Installing antivirus protection on your main production computer is a good thing. Extending that protection to all your other devices is even better. With McAfee AntiVirus Plus, one subscription lets you install security software on every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. When all your devices are armored against attack, the whole network benefits.
McAfee gets plenty of high scores from the independent labs, though there are occasional slips. Its scores in our own hands-on tests are simply dazzling. And it goes beyond basic antivirus protection, with Ransom Guard, a simple firewall, a system to foil cryptojacking, and more.
Norton antivirus premium
The G Data website states that G Data released the first antivirus program in 1985. Whether or not it was the very first, G Data Antivirus has a long and storied history. Two of the four independent labs we follow give the nod to this venerable tool in their latest tests. AV-Test gives it the top possible rating, while its scores in tests by AV-Comparatives range from passing to perfect. In our hands-on malware protection and malicious download defense tests, G Data scored very near the maximum.
Over the course of its evolution, this antivirus tool has picked up quite a few bonus security tools. With the regular antivirus disabled, its behavior-based ransomware protection layers detected half the samples we threw at it. An exploit detection component scored better than most competitors in testing. Other bonus features include spam filtering, BankGuard protection for financial transaction, active defense against keyloggers, and fine-grained control over startup programs.
Not everyone needs to protect a houseful of devices. Some of us are happy with a single, powerful computer, protected by a single, powerful antivirus. Is that you? If so, Norton AntiVirus Plus is just what you need.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus has topped the antivirus lab testing charts for many years, garnering perfect scores, or at least near-perfect. It has also held PCMag's Editors' Choice honor for countless years. It's both attractive and effective. And it no longer appears in our list of best antivirus products. Here's why.
We call it antivirus, but in truth it's unlikely you'll get hit with an actual computer virus. Malware these days is about making money, and there's no easy way to cash in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are much more common, as are bots that let the bot-herder rent out your computer for nefarious purposes. Modern antivirus utilities handle Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more. As noted, PCMag has reviewed more than 40 different commercial antivirus utilities, and that's not even counting the many free antivirus tools. Out of that extensive field we've named several Editors' Choice products and honored others with a four-star rating. If you have malware, one of the products listed in this article should take care of the problem.
These commercial products offer protection beyond the antivirus built into Windows; the best free antivirus utilities also offer more than Windows does. However, Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center is looking better and better lately, with some good scores from independent testing labs. The combination of good lab scores and a great score in our hands-on malware protection test was enough to bring it up to 3.5 stars. It doesn't appear in this roundup of commercial antivirus products, naturally.
We take the results reported by independent antivirus testing labs seriously. The simple fact that a company's product shows up in the results is a vote of confidence, of sorts. It means the lab considered the product significant, and the company felt the cost of testing was worthwhile. Of course, high scores in the tests are also important.
Software has flaws, and sometimes those flaws affect your security. Prudent users keep Windows and all programs patched, fixing those flaws as soon as possible. The vulnerability scan offered by some antivirus products can verify all necessary patches are present, and even apply any that are missing.
Spyware comes in many forms, from hidden programs that log your every keystroke to Trojans masquerading as valid programs while mining your personal data. Any antivirus should handle spyware, along with all other types of malware, but some include specialized components devoted to spyware protection.
You expect an antivirus to identify and eliminate bad programs, and to leave good programs alone. What about unknowns, programs it can't identify as good or bad? Behavior-based detection can, in theory, protect you against malware so new researchers have never encountered it. However, this isn't always an unmixed blessing. It's not uncommon for behavioral detection systems to flag many innocuous behaviors performed by legitimate programs.
Firewalls and spam filtering aren't common antivirus features, but some of our top products include them as bonuses. In fact, some of these antivirus products are more feature-packed than certain products sold as security suites.
We're seeing more and more antivirus products adding modules specifically designed for ransomware protection. Some work by preventing unauthorized changes to protected files. Others keep watch for suspicious behaviors that suggest malware. Some even aim to reverse the damage. Given the growth of this scourge, any added protection is beneficial.
