The Best Antivirus Utilities for 2. It's your responsibility to keep your computer safe from the many kinds of malware that are out there. These malicious applications are designed specifically to steal your data, destroy it, or even hold it for ransom. Not only are you protecting yourself, but you're also protecting everyone else who might come in contact with your PC, if it should get infected. Fortunately, the most important step you can take to stay safe isn't particularly difficult. Install antivirus. It's that simple. I did say 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. PCMag has reviewed three dozen different commercial antivirus utilities, and that's not even counting the many free antivirus tools. ![]() Out of that extensive field we've named four Editors' Choice products. Nine more commercial antivirus utilities proved effective enough to earn an excellent four- star rating, and another seven earned three and a half stars. Of course, we're reviewed many more, but those antivirus utilities that received scores of less than three stars don't qualify for inclusion in this "best of" listing. Almost all of these products are traditional, full- scale, antivirus tools, with the ability to scan files for malware on access, on demand, or on schedule. A couple are outliers, tools meant to enhance the protection of traditional antivirus. As for just relying on the antivirus built into Windows 8. Windows 1. 0, that may not be the best idea. In the past, Windows Defender has performed poorly both in our tests and independent lab tests, though it did score a win in September and again in October. Maybe Microsoft's slump is ending? Name. Webroot Secure. Anywhere Anti. Virus (2. ![]() ![]() ![]() Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2. Kaspersky Anti- Virus (2. Mc. Afee Anti. Virus Plus (2. Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security 2. Lowest Price%display. Price%%seller%$3. MSRP%display. Price%%seller%$3. MSRP%display. Price%%seller%$3. MSRP%display. Price%%seller%$5. MSRP%display. Price%%seller%$3. These are the top-rated antivirus packages we've tested. Antivirus Software/ The Best Antivirus Utilities for 2016; The Best Antivirus Utilities for 2016. Get the latest Antivirus Software reviews. Trying hard to be antivirus for the. BitDefender, Kaspersky top list of best Windows 8.1 antivirus software. The most downloaded Antivirus Software software, including Avast Free Antivirus 2016. The Antivirus Software category contains programs developed to detect and. News; Best antivirus 2016: 10 antivirus packages reviewed and rated; Best antivirus 2016: 10 antivirus packages reviewed and rated. By Mike Williams Applications. ![]() ![]() The best antivirus software for 2016 is reviewed together with all. If you want the best antivirus protection for the. 5 Star Antivirus Software. Avast Antivirus. Read our antivirus reviews to learn more about the top antivirus software programs.. Related news. Best antivirus 2016: 10 antivirus packages reviewed and rated; 6 of the best free Linux firewalls; Is Industry 4.0 safe – or will it prove to be a. MSRPEditor Rating Type. Personal, Professional. Personal, Professional. Business, Personal, Professional. Here are the best antivirus software. It's worth paying for Windows antivirus software, because even the best. The upshot is I Googled 'Top Rated Antivirus. Business, Personal, Professional. OS Compatibility. Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 1. Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 1. Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 1. Mac OS, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 1. OS, Android. Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 1. Read the Review. Read the Review. Read the Review. Read the Review. Read the Review. Listen to the Labs. I take the results reported by independent antivirus testing labs very seriously. The simple fact that a particular vendor's product shows up in the results is a vote of confidence, of sorts. It means the lab considered the product significant, and the vendor felt the cost of testing was worthwhile. Of course, getting good scores in the tests is also important. I follow six labs that regularly release detailed reports: West Coast Labs, Virus Bulletin, ICSA Labs, Dennis Technology Labs, AV- Test Institute, and AV- Comparatives. Tests by the first three are based on simple threat- recognition, while the last three attempt to simulate real- world malware- attack scenarios. I've devised a system for aggregating their results to yield a rating from 0 to 5. Hands- On Antivirus Testing. I also subject every product to my own hands- on test of malware blocking, in part to get a feeling for how the product works. Depending on how thoroughly the product prevents malware installation, it can earn up to 1. My malware- blocking test necessarily uses the same set of samples for months. To check a product's handling of brand- new malware, I test each product using 1. URLs supplied by MRG- Effitas, noting what percentage of them it blocked. Products get equal credit for preventing all access to the malicious URL and for wiping out the malware during download. Some products earn absolutely stellar ratings from the independent labs, yet don't fare as well in my hands- on tests. In such cases, I defer to the labs, as they bring significantly greater resources to their testing. Multi- Layered Antivirus Protection. Antivirus products distinguish themselves by going beyond the basics of on- demand scanning and real- time protection. Some rate URLs that you visit or that show up in search results, using a red- yellow- green color coding system. Some actively block processes on your system from connecting with known malware- hosting URLs or with fraudulent (phishing) pages. 