Shredder is present even in the antivirus. Use it when you really need to eliminate a sensitive file so that nobody, not even the NSA, can recover it.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sometimes you run into malware so ornery and persistent that even Bitdefender can't remove it. The typical solution in a case like this is to burn a bootable rescue disc, one that runs a non-Windows operating system. Bitdefender does better with its Rescue Mode. You don't have to burn a disc; you just select Rescue Mode and reboot. Windows malware can't defend itself when Windows isn't running.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;A Top Choice for Security&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus offers excellent malware protection, as shown by its excellent scores from many independent testing labs. Our own tests show it to be especially effective against web-based threats, including malware-hosting sites and phishing pages. For extra defense against ransomware, it prevents unauthorized changes to your documents and watches for ransomware-like behavior.On top of that, it piles on enough features that it could qualify as a security suite. It's truly an excellent choice, and an Editors' Choice.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In the packed field of antivirus utilities, we've named several other Editors' Choice products. The labs love Kaspersky Anti-Virus just as much as they do Bitdefender. McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't score as high, but it offers unlimited protection for your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. And tiny Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus uses a journal-and-rollback system that should undo the effects of any malware that gets past its initial detection, even ransomware.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:100,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:64,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/04rK8yQu2cIXBMdJVdlQRnz-64.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;2c9b244b2694145bd33088c8fe1f96b9&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1701895300,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: 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J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:3538,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-03-20T04:45:23.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-03T16:04:07.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:759,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:4136,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05az2i19u0BcudI4ejDbAVr&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Bitdefender&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;bitdefender&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:53:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:3538,&quot;brand_id&quot;:759,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-03T16:04:07.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:10841,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:315590,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Norton AntiVirus Plus&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;norton-antivirus-plus&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Excellent antivirus protection thatu2019s loaded with bonuses&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:true,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Symantec launched the first Norton &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;148&quot;&gt;antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; utility in 1991, and Norton has been a Symantec brand ever since. Until now. The company recently sold its Symantec name and enterprise business to Broadcom. The new company name is NortonLifeLock (no, really!), but the consumer product line remains the same. Norton AntiVirus Plus, as the name implies, is antivirus protection plus a lot more. Among other things, it includes a full-blown firewall, hosted online backup, and spam filtering. The current edition adds online banking protection, script control, Wi-Fi security, and more. It's an effective antivirus, but its pricing is impractical, as I'll explain. Most users who want Norton protection should opt for one of the Norton 360 suite products.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;At $59.99 per year for a single license, Norton is expensive. The most common price point for standalone antivirus products is just under $40. More than a dozen of the products I've reviewed hit this price point&amp;mdash; among them Bitdefender, Trend Micro, and Webroot&amp;mdash;and many offer three licenses for $59.99. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7456&quot;&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; nominally costs the same as Norton, but that price lets you install protection on every device in your household, running Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In addition, Norton doesn't offer multi-license pricing. If you want to protect two PCs, you buy two individual licenses or, more likely, upgrade to &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-360-deluxe&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1662&quot;&gt;Norton 360 Deluxe&lt;\/a&gt;, which costs less for five licenses than you'd pay for two individual antivirus licenses. Trend Micro operates in a similar fashion. You can buy a single antivirus license to protect one PC or Mac, or upgrade to Trend Micro Internet Security for three licenses that cover either platform.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I should point out that you can also use your single license to install protection on a Mac. However, the same situation applies, in that two licenses cost more than a five-license subscription to Norton 360 Deluxe (for Mac). Norton 360 also gives you five licenses for &lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-secure-vpn&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8100&quot;&gt;Norton Secure VPN&lt;\/a&gt;. In fact, the presence of the VPN is the only difference feature-wise between the two macOS products.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This product replaced Norton Antivirus Basic, and it's an improvement in several ways. The previous product came with strong limitations on tech support. All it offered was a built-in diagnostic system and limited support via online forums, with the company's Virus Protection Promise notably absent.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton Antivirus Plus gives you full tech support, along with that promise. If Norton can't remove a malware infestation even after you follow all recommended steps, experts will log into your computer remotely and fix the problem. In the unlikely event they can't sort things out, you can apply for a refund. This promise does require a commitment on your part; it only applies if you've signed up for automatic renewal.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;All current Norton security products, including this one, come with online backup. With the standalone antivirus, you just get 2GB of online storage, but that may be enough to securely back up your most important files.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some of the new features described in this review are still being rolled out slowly. These include Online Banking Protection, Data Protector, Script Control, and Wi-Fi Security Detections. My own test system didn't get Data Protector initially; I had to jump through hoops to test that feature. If you don't see all of these in your own Norton installation, just give it a little time.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 494'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-42.fit_lim.size_740x494.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-42.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-42.fit_lim.size_740x494.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-42.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;My Norton&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The current product line emphasizes the My Norton app, which helps you access all the elements of your Norton protection. An outdoor scene at left softens the view, much like the outdoor background in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/panda-dome-essential&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;9048&quot;&gt;Panda Dome Essential&lt;\/a&gt; and the rest of the current Panda product line. For this basic antivirus, there are just three items listed: Device Security, Cloud Backup, and Password Manager. Clicking Device Security opens the familiar Norton antivirus interface. I'll cover the other two components below.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The local antivirus hasn't changed much. The main window is mostly white, with text and icons in green and black. Big panels show your status in five areas: Security, Internet Security, Backup, Performance, and More Norton. Rather than opening a new page, clicking one of these slides the panels down to reveal options for the clicked panel. For example, clicking Security displays icons for Scans, Live Update, History, and Advanced.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;After installation, be sure to run a Live Update. Even though the status panel indicated my protection updates were current, the Live Update found and installed some updates. You should also launch each of the browsers that you use and at least install the Norton Toolbar. You can also add other extensions: Norton Safe Search, which marks dangerous search results; Norton Home Page, which puts Safe Search and a collection of quick links on your home page; and the Norton Password Manager.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus My' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 556'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-43.fit_lim.size_740x556.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-43.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus My' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-43.fit_lim.size_740x556.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-43.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Plenty of Scan Choices&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you click the big Security panel and then click Scan, Norton offers the expected Quick, Full, and Custom scans choices, plus a lot more. For starters, if you think &lt;a href=&quot;\/how-to\/7-signs-you-have-malware-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10379&quot;&gt;you may have malware&lt;\/a&gt; even after a scan, you can launch a fresh scan with the aggressive Norton Power Eraser tool. There's a link in the final report screen for each regular scan that links to Power Eraser; click it if you suspect the cleanup wasn't complete.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;On my standard clean test system, a full scan took an hour and 25 minutes, a little longer than the current average of an hour and 8 minutes. That slightly longer time isn't a big worry, as you only need a full scan right after installation, to root out any preexisting conditions. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Norton Insight scan checks all your files and identifies those that are known and trusted and therefore don't need to be included in the antivirus scan. That scan ran in seconds on my test system and flagged 93 percent of the files as trusted. A subsequent full scan finished in 22 minutes, thanks to the Insight scan. That's better, of course, but repeat scans with other products that optimize after the first scan have finished even more quickly. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/eset-nod32-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6897&quot;&gt;ESET NOD32 Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; finished a repeat scan in about seven minutes, and Kaspersky took less than five minutes.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you run into any trouble at all with Norton, the Diagnostic Report scan may help you solve the problem. Even if it doesn't, the details from the report should help when you contact tech support about the difficulty.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Excellent Lab Test Results&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sure, your antivirus claims it will protect you, but how do you know it works? One way to verify that claim is by checking results from independent labs around the world, labs whose research experts do nothing but test and evaluate security programs. The labs choose the products they think are significant, and the security companies decide whether it's worthwhile to pay the testing fee, so when a product appears in reported results, you know it's significant. All four of the labs I follow report on Norton, a clear indicator of its importance.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Testing experts at &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt; capture real-world malicious websites and use a replay technique to hit each of the selected antivirus products with precisely the same attack. Though it's a labor-intensive process, recent tests have included more products than in the past. The lab offers certification at five levels: AAA, AA, A, B, and C. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like almost two-thirds of the products in the latest test by SE Labs, Norton received AAA certification. ESET, Kaspersky, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/microsoft-windows-defender-security-center&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10915&quot;&gt;Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center&lt;\/a&gt; were among the others that achieved AAA certification.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Where most of the labs report rating levels or numeric scores, London-based MRG-Effitas uses something closer to a pass\/fail system. Unless a product exhibits near-perfect protection, it simply fails. I follow two tests from this lab, one specific to banking Trojans and one covering a wide variety of malware types. Like just over half of tested products, Norton passed the banking Trojans test. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/avira-antivirus-pro&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6524&quot;&gt;Avira Antivirus Pro&lt;\/a&gt;, Bitdefender, ESET, and Kaspersky also passed.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In the full-spectrum malware protection test, Norton earned Level 1 certification, meaning that it completely fended off all malware attacks used in the test. Three-quarters of tested products, among them Kaspersky and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3538&quot;&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;, reached this level; the rest failed.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Researchers at &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/a&gt; look at antivirus products from three different angles. Naturally, they rate the product's essential ability to protect against malware attack. But they also rate each product's effect on system performance, and they examine how successfully it avoids naming valid programs or websites as malicious (false positives). Products can earn six points for each of these criteria, for a maximum of 18 possible points. Along with Kaspersky and McAfee, Norton earned a perfect 18 points in the most recent test.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Any product that manages at least 17.5 points gets the designation Top Product. Among the products that reached 17.5 were Microsoft, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/f-secure-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2331&quot;&gt;F-Secure Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt;, and Trend Micro.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-24.v_1574211546.png', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Lab Results Chart', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A product that passes one of the many tests performed by the &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-comparatives.org\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Comparatives&lt;\/a&gt; team receives Standard certification. Those that do better than the basics, or much better, can receive Advanced or Advanced+ certification. Norton participates in three of the four tests from this lab that I follow; it received one Advanced certification and two Advanced+. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In the latest round of reporting, only Bitdefender and Avira took Advanced+ in all four tests. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/avast-free-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;5185&quot;&gt;Avast Free Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; managed three Advanced+ and one Advanced.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;With all the different scoring systems, it's hard to get an overall feel for a product's lab results. I've devised an algorithm that maps all the results onto a 10-point scale and combines them to yield an aggregate score. Norton's aggregate score of 9.8 points is among the best. Of products tested by all four labs, only Avira, with 9.9 points, has done better. Due to the latest lab results, Kaspersky dropped slightly into third place, with 9.7 points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender also scored 9.9, but with results from just three labs. Tested by two of the four labs, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/sophos-home-premium&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1331&quot;&gt;Sophos Home Premium&lt;\/a&gt; aced both tests for a perfect 10.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Very Good Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Even when the labs offer positive and plentiful results, I still like to get a feel for each product's &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; skills using my own hands-on tests. My basic malware protection test starts when I open a folder containing a collection of samples that I collected and analyzed myself. Like most competing products, Norton started examining these samples right away. Rather than frantically popping up a separate notification for each detection, it simply displayed a notification that the Auto-Protect component was busy processing threats.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some detected samples remained visible in Windows Explorer, but with a size of zero bytes. I verified that these files were effectively gone, though I couldn't delete them to finish the cleanup. A reboot removed those traces. In all, Norton eliminated 70 percent of the samples in this initial culling.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton caught most of the remaining samples when I launched them, in most cases eliminating the file so quickly that Windows was left displaying an error message. It did miss a few less-risky items, so-called Potentially Unwanted Programs. In the end, it detected 91 percent of the samples and scored 9.0 of 10 possible points. That's just a middling score, but when the labs praise a program to the skies, I give their findings more weight than my own tests.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Three programs have earned an impressive 9.8 points against this current sample set, Malwarebytes Premium, Sophos, and Windows Defender. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8502&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/a&gt; detected more samples, 100 percent of them, but a few tiny flaws in its protection brought it in with 9.7 points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I maintain a second set of samples, copies of the main collection that I've modified by hand, so they don't match too-strict signature-based detection systems. I change each filename, tack zeroes onto the end to change the apparent size, and replace some non-executable bytes within the file. Norton wiped out most of these, leaving more of those zero-byte remnants that vanished on reboot.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-25.v_1574211546.png', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Those hand-analyzed samples from my malware collection necessarily stay the same for quite a while, because it takes me weeks to prepare a new set. For a view on how each antivirus handles the most current malware, I start with a feed of recent malware-hosting URLs supplied by testing lab &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt;. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Even though the URLs are no more than a few days old, I usually find that quite a few have gone dark since discovery. For those that still work, I note whether the antivirus prevents the browser from visiting the dangerous page, wipes out the malware payload, or does nothing at all. In summing up the results, I give equal credit for URL-blocking and for download-deletion.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Download' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 655 507'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-44.fit_lim.size_655x507.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-44.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Download' width='655' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-44.fit_lim.size_655x507.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-44.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton blocked some URLs by replacing the browser page with a big, red warning. It blocked others in a way that left the browser displaying an error, with a popup to explain what happened. When the browser protection didn't prevent all access, the Download Insight component vetted every download. In some cases, it reported the file as dangerous before I even clicked save. For others, it continued analysis after the download finished, announcing its verdict 10-15 seconds later. In a very few cases, it reported a safe download.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like Windows Defender, Norton blocked 97 percent of the malware payloads from reaching the test system. That's quite good, but not the very best score in this test. Trend Micro scored 99 percent, while McAfee, Sophos, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/vipre-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;12000&quot;&gt;Vipre Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; came out at the top with 100 percent. Still, Norton is clearly in the winner's circle.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The current edition adds a new feature called Script Control. I couldn't test it directly, but it seems straightforward. Many attacks by ransomware and other malware enter the system through tainted PDFs and Office documents. Script Control strips out scripts from downloaded documents, and blocks scripts from running when you open documents. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Phishing Protection Success&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Writing a malicious program that can steal personal data without triggering antivirus defenses is complicated. Creating a website that looks like Capitol One or some other bank and hoovering up the login credentials of hapless netizens who don't notice the chicanery is simple. Phishing fraudsters put up fake versions of financial sites, online games, even dating sites, capturing as many passwords as they can before the site gets blacklisted. When one site gets busted, they just gin up another fake.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Because phishing sites are so ephemeral, a successful defense can't rely solely on blacklists. For testing purposes, I gather reported phishing URLs from sites that track such things, with an eye to those that haven't yet been analyzed. I launch each suspected fraud in a browser protected by the product I'm testing, and simultaneously in Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, using just the phishing protection built into each browser. I discard any page that doesn't load correctly in all four browsers, and I verify that each page is a true phishing fraud, a fake version of a secure site that actively attempts to capture login credentials.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-26.v_1574211546.png', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'Norton AntiVirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When it encounters a known phishing site, Norton warns that it blocked a fraudulent page. If its heuristic analysis determines that the current page is a fake, it calls the page suspicious. In testing, it also flagged quite a few as dangerous, just as it would for a malware-hosting page. Scam Insight didn't make an appearance in this test, but Norton did flag some pages as containing identity threats.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Phish' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 330'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-45.fit_lim.size_740x330.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-45.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Phish' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-45.fit_lim.size_740x330.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-45.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Using one technique or another, Norton detected 99 percent of the verified phishing frauds, just as Bitdefender and McAfee did. Only Trend Micro and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;05nBKpLS6sIaHpRo0DEYw4f&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; beat that score, detecting 100 percent of the frauds.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I tested phishing protection in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-360-deluxe-for-mac&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;9399&quot;&gt;Norton 360 Deluxe (for Mac)&lt;\/a&gt; at the same time I tested this product, with slightly different results. The macOS product clearly missed some phishing frauds that were caught on Windows. It still scored 94 percent, which is quite good, just not as good as the Windows version did.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Web Protection Extended&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton encourages you to install the Norton toolbar with Norton Safe Web in all your browsers. That means when you search using any popular portal, you'll find green, yellow, red, or gray icons next to the links in search results. As you might guess, these identify safe, iffy, dangerous, and unknown URLs. You can point to an icon for a popup with more detail, and click the popup for a full report on the link.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;New in this edition, the web markup system applies to links in Twitter and Facebook feeds, and in web-based email. Norton doesn't clutter your feeds with icons, but it highlights any dangerous links in red. Pointing at a highlighted link triggers a popup warning.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Also new in this edition's web protection is Isolation Mode. When Norton warns you not to visit a website, it doesn't lay down the law. You can still thumb your nose at your protector and click through to the dangerous page. But now, Norton offers to let you visit in Isolation Mode. In this mode, the page gets rendered on Norton's server, stripped of any dangerous content, and presented to you. It also prevents you from submitting sensitive information to the dangerous page.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Online Banking Protection is another new benefit. When you visit a supported financial site, Norton opens it in Isolation mode, for safety. I found that using this feature tends to trigger bank security measures, because it looks like you're logging in from a computer you never used before. Brush up on your security answers, as you may need them. Note that use of this mode costs Norton a little money toward the servers that is uses. For that reason, you can't just switch into Isolation Mode and stay there.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Data Protector for Ransomware&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Quite a few security products protect against ransomware by preventing document modification by unauthorized program. Panda goes farther, even preventing unauthorized read-only access. Norton's new Data Protector feature prevents &lt;em&gt;malicious&lt;\/em&gt; programs from modifying documents in specified directories.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;That's an important distinction. The more common protection against all unauthorized programs means you may have to add a new video editor or word processor to the trusted list. Norton leaves them alone, because they're not malicious. By the same token, it didn't react to my unauthorized tiny text editor, or to my file encrypting test program.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To put Data Protector to the test, I had to use real file-encrypting ransomware. Norton's real-time protection eliminated all those samples on sight, so I turned off ordinary real-time protection, copied them back to the test system, and launched them one by one. The results were a bit disappointing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Data' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 616 324'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-46.fit_lim.size_616x324.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-46.