Your antivirus utility works in the background to keep out any faint possibility of infestation by malware, but its abilities don't extend beyond the bounds of your computer. When you connect to the wild and wooly internet, you risk the possibility your data could be compromised in transit. Sticking to HTTPS websites when possible can help, but for full protection of your data in transit you should install a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. This component is important enough that we're starting to see it as a bonus feature in some antivirus tools.
Which antivirus should you choose? You have a wealth of options. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus routinely takes perfect or near-perfect scores from the independent antivirus testing labs, and it has more features than some security suites. A single subscription for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you install protection on all your Windows, Android, Mac OS, and iOS devices. Its unusual behavior-based detection technology means Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus is the tiniest antivirus around. We've named these three Editors' Choice for commercial antivirus, but they're not the only products worth consideration. Read the reviews of our top-rated products, and then make your own decision.
One of the most significant advantages of using a premium antivirus is that it offers better protection than free antivirus programs. This is because they are able to detect and eliminate more viruses, malware, and other digital security threats before they cause any damage. On the other hand, free antivirus programs do not have access to as many virus definitions, making them less effective at keeping your computer safe.\nAnother reason to choose a premium antivirus is that it is more user-friendly than many free programs. A good paid antivirus will be easy to set up and configure while also being simple and intuitive to use.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Craig McCart","description":"Craig McCart is a content writer and copywriter with 10+ years of experience working in cybersecurity in a corporate VPN environment. Since working for Comparitech, he's taken all of his experience and applied his knowledge to provide enjoyable and educational content.\nCraig researches the latest cybersecurity trends in an ever-changing landscape to provide VPN guides, comparisons, and reviews that are easy for readers to consume.\nWhen he's taking a break from being a Comparitech word-wizard, he spends time playing games with his baby (his power-hungry gaming PC).\nHis typical go-to titles are God of War, New World, and the occasional Metal Gear Solid speedrun (the best game ever, in his opinion).\nWhen he's not gaming, he's with his family (with actual non-gaming computer babies!), enjoying days out and the occasional trip abroad.\n","url":"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/author\/craigmccart\/"}},"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need to use a VPN?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":"@type":"Answer","text":"VPNs, or virtual private networks, are another important tool to secure your computer and data. They encrypt all of the data sent from your device so that hackers or other malicious users cannot intercept it. Many paid antivirus programs will also include a VPN as part of their subscription, but if you want additional protection, you may choose to use a separate VPN provider.","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Craig McCart","description":"Craig McCart is a content writer and copywriter with 10+ years of experience working in cybersecurity in a corporate VPN environment. Since working for Comparitech, he's taken all of his experience and applied his knowledge to provide enjoyable and educational content.\nCraig researches the latest cybersecurity trends in an ever-changing landscape to provide VPN guides, comparisons, and reviews that are easy for readers to consume.\nWhen he's taking a break from being a Comparitech word-wizard, he spends time playing games with his baby (his power-hungry gaming PC).\nHis typical go-to titles are God of War, New World, and the occasional Metal Gear Solid speedrun (the best game ever, in his opinion).\nWhen he's not gaming, he's with his family (with actual non-gaming computer babies!), enjoying days out and the occasional trip abroad.\n","url":"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/author\/craigmccart\/"]} "@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":["@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/","@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Antivirus","item":"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/antivirus\/","@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Norton vs Avast in 2023: Which is best?","item":"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/antivirus\/norton-vs-avast\/"]AntivirusNorton vs Avast in 2023: Which is best? We are funded by our readers and may receive a commission when you buy using links on our site. Norton vs Avast in 2023: Which is best? Norton vs. Avast - which one should you choose? We've put together a detailed comparison of these two leading antivirus products to help you make an informed decision. Steve Adams 15+ years experience in the tech, privacy and security space UPDATED: October 31, 2022 body.single .section.main-content.sidebar-active .col.grid-item.sidebar.span_1_of_3 float: right; body.single .section.main-content.sidebar-active .col.grid-item.content.span_2_of_3 margin-left: 0; 2ff7e9595c
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