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 that all necessary patches are present, and even apply any that are missing. 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 that's 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. Whitelisting is another approach to the problem of unknown programs. A whitelist- based security system only allows known good programs to run. Unknowns are banned. This mode doesn't suit all situations, but it can be useful. Sandboxing lets unknown programs run, but it isolates them from full access to your system, so they can't do permanent harm. These various added layers serve to enhance your protection against malware. Bonus Features. Firewall protection and spam filtering aren't common antivirus features, but some of our top products include them as bonus features. In fact, some of these antivirus products are more feature- packed than certain products sold as security suites. Among the other bonus features you'll find are secure browsers for financial transactions, secure deletion of sensitive files, wiping traces of computer and browsing history, credit monitoring, virtual keyboard to foil keyloggers, cross- platform protection, and more. You'll even find products that enhance their automatic malware protection with the expertise of human security technicians. And of course I've already mentioned sandboxing, vulnerability scanning, and application whitelisting. What's Best? Which antivirus should you choose? You have a wealth of options. Kaspersky Anti- Virus (2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2. A single subscription for Mc. Afee Anti. Virus Plus (2. Windows, Android, Mac OS, and i. OS devices. And its unusual behavior- based detection technology means Webroot Secure. Anywhere Antivirus (2. Yes, 2. 01. 5. We'll test the next version as soon as it's ready.) We've named these four 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. Multi- Layered Antivirus Protection. Multi- Layered Antivirus Protection Antivirus products distinguish themselves by going beyond the basics of on- demand scanning and real- time protection. Some rate URLs that you visit or that show up in search results, using a red- yellow- green color coding system. Some actively block processes on your system from connecting with known malware- hosting URLs or with fraudulent (phishing) pages. 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 that all necessary patches are present, and even apply any that are missing. 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 that's 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. Whitelisting is another approach to the problem of unknown programs. A whitelist- based security system only allows known good programs to run. Unknowns are banned. This mode doesn't suit all situations, but it can be useful. Sandboxing lets unknown programs run, but it isolates them from full access to your system, so they can't do permanent harm. These various added layers serve to enhance your protection against malware. Bonus Features. Firewall protection and spam filtering aren't common antivirus features, but some of our top products include them as bonus features. In fact, some of these antivirus products are more feature- packed than certain products sold as security suites. Among the other bonus features you'll find are secure browsers for financial transactions, secure deletion of sensitive files, wiping traces of computer and browsing history, credit monitoring, virtual keyboard to foil keyloggers, cross- platform protection, and more. And of course I've already mentioned sandboxing, vulnerability scanning, and application whitelisting. What's Best? Which antivirus should you choose? You have a wealth of options. Kaspersky Anti- Virus (2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2. A single subscription for Mc. Afee Anti. Virus Plus (2. Windows, Android, Mac OS, and i. OS devices. And its unusual behavior- based detection technology means Webroot Secure. Anywhere Antivirus (2. We've named these four 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 Last Note. All the security software conspiracy theorists are doubtless preparing to weigh in (yet again) with their suspicions as to why we didn't include Symantec's Norton Antivirus in this roundup. There's actually a very good reason for that. Symantec hasn't made a standalone antivirus in several