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Data' width='616' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-46.fit_lim.size_616x324.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-46.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton detected a third of the samples, blocking their suspicious actions. One of the samples kept trying and trying, indefinitely, but Data Protector kept blocking it. Another sample simply didn't perform any suspicious actions (this happens fairly often).&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As for the rest, they all ran to completion without any hindrance from Data Protector. They all encrypted my files, and some replaced the desktop with a big, scary ransom note. This new feature is a nice addition, but it needs tuning.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Full-Scale Firewall&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Most security companies reserve firewall protection for their suite products, but Norton doesn't follow that path. This antivirus includes a full-scale firewall, which both protects against outside attack and prevents misuse of your internet connection by local programs.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As expected, the firewall correctly stealthed all ports and fended off port scans and other web-based attacks. Given that the built-in Windows Firewall completely handles this task, testing with web-based attacks only becomes relevant when a third-party firewall doesn't pass the test.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When personal firewall utilities first came on the scene, they totally relied on the user to decide whether a given program should get the privilege of connecting with the internet or network. Typically, they'd bombard the poor user with queries involving too much detail. Should trollyou.exe be allowed to connect with 12.34.56.78 using port 8080? Some users just clicked Allow every time. Others clicked Block every time, until doing so broke something important&amp;mdash;then they switched to Allow. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Relying on the uninformed user for these important security decisions isn't smart, so Norton lets the user off the hook. Instead, it uses a huge online database to configure network permissions for a vast number of known good programs. Of course, known bad programs get quarantined on sight.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As for unknowns, programs that don't fit either category, Norton's behavior-based detection system puts them under heightened scrutiny. If it finds that the unknown program is misusing its network connection or otherwise misbehaving, it tosses the program in quarantine, where it belongs. Webroot likewise puts unknown programs under enhanced scrutiny, but it also journals all actions by the program and rolls back those action if the program proves to be a stinker.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The firewall component in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-security-cloud&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1105&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Security Cloud&lt;\/a&gt; also handles program control internally, but it uses a somewhat different system. Its online database assigns a trust level to each program and restricts system access for those programs that aren't fully trusted.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Firewall protection, and security suite protection in general, isn't much use if a malicious program can turn it off or kill it. I always run a simple sanity check, trying various methods to shut down protection, focusing on techniques available to a malware coder. Norton doesn't expose important settings in the Registry, so I couldn't just find the protection switch and change On to Off. I got an Access Denied message when I tried to terminate Norton's two processes. Likewise, I couldn't stop or disable its single Windows service. Protecting essential processes and services makes sense, but not all products manage it. I had no trouble finding ways a malware coder could disable &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/vipre-advanced-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8278&quot;&gt;Vipre Advanced Security&lt;\/a&gt; and G Data, for example.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you dig into the firewall component's settings, you'll find them plentiful, and possibly baffling. Most users should leave these strictly alone, but just looking doesn't hurt. A peek will reveal settings for the new Wi-Fi Security feature, which goes way beyond merely informing you when you connect to non-secured Wi-Fi. Norton actively looks for and foils main-in-the-middle attacks, DNS spoofing, content tampering, and other network-based attacks.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Protection Against Exploits&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Alongside firewall protection, Norton gives you exploit protection at the standalone antivirus level. This component monitors network traffic for patterns matching exploit attacks and blocks them below the browser level. By default, it blocks all traffic from the attacking IP address for 30 minutes. I had dig into firewall settings and turn off that automatic blocking to perform my hands-on exploit testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This test uses exploits generated by the &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.coresecurity.com\/core-impact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CORE Impact&lt;\/a&gt; penetration tool. I launch about 30 exploits against the test system and note the security product's response. At my last test, Norton detected and blocked 85 percent of these, identifying more than half the attacks by their official names. This time it caught every single sample, identifying almost all as &quot;Malicious Payload Download 11.&quot;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Having so many exploits flagged with the same name worried me a bit, so I looked up &quot;Malicious Payload Download 11.&quot; Alas, this turns out to be Norton's way of saying it detected a payload from CORE Impact. It has little to do with actual exploit detection. I can't verify Norton's exploit protection based on this test, though it's done very well in the past.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-6.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469984.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-6.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-6.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469984.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-6.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Online Backup&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In old versions of the Norton product lineup, only the top-tier suite came with a backup system. The current lineup gives you online backup at every level, starting with the standalone antivirus. Granted, you just get 2GB of online storage with the antivirus, but that may be enough to back up your most essential files. Backup serves as the ultimate security against ransomware and any other destructive attacks that might get past antivirus defenses.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You do have to run through the setup process before you can benefit from the added security of keeping backups. The process starts with choosing what to back up, or accepting Norton's default choices, which include documents, pictures, contacts, and more, for all user accounts. If you're not sure, you won't go wrong accepting the defaults.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Backup' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 494'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-47.fit_lim.size_740x494.v_1575681035.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-47.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Norton AntiVirus Plus Backup' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-47.fit_lim.size_740x494.v_1575681035.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-47.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Next, you choose where to keep your backed-up files. Online storage is the default, but you must click the link and log into your Norton account to activate it. You can also choose any local, removable, or network drive to hold local backups. If you use a cloud storage service that shows up as a drive in Windows Explorer, you can even use that for a backup destination. The backup component in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-total-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7822&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Total Security&lt;\/a&gt; doesn't offer online storage, though you can link it to your Dropbox account. Because Norton supports multiple backup jobs, you can save your files in more than one location.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The final step involves defining when to run the backup job. If you're using online storage, just accept the default setting, Automatic. In this mode, Norton backs up new and changed files any time the computer is idle. For other backup jobs, you can choose a weekly, monthly, or manual schedule. Manual is the best choice if the destination is a removable drive, since you must make sure the drive is available first.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Now that you've defined what, where, and when to backup, finish up by clicking Save Settings and Run Backup. The initial backup may take a while, but once it's complete, Norton will keep things up to date in the background.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The backup system maintains multiple versions of files, giving you the option to go back to an earlier version as needed. The 10 previous versions of each file don't count against your 2GB total. Backups older than 60 days get purged, but the system always keeps the latest and next-latest versions.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Restoring backed-up files is just as simple. Choose a backup set, decide whether to restore all files or just some of them, and pick a destination for restored files. By default, they go to their original location, potentially overwriting existing copies, but you can select any folder you like for restored files. The program does warn (sensibly) against restoring into a non-default folder that is itself part of a backup set. When restoring individual files, you can choose a previous version, if available.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Other Norton products offer significantly more storage for your backups. This ranges from 10GB for the one-license Norton 360 Standard suite to 500GB for the top-tier Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus. Note, though, that there's no longer an option to simply buy more storage. If you need more, you must upgrade to the product tier that offers enough for you.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Bonus Features&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chances are good that your personal webmail provider filters out spam before you ever see it, and that your business email system filters spam at the server level. But if you're one of those rare few who still need a local spam filter, Norton can help. Most companies offer antispam as part of a security suite, but Norton puts it right in the antivirus.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton filters out spam from POP3 email accounts and integrates with Microsoft Outlook. In Outlook, it automatically moves spam to the Norton AntiSpam folder. If you use a different email client, you must create a message rule to divert marked spam messages into their own folder. You can whitelist your correspondents, so their mail never gets marked as spam, or blacklist known spammers. It's a simple system, for those who need it.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you install Norton AntiVirus, you also get &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/symantec-norton-password-manager&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1172&quot;&gt; Norton Password Manager&lt;\/a&gt;, known in the past as Norton IDSafe. This isn't precisely a bonus, since you can get Norton Password Manager for free, but it's nice to have it integrated into My Norton. Read our review of the standalone product for full details. Briefly, Norton Password Manager handles basic password manager tasks such as password capture, password replay, and filling web forms, and it can sync across all your Windows, Android, and iOS devices. It includes an actionable password strength report with automatic password updates for popular sites. However, it lacks advanced features, among them secure password sharing, digital inheritance, and two-factor authentication.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 3993 --&gt;n&lt;A HREF=&quot;http:\/\/securitywatch.pcmag.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 95 85'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-8.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469984.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-8.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' width='95' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-8.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469984.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-8.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 3993 --&gt;n&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Many programs configure themselves to launch every time you boot up the computer, and it doesn't always make sense to have them sucking up system resources while you're not using them. Norton's Startup Manager lists those startup programs, along with information about resource usage and prevalence in the Norton community. You can reversibly disable any program so it doesn't launch at startup, or let it launch after a small delay.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Modern Windows versions work in the background to undo the disk fragmentation that naturally occurs as you create and delete files. Even so, Norton offers its own Optimize Disk feature. When you launch this component, it first analyzes the drive for fragmentation, only proceeding if defragging would be worthwhile.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If your PC seems sluggish, try launching the File Cleanup tool, but don't expect the thorough cleaning you get with a full-scale tune-up utility. The cleanup component simply deletes Windows temporary files and browser temporary files.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;There Are Better Choices If You Want Norton&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton AntiVirus Plus earns superb scores in lab tests and good-to-excellent scores in our hands-on tests. Unusually for a mere antivirus, it includes a full-blown firewall and exploit protection. Bonus features include spam filtering, password management, and online backup. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Even so, this probably isn't the Norton product you want. It costs significantly more than competing antivirus products and makes no provision for multiple installations. There's apparently a contingent of Norton fans who really, really don't want a full suite; this product is for them. Not one of them? Then you should pay the $40 difference to get Norton 360 Deluxe. That subscription gets you licenses to install protection on five Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices, as well as full VPN protection for five devices and 50GB of online backup storage.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If your aim is to protect your devices with a standalone antivirus utility, as opposed to going for a full security suite, we have some suggestions. Three licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus Plus or Kaspersky Anti-Virus cost the same as one Norton license, and both get top marks from the independent labs. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is the tiniest antivirus we've seen, and its unusual behavior-based detection system can even reverse ransomware damage. Protecting one device with Norton costs the same as protecting every device in your household with McAfee AntiVirus Plus. These four are our Editors' Choice selections for standalone antivirus.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:122,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:77,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/00F5LnMyGOjRo1yu6Oadv0n-77.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;d035c9b190c8bb6e19c582122342a5bd&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1698870853,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Norton AntiVirus Plus&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: 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features&quot;,&quot;cons&quot;:&quot;Can no longer create local backupsrnRelatively expensive&quot;,&quot;bottom_line&quot;:&quot;Norton AntiVirus Plus aces independent lab tests and our own hands-on tests. 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Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79563,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79564,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79565,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79566,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79567,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79568,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79569,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;}],&quot;product&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:86027,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;ACTIVE&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Norton AntiVirus Plus&quot;,&quot;tiered_pricing&quot;:true,&quot;msrp_currency&quot;:&quot;USD&quot;,&quot;msrp_amount&quot;:&quot;59.99&quot;,&quot;msrp_label&quot;:&quot;Per Year, Starts at&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;products\/02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF.jpg&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Norton AntiVirus Plus&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;source_updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:56:53.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;specs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:79562,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79563,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79564,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79565,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79566,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79567,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79568,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79569,&quot;product_id&quot;:86027,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:54.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-11-18T17:57:48.000000Z&quot;}]},&quot;authors&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:28,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:184,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Editorial Author&quot;,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;is_active&quot;:true,&quot;show_expertise&quot;:1,&quot;show_expertise_filters&quot;:1,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;first_name&quot;:&quot;Neil J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:10841,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-03-20T04:45:23.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:38:37.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:4211,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:5143,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05hzw7KZLnUIwsxbGH4YOiK&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Norton&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;norton&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:54:52.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:10841,&quot;brand_id&quot;:4211,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2022-09-29T20:25:32.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:38:37.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:10380,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:322060,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;02ditGiNjdpmX5JrDfAkFBc&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes Premium Security&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;malwarebytes-premium-security&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Multi-layered detection catches most malware&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:false,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.0&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In the early days, &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; products actually protected against computer viruses, programs that spread by injecting their code into other programs. Those early viruses were predictable and easily detected using simple techniques. In today's environment of polymorphic malware, pernicious ransomware, and other advanced attacks, recognizing malware by just looking at files is utterly insufficient. Behavior-based analysis is a must-have in this world, and Malwarebytes Premium offers exactly that, along with other layers of protection. It earned great scores in some of our hands-on tests, though it still doesn't get high ratings from the independent testing labs.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some companies assign a new product version every year, others skip product version numbers completely. Malwarebytes does use version numbers but assigns new whole-number versions sparingly. The new version 4 is the subject of this review; I reviewed version 3 in 2016.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like Webroot, Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Trend Micro, and several others, Malwarebytes costs $39.99 per year. For $79.99 per year, you can protect five devices. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/sophos-home-premium&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1331&quot;&gt;Sophos Home Premium&lt;\/a&gt; goes for rather less; $50 per year lets you install it on up to 10 devices, Windows, or macOS. And with McAfee, you pay $59.99 per year to protect every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A status panel across the top of the totally redesigned main window features a silhouette-style landscape, with clouds, mountains, and a city skyline. When all is well, the panel reports &quot;Awesome! Your computer is protected.&quot; Three simple rectangular panels occupy the bottom half of the window. At left, you can view the stats for the latest scan, or click for full history. At right, simple toggles control four layers of protection. Clicking the middle panel launches a scan. It's a clean, attractive layout.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 536'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-21.fit_lim.size_740x536.v_1578797693.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-21.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-21.fit_lim.size_740x536.v_1578797693.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-21.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you call for an on-demand scan, you get a full Threat Scan by default, just as you do with &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/malwarebytes-free&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;9996&quot;&gt;Malwarebytes Free&lt;\/a&gt;. A Threat Scan on one of my clean test systems finished in four minutes. Even scanning systems infested with malware, it averaged just seven minutes. Given the average for current products is over an hour, that's really fast. You can still opt for a quick scan by clicking the Advanced scanners link; but, given such quick full scans, why would you? This is also the spot to elect a custom scan, choosing just where and how the antivirus does its work. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The scan scheduler lets you run a full, quick, or custom scan on a regular basis. You can choose an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly scan; or you can set it to scan any time the system reboots. Quick scan, custom scan, and scan scheduling are Premium-only features.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Plays Well With Others?&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For some years, press materials from Malwarebytes have emphasized that the program is compatible with other antivirus solutions, so there's no problem using it as a companion to, say, Kaspersky, or Bitdefender. However, the audience of consumers who want to pay for two security products isn't huge. Malwarebytes used to perform some clever tricks with the Security Center to let it work alongside &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/microsoft-windows-defender-security-center&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10915&quot;&gt;Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center&lt;\/a&gt;, and included configuration options to let it work along with other third-party solutions.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;That changes somewhat in version 4. Now the product defaults to registering with Security Center, which means that when it comes on the scene Windows Defender goes to sleep. If you really want to use Malwarebytes in conjunction with, say, Norton or &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7456&quot;&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;, you can change a setting so it doesn't register itself as the antivirus in charge.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Layers of Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes includes signature-based detection as one of its layers. However, the company's researchers constantly trim unnecessary signatures, to keep the product's scan time down. If a particular threat hasn't turned up in user logs for half a year or so, out goes the signature! My contact at the company noted that signature-based detection accounts for barely five percent of all detections at present.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Web protection blocks traffic to known dangerous addresses, whether by the browser or by a malicious application. Ransomware protection watches for the behaviors that occur when an unknown program is getting ready to encrypt your files. It should catch even a zero-day ransomware attack, with no need to recognize anything but behaviors that suggest ransomware.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Exploit attacks take advantage of security holes in popular applications, using the security vulnerability to take control. Even if you keep your operating system and programs patched, there's always a window when the vulnerability is known but not yet patched. Malwarebytes shields several dozen popular applications against attack. This is a generalized protection against exploit behaviors, not protection against specific exploits.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Exploit' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 409'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-22.fit_lim.size_740x409.v_1573699663.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-22.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Exploit' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-22.fit_lim.size_740x409.v_1573699663.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-22.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For a view of what exploit protection means, click the settings gear in the main window, click the Security link, scroll to the bottom, and click Advanced Settings. This opens the Anti-Exploit settings window, which warns that you should not change any settings except by instruction of a tech support expert. But go ahead and look. You'll learn that Malwarebytes does things like enforce DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization). It blocks attacks that use ROP (Return-Oriented Programming) and prevents attacks on system memory. The array of features here is dizzying.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;New since my last review, Malwarebytes offers the free Browser Guard security plug-in for Chrome and Firefox. When I tested it with Malwarebytes Free, it didn't have much success against malware-hosting URLs or phishing sites. It did point out on every warning page that you should upgrade to Premium for full protection. As you'll see below, I found that Browser Guard integrates with Malwarebytes Premium and gives this product's protection a boost. If you use Chrome or Firefox, be sure to install Browser Guard.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Lab Results Limited&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;There's one small problem with these powerful, focused protection layers; they're tough to test. Exploit attacks only work on a specific program version that contains the matching vulnerability. Malwarebytes kicks in only when such a matchup occurs, because without a match no actual damage is possible. High-end features like enforcement of DEP and ASLR are only relevant if a malware sample got past other protection layers. And so on.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Many of the independent antivirus testing labs strive to create tests that emulate real-world situations, but this emulation isn't perfect. And many of them still include simple file-recognition in their testing. My contact at Malwarebytes explained that the company's developers could bulk up the product with features aimed solely at passing tests, or they could keep it nimble and focus on actually protecting users. They chose the latter. I do notice that some companies seem to do both.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-26.v_1573699663.png', 'Malwarebytes Premium Lab Results Chart', 'Malwarebytes Premium Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I follow the regular test reports from four labs: AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, SE Labs, and MRG-Effitas. For a long time, Malwarebytes didn't participate with any of them. More recently, it has begun showing up in reports from &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;AV-Test reports on each product's capabilities in three areas: good protection against malware, small performance impact, and minimal effect on usability. That last item means the antivirus doesn't freak out users by flagging valid websites or programs as dangerous. A product can earn up to six points in each area, for a maximum of 18 points total. In the latest test, Kaspersky, McAfee, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10841&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic&lt;\/a&gt; earned a perfect 18. Another eight products managed 17.5 points, enough to earn the label Top Product.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As for Malwarebytes, it took four points for protection, five for performance, and five for usability. Its total of 14 points is the lowest of any product in the latest report. That one test score isn't enough input for my aggregate test score algorithm. In any case, per its creators, Malwarebytes isn't designed to pass tests, and they don't care if it doesn't, as long as it protects their users. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Asked about these results, my contact at the company had quite a bit to say. He pointed out, among other things, that a false positive result on eight non-prevalent samples (out of half a million) lost Malwarebytes a full point for usability. He also noted that the protection test uses URLs that point directly to the malware. In a real-world attack there would be other elements such as a drive-by download, a phishing email, or other techniques. Malwarebytes takes the full breadth of the installation process into account, and the test misses some of that breadth.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;That said, other products &lt;em&gt;do&lt;\/em&gt; manage high scores. If numerous excellent labs scores fill you with confidence, you'll be thrilled with &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;05nBKpLS6sIaHpRo0DEYw4f&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;. My aggregate lab results algorithm maps scores from all four labs on to a scale from 0 to 10, to derive a combined score. Based on results from all four labs, Kaspersky gets 9.9 out of 10 possible points. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt; didn't include Bitdefender in its latest round of testing. With results from three labs, Bitdefender also stands at 9.9 points. And Sophos has a 10-point aggregate score, though that's derived from just two tests.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Effective Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For most products, my &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; test begins the moment I open the folder containing my current collection of malware samples. The minor file access that occurs when Windows Explorer reads a file's name, size, and attributes is enough to trigger a real-time scan for some. For others, clicking on the file or copying it to a new location triggers a scan. To maintain compatibility and avoid stepping on the toes of such programs, Malwarebytes waits until the malware attempts to launch. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Cylance, Emsisoft, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-gamer-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8467&quot;&gt;McAfee Gamer Security&lt;\/a&gt; are among the other programs that wait until launch to scan for malware. Skipping mere on-access scanning saves time and resources, no doubt. However, wiping out known threats on sight means you're protected even if the antivirus crashes or stops working.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Blocked' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 426'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-23.fit_lim.size_740x426.v_1573699663.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-23.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Blocked' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-23.fit_lim.size_740x426.v_1573699663.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-23.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To test this product's malware protection, I launched each of my samples in turn. Looking at Task Manager, I could see that Malwarebytes didn't let suspect processes execute until it could finish its analysis. Sometimes this took as long as 20 seconds, though it reached a verdict for most in three or four seconds. Don't worry; I saw no such delay in the execution of innocuous programs. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes detected and quarantined 98 percent of my samples before they ever got to launch. Windows Defender and Sophos share this test's top score with Malwarebytes, 9.8 of 10 possible points. Webroot detected 100 percent of this same sample set, but minor imperfections in blocking detected malware cause it to come in second place, with 9.7 points. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tested with my previous sample set, Norton also scored 9.7 points. Since the samples aren't the same, the tests aren't directly comparable, but these are all very good scores.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-27.v_1573699663.png', 'Malwarebytes Premium Malware Protection Results Chart', 'Malwarebytes Premium Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes focuses on prevalent malware, which made me think it would do well in my malicious URL blocking test. On the other hand, this is exactly like the direct-to-malware URL lab test that my Malwarebytes contact described as problematic. I needn't have worried, as it turns out.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This test starts with a feed of real-world malware-hosting URL, kindly supplied by &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt;. Typically, I use URLs captured just a few days before, so they're very fresh. The structure of this test is simple. I go down the list of URLs, launching each and noting whether the antivirus kept the browser away from the dangerous location, quarantined the malware download, or did nothing at all. I keep up this process until I have about 100 data points, then run the numbers.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes blocked access to 94 percent of the malware-hosting URLs. For most, it popped up a notification saying the website was blocked due to a specific type of malware. In many cases, Browser Guard kicked in to provide information even after the disappearance of the transient notification popup. Just seven recent products have done better. McAfee, Sophos, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/vipre-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;12000&quot;&gt;Vipre Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; all managed 100 percent protection, using various combinations of URL-blocking and malware-quarantining.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Website' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 377'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-24.fit_lim.size_740x377.v_1573699663.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-24.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Website' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-24.fit_lim.size_740x377.v_1573699663.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-24.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes doesn't automatically scan downloaded files, so any case where it didn't block URL access resulted in a malware file landing in the Downloads folder. Launching those files isn't part of this test, but I did it just to see what would happen. Malwarebytes took down all of them.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Phishing Protection a Bit Better&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes doesn't claim to offer full-scale phishing protection, though the same component that blocks malware-hosting URLs does also detect phishing attacks. New in this edition, phishing protection gets a boost from Browser Guard.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To test a product's ability to detect and fend off phishing attacks, I use the newest sample URLs I can find, often only hours old, many of them too new to be on any backlists. I launch each URL in four browsers, starting with one that's protected by the antivirus I'm testing. The other three rely on the phishing protection built into Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If any of the four browsers can't load a given URL, I discard it. Also, if the resulting page isn't clearly an attempt to steal user credentials, I discard it. After processing a few hundred samples, I run the numbers. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-28.v_1573699663.png', 'Malwarebytes Premium Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'Malwarebytes Premium Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In many cases, Malwarebytes popped up a notification saying it blocked the website due to phishing, often with Browser Guard echoing that information. However, Browser Guard alone handled about a quarter of the detections that Malwarebytes managed. Here again, if you use Chrome or Firefox, be sure to install Browser Guard.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When last tested, Malwarebytes detected just 29 percent of the verified phishing URLs, putting it very close to the bottom. This time around, that number rose to 51 percent. That's a decided improvement, but it barely drags Malwarebytes out of the cellar. The built-in protection in all three browsers soundly trounced Malwarebytes.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Kaspersky and Trend Micro detected 100 percent of the frauds in their latest test runs, while Bitdefender and McAfee spotted 99 percent. If you insist that your antivirus provide effective detection of phishing websites, one of these might be a better choice.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Mixed Ransomware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You don't really expect ransomware to get past your antivirus. Indeed, Malwarebytes handily eliminated every single one of my ransomware samples before any could begin to execute. However, the potential consequences of a ransomware miss are staggering enough to merit a separate focus on &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;76&quot;&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/a&gt;. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To get a feel for what would happen if a zero-day ransomware attack slipped through, I turned off the real-time antivirus component and launched each ransomware sample. Malwarebytes didn't react at all to a whole-disk encrypting ransomware sample, or to a screen-locker sample. As for the more common file-encrypting ransomware, results were mixed, at best.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes successfully caught some of the samples, preventing all file damage. Other samples managed to encrypt some files before the ransomware behavior detection system caught and killed them. And one sample completely slipped past all protection, encrypting loads of files and presenting its ransom demand.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Ransom' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 425'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-25.fit_lim.size_740x425.v_1573699663.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-25.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Malwarebytes Premium Ransom' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-25.fit_lim.size_740x425.v_1573699663.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-25.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I've encountered a few ransomware protection schemes that failed when ransomware launched at startup, before the security software. To check for this possibility, I took one of the samples that Malwarebytes quickly quarantined, configured it to run at startup, and rebooted the system. This time, the ransomware managed to encrypt most of the files in the Documents folder before Malwarebytes woke up and eliminated it.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;It's good to have an additional layer of ransomware detection, even if it doesn't work perfectly. And, as noted, with all layers active Malwarebytes eliminated all my ransomware samples, of all types.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Now a Contender&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Malwarebytes Premium packs many layers of protection against malicious attacks, some of which aren't common in competing products. Like Webroot, another behavior-centric antivirus, Malwarebytes doesn't jibe with most antivirus lab tests, and the limited lab results available aren't positive. However, this time around it earned a top score in our hands-on malware protection test and also did very well at blocking malware-hosting URLs. It didn't shine at detecting phishing frauds, though. Deprived of regular real-time protection, its behavior-based anti-ransomware layer offered spotty protection. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The current Malwarebytes is a full-scale antivirus, not just a second-opinion companion product. With a little effort, you can still run it alongside another third-party antivirus, but you probably don't want to pay for two antivirus solutions. In the packed field of commercial antivirus, we've identified four that deserve to be called Editors' Choice. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Kaspersky Anti-Virus earn top scores from the independent labs. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8502&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/a&gt; is tiny, both on disk and in memory, and uses its own take on behavior-based detection. And a single license for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you install protection on every device in your household. Using Malwarebytes along with one of these Editors' Choice products should be enough to protect you against any kind of threat.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:56,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:39,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/04bOCNG0JMZM6zSUTlLDwV7-39.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;67819de060558e58d274e17595d65474&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1694640437,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes Premium Security&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: 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protection&quot;,&quot;cons&quot;:&quot;Few features beyond basic antivirusrnSome scores down from previous review&quot;,&quot;bottom_line&quot;:&quot;Unlike its popular free edition, which lacks real-time protection, Malwarebytes Premium Security is a full-fledged antivirus utility that captures malware on demand, on schedule, and on launch.&quot;,&quot;best_for&quot;:&quot;Best for Speedy Scans&quot;,&quot;hero_caption&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2014-03-28T13:56:24.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-17T18:32:46.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-17T18:32:33.000000Z&quot;,&quot;scheduled_at&quot;:null,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2014-03-27T22:17:03.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-17T18:32:46.000000Z&quot;,&quot;product_title&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes Premium Security&quot;,&quot;roundup_product_id&quot;:2598,&quot;isReview&quot;:true,&quot;newSpecs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:91873,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91874,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91875,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91876,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91877,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91878,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91879,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91880,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;}],&quot;product&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:91411,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;02ditGiNjdpmX5JrDfAkFBc&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;ACTIVE&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes Premium Security&quot;,&quot;tiered_pricing&quot;:true,&quot;msrp_currency&quot;:&quot;USD&quot;,&quot;msrp_amount&quot;:&quot;44.99&quot;,&quot;msrp_label&quot;:&quot;Per Year, Starts at&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;products\/02ditGiNjdpmX5JrDfAkFBc.jpg&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes Premium Security&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;source_updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:15.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;,&quot;specs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:91873,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91874,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91875,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91876,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91877,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91878,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91879,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91880,&quot;product_id&quot;:91411,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:45.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-14T19:09:25.000000Z&quot;}]},&quot;authors&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:28,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:184,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Editorial Author&quot;,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;is_active&quot;:true,&quot;show_expertise&quot;:1,&quot;show_expertise_filters&quot;:1,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;first_name&quot;:&quot;Neil J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:10380,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-03-20T04:45:23.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-17T18:32:48.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:3600,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:4273,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;06wBTbvql4MYJatRU9iF0yv&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malwarebytes&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;malwarebytes&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:54:41.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:10380,&quot;brand_id&quot;:3600,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-06-17T18:32:48.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:7456,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:327836,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;00yvdgjb0FsOT5TZiPoFm74&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;McAfee AntiVirus&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;mcafee-antivirus&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Effective antivirus for a single Windows PC&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:false,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.0&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you've been paying attention to PCMag, you know that you must install &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;148&quot;&gt;antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; protection on all your PCs. But that's not all. You also need security (antivirus at least) on your Macs, and on your mobile devices. Fortunately, one license for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you install McAfee security software on every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. Windows users get such a wealth of features that the Windows edition could reasonably qualify as a security suite, as do Android users. Features are sparser on macOS and iOS, but iOS users get more than many companies offer. It's an excellent value, and it did very well in some of our hands-on tests, too. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The fly in the ointment is poor handling of real-world ransomware on Windows. Several samples got past all layers of McAfee protection, including the dedicated Ransom Guard. We considered dropping the product's score and removing its Editors' Choice designation. However, McAfee earned that title, not by its amazing test scores, but rather by its comprehensive protection. You'd be hard-pressed to find another antivirus with unlimited cross-platform licenses, and its Windows edition beats out many security suites with its wealth of features. McAfee remains in the winners' circle, at least for now.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You pay $59.99 per year for unlimited McAfee licenses. That's rare. Most competing companies offer one-, three-, five-, or 10-license subscriptions. For example, nearly the same subscription price gets you 10 Sophos licenses, three &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt; licenses, and just one Norton license. Roughly $40 per month gets you a one-device license for many antivirus products, among them Bitdefender, Webroot, and Trend Micro. Price-wise, McAfee has the competition beat.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You may see descriptions on the McAfee website or on product boxes that mention 10 licenses. Don't worry; you really do get unlimited licenses. My McAfee contacts tell me that when lining up against other products in a store, &quot;unlimited&quot; confuses potential customers, so they display the number 10 instead.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For those odd ducks who really, truly want to protect just one PC, McAfee makes a one-license, Windows-only version available at that typical price of $39.99 per year. Given that another $20 gets you unlimited licenses, it doesn't seem an attractive offer, but my McAfee contacts say they get enough sales to keep offering this limited edition.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I should point out that with a free antivirus you effectively have an unlimited license. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-security-cloud-free&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2282&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Security Cloud Free&lt;\/a&gt; is an especially interesting example because, like McAfee, it offers cross-platform support. You can install it on all your Windows, Android, or iOS devices (but not Macs). On Windows, it includes a subset of the bonus features found in the full-blown Kaspersky Security Cloud.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Getting Started&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To install McAfee on a Windows computer, you first go online and activate your license key. If you set up automatic renewal during the process, you get a Virus Protection Pledge from McAfee. That means if any malware gets past the antivirus, McAfee experts promise to remotely remediate the problem, a service that normally costs $89.95. In the unlikely event that they can't clear out the malware, the company refunds your purchase price. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10841&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; offers a similar promise.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;With that housekeeping out of the way, it's time to download and install the product. The installer took a while but didn't require handholding from me. Once installation is complete, the product shows off what it can do. It offers to run a scan, check for outdated applications, remove tracking cookies, and more. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 522'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-1.fit_lim.size_740x522.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-1.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-1.fit_lim.size_740x522.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-1.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee's main window features a security status indicator at left, with a list of your protected devices below. A menu across the top breaks down product features into five main pages: Home, PC Security, PC Performance, My Privacy, and My Info. Buttons at the bottom of the Home screen let you quickly launch a scan, remove cookies, boost application speed, and check for missing app patches. Note that the macOS edition looks extremely similar. The main differences are due to the reduced feature set on the Mac.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Lab Results Up and Down&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Over the past few years, McAfee's scores from the independent testing labs have had some ups and downs. The current batch of results is good, but they were better at the time of my previous review.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The researchers at &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/a&gt; rate antivirus products on how well they protect against malware, how light a touch they have on performance, and how little they interfere with usability by wrongly flagging valid programs and websites as malicious. An antivirus can earn six points each for Protection, Performance, and Usability, for a maximum of 18 points. McAfee did just that last year. In the very latest results, it still has six points for Performance and Usability, but its Protection score dropped to five. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/f-secure-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2331&quot;&gt;F-Secure Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt;, Kaspersky, Windows Defender, and Norton all managed a perfect 18.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Expert testers at &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt; use a capture and replay system to hit multiple antivirus tools with identical web-based attacks. Products can receive certification at five levels, AAA, AA, A, B, and C. &lt;\/span&gt;In the latest round of testing, ten products received AAA certification, McAfee among them. Other products that reached the AAA level include Kaspersky, Microsoft, Norton, and Sophos.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-9.v_1569469962.png', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Lab Results Chart', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-comparatives.org\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Comparatives&lt;\/a&gt; reports on a variety of tests; I follow four of them. Products that pass a test earn Standard certification. Those that achieve exceptional success can earn an Advanced or Advanced+ rating. McAfee participates in three of the tests, and earned one Standard, one Advanced, and one Advanced+. Bitdefender holds an Advanced+ rating in the latest reports from all four tests, while Avira and Kaspersky managed three Advanced+ and one Advanced.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;MRG-Effitas takes a different approach to scoring tests. Products either achieve near-perfect results or they fail. One of this lab's regular tests challenges products with a full range of malware, while the other focuses on banking Trojans. These tests are tough. In all of 2016, McAfee had just one success, and the same happened in 2017. Scores in 2018 were much better, with Level 1 or Level 2 certification in each full-range test. Alas, in the latest runs of both tests, McAfee failed. Just under half of the products tested failed the banking test, while three-quarters passed the full-range test. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3538&quot;&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;, Kaspersky, and Norton were among those that succeeded at both.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I've devised an algorithm that maps all the lab scores to a 10-point scale and yields an aggregate score. Last year, McAfee scored 9.2 points with results from three labs. Tested by all four this year, it's down to 8.7. My contacts at the company say they're working hard to raise those scores and keep them up, and indeed, the product has received quite a few awards.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Kaspersky and Bitdefender routinely achieve perfect or near-perfect scores. Both currently have an aggregate score of 9.9. Avira is next, with 9.7, while Norton and Vipre have 9.6 points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Decent Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In addition to checking results from the independent testing labs around the world, I put every antivirus product through my own hands-on &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; testing. I start by opening a folder containing a collection of malware samples that I have manually analyzed, so I know just what they do. For many antivirus products, the minimal access that occurs when Windows Explorer checks the file's name, size, and so on is enough to trigger an on-access scan. McAfee doesn't scan until the sample launches, so I tried launching them in batches of three or four.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I ran McAfee, along with our other Editors' Choice antivirus tools, through testing immediately after putting my newest malware collection into use several months ago. It caught 85 percent of the samples immediately on launch. In most cases I saw a Windows error message flash past, followed by a notification that McAfee quarantined a threat. In a couple cases, it removed the virus from an infected file while leaving the now-clean file intact. That left 15 percent of the samples that got past their initial launch. McAfee detected and fully eliminated some of those during the install process, but completely missed others. Most unfortunately, several of those it missed were real-world ransomware attacks. Overall, it detected 91 percent of the samples and scored 9.1 of 10 possible points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Surprisingly, the top-scoring product against this malware collection is Windows Defender, with 98 percent detection and 9.8 points. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8502&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/a&gt; detected 100 percent of the samples, but scored 9.7 points due to letting through a few malware traces.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Norton has the top score among products tested with my previous malware collection. Like Webroot, it scored 9.7 of 10 possible points. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As I mentioned, McAfee's testing happened a few months ago. Just to see what would happen, I re-tested McAfee against the files that didn't get eliminated on launch. The good news is that it detected some of the ransomware that it missed before. That only makes sense, given that it &quot;saw&quot; the samples several months ago. The bad news is that one of them still got past all its layers of protection, encrypting documents and wreaking havoc on my virtual machine test system. Whether the file is new or old shouldn't matter to a behavior-based ransomware detection system, of course.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-10.v_1569469962.png', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;It takes me a long time to analyze a new set of samples, so I don't change to a new set often. For a view on how antivirus products handle the very newest malware, I use a feed of the latest discoveries from &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt;, a list of malware-hosting URLs discovered in the last few days. I use a small program that launches each and lets me easily note whether the antivirus blocked access to the URL, eliminated the malware download, or did nothing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Woah' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 434'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-2.fit_lim.size_740x434.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-2.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Woah' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-2.fit_lim.size_740x434.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-2.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee's WebAdvisor component blocked 43 percent of the URLs, displaying for most a big red warning calling the page very risky. In a few cases, a yellow notification called the page slightly risky. For another 57 percent of the sample URLs, McAfee quarantined the download, announcing &quot;Woah, that download is dangerous.&quot; (Yes, it says &quot;woah,&quot; like Tintin's dog Snowy.) That comes to 100 percent; McAfee wins this test. Trend Micro is close behind, with 99 percent in its latest test, while Sophos and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/microsoft-windows-defender-security-center&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10915&quot;&gt;Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center&lt;\/a&gt; come next, each with 97 percent.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you have effective real-time protection, scanning the whole computer becomes less important, but you really should do it once, immediately after install. I found that a full scan of my standard clean test system took a very lengthy three hours and 35 minutes. In my latest review of Norton, it took even longer, 4.5 hours. Some while after that test, my Symantec contacts suggested a problem with my virtual machines, which have a single virtual core. Why that configuration? I've maintained these VMs for years, updating Windows as needed, adding RAM and disk space as needed, but I didn't think about upgrading the virtual CPU to have a dual core. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I rolled the virtual machine back to a snapshot before the timing test, reconfigured it to have a dual-core virtual CPU, and ran a full scan. McAfee didn't finish any faster, but I will test using a virtual dual-core CPU going forward.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Normally I'd run a repeat scan, to check for speedup due to optimization, but I had already invested over six hours on timing tests. In the past my McAfee contacts have indicated they expect optimization to speed up later scans by 25 to 55 percent. I've seen repeat scans gain vastly more speed than that. Kaspersky went from 70 minutes to five minutes, for example, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/eset-nod32-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6897&quot;&gt;ESET NOD32 Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; went from 66 minutes to seven minutes.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Fabulous Phishing Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A malware coder must grok the arcane details of operating systems to slip past protection and steal data, remotely control the computer, install ransomware, and the like. A phishing fraudster, on the other hand, only has to dupe foolish netizens into logging in on a replica of some secure site. If you fall for these frauds, you've handed your credentials to the fraudster. Phishing sites quickly wind up blacklisted, but the perps just shut them down and create new ones.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Because they're ephemeral, I test using the very newest reported phishing sites, scraped from websites that track them. I make sure to include those that have been reported but haven't yet gone through analysis. This puts pressure on the antivirus to heuristically examine web pages and detect frauds without relying on an always-outdated blacklist.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I launch each URL simultaneously in four browsers, starting with one protected by the product in testing. The other three use protection built into Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. I try for 100 verified phishing URLs, discarding any that don't connect for one or more of the browsers, and any that aren't verifiable credential-stealing frauds.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-11.v_1569469962.png', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'McAfee AntiVirus Plus Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee managed an impressive 99 percent protection, matching scores by Bitdefender and Trend Micro. Only Kaspersky, with 100 percent, has done better recently. McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac), tested with the same samples as the Windows edition, earned an impressive 98 percent. Interestingly, its results don't all align with those of its Windows cousin. Both missed a few that got discarded from scoring because they didn't load in another test browser. In each case where McAfee whiffed on one platform, it blocked the fraud on the other. Clearly this feature isn't entirely the same across platforms, but either way it's very effective.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Scores in this test are all over the map, with almost half the products failing to outperform one, two, or even three of the browsers. At the other end of the scale, McAfee and a half-dozen others scored 97 percent or better.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Ransom Guard&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ransom Guard, McAfee's ransomware protection component, doesn't have any visible existence. It's just another layer of real-time protection. If regular protection doesn't recognize a brand-new ransomware attack, Ransom Guard watches its behavior. At the first faint sign of an attempt to encrypt files (what McAfee calls &quot;file content transformation&quot;), Ransom Guard makes protected copies of those files and ups its vigilance. When it reaches a firm decision that the program is truly ransomware, it quarantines it and restores the files from backup. &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/trend-micro-antivirus-plus-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3078&quot;&gt;Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;04MkMcRWvsknH6o2jx8ugKe&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; does something similar.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When possible, I simulate the zero-day possibility by turning off real-time protection, leaving only the ransomware component active. But as with Trend Micro, turning off real-time protection also disables Ransom Guard. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As noted, I didn't need to disable real-time protection to challenge Ransom Guard. Three of my ransomware samples completely eluded real-time protection. Unfortunately, they also got past Ransom Guard. That's very bad. Tested again three months later, McAfee caught two of the three, but still let one run to completion, encrypting tons of important files. My McAfee contact explained, &quot;This is an evolving technology, still being tuned to balance false positives and false negatives.&quot; Tell that to the user who just lost all the chapters of her novel, or her payroll spreadsheets.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 3993 --&gt;n&lt;A HREF=&quot;http:\/\/securitywatch.pcmag.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 95 85'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-3.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469962.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-3.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' width='95' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-3.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469962.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-3.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 3993 --&gt;n&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I turned to KnowBe4's RanSim, a ransomware simulator. This tool runs 10 scenarios that emulate common ransomware behaviors, along with two benign encryption techniques. McAfee initially quarantined RanSim's launch components. I restored them, added them to the exclusions list, and tried again. McAfee did block all 10 of the scenarios, but its popup notifications just called them suspicious, with no message from Ransom Guard. It's hard to see Ransom Guard as a success.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ransom Guard is, of course, just one of a huge number of features offered by this suite-like antivirus. For now, I'd suggest supplementing it with a free, purpose-built &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;76&quot;&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/a&gt; utility.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Unobtrusive Firewall&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Most security companies reserve firewall protection for the full-blown security suite, but McAfee puts it right in the standalone antivirus. In testing, the firewall correctly stealthed all ports and resisted the web-based attacks I threw at it. Since the built-in Window Firewall can do the same, this test is only significant if a third-party firewall fails it.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Those of us who've been around long enough remember the early personal firewalls, with their incessant, incomprehensible queries. Microsfot.exe wants to connect to URL 100.2.3.4 on port 8080; allow or block? Few consumers are qualified to answer those questions. Some always allow access. Others always block access, until they break something, and switch to allow. It's not an effective system.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like Norton, Bitdefender, and others, McAfee doesn't rely on the untrained user to make these decisions. In its default Smart Access mode, the firewall makes those decisions internally. If you get nostalgic for popups, you can dig into the settings and change Smart Access to Monitored Access, but really&amp;hellip;don't. Yes, there are tons of ways to configure and fine-tune the firewall, but the average user should just leave them alone.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Not being an average user, I did play with some of the settings. I turned on Monitored Access and noted that the firewall correctly asked what to do when my hand-coded browser tried to get online. I was mildly surprised to find that it also asked about Opera. Note that the similar feature in the macOS edition, Application Control, dropped out as of the previous edition due to &quot;a business decision, based on usage relative to the cost of maintenance.&quot;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I enabled Intrusion Detection and hit the test system with 30-odd exploits generated by the CORE Impact penetration tool. As in past tests, none of the exploits succeeded in infecting the fully patched test system, but the firewall took no active part in exploit defense.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Firewall protection isn't much use if a malware coder can craft an attack that disables it. As part of my firewall testing, I attempt to disable protection using techniques that a coder could implement. I didn't find any way to turn off protection by tweaking the hundreds of keys and thousands of values McAfee adds to the Registry, so that's good.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I tried to kill off the software's 17 processes, but it protected them all. Six of its essential Windows services were also protected, but I managed to stop and disable the other three, including the WebAdvisor service. When a service is disabled, it doesn't restart on reboot. And, indeed, after reboot WebAdvisor didn't function. Clearly the developers know how to protect processes and services. Why not extend protection to all of them?&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469962.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-4.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469962.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-4.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;New Cryptojacking Blocker&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A ransomware attack is like, well, being held for ransom. It's scary, and kind of violent. Cryptojacking is a much more subtle attack. You visit a website, and it coopts your system resources as part of a distributed system that mines for bitcoins or other cryptocurrency. Bear in mind that there's nothing illegal about &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/how-to-mine-bitcoin-in-your-moms-basement&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mining for bitcoins&lt;\/a&gt;. Mining is where bitcoins come from! The problem comes when a website or program hijacks your computer's resources to do the job.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Crypto' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 431'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-5.fit_lim.size_740x431.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-5.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Crypto' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-5.fit_lim.size_740x431.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-5.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Piggybacking on WebAdvisor, the new Cryptojacking Blocker keeps these sites from leeching away your resources. It suppresses cryptojacking code when found, and slides in a banner explaining what it did. There is an option let the site use your resources regardless. Why? Because there are a few sites that openly use cryptomining for financial support, in exchange for no advertisements.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;My Home Network&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The My Home Network page lists all the devices it sees on your network, identifying those it can by name and listing the IP address of others. It shows online\/offline status and displays those that have McAfee protection in color. You can set up a trust relationship between multiple Windows boxes, which allows you to monitor and even configure security remotely.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Network' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 612'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-6.fit_lim.size_740x612.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-6.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Network' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-6.fit_lim.size_740x612.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-6.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;My Home Network has been around for many years. There's another, newer feature that takes the concept to the next level. If you click the button the Protect more devices button on the Home screen, you get three choices: PC or Mac; Smartphone or tablet; and Unprotected devices. This last choice lists the devices on your network that could benefit from McAfee protection but don't yet have it. If you don't see all the devices you expect, give it time. It turns out that McAfee waits as much as 24 hours before fully populating the list.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Vulnerability Scan&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some hackers devote their time to finding security holes in popular apps or even operating systems, holes that they use to create attacks that breach security. Opposing them, software companies try to patch these security holes as quickly as they can. But you, the user, must do your part by installing the security patches as they become available. McAfee's Vulnerability Scanner reports on products that need update.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/avast-premier-2017&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;1608&quot;&gt;Avast Premier&lt;\/a&gt; and Avira Total Security Suite, it automates the update process when it can. Just click the Install Updates button and sit back. If it can't automate an installer or two, you're still better off for the ones it did fix automatically.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Secure Deletion&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Deleting a file in Windows just sends it to the Recycle Bin, and even when you bypass or empty the bin, your deleted file data remains on your disk, subject to forensic recovery. The Shredder tool overwrites files before deletion, to foil forensic recovery. Five shred types range from Quick (which overwrites file data once) to Comprehensive (which runs a whopping 10 overwrite passes). You can shred the Recycle Bin, or Temporary Internet Files, or any file or folder you really want permanently deleted.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Secure deletion is especially important when used in conjunction with a file encryption tool like the File Lock component of &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-total-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2076&quot;&gt;McAfee Total Protection&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;04aXyCXZ3iyPHwkXyHa2cvz&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;. If you don't thoroughly delete the plaintext originals, they could be recovered using forensic software or hardware. Kaspersky Total Security goes farther, automatically offering to shred the originals after an encryption job.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Cleanup and Speedup&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Clicking the Remove cookies and trackers button on the main page opens McAfee's QuickClean feature. QuickClean scans your computer for cookies and temporary files. These both use up valuable disk space and potentially provide a snoop with information about your browsing and computer use habits. When it has found tracking cookies and other junk files, it reports how much space you could save by cleaning up. You can dig in for a bit of detail about the kinds of things the scan found, but most users should just continue to the cleanup phase.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The PC Performance page has two features, &quot;Speed up apps&quot; and &quot;Speed up browsing&quot;. To speed up apps, PC Boost runs in the background looking for apps that need more resources as they load, and gives them what they need. McAfee reports lab results showing an average six percent faster load. It also diverts extra resources to the foreground app. Per McAfee's own tests, this enhanced app performance from 11 to 14 percent. A report page lets you know what this feature has done for you lately.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The feature to speed up your browsing only works in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/google-chrome&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6682&quot;&gt;Google Chrome&lt;\/a&gt;, so I installed the McAfee Web Boost Chrome extension, whose purpose is to stop auto-play videos from launching. It works. The video even displays the overlay Paused by McAfee Web Boost. I don't know how many times I've been startled by a loud video playing unexpectedly on a page. And if you wish, you can exempt videos on any site from Web Boost's activity. I like the idea, I just don't like that it's limited to Chrome.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Mac Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I've written a full and separate review of &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus-for-mac&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;984&quot;&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac)&lt;\/a&gt; on the macOS platform; I'll refer you to that for details. It's not truly a different product; you still get protection for all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. But you don't get as many protection features on the Mac.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A high point of the review is that it managed 98 percent protection against phishing attacks, just one percentage point below the Windows edition. The user interface matches the Windows version, except for the omission of Windows-only features. However, McAfee has no current lab scores for Mac-specific malware protection. For a full evaluation, please read my review.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Android Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The easiest way to install McAfee on an Android device is to use the online console to send yourself an install link. As with all Android security products, McAfee requires a passel of permissions, but it helpfully leads you through granting everything necessary.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The user interface focuses on a big Scan button, with buttons for four of the many other features below. Swipe up for a list of your McAfee-equipped devices, color-coded to show security status. You can click for a more detailed look at status, though you can't fix security problems remotely. Tap the menu at top left for access to all features.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Android Lab Results&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The testers at AV-Test Institute offer Android security apps up to six points each for effective protection, small performance impact, and low false positives, with six points available in each category. Like about half the products in the latest test, McAfee took the full 18 points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Reports from AV-Comparatives list the percentage of Android malware thwarted. Trend Micro topped the list with 100 percent. All the other major players, including McAfee, earned 99.9 percent.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Researchers at MRG-Effitas report separately on early detection and on detection at the time of installation. They also report separately on handling of lower-risk PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Programs), and break down results for categories such as Trojans and Spyware. Bitdefender, ESET, Kaspersky, and Symantec earned 100 percent in both early detection and install-time detection. McAfee came close, with 98.8 percent for early detection and 96.3 percent for detection at install.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Scan Two Ways&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you tap the big Scan button, McAfee scans to make sure your Wi-Fi is secure and quickly checks your apps. You can also choose a deep scan that looks at preinstalled apps, files, and messages. Both scans ran in seconds on the &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/motorola-moto-g5-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7671&quot;&gt;Motorola Moto G5 Plus&lt;\/a&gt; I use for testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Anti-Theft Features&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To get full advantage of McAfee's Android anti-theft features, you need to give the program access to your camera and location. As with most such services, you must also give McAfee Device Administrator status, so it can remotely wipe a hopelessly lost device. Activate the SIM tracking feature and you're ready to go.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Android' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 437'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-7.fit_lim.size_740x437.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-7.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus Android' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-7.fit_lim.size_740x437.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-7.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;With these features configured, you can deal with a lost or stolen phone from the McAfee online console. Click on the device that's in trouble and enter the PIN you defined on that device. If you've just misplaced the device around the house, you can make it sound an alarm. If the situation is worse, click I Lost My Device, which locates the device on a map.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Only when you click the It's Still Lost option do you get the scary options to wipe the phone's data or reset it to factory settings. Here you can also choose to track its location for a month, and to back up your personal data to the McAfee cloud. Other features include: Thief Cam, which, like the Mugshot feature in Kaspersky, snaps a photo after multiple failed attempts to unlock the device; an automatic location message when the battery is very low; and automatic locking on removal of the SIM card.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Feature Confusion&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When I connected to the Android device online, I got a warning from McAfee that certain features had to be removed due to changes in Google policy. Specifically, it can no longer: warn you if a thief swapped out the SIM card; backup, wipe, or restore call logs and text messages; or customize a lock screen message for a missing device. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The app itself showed no sign of these features not working. I successfully set a customized lock screen message. I enabled SIM card tracking. And I backed up my contacts with apparent success. My McAfee contacts explained that the feature changes, related to Android Q, haven't all taken effect yet, and that the customized lock screen message won't actually be affected.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;App Lock and Guest Mode&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like Bitdefender, McAfee offers an App Lock feature that locks your most sensitive apps behind a six-digit PIN. A sneak thief picks up your unlocked phone still won't be able to read your email or place orders on Amazon, as long as you've locked them up. Bitdefender, Norton, ESET, and several others offer a similar feature.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Parents these days give unhappy kids their phones to placate them. Sure, a nice streaming cartoon will calm kids down, but you really don't want them getting into other apps. Guest Mode, previously called Kid Mode, is like the inverse of App Lock. Instead of locking certain apps, it locks everything and only allows access to the apps you specify. Apps outside the list aren't merely locked; they vanish from the home screen.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h3&gt;Bonus Features&lt;\/h3&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee's Android solution doesn't stop with security; most of these additional features appear when you tap the menu icon at top right. The Storage Cleaner looks for junk files, app data, and data files that you could delete to gain storage space. Memory Booster frees up memory allocated to apps that aren't in use. Safe Web keeps you safe from dangerous websites, like WebAdvisor does on Windows. Safe Wi-Fi warns when you connect to an unsecured hotspot. You can back up your personal data to the cloud. The Battery Booster takes control of screen brightness and sleep timeouts to save battery. Privacy Check reports on the permissions required by your apps and flags any that seem out of line.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee can track your data usage and warn if it's approaching the limit. You set the monthly cap and tell McAfee what day today is in the billing cycle. That lets it track progress and warn when you use too much. As you can see, this a comprehensive Android security suite.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Protection for iOS Devices&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As on Android, McAfee on Apple has a simplified, streamlined user interface. However, the feature set is sparse by comparison. It has the same big scan button, which scans the system and the Wi-Fi network for threats. It's not entirely clear what happens during the system scan, though it did recognize that my test iPad needed an iOS update. On Android, it clearly states that it's scanning for viruses, and shows a completion percentage. I did find its forced portrait orientation a little annoying, given the sparse use of screen space.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus iOS' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 412 550'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-8.fit_lim.size_412x550.v_1569469962.png&quot;}' align=&quot;right&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-8.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='McAfee AntiVirus Plus iOS' width='412' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-8.fit_lim.size_412x550.v_1569469962.png' align=&quot;right&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-8.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You get Safe Web for iOS devices too, but you must set it up separately. For iOS, McAfee implements Safe Web as a VPN connection. For a sanity check, I tried to visit a couple phishing sites from the macOS test that hadn't been taken down. Safe Web correctly blocked them.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;My McAfee contact confirmed that if you install an actual &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-vpn-services&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;315&quot;&gt;VPN&lt;\/a&gt; it will supersede the Safe Web proxy VPN. Also, some browsers deliberately evade Proxy VPNs, so McAfee works specifically with Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Anti-Theft component is more complete than most iOS offerings. From the web console, you can locate your device on a map, and you can sound a loud alarm to find a nearby device. Be warned; the alarm sounds like a woman screaming. Another button puts a message on the device instructing the finder to contact you and return it. You can remotely back up your contacts to the cloud (if you remembered to enable this feature on the iPad first).&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I was surprised to find a Wipe option; that's not something you usually find in an iOS antitheft app. It turns out that invoking this option simply wipes your contacts.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The final piece of the iOS puzzle is the media vault. When you enable this feature, it moves selected media to encrypted storage. It warns at setup that you must move files out of the vault before uninstalling McAfee, or risk losing them. You enter and confirm a six-digit PIN and give McAfee access to your photos. Now you can move photos into the vault, or snap new photos directly to the vault, bypassing the regular Photos app.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;That's it for McAfee on iOS, but it's more than many companies offer.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Comprehensive Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't always get the best marks from the independent labs, but it seems to be improving. It's still not up to the near-perfect lab scores of Bitdefender and Kaspersky, but McAfee did score very well in our phishing protection test, and it aced our malicious URL blocking test with 100 percent success. You get the most comprehensive protection when you install it on Windows. The Android edition is also quite full featured, but you get less protection under macOS and still less on iOS devices. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As noted, we remain concerned about McAfee's failure against several real-world ransomware attacks. At present, the wealth of features for Windows and Android, along with the product's near-unique unlimited licensing, outweigh that flub, enough to let the product retain its Editors' Choice designation. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In an eclectic household with a mix of platforms, its unlimited licensing is a very good deal. However, if what you need is antivirus protection for a defined number of PCs, you'll do better with one of our other Editors' Choice products. As noted, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Kaspersky Anti-Virus are the darlings of the independent labs. And Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is the tiniest antivirus around. Your choice should depend on exactly what you want to protect.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:103,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:102,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-102.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1920,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;c717e785e7aa9e3d9ff30804609c9fcf&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1727363877,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;The McAfee logo&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: McAfee&quot;}},{&quot;index&quot;:81,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-81.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;f7533a98bb2b184d8d74329cda58d674&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1696886886,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;McAfee 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McAfee\/PCMag&quot;}},{&quot;index&quot;:101,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/03ukCMGudzLvpPEiBrWPQHB-101.png&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;png&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1083,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;cc6d26881b2da17b2d73033379a7809f&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1726779498,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;McAfee AntiVirus WebAdvisor Settings&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: McAfee\/PCMag&quot;}}],&quot;metadata&quot;:[]},&quot;hero_image_gallery&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:1,&quot;images&quot;:[],&quot;metadata&quot;:[]},&quot;editors_note&quot;:[],&quot;final_thoughts_body&quot;:[],&quot;final_thoughts_image&quot;:null,&quot;should_i_upgrade_body&quot;:[],&quot;pros&quot;:&quot;Near-perfect lab test scoresrnExcellent scores in some of our hands-on testsrnMoney-back virus protection pledge&quot;,&quot;cons&quot;:&quot;Missed two ransomware samples in testingrnProtects just one PC with no volume discountrnMany long-standing features are now absent&quot;,&quot;bottom_line&quot;:&quot;McAfee AntiVirus gets near-perfect lab scores and does well in our tests, but it only protects one device.&quot;,&quot;best_for&quot;:&quot;Best for Single-PC Households&quot;,&quot;hero_caption&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2014-09-26T11:47:10.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2024-09-24T14:51:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:36:59.000000Z&quot;,&quot;scheduled_at&quot;:null,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2014-09-26T13:32:20.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:37:03.000000Z&quot;,&quot;product_title&quot;:&quot;McAfee AntiVirus&quot;,&quot;roundup_product_id&quot;:2591,&quot;isReview&quot;:true,&quot;newSpecs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:79594,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79595,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79596,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79597,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79598,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79599,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79600,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability 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at&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;products\/00yvdgjb0FsOT5TZiPoFm74.jpg&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;McAfee AntiVirus&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;source_updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:17:41.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;,&quot;specs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:79594,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79595,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79596,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79597,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:3,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79598,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:4,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79599,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:5,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79600,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:79601,&quot;product_id&quot;:86031,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:47:56.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-10-15T17:18:07.000000Z&quot;}]},&quot;authors&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:28,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:184,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Editorial Author&quot;,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;is_active&quot;:true,&quot;show_expertise&quot;:1,&quot;show_expertise_filters&quot;:1,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;first_name&quot;:&quot;Neil J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:7456,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-03-20T04:45:23.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:37:03.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:3699,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:1933,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;02SuRQsqdu18mGUu8lVZF0J&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;McAfee&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;mcafee&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:54:42.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:7456,&quot;brand_id&quot;:3699,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-04T18:37:03.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:1331,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:358696,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;01dYajUhYMn4W9Q3kmAAabO&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Sophos Home Premium&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:&quot;Sophos Home Premium Review: A Good Choice for the Right User&quot;,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;sophos-home-premium&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Remotely manage your whole family's antivirus protection&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:false,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.0&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Many companies that offer &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;148&quot;&gt;antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; protection for consumers also sell endpoint protection to businesses. Sophos Home Premium gets its protective power from the company's business-level tools, including the remote management that's common for businesses. This inexpensive antivirus scores high both with independent labs and in our own tests. If you have the technical skills, you can install its protection for your friends or family and manage it remotely.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sophos offers a free edition, which omits the most advanced features and lets you protect three computers, but even the premium edition isn't expensive. For $60 per year, you can install the product on up to 10 PCs or Macs. That's just $6 per year per device. With Bitdefender, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/eset-nod32-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6897&quot;&gt;ESET NOD32 Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt;, Webroot, and others, you pay $39.99 per year for just one license. McAfee looks more expensive, at $59.99 per year, but that price gets you unlimited installations on every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Online Dashboard&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As with the free edition, Sophos just installs a small, local client on your PC. All configuration and logging activities take place in the online dashboard. That makes a lot of sense, given this product's business origins. IT departments take care of antivirus management from a central console; they don't rely on untrained employees to do the job. 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's easier than driving across town to sort out the mess they've made, or trying to walk them through the process over the phone.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To install Sophos on a new device, just log into the dashboard and click Add Device. You can click to download and install on the current system or copy a link that you can send to someone else. Either way, it both installs Sophos and connects the installation to your management account.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Dash' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 403'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-22.fit_lim.size_740x403.v_1578797608.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-22.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Dash' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-22.fit_lim.size_740x403.v_1578797608.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-22.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The main screen of your dashboard displays all the devices you've protected, each with a number representing outstanding notifications. Click any device for more details and configuration options. Initially, it opens to the device's Status page, subdivided into panels for Antivirus Protection, Web Protection, Ransomware Protection, Privacy Protection, and Malicious Traffic Detection. The free edition also displays these five panels, but only the first two are active.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Features Shared With Free Edition&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When you pay for the Premium edition, you get everything found in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/sophos-home-free&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6109&quot;&gt;Sophos Home Free&lt;\/a&gt; and more. Read my review of the free product for a detailed description of the features shared by both.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-27.v_1572573553.png', 'Sophos Home Premium Lab Results Chart', 'Sophos Home Premium Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;br \/&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-28.v_1572573553.png', 'Sophos Home Premium Malware Protection Results Chart', 'Sophos Home Premium Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;br \/&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-29.v_1572573553.png', 'Sophos Home Premium Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'Sophos Home Premium Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;When reviewing antivirus utilities, I always look to the reports regularly issued by four independent testing labs, AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt;, and MRG-Effitas. Sophos earned the top certification (AAA level) from SE Labs. Of the two tests by MRG-Effitas that I track, Sophos participated in one and took the top score there too. My aggregate lab score algorithm gives Sophos 10 of 10 possible points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;A high score is good, but so is testing by many labs. Kaspersky, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/avira-antivirus-pro&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6524&quot;&gt;Avira Antivirus Pro&lt;\/a&gt;, Symantec, and five others show up in reports from all four labs. Kaspersky's aggregate score is 9.9 points, with Avira and Norton close behind at 9.8.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In my own hands-on &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; tests, Sophos also earned top scores. It earned 9.8 of 10 possible points in my basic detection test, a feat matched only by Windows Defender. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To test how well each antivirus defends against the very newest prevalent malware attacks, I use a list of malware-hosting URLs discovered in the last few days by researchers at &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt;. Out of 100 such URLs, Sophos blocked access to 89 percent by preventing all access to the URL. Other components, including download reputation analysis, wiped out the other 11 percent, for a perfect score&amp;mdash;100 percent protection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/vipre-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;12000&quot;&gt;Vipre Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; also scored 100 percent, with almost all protection happening at the URL level. McAfee's 100 percent score was more evenly divided. It blocked access to about half the URLs and wiped out the malware payload for the other half.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 568'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-23.fit_lim.size_740x568.v_1572573553.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-23.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-23.fit_lim.size_740x568.v_1572573553.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-23.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Phishing websites don't rely on malware to compromise your computer. Instead, they go for the weakest link&amp;mdash;the user. If you enter your PayPal credentials on a site that's only pretending to be PayPal, you're hosed. When tested with very recent real-world phishing sites, Sophos caught 91 percent, the same score as in my last review. That's decent, but six recent products have managed 98 percent or better. McAfee and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/trend-micro-antivirus-plus-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3078&quot;&gt;Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security&lt;\/a&gt; managed 100 percent detection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Parents can configure Sophos to block access to websites matching any of 28 content categories, but you shouldn't rely on it for parental control. The content filter only supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera, so your teen (who knows more about tech than you do) need only install a less common browser such as Vivaldi. In addition, if you choose the option to warn about bad sites rather than actively block them, Sophos lets HTTPS sites pass, meaning that a smart teen could simply visit HTTPS porn sites or foil the whole system by using a secure anonymizing proxy.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As soon as the installation finishes, Sophos Home Premium launches a full scan. I approve; I always advise running a full scan after installing antivirus, to make sure you've rooted out any lurking malware. The scan finished in slightly less that than the current average time. Optimization during the first scan brought a repeat scan down to eight and a half minutes.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-3.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469924.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-3.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-3.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469924.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-3.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Exploit Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some malware coders spend their days analyzing and reverse-engineering operating systems and popular applications, looking for coding errors that leave holed in your security. As soon as they start exploit those holes, the designers of the victim app or OS get busy patching, but until the patch comes out, some systems are vulnerable. In the Premium edition, Sophos aims to block these exploits directly, with special protection for common victim apps.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;On the Exploits tab you find four panels: Exploit Mitigation, Protected Applications, Risk Reduction, and Preferences. The only preference initially visible in that last panel is whether Sophos offers a visual indication when it extends protection to an app. In advanced settings you can control whether it puts a glowing border around protected apps, whether the border fades out after a while, and whether it shows keyboard encryption happening in real time.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Exploit Mitigation and Risk Reduction are turned on by default, with the option to dig in for advanced settings. Those advanced settings involve things like which apps Sophos should protect, and what kind of sneaky maneuvers it should block. Just leave those settings alone; they come configured for maximum protection. Well, almost. I'd suggest opening Risk Reduction and enabling the option to stop malicious thumb drives. Doing so prevents a weird sort of attack where a &lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/an-evil-usb-drive-could-take-over-your-pc-undetectably&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7537&quot;&gt;specially prepared thumb drive&lt;\/a&gt; identifies itself as a keyboard and takes control of your PC.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Glow' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 432'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-24.fit_lim.size_740x432.v_1572573553.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-24.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Glow' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-24.fit_lim.size_740x432.v_1572573553.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-24.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As noted, Exploit Mitigation aims to block attacks on security holes in protected applications. However, it doesn't peek at incoming network traffic to detect exploits as they arrive, the way the way &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10841&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;02SeAjceybHfg6sP59VfAnF&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; does. That difference became clear when I ran my standard exploit test.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;This test uses 30-odd exploits generated by the &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.coresecurity.com\/core-impact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CORE Impact&lt;\/a&gt; penetration testing tool and aimed at Windows itself and at popular apps. Sophos didn't detect exploits at the network level, but the real-time protection component blocked a third of the malicious payloads, reporting Malicious Content Detected. In a few cases it flagged the attack using its official name. The test system is fully patched, so even the two-thirds of exploits missed couldn't do any harm. Note that Norton caught 85 percent of the attacks at the network level, and &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-internet-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;2728&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Internet Security&lt;\/a&gt; managed 81 percent (Kaspersky, like most security companies, reserves exploit protection for suite products.)&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The tools managed on the Exploits page are among the most complex in this product. Fortunately, you don't have to understand them in order to benefit. Just leave them alone to do their work.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Powerful Ransomware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Another feature that Sophos doesn't offer for free is &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;76&quot;&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/a&gt;. In theory, the regular malware scan and real-time antivirus protection should prevent ransomware attacks, just as they prevent other malware infestations. However, the consequences of missing a brand-new ransomware sample are more significant and permanent than for other types of malware. Even if your antivirus gets an update that wipes out the zero-day ransomware an hour after the attack, your files are still encrypted and useless.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The post-installation scan eliminated all my ransomware samples, as expected. To simulate attacks by zero-day ransomware that evades usual protection, I turned off the real-time component and put my folder of ransomware samples back in place. After double-checking the status of ransomware protection, I started releasing real-world ransomware attacks on the virtual machine test system.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sophos detected and eliminated all my encrypting ransomware samples, including one that attempts to encrypt the whole drive rather than just certain files. The only one it missed was a screen-locker ransomware sample, which makes sense given that it aims to detect encryption activity. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I've occasionally encountered ransomware protection systems that suffer a window of vulnerability during the boot process. Ransomware launched at boot time managed to do its dirty deeds before the ransomware protection system kicked in. I tested Sophos by configuring a real-world ransomware sample to launch at startup. It had no trouble preventing the attack.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Ransom' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 462'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-25.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1572573553.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-25.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Ransom' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-25.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1572573553.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-25.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some wholly behavior-based ransomware detection systems kick in after the attacking process has already encrypted a few files. That wasn't the case with Sophos; I didn't find any files damaged by any of the ransomware samples. It's worth noting that &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8502&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/a&gt; avoids the lost file problem in an unusual way. It journals all activity by programs it can't identify as good or bad, and shares behavior information with its cloud-based analysis system. If the cloud says thumbs down, Webroot kills the program and reverses all its actions, including file encryption actions. Webroot does warn that a massive encryption attack could overrun the capacity of the journaling system.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The RanSim ransomware simulator from KnowBe4 simulates 10 different ransomware attack techniques, along with two legitimate encryption activities. Ransomware protection tools should block the 10 attacks but leave the two legitimate modules alone. Some behavior-based ransomware protection tools ignore the simulations, because they are not truly ransomware, so I don't penalize a product for a poor score in this test. Yet I can applaud a good score, like that achieved by Sophos. It prevented nine of the 10 simulated attacks, though it did also disable one of the legitimate code modules.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;My testing aims to simulate a situation where the real-time protection system has missed a zero-day ransomware attack. Confronted with prevalent real-world ransomware samples, and with real-time protection active, Sophos wiped them all out. Based on my testing, it's also likely to handle those pesky zero-days.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Keystroke Encryption and Safe Banking&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Free and Premium editions both offer Web Protection, to keep browsers and other programs away from dangerous URLs, and Download Reputation analysis, to fend off downloads that aren't known malware but have a bad reputation. The Premium edition adds Safe Online Banking, which consists of Safe Browsing and Keylogger Protection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Kaspersky, Bitdefender, and several others offer browser protection designed to isolate your financial transactions from other processes, thereby preventing data theft. With Sophos, Safe Browsing simply warns if your browser has been compromised. I assume it works; I don't have a way to compromise a browser for testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 3993 --&gt;n&lt;A HREF=&quot;http:\/\/securitywatch.pcmag.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 95 85'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-6.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469924.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-6.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' width='95' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-6.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469924.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-6.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 3993 --&gt;n&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Keylogger Protection, on the other hand, is easy to test. I turned off other protection components, to keep Sophos from wiping out a free keylogger that I installed. I verified that the keylogger captured my keystrokes in Notepad, which isn't protected by Safe Browsing. When I typed in a browser instead, the keylogger caught only gibberish. When I tested the similar feature in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/g-data-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8694&quot;&gt;G Data Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;03jkkj4DYyvwHtXDpJiXwmI&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;, the keylogger received nothing at all from the browser. Note that G Data includes a separate component called BankGuard, which isolates the browser against other kinds of data-stealing attacks.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Modern keyloggers generally do a lot more than log keystrokes types by the victim. The one I chose recorded URLs visited, captured everything that was copied to the clipboard, and snapped periodic screenshots. Sophos didn't protect against those actions, but real-time protection would have wiped out the keylogger before it could even load.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Webcam Spyware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Many kinds of spyware aim to capture your credit cards or other kinds of personal data that malefactors can monetize. Perhaps the creepiest spyware, though, is the kind that secretly activates your webcam, spying on you, personally, when you think you're alone. Quite a few antivirus utilities now include &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-spyware-protection-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;294&quot;&gt;spyware protection&lt;\/a&gt; components to prevent this pervy peeping.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Cam' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 575'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-26.fit_lim.size_740x575.v_1572573553.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-26.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Sophos Home Premium Cam' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-26.fit_lim.size_740x575.v_1572573553.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-26.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt;, and ESET don't get in the way of legitimate applications that need to use the webcam. However, when an unknown program tries to peek at you, they suspend its access and notify you. If it's some new video-conferencing tool you just installed, you can mark it as trusted. If not, just block its access.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Webcam Protection in Sophos is much less sophisticated. When a process accesses the webcam, it simply slides in a transient notification about that access. There's no blacklist or whitelist, and if you're not looking at the screen, you could miss the notification.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;A Good Choice for the Right User&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you're enough of a techie to comprehend its range of features, Sophos Home Premium lets you install and remotely manage Sophos protection on up to 10 PCs or Macs. It earns great scores in our hands-on tests, and in tests from the independent labs that included it. In addition, it advanced features such as keylogger defense, ransomware protection, and exploit mitigation. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sophos Home Premium is a good antivirus for the right user, but we've identified several Editors' Choice antivirus products that suit just about any user. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Kaspersky Anti-Virus consistently get excellent scores with the independent labs. McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't score as high, but if offers unlimited cross-platform licenses, not just for Windows and macOS but for Android and iOS as well. Finally, Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus packs unique and powerful behavior-based detection in a tiny package.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:77,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:50,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/06CppSdsIRaoysrMXtWPxgf-50.jpg&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;jpg&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;165549b27f855f8363351a328dd51fc4&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1638303842,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Sophos Home Premium&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: 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Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:19,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:16:58.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-02-13T22:42:07.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:66330,&quot;product_id&quot;:78385,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:20,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T02:16:58.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2024-02-13T22:42:07.000000Z&quot;}]},&quot;authors&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:28,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:184,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Editorial Author&quot;,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;is_active&quot;:true,&quot;show_expertise&quot;:1,&quot;show_expertise_filters&quot;:1,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;first_name&quot;:&quot;Neil J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:1331,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-09T15:50:22.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:5621,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:3013,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;07lYCdwUfcjQqpGuLu17m0q&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Sophos&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;sophos&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:55:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:1331,&quot;brand_id&quot;:5621,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-06-09T15:50:22.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:8502,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:328405,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;03QWp8OHJPN46wcUGMDAbjQ&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Webroot Essentials&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;webroot-essentials&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;Slim, speedy antivirus protection&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:false,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.0&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;In the early days of viruses and other computer malware, &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;148&quot;&gt;antivirus&lt;\/a&gt; utilities relied on ever-growing signature databases to identify dangerous files. Polymorphic malware foiled signatures, so security companies devised heuristic and behavior-based detection methods. This proliferation of techniques sometimes created very large programs. Rather than expand to catch every new attack instantly, Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus keeps watch on unknown programs until its brain in the cloud comes to a judgment. If it's thumbs down, the tiny local program wipes out the attacker and reverses its actions. It's a very unusual system, but testing proves that it does the job, and does it well.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Price-wise, Webroot runs with the pack. Like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and several others, it costs just under $40 for a one-year subscription. Where a three-license Webroot subscription cost $10 more, the other two ask another $20. Norton's standalone antivirus doesn't have a multi-license plan, and one license will run you $49.99. As for &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;7456&quot;&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt;, it costs $59.99 per year, but that subscription gets you unlimited protection for your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. As always, you may find any of these prices discounted for the first year, sometimes quite deeply.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrnrn&lt;p&gt;You can use your Webroot licenses to install antivirus on both PCs and Macs. Some components of &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus-for-mac&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;6491&quot;&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus (for Mac)&lt;\/a&gt;, in particular the web-based protection system, are identical on both platforms. Overall, the two products offer similar security features, though Webroot doesn't go quite as overboard with expert features on the Mac.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot's installer is tiny, less than 4MB, and it installs in a flash. Immediately on installation, it gets busy with a collection of startup tasks, checking off each one as it finishes. Among the listed tasks are: scanning for active malware; analyzing installed applications to reduce warnings and prompts; establishing a system baseline; and optimizing performance for your unique system configuration. Even with these added tasks, the process goes quickly.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;The product's appearance hasn't changed appreciably since my last review. Its green-toned main window features a lighter panel that includes statistics about recent scans and a button to launch an on-demand scan. Even if you never click that button, Webroot makes a full scan during installation and runs a scheduled scan every day. A panel at the right manages access to the rest of this product's significant collection of security features.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Main Window' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 518'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-1.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-1.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Main Window' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-1.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-1.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Lab Test Conundrum&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;As noted, Webroot handles new, unknown programs by letting them run under strict monitoring. It prohibits irreversible actions like sending personal data to the internet, and keeps a journal of reversible actions, all while awaiting a verdict from Webroot's cloud analysis system. If the program under judgment proves to be nasty, Webroot wipes it out and reverses all its changes.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;This system just isn't compatible with many independent lab tests. Labs like &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/a&gt; and AV-Comparatives expect antivirus programs to act right away on malware they recognize, whether detection occurs using signatures, heuristics, or behavioral analysis. Webroot's relationship with the labs has been rocky, but two of the four that I follow have recently included Webroot in their testing, with decent results.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-9.v_1569469968.png', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Lab Results Chart', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Researchers at MRG-Effitas report on two main tests, one specific to banking Trojans and one aiming to cover the full range of malware types. Security programs that don't earn near-perfect scores simply fail; these are tough tests. Webroot passed the banking Trojans test, unlike more than half the products tested. It earned Level 2 certification in the all-types test. That second score means that while it didn't immediately prevent all the malware attacks, it remediated them completely within 24 hours. This test lines up perfectly with Webroot's watch-and-wait system.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/a&gt; certifies antivirus products at five levels, AAA, AA, A, B, and C; Webroot earned a B. My contact at Webroot pointed out that the product scored well at its main task of blocking malware execution, but lost points for its handling of such things as targeted attacks. He said he'd be pleased with a different scoring system, but felt that Webroot did well overall.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;I use an algorithm to derive an aggregate lab score for products tested by at least two labs. My algorithm maps all results onto a 10-point scale and returns a value from 0 to 10. Webroot's 7.7 points is decidedly on the low side, but decent considering that it doesn't truly jibe with common testing methods. It's certainly better than no test results at all, and it passed both tough tests by MRG-Effitas.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;As ever, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3538&quot;&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; and Kaspersky take perfect or near-perfect scores from the labs. Bitdefender's current aggregate score is 10 points, while Kaspersky, tested by all four labs, has 9.9.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Excellent Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;For the past few years, Webroot has done very well in my own hands-on &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;198&quot;&gt;malware protection&lt;\/a&gt; tests, though it handles them differently from most other products. When I downloaded my folder of samples from Dropbox and opened it, Webroot didn't react immediately, the way many products do. However, the first sample I launched triggered a kind of chain reaction.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot popped up to report that it had identified malware, and offered to remove it. After removal, it asked permission to scan the system, to wipe out any remaining malware. The thought of enduring a full system scan just because of one found threat might alarm you, but it needn't. I'm not talking the hours-long scan that I measured for Norton, McAfee, Avast, and a few others. A full scan with Webroot takes from five to seven minutes&amp;mdash;not long at all.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;At the end of that scan, it removed another group of threats, and asked to scan yet again. The second scan blew away all the remaining samples, without disturbing a couple dozen legitimate files residing in the same folder. Once again, Webroot detected 100 percent of the samples and scored 10 of 10 possible points.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot is the first product to eliminate all current samples, from pernicious ransomware to potentially unwanted programs. Previously the top score was 9.3, shared by Norton, McAfee, &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/cylance-smart-antivirus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;522&quot;&gt;Cylance Smart Antivirus&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;065BWe84Pmd1FreUaax6hnG&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;, and F-Secure.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;The scan did whack a couple of my hand-coded testing tools, but I can't really blame it. Here you have a program that's never been seen before by the cloud analysis system, and its purpose is to launch fraudulent URLs. Suspicious much? I restored my tools from quarantine and proceeded with testing.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-10.v_1569469968.png', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Malware Protection Results Chart', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Of course, all my preselected samples are veritable antiques to Webroot, seen and known for months. To get a look at protection against the latest threats, I start with a feed of URLs that researchers at &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/a&gt; recently found to be hosting malware. Typically, these are no more than a couple days old. I launch each and note whether the antivirus prevents browser access to the dangerous URL, eliminates the file upon download, or completely fails to notice the malware download.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Of more than 100 validated dangerous URLs, Webroot blocked 51 percent in the browser and wiped out the malware payload of another 29 percent. With 80 percent protection overall, it's in the lower half of scores for this test, but that's in part because it doesn't bring every resource to examining downloaded files. Let me explain.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Threats Identified' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 678 450'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-2.fit_lim.size_678x450.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-2.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Threats Identified' width='678' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-2.fit_lim.size_678x450.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-2.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Just to see what would happen, I launched one of the downloaded malware samples. That's not how this test normally works, but I'm glad I checked. Webroot detected the sample and launched a scan that eliminated most of the downloaded malware. The result would have been 97 percent protection, right up there with McAfee and Trend Micro. Only Norton and Bitdefender, with 99 percent, have done better.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;I asked my Webroot contact why the scan at download time seemed less effective than the later scan. He explained that for efficiency the scan doesn't focus as strongly on files that were merely downloaded but not yet executed. That's because any such file will get serious scrutiny before it launches. And indeed, launching just one of those files set off the scan that wiped out all but a few of them.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Phishing Protection Success&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;There's nothing intrinsically dangerous about a phishing website&amp;mdash;no drive-by downloads, malicious scripts, or other active threats, just an inviting imitation of a secure website. You're perfectly safe, unless you haplessly enter your login credentials on one of these fraudulent sites. If you do fall for the fraud, though, you've just given away full access to your bank site, shopping site, even dating site. It's not good.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Phishing Site' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 490'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-3.fit_lim.size_740x490.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-3.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Phishing Site' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-3.fit_lim.size_740x490.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-3.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;These fraudulent sites get shut down and blacklisted quickly, but the perpetrators simply pop up another fake and start trolling for victims. To test an antivirus product's phishing protection, I try to include phishing URLs that are so new there's been no time to analyze and blacklist them. I launch each URL in a browser protected by the product in question, and simultaneously in browsers relying on the phishing protection built into Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. I discard any that fail to load in one or more of the browsers, and any that don't precisely fit the definition of phishing. Once I have 100 or so data points, I run the numbers.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-11.v_1569469968.png', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot did a very good job detecting and fending off fraudulent sites, significantly better than when last tested. It blocked 97 percent of the verified frauds, and outperformed all three of the browsers. A few others have done better recently, in particular &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;8919&quot;&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/a&gt; and McAfee with 100 percent protection, but Webroot joins the growing cluster of phishing protectors with scores near the top.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;For tips on averting this kind of attack, please read my feature on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/how-to-avoid-phishing-scams&quot;&gt;how to avoid phishing scams&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469968.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-4.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469968.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-4.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Ransomware Experiments&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;The journal and rollback system that Webroot uses can even roll back the effects of encrypting ransomware, though the company warns that limitations, such as available drive space, can impact this ability. In truth, it would be very unusual for a ransomware attack to get past all the other layers of protection. Webroot wiped out all my ransomware samples, most by recognizing them as known bad programs, a few by noticing bad behavior after launch. I had to scramble to figure out how to test its &lt;a href=&quot;\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot; data-link-type=&quot;roundup&quot; data-link-id=&quot;76&quot;&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;My coding skills are rusty; there's no way I could write a never-before-seen encrypting ransomware specimen, even if I wanted to. For testing, I wrote a simple-minded ransomware simulator that encrypts all text files in the document folder using reversible XOR encryption. I had performed this test during my last review, meaning that Webroot would recognize and eliminate the program on launch. To avert that effect, I modified the program, changing its name, length, and a few non-executable bytes.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Active Processes' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 518'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-5.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-5.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Active Processes' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-5.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-5.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;The newly disguised program ran unhindered, and I verified that it did encrypt the target files. In Webroot's Active Processes list, I found the program running in Monitored mode, meaning Webroot was keeping detailed track of its activity. Rather than waiting for a decision from Webroot's cloud-based brain, I cut to the chase. In the processes list I blocked the program, confirmed immediate termination, and launched a scan. The scan removed the file and reversed its actions, restoring the encrypted files, just as I had hoped.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot's monitoring system works with all malware types. A similar feature in &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/trend-micro-antivirus-plus-security&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;3078&quot;&gt;Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span data-commerce-link=&quot;04MkMcRWvsknH6o2jx8ugKe&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; focuses just on ransomware. At the first sign of ransomware behavior, it backs up important files. If its behavioral detection verifies a ransomware attack, it terminates the malware and restores the backed-up files.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;That little experiment with a hand-modified version of my file encryptor test inspired me to try testing with a hand-modified version of Cerber, a rather nasty real-world ransomware attack. The results were rather different. This time, the modified attack ran to completion, encrypting my documents and displaying its ransom demand. What happened?&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;When I shared my experience, my contact at Webroot explained that Cerber uses an unusual technique called &quot;process hollowing,&quot; which lets its code run inside an existing trusted process. Webroot has a defense against this technique in the works, but it won't be released until next year. He admitted that in a case like this, the &quot;Patient Zero&quot; victim of the first attack could lose files, but Webroot should learn from the attack and protect other users. Indeed, when I rolled back the virtual machine to a clean state and repeated the test, Webroot wiped out the modified ransomware immediately.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Helpful Firewall&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;For many security companies, the addition of a &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/do-you-need-a-personal-firewall&quot;&gt;personal firewall&lt;\/a&gt; is one of the features that distinguishes the security suite from the standalone antivirus. Webroot's antivirus includes a firewall, but it doesn't work quite the same as most. It makes no attempt to put your system's ports in stealth mode, leaving that task to the built-in Windows Firewall. That's fine; the built-in does a good job.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot's firewall doesn't attempt to fend off network-based exploits. When I hit the test system with about 30 exploits generated by the &lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.coresecurity.com\/core-impact-pro&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CORE Impact&lt;\/a&gt; penetration tool, it didn't react. Since the test system is fully patched, the exploits also didn't have any opportunity to do penetrate and damage it.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot classifies programs as good, bad, or unknown. Like &lt;a href=&quot;\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot; data-link-type=&quot;review&quot; data-link-id=&quot;10841&quot;&gt;Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic&lt;\/a&gt;, it leaves the good ones alone, eliminates the bad ones, and monitors the unknowns. As mentioned earlier, if a monitored unknown program tries a non-reversible action like sending your credit card details overseas, Webroot steps in to stop it.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Firewall' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 578 350'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-6.fit_lim.size_578x350.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-6.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Firewall' width='578' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-6.fit_lim.size_578x350.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-6.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;By default, the firewall ups its game when Webroot detects an active infection, which causes the main window to turn from green to dramatic red. In this mode, any network traffic by unknown programs requires your permission, but normal activities like Web browsing proceed uninterrupted.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;If you just love those endless firewall popups, you can tweak the firewall's settings to enable such old-school behavior. Now you get a warning every time an untrusted program tries Internet access. You can even go a step farther, setting it to block all access for processes that aren't already trusted.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;In testing, even though I left the firewall at its default settings, I found that it sometimes popped up to ask how to handle untrusted programs. It even asked me about Opera's auto-updater. These notifications came with a two-minute timeout, meaning that Webroot would allow access eventually if I did not respond.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Of course, firewall protection means bubkes if a malware coder can reach in and turn it off. The more processes and services a security tool contains, the more chances there are for chicanery. With just two processes and one service, and no settings exposed in the Registry, Webroot is buttoned up tight. My every attempt to halt its protection resulted in an ignominious &quot;Access Denied&quot; message.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;For Experts Only&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Like most modern antivirus utilities, Webroot works fine if you set it and forget it. It comes configured for maximum protection, and if you don't make any changes, it runs a scan every day. What more could you want? In truth, if you dig a bit, you'll find a ton of features and settings. If you don't dig, no problem!&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Clicking the settings gear next to Identity Protection on the main window brings up a page with controls that toggle what it calls Phishing Shield and Identity Shield. The rest of the page displays a laundry list of just what these shields involve. They aim to fend off a wide variety of typical malware attacks including man-in-the-middle, browser process modification, and keylogging. It automatically chooses applications for this protection; on my test system it chose Internet Explorer and Google Updater. You can also add to the list manually.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Advanced Tools' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 518'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-7.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-7.png'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Advanced Tools' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-7.fit_lim.size_740x518.v_1569469968.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-7.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;A set of antimalware tools lets you repair damage left behind after malware remediation, like malware-modified desktop background, screensaver, or system policies. You can also use it to quickly reboot into Safe Mode, or to perform an instant reboot. Those with the necessary skills can manually remove malware, along with its associated Registry data. Even if you claim no tech skills yourself, you can run a removal script created by Webroot tech support.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;I mentioned the Active Processes list earlier, which shows all running processes and flags those that are under monitoring by Webroot. If you really want to see what Webroot is doing, you can open the Reports page and check its current activity, or history. You probably won't want to read the available scan log or threat log, but tech support may ask for them. And Webroot tech support is available 24\/7, with call centers in Australia, Ireland, and the US.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;There are features for experts, and features for professionals. SafeStart Sandbox is among the latter. If you're a trained antivirus researcher, you can use it to launch a suspect program under detailed limitations that you specify. If you're not, just leave it alone. I don't even use that one myself.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Small Is Beautiful&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;If you open the folder containing a typical antivirus or security suite, you'll find an amazing number of files and folders. When I checked at one point, Norton's program folder contained over 1,250 files and 130 folders, and occupied 702MB of disk space. Bitdefender's files and folders didn't take quite as much space on disk, but they ran to more than 4,500 files and 200 folders. These aren't even the biggest!&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML START 3993 --&gt;n&lt;A HREF=&quot;http:\/\/securitywatch.pcmag.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 95 85'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-8.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469968.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-8.jpg'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='SecurityWatch' width='95' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-8.fit_lim.size_95x85.v_1569469968.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-8.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;n&lt;!-- ZIFFHTML END 3993 --&gt;n&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;As for Webroot, it's ridiculously small. Open its folder and you find exactly one file, WRSA.exe, with a size less than 4MB. That's tiny! As noted, Task Manager reveals just two Webroot processes. Norton also packs its protection into two processes, while others require more. During one test, I found 16 active processes for McAfee, for example. Webroot relies on just one Windows service, but some others run to more than a dozen.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Just because a product uses more of processes or services doesn't necessarily mean it's eating up more of your system resources. It's conceivable that a program with just one resource-hungry process could overload your system. Conceivable, but unlikely. By every measure I've found, Webroot remains the smallest antivirus around.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Still a Winner&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus doesn't jibe with the testing methods used by many of the independent testing labs, though it's beginning to pick up traction with a couple of them. In my own hands-on testing, it earned a perfect score for malware protection and a very good antiphishing score. Its score against malware-hosting URLs was so-so, but when we triggered a more intense scan that score soared. And we demonstrated empirically that under the right circumstances, it can reverse ransomware damage. It remains an antivirus Editors' Choice, sure to please those who want good things in a small package.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Bitdefender Antivirus Plus routinely earn perfect or near-perfect scores from the antivirus testing labs, and both come with a panoply of useful bonus features. McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't always score as high in lab tests or our own tests, but it's a bargain, offering protection for every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. These three tools round out our collection of Editors' Choice antivirus products, each with its own special merits.&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:64,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:36,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/0638XMYgxmSVGfEAD7bpVGA-36.png&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;png&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1920,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;7d1c4816c6e9044ebe92d42284c18b11&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1740603327,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Webroot Essentials&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: 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expertise&quot;,&quot;bottom_line&quot;:&quot;The non-traditional malware detection style used by Webroot Essentials doesnu2019t always match lab tests, but it's small and it earned top scores in our hands-on tests.&quot;,&quot;best_for&quot;:&quot;Best for a Small Footprint&quot;,&quot;hero_caption&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2014-10-16T13:53:09.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-03-04T14:43:03.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-03-11T15:18:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;scheduled_at&quot;:null,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2014-10-13T17:54:02.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-03-12T13:32:19.000000Z&quot;,&quot;product_title&quot;:&quot;Webroot Essentials&quot;,&quot;roundup_product_id&quot;:2595,&quot;isReview&quot;:true,&quot;newSpecs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:91962,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Demand Malware 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Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:14,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91971,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:15,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;}],&quot;product&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:91430,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;03QWp8OHJPN46wcUGMDAbjQ&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;ACTIVE&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Webroot Essentials&quot;,&quot;tiered_pricing&quot;:false,&quot;msrp_currency&quot;:&quot;USD&quot;,&quot;msrp_amount&quot;:&quot;49.99&quot;,&quot;msrp_label&quot;:&quot;Per Year, Starts at&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;products\/03QWp8OHJPN46wcUGMDAbjQ.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Webroot Essentials&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;source_updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;,&quot;specs&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:91956,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Protection Type&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;Antivirus&quot;,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:0,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91957,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Ransomware Behavior Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:1,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91958,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Prevent File Modification&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:2,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91959,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Prevent All File 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Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:6,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91963,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;On-Access Malware Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:7,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91964,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Behavior-Based Detection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:8,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91965,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Ransomware Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:9,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91966,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;VPN&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;None&quot;,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:10,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91967,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Website Rating&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:11,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91968,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Malicious URL Blocking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:12,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91969,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Phishing Protection&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:13,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91970,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Vulnerability Scan&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:false,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:14,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:91971,&quot;product_id&quot;:91430,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Firewall&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;boolean&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:true,&quot;unit&quot;:null,&quot;rank&quot;:15,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-03-02T03:13:49.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-02-26T20:54:46.000000Z&quot;}]},&quot;authors&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:28,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:184,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Editorial Author&quot;,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;is_active&quot;:true,&quot;show_expertise&quot;:1,&quot;show_expertise_filters&quot;:1,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;first_name&quot;:&quot;Neil J.&quot;,&quot;last_name&quot;:&quot;Rubenking&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;neil-j-rubenking&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lead Analyst, Security&quot;,&quot;bio_summary&quot;:[],&quot;bio_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;expertise&quot;:[],&quot;email&quot;:&quot;neil_rubenking@pcmag.com&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;:&quot;@neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;bluesky&quot;:null,&quot;threads&quot;:null,&quot;linkedin&quot;:&quot;neiljrubenking&quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;path&quot;:&quot;authors\/05KCrAjPLMgB30jl5fmp5eF.png&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;A headshot of Neil J. Rubenking&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;}},&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-13T20:11:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:43.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:52:11.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-07-23T16:44:48.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;authorable_id&quot;:8502,&quot;author_id&quot;:28,&quot;authorable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-03-20T04:45:23.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-03-12T13:32:20.000000Z&quot;}}],&quot;brands&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:6644,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:901,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;02TDMrfoCp5IpMviOYBl0N4&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Webroot&quot;,&quot;seo_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;webroot&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;deck&quot;:null,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;first_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;last_published_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2019-06-11T02:55:37.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-08T11:26:00.000000Z&quot;,&quot;pivot&quot;:{&quot;brandable_id&quot;:8502,&quot;brand_id&quot;:6644,&quot;brandable_type&quot;:&quot;review&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2020-01-12T00:07:18.000000Z&quot;,&quot;updated_at&quot;:&quot;2025-03-12T13:32:20.000000Z&quot;}}]},{&quot;id&quot;:8694,&quot;legacy_id&quot;:330973,&quot;luna_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs&quot;,&quot;status&quot;:&quot;Published&quot;,&quot;product_uuid&quot;:&quot;01Zy1URafrmUR1xnAK4rQlD&quot;,&quot;spec_sheet_uuid&quot;:&quot;07p7pPHfOZL79S6LqXiWTBM&quot;,&quot;roundup_id&quot;:148,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;G Data Antivirus&quot;,&quot;heading&quot;:null,&quot;page_title&quot;:null,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;g-data-antivirus&quot;,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:null,&quot;deck&quot;:&quot;A malware-fighting tool that goes well beyond basic protection&quot;,&quot;seo_description&quot;:null,&quot;focus_keyword&quot;:null,&quot;no_link_injection&quot;:0,&quot;seo_noindex&quot;:0,&quot;is_editors_choice&quot;:false,&quot;use_hero_image_gallery&quot;:false,&quot;is_preview&quot;:false,&quot;show_specs&quot;:true,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.0&quot;,&quot;people_involved&quot;:null,&quot;hours_spent&quot;:null,&quot;hours_researched&quot;:null,&quot;body&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;According to the G Data company website, G Data developed the very first &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-antivirus-protection&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;antivirus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; utility way back in 1985. Yes, the German company is better known in Europe than here in the US. Yes, others may point to a different product as the first antivirus. But there's no question that G Data has a long and admirable history. While G Data Antivirus is the company's entry-level product, it goes well beyond the basics of antivirus protection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data's price has gone down since my last review, from $39.95 to $29.95 per year for a single license. Cylance, BullGuard, and Emsisoft are about the same. You pay $39.95 per year (or thereabouts) for Bitdefender, &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/eset-nod32-antivirus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;ESET NOD32 Antivirus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;, Trend Micro, and Webroot, among others. That price gets you three G Data installations. In truth, you can order up precisely the number of G Data licenses you want, up to $99.95 for 10 licenses. If you opt for a multi-PC license, you create an account for the first installation, then log in to that account for the rest.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data's main window hasn't changed much in the last few yers. It still features a bold red banner across the top, with icons to select Security Center, Virus Protection, and Autostart Manager (more about the last one later). It's not red for danger, or for stop&amp;mdash;it's just red. I still find it slightly jarring that the whole banner turns grey when a different program is active.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The rest of the main window displays the status of the product's numerous protection features, in several groups. A green checkmark icon indicates that the feature is fully active. For a partially disabled component, the icon changes to a yellow exclamation point; a fully disabled feature gets a grey dash icon. Naturally, you want to see those green checkmarks throughout.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Main' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 462'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-20.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-20.png' width='740' height='462'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Main' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-20.fit_lim.size_740x462.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-20.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Mixed Lab Results&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data participates in testing with two of the four independent testing labs that I follow. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/selabs.uk\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;SE Labs&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; is one of the two. This lab's researchers capture real-world web-based malware attacks and use a replay system to challenge each antivirus with precisely the same attack. Products can earn certification at five levels: AAA, AA, A, B, and C. G Data took AA certification, which is decent. However, over 60 percent of the tested products, Kaspersky and &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/norton-antivirus-plus&quot;&gt;Norton AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/a&gt; &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;among them, managed AAA certification.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; src=&quot;https:\/\/mashable.com\/videos\/blueprint:360Oeq1GlV\/embed\/?player=pcmag&amp;amp;mute=true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Testers at &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;AV-Test Institute&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; look at antivirus products from three different perspectives, assigning up to six points for each of the criteria. G Data fell just slightly short in all three categories, earning 5.5 points each for protection, performance, and usability. Its overall score of 16.5 points (out of a possible 18) is near the bottom. Just a half-dozen products, among them &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/pc-pitstop-pc-matic&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;PC Pitstop PC Matic&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; and Malwarebytes, scored the same or lower.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In that same test, Bitdefender, &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/kaspersky-anti-virus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Kaspersky Anti-Virus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;, and Norton scored a perfect 18 points. Another eight products earned 17.5 points. These antivirus utilities earned the company's Top Product designation.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-26.v_1584540117.png', 'G Data Antivirus Lab Results Chart', 'G Data Antivirus Lab Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Lab Test Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt; &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I use an algorithm that maps available lab results onto a scale from 0 to 10 and generates an aggregate result. I require results from at least two labs to generate an aggregate score; about half the products I follow have just one result, or none.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data's two lab scores yield an aggregate of 9.1 points, which is in the bottom half, score-wise. Tested by all four labs, &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/avira-antivirus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Avira Antivirus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; earned an aggregate score of 9.9 points, Norton managed 9.8, and Kaspersky took 9.7. SE Labs omitted Bitdefender from its latest test run, but based on the other three labs Bitdefender scored a perfect 10.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Effective Malware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your antivirus system has many oportunities to save your PC from a malware attack. It can block all access to the malware-hosting website, eliminate the threat on download, detect and delete known malware based on its signature, and even detect unknown malware based on behavior alone. G Data includes all these layers of protection. New since my last review is a new behavioral monitor dubbed Beast.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In addition to scanning files on access, G Data scans your computer any time it's idle. Between real-time protection and idle-time scanning, there isn't a screaming need for a full scan of your whole computer. If you want a full scan, you click the Idle Time Scan link on the main window and choose Check Computer.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Last time I tested G Data, the full scan took well over two hours, roughly three times the average at that time. This time around, at one hour five minutes, it almost precisely hit the current average. In addition, a repeat scan ran much faster, finishing in 14 minutes. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Scan' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 534'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-21.fit_lim.size_740x534.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-21.png' width='740' height='534'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Scan' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-21.fit_lim.size_740x534.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-21.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;On the Virus Protection page, you can pick individual elements of the full scan, such as checking memory or checking for rootkits, and you can schedule hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly scans. As with Kaspersky, &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/panda-free-antivirus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Panda Free Antivirus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;, and others, you can create a bootable antivirus disc to handle malware that interferes with booting Windows. Note that Bitdefender bypasses the need for a disc, allowing you to boot into an alternate operating system with total ease.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;My &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;malware protection&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; test starts when I open the folder containing my current collection of malware samples. G Data started examining them right away. The process was slower than with many competing products, but clearly very thorough. In almost every case, it offered &quot;Disinfect and copy to quarantine&quot; as the default action. For a couple of PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) it suggested simply blocking file access, but I told it to quarantine those as well. In every case, merely disinfecting the original failed, at which point G Data deleted the sample. By the time it finished, 98 percent of the samples were in quarantine.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To complete the test, I launched the few samples that survived G Data's initial on-access examination. Having already ignored these, it didn't react when I launched them. It scored 9.8 of 10 possible points overall. Only &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; has done better against this sample collection, with 100 percent detection and a perfect 10 points.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I keep a second set of samples, hand-modified versions of the originals. To create each modified sample, I change the filename, add zeroes at the end to change the file size, and overwrite some non-executable bytes with nonsense. Skipping any for which G Data didn't detect the originals, I found that G Data detected 84 percent of the same samples, even in their tweaked form.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I didn't see G Data's behavior monitoring kick in during these tests, because other protection layers beat it to the punch. In any case, behavior monitoring in some antivirus products bombards the user with dire warnings about good and bad programs alike. For a sanity check, I install about 20 old PCMag utilities, programs that tie into the operating system in ways that malware might also do. Even with the new Beast module active, G Data correctly left the PCMag utilities alone.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-27.v_1584540117.png', 'G Data Antivirus Malware Protection Results Chart', 'G Data Antivirus Malware Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Malware Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;For another view of each product's ability to protect against malware, I use a feed of current malware-hosting URLs supplied by &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;MRG-Effitas&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;, typically no more than a couple days old. I launch each URL in turn, discarding any that are defective and noting whether the antivirus blocks access to the URL, wipes out the malware download, or completely fails. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shortly after you install the product, it offers to install web protection extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Rather than bombard you with these installations all at once, it spaces them out, and lets you postpone them if you're busy. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In testing, I observed that G Data replaced some dangerous URLs with a white screen containing a G Data shield icon and a description of the found malware. For others, it used a red warning screen that reported &quot;infected code&quot; without a specific malware name. My G Data contact explained that the first screen indicated that G Data's signature-based detection identified the threat, while the second meant the URL matched G Data's cloud database of dangerous URLs.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Web' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 483'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-22.fit_lim.size_740x483.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-22.png' width='740' height='483'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Web' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-22.fit_lim.size_740x483.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-22.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In almost every case, G Data handled the threat by blocking access to the URL. I only observed a few cases where it wiped out a malware file during download. One way or another, it fended off 99 percent of the malware downloads. That's an impressive score, though McAfee, Sophos, and &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/vipre-antivirus-plus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Vipre Antivirus Plus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; all blocked 100 percent in their latest tests.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Improved Phishing Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Coding a data-stealing Trojan and sneaking it onto victim PCs isn't easy. Tricking users into handing you their passwords and other personal data (what we call phishing) is a lot less difficult. Phishing websites masquerade as financial sites, Web-based email services, even online gaming sites. If you enter your username and password on the fraudulent site, you've given the fraudsters full access to your bank account, your email, or that character whose stats you've been building for a year.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If the website looks just like PayPal but the URL is something goofy like idiotfriend.ru, at least some users will detect the fraud. But sometimes the URL is so close to the real thing that only those with sharp eyes will &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/how-to-avoid-phishing-scams&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;spot the phishing attack&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;. Antivirus programs that have a Web protection component usually attempt to protect users against phishing as well, and G Data is no exception.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#&quot; onclick=&quot;return popImage('\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-28.v_1584540117.png', 'G Data Antivirus Phishing Protection Results Chart', 'G Data Antivirus Phishing Protection Results Chart', '');&quot;&gt;Phishing Protection Results Chart&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To test the efficacy of a product's antiphishing component, I first scour the Web for the newest phishing URLs, making sure to include URLs that have been reported as fraudulent but that haven't yet been analyzed and blacklisted. I launch each in turn in a browser protected by the product under test. I also launch each URL in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, relying on the browser's built-in phishing detection.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;As with the malicious URL blocking test, I found that G Data sometimes displayed a white screen indicating that it detected phishing, and other times displayed a red warning based on the cloud database. Frequently the white detection page appeared, only to be replaced by the red warning. In each case, G Data displayed one or more popup warnings about the detected phishing URL. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data defended against 90 percent of the verified phishing URLs, quite a bit better than its 79 percent score when last tested. Even so, a dozen products have done better in their latest phishing tests. Kaspersky and Trend Micro top the list, both with perfect 100 percent scores.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 35 26'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469970.jpg&quot;}' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-4.jpg' width='35' height='26'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='Related Story' width='35' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-4.fit_lim.size_35x26.v_1569469970.jpg' align=&quot;left&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-4.jpg'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software&quot; data-link-type=&quot;article&quot; data-link-id=&quot;749&quot;&gt;See How We Test Security Software&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Partial Ransomware Protection&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you click Real-time protection from G Data's Security Center page, you'll find four protective layers: virus monitor, Beast behavior monitor, Anti-Ransomware, and DeepRay (a machine-learning system). A brand-new ransomware attack that gets past all three other layers could wreak havoc on your files. Even if G Data's experts come up with a defense a day or two later, your files are still gone. But does that ransomware protection work?&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To simulate the effect of G Data's &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;ransomware protection&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; against a brand-new ransomware attack, I turned off all protective layers except Anti-Ransomware and hit the test system with a dozen real-world ransomware samples. The system is designed to detect file-encrypting ransomware, so it's no surprise that it didn't block my one disk-encrypting ransomware sample, or the one screen-locker ransomware in my collection. Two other samples took no action at all, perhaps spooked by the presence of G Data. Still, that left eight active samples for testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The results weren't great. G Data caught four samples, preventing them from doing their dirty deeds. It caught another two, but only &lt;em&gt;after&lt;\/em&gt; they encrypted dozens of files. The remaining two ran to completion, encrypting files and displaying their ransom notes. This ransomware detection component clearly does function, but you're chances are fifty-fifty that it will block an attack missed by the other defensive layers.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Ransom' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 328 321'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-23.fit_lim.size_328x321.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-23.png' width='328' height='321'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Ransom' width='328' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-23.fit_lim.size_328x321.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-23.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I've encountered a couple of ransomware protection systems that fail when the ransomware launches at startup, before they can get their protective services in place. I took one of the samples G Data successfully detected and configured it to launch at startup. Good news! G Data successfully blocked the attack. &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Spam Filtering&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Fewer and fewer people need a local spam filter utility, as more and more get email through services that filter spam automatically, or through business email systems with server-side spam filtering. If you're one of the few who need this feature, G Data has you covered. You get spam protection at the basic antivirus level; you don't have to spring for a full security suite.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The spam filter analyzes incoming POP3 email and assigns a spam index to each message. At specific thresholds it deems messages to be suspected, likely, or highly likely to be spam. By default, it marks the first category with [Suspected spam] in the subject and marks the other two with [Spam]. For Outlook users, it moves all three types to the Antispam folder; those using other email clients must define a message rule to sift out the spam.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Spam' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 437'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-24.fit_lim.size_740x437.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-24.png' width='740' height='437'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Spam' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-24.fit_lim.size_740x437.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-24.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You can manually add addresses or domains to the whitelist (never blocked) or the blacklist (always blocked). You can also tweak the Bayesian learning system, and fiddle with other filters, but most users should just leave these settings as they're initially configured.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;Bonus Features&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Along with the expected antivirus features, G Data gives you several features that other companies might reserve for a security suite. I tested its exploit protection by hitting the test system with about 30 exploits generated by the CORE Impact penetration tool. It identified 55 percent of the exploits using the official CVE number, and picked up a few others using generic detection, for a total of 71 percent. That's better than most. As in my previous tests, it reported the wrong CVE number for quite a few of the exploits, but to most users that identification just isn't relevant.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like Kaspersky's Safe Money and Safepay in &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-plus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;, G Data's BankGuard feature aims to protect your financial transactions. Bitdefender runs SafePay in its own separate desktop, and Kaspersky identifies a protected browser by giving it a glowing green border. By contrast, BankGuard works invisibly to protect all your browsers. The only way to see it in action is to encounter a Trojan that both gets past the antivirus component and attempts a man-in-the-browser attack or other data-stealing technique. That's not a test I've been able to accomplish.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The related keylogger protection feature was easier to test than BankGuard. I installed a popular free keylogger, typed some data into Notepad, typed into my browsers, and then typed in Notepad again. When I brought up the keylogger's keystroke-capture report, it showed no keystrokes between the two uses of Notepad.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Autostart' src=&quot;data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 740 463'%3E%3Crect fill='%23f7f7f7' \/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot; v-image-loader='{ imageSrc: &quot;\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-25.fit_lim.size_740x463.v_1584540117.png&quot;}' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-25.png' width='740' height='463'&gt;&lt;noscript inline-template&gt;&lt;img alt='G Data Antivirus Autostart' width='740' src='\/imagery\/reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-25.fit_lim.size_740x463.v_1584540117.png' align=&quot;center&quot; data-image-path='reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-25.png'&gt;&lt;\/noscript&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data has long featured the ability to manage the programs that launch automatically when your system boots. Its Autostart Manager can set any program to launch after a delay, which defaults to two minutes. You can adjust that time from one to 10 minutes, set the delayed app to never launch, or have G Data automatically launch it when the system's startup activity has died down. This is a more fine-grained control than you get with the similar feature in Norton, and certainly more subtle than the simple on\/off toggle offered by Windows itself.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;h2&gt;A Mature Product&lt;\/h2&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;G Data has existed longer than most security companies, so it's no surprise that G Data Antivirus is a mature product. It includes components specifically designed to protect against spam, exploits, keyloggers, banking Trojans, and ransomware. The software earned a great score in our hands-on malware protection test, and it took decent scores from the independent testing labs. It also did a good job of preventing malware downloads. However, while its phishing protection has improved, it lags many competitors, and its ransomware protection proved porous in testing.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Kaspersky Anti-Virus consistently take top scores from the independent labs. Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus uses a detection system that can roll back malware activity, even some ransomware activity, and it's the tiniest antivirus around. And a single license for &lt;\/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/mcafee-antivirus-plus&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;McAfee AntiVirus Plus&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; lets you install protection on every device in your household, whether it runs Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. Out of the huge range of antivirus products, these four have earned the title Editors' Choice.&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;rnrn&lt;style&gt;&lt;\/style&gt;&quot;,&quot;body_content_blocks&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:{&quot;autoincrement&quot;:48,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;index&quot;:37,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;reviews\/06IHRW0jV9HIrGRgZJB0IIs-37.png&quot;,&quot;extension&quot;:&quot;png&quot;,&quot;animated&quot;:false,&quot;width&quot;:1920,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;4f34f0e3558ec846c5586eb8c4f64ef1&quot;,&quot;timestamp&quot;:1717174062,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;G Data Antivirus&quot;,&quot;attribution&quot;:&quot;Credit: G 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Malware today is about earning money, and there isn&#8217;t any simple approach to money in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are rather more widespread, as are bots that allow the bot-herder lease out your laptop for nefarious functions. Trendy antivirus utilities deal with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/viruses-spyware-and-malware-whats-the-difference\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Trojans, rootkits, spyware and adware, adware, <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/viruses-spyware-and-malware-whats-the-difference\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ransomware,<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/viruses-spyware-and-malware-whats-the-difference\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"> and extra<\/a>. As famous, PCMag has reviewed many dozens of economic antivirus utilities. We have named two Editors&#8217; Selection winners from that in depth subject and honored others with four-star or higher scores. One of many utilities listed on this article ought to deal with the issue when you have malware.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-most-widely-used-antivirus-software\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Most_Broadly_Used_Antivirus_Software_program\"><\/span>What Is the Most Broadly Used Antivirus Software program?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Each Home windows laptop has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/microsoft-windows-defender-security-center\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Defender Antivirus<\/a> put in, making it essentially the most broadly <em>put in<\/em> antivirus. Nonetheless, in case you&#8217;ve put in third-party safety, Defender stays on the sidelines. If no different antivirus is current or your present antivirus expires, Defender steps up. <\/p>\n<p>Industrial antivirus apps supply safety past what&#8217;s included with Home windows, however Defender is trying higher these days, with some stable scores from impartial testing labs. The mix of fine lab scores and an ideal rating in our hands-on malware safety check introduced its ranking as much as 3.5 stars. As it&#8217;s a free, built-in utility, we&#8217;re not together with it on this roundup of economic antivirus apps.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-best-free-antivirus-software\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Finest_Free_Antivirus_Software_program\"><\/span>What Is the Finest Free Antivirus Software program?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ve come to the flawed place in case you\u2019re searching for free antivirus safety. Our record right here covers the perfect antivirus instruments, they usually\u2019re not free. However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-free-antivirus-protection\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">greatest free antivirus apps<\/a> beat out lots of their business counterparts. Think about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/avast-one-essential\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Avast One Fundamental<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/avg-antivirus-free\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">AVG AntiVirus Free<\/a> in case your funds simply doesn\u2019t stretch to paying for antivirus safety.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-best-antivirus-for-macos\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_macOS\"><\/span>What Is the Finest Antivirus for macOS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This roundup gathers the very best antivirus instruments on your Home windows PCs. That doesn\u2019t assist in case you\u2019re strictly a Mac person, in fact. We\u2019ve created a separate assortment of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-mac-antivirus-protection\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">greatest <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-mac-antivirus-protection\" data-element=\"link-injector\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mac antivirus<\/a> software program for you. You\u2019ll discover some acquainted names\u2014our Editors\u2019 Selection picks for Mac antivirus are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/bitdefender-antivirus-for-mac\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for Mac<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/norton-360-deluxe-for-mac\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Norton 360 Deluxe for Mac<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"mcafee-vs-norton-which-is-better\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"McAfee_vs_Norton_Which_Is_Higher\"><\/span>McAfee vs. Norton: Which Is Higher?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Survey outcomes differ for the most-used business antivirus software program, however Norton and McAfee usually seem at or close to the highest. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/comparisons\/mcafee-vs-norton-which-big-name-antivirus-is-best\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Is Norton or McAfee higher<\/a>? Each rise above most opponents, however of the 2, PCMag has recognized Norton&#8217;s safety as excellent, making it an Editors&#8217; Selection.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-best-virus-protection-according-to-independent-tests\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Finest_Virus_Safety_In_line_with_Impartial_Exams\"><\/span>What Is the Finest Virus Safety In line with Impartial Exams?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We take the outcomes reported by impartial antivirus testing labs critically. The straightforward incontrovertible fact that an organization&#8217;s antivirus exhibits up within the outcomes is a vote of confidence. It signifies that the lab thought-about this system vital, and the corporate felt the price of testing was worthwhile. After all, excessive <em>scores<\/em> on the checks are additionally vital.<\/p>\n<p>We comply with 4 labs that frequently launch detailed reviews: SE Labs, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.av-test.org\/en\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noopener\">AV-Take a look at Institute<\/a>, MRG-Effitas, and AV-Comparatives. We have devised a system for aggregating their outcomes to yield a ranking from 0 to 10.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"how-we-test-malware-spyware-and-adware-defenses\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_We_Take_a_look_at_Malware_Spyware_and_adware_and_Adware_Defenses\"><\/span>How We Take a look at Malware, Spyware and adware, and Adware Defenses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We additionally topic each antivirus app to our personal hands-on check of malware safety, partly to get a sense for a way the app works. Relying on how completely the antivirus prevents malware set up, it will possibly earn as much as 10 factors for malware safety.<\/p>\n<p>Our malware safety check essentially makes use of the identical set of samples for months. To examine a program&#8217;s dealing with of brand-new malware, we check every antivirus utilizing a big assortment of extraordinarily new malware-hosting URLs equipped by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mrg-effitas.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noopener\">MRG-Effitas<\/a>, noting what proportion of them it blocked. Apps get equal credit score for stopping all entry to the malicious URL and wiping out the malware throughout obtain.<\/p>\n<p>Some apps earn stellar scores from the impartial labs, but do not fare as properly in our hands-on checks. In such instances, we defer to the labs, which convey considerably higher assets to their testing. Wish to know extra? You possibly can dig into an in depth description of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/how-we-test-antivirus-and-security-software\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">how we check safety software program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"whats-the-best-antivirus-for-malware-protection\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_Malware_Safety\"><\/span>What is the Finest Antivirus for Malware Safety?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Antivirus utilities distinguish themselves by going past the fundamentals of on-demand scanning and real-time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-malware-removal-and-protection-software\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">malware safety<\/a>. Some fee URLs you go to or seem in search outcomes utilizing a red-yellow-green color-coding system. Some actively block processes in your system from connecting with identified malware-hosting URLs or fraudulent (phishing) pages.<\/p>\n<p>All software program has flaws, and typically these flaws have an effect on your safety. Prudent customers hold Home windows and all applications patched, fixing these flaws as quickly as attainable. The vulnerability scan provided by some antivirus apps can confirm that each one mandatory patches are current and even apply any which might be lacking.<\/p>\n<p>Spyware and adware is available in many varieties, from hidden applications that log your each keystroke to Trojans masquerading as legitimate applications whereas mining your knowledge. Any antivirus ought to deal with spyware and adware, together with all different sorts of malware, however some embody specialised parts dedicated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-spyware-protection-security-software\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">spyware and adware safety<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You count on an antivirus to establish and remove dangerous applications and go away good applications alone. What about unknowns, applications your AV cannot establish pretty much as good or dangerous? Conduct-based detection can, in concept, defend you in opposition to malware, so new researchers have by no means encountered it. Nonetheless, this is not at all times an unmixed blessing. It is not unusual for behavioral detection programs to flag many innocuous behaviors carried out by reliable applications.<\/p>\n<div class=\"py-4\" data-parent-group=\"related-stories\">\n<div class=\"mx-0 border border-b border-l-0 border-r-0 border-t border-gray-300 py-4 md:ml-8 md:mr-24\">\n<h3 class=\"font-stretch-ultra-condensed mb-2 text-lg font-semibold uppercase\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advisable_by_Our_Editors\"><\/span>Advisable by Our Editors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Allowlisting is one other strategy to the issue of unknown applications. This kind of safety system solely permits identified good applications to run; unknowns are banned. This mode would not go well with all conditions, however it may be helpful. Sandboxing lets unknown applications run, however it isolates them from full entry to your system to allow them to&#8217;t do everlasting hurt. These numerous added layers serve to boost your safety in opposition to malware.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"whats-the-best-antivirus-for-ransomware-protection-and-firewall\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Finest_Antivirus_for_Ransomware_Safety_and_Firewall\"><\/span>What is the Finest Antivirus for Ransomware Safety and Firewall?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/how-to\/do-you-need-a-personal-firewall\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Firewalls<\/a> and spam filtering aren&#8217;t widespread antivirus options, however a few of our prime picks embody them as bonuses. A few of these antivirus applications are much more feature-packed than sure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-security-suites\" data-element=\"link-injector\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">safety suites<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Among the many different bonus options are safe browsers for monetary transactions, safe deletion of delicate recordsdata, wiping traces of laptop and shopping historical past, credit score monitoring, digital keyboards to foil keyloggers, cross-platform safety, and extra. After all, we have already talked about sandboxing, vulnerability scanning, and software allowlisting.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re seeing increasingly antivirus apps including modules particularly designed for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-ransomware-protection\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ransomware safety<\/a>. Some work by stopping unauthorized adjustments to protected recordsdata. Others hold look ahead to suspicious behaviors that counsel malware. Some even intention to reverse the injury. Given the expansion of this scourge, any added safety is useful.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"beyond-antivirus-install-a-vpn\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Past_Antivirus_Set_up_a_VPN\"><\/span>Past Antivirus: Set up a VPN<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your antivirus utility works within the background to maintain out any faint risk of malware infestation, however its skills do not prolong past the bounds of your laptop. While you hook up with the wild and wooly web, you danger the potential for your knowledge being compromised in transit. Sticking to HTTPS web sites when attainable will help, however you need to set up a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/picks\/the-best-vpn-services\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">VPN (digital personal community)<\/a> to guard your knowledge in transit. This part is vital sufficient that we&#8217;re seeing it as a bonus function in some antivirus instruments.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-best-antivirus-software-now\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Finest_Antivirus_Software_program_Now\"><\/span>What Is the Finest Antivirus Software program Now?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Which antivirus do you have to select? When you have many choices, two stand out from the remainder. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus holds excellent and near-perfect scores from three impartial antivirus testing labs, with extra options than some safety suites. Norton AntiVirus Plus likewise provides many suite-level options, and it will get glorious scores from all 4 testing labs we comply with. We have named these two our Editors&#8217; Selection winners for business antivirus, however they don&#8217;t seem to be the one antivirus apps price consideration. Learn the evaluations of our top-rated applications, then make your personal choice.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editors\u2019 Word: On condition that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/us-biden-expected-to-ban-kaspersky-antivirus-software-over-russian-ties\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">US authorities has banned<\/a><\/em><em> new gross sales of Kaspersky safety merchandise, we\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/opinions\/should-you-buy-kaspersky-security-products\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">now not suggest<\/a><\/em><em>\u00a0them.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\n    var facebookPixelLoaded = false;\n    window.addEventListener('load', function() {\n        document.addEventListener('scroll', facebookPixelScript);\n        document.addEventListener('mousemove', facebookPixelScript);\n    });\n    function facebookPixelScript() {\n        if (!facebookPixelLoaded) {\n            facebookPixelLoaded = true;\n            document.removeEventListener('scroll', facebookPixelScript);\n            document.removeEventListener('mousemove', facebookPixelScript);\n            window.zdconsent.cmd.push(function() {\n                ! function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) {\n                    if (f.fbq) return;\n                    n = f.fbq = function() {\n                        n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments)\n                    };\n                    if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n;\n                    n.push = n;\n                    n.loaded = !0;\n                    n.version = '2.0';\n                    n.queue = [];\n                    t = b.createElement(e);\n                    t.async = !0;\n                    t.src = v;\n                    s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n                    s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s)\n                }(window, document, 'script', '\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n                fbq('init', '454758778052139');\n                fbq('track', \"PageView\");\n            });\n        }\n    }\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deeper Dive: Our High Examined Picks Finest General Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Professionals &amp; Cons Glorious scores in impartial lab checks &#13; Excellent protection in opposition to phishing fraud&#13; Multi-layered ransomware safety&#13; Remoted browser for banking security&#13; Prevents advertisers from monitoring you&#13; Many security-centered bonus options&#13; Safety for Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS Poor rating [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11286","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-input-devices"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11286"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11287,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions\/11287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aireviewirush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}