years, opting instead to sell only security suites, which we have in fact reviewed. FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUPBitdefender Antivirus Plus 2. Price% at %seller% Editors' Choice winner Bitdefender Antivirus Plus earns top scores in lab tests and our own tests, and also packs in a wealth of useful bonus features. Read the full review ››Kaspersky Anti- Virus (2. Price% at %seller%Kaspersky Anti- Virus (2. Read the full review ››Mc. Afee Anti. Virus Plus (2. Price% at %seller% Mc. Afee Anti. Virus Plus is very capable, and it includes a raft of bonus features. But what pushes it into stardom is the fact that a single subscription lets you install protection on every Windows, Mac OS, Android, and i. OS device that you own. Read the full review ››Webroot Secure. Anywhere Antivirus (2. Price% at %seller% Two independent testing labs have given Webroot Secure. Anywhere Anti. Virus (2. Add the fact that it's the smallest antivirus around and you've got a definite Editors' Choice. Read the full review ››Avast Pro Antivirus 2. Price% at %seller% With Avast Pro Antivirus 2. Avast's free edition along with a hardened browser, DNS protection, and sandboxing. Experts will love these advanced features, but for the average user the free edition is just fine. Read the full review ››AVG Anti. Virus 2. 01. 6$3. Price% at %seller% In addition to all the features of AVG's free antivirus, AVG Anti. Virus (2. 01. 6) adds an online shield and file encryption. Those added features don't merit the product's price; stick with the free edition. Read the full review ››Daily Safety Check Home Edition$6. Price% at %seller% Once you install Daily Safety Check Home Edition, you can just sit back and let it take care of security, backed by a team of security technicians who review its reports and, if necessary, step in to perform remote remediation. Read the full review ››Emsisoft Anti- Malware 1. Price% at %seller% Emsisoft Anti- Malware 1. The company's strong consumer focus makes this product a good choice for those who may need some security hand- holding. Read the full review ››ESET NOD3. Antivirus 9$3. 9. Price% at %seller%ESET NOD3. Antivirus 9 is a step up from the company's previous version, and gets excellent marks in most independent lab tests. It scores especially well in our antiphishing and malicious URL blocking tests. Read the full review ››F- Secure Anti- Virus 2. Price% at %seller% F- Secure Anti- Virus 2. It does a good job, and you can install it on both Windows and Mac OS devices. Read the full review ››Malwarebytes Anti- Exploit Premium$2. Price% at %seller% Malwarebytes Anti- Exploit Premium shields your system against exploit attacks, even never- before- seen zero- day attacks. Add this new layer of protection to your security arsenal. Read the full review ››Panda Antivirus Pro 2. Price% at %seller% Panda Antivirus Pro extends the impressive antivirus found in the free edition with a number of useful additional features, but the free edition is a better choice for most users. Read the full review ››Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security 2. Price% at %seller%Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security 2. It's not quite an Editors' Choice, but it's still worth considering to keep your PC safe. Read the full review ››Voodoo. Soft Voodoo. Shield 2. Price% at %seller% Voodoo. Soft's Voodoo. Shield 2. USB drive plugged in. The free edition does a great job of balancing protection and flexibility. Give it a try. Read the full review ››App. Guard$2. 9. 9. 5 %display. Price% at %seller% App. Guard teams up with your existing antivirus to block never- before- seen zero- day malware. Unknown programs in folders commonly used by malware just can't launch, and programs that do run can't make changes to sensitive system areas. It definitely works, but you'll have to do some finagling to install or update valid programs. Read the full review ››Bull. Guard Antivirus (2. Price% at %seller% Bull. Guard Antivirus (2. If you're looking for those specific features and no frills, it can be a good choice. Read the full review ››Check Point Zone. Alarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2. Price% at %seller% Check Point's Zone. Alarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall combines antivirus licensed from Kaspersky with a powerful, advanced firewall. But the antivirus occasionally lags behind Kaspersky's own version, and the firewall's advanced features require expertise. Read the full review ››G Data Antivirus 2. Price% at %seller% G Data Antivirus 2. However, our Editors' Choice products score even better with the labs. Read the full review ››Lavasoft Ad- Aware Pro Security 1. Price% at %seller% Lavasoft Ad- Aware Pro Security 1. Ad- Aware, and adds firewall protection. But you'd be better off either sticking with the free edition or purchasing a better commercial antivirus. Read the full review ››Micro. World e. Scan Anti- Virus with Cloud Security$2. Price% at %seller% Micro. World e. Scan Anti- Virus with Cloud Security does well in testing, and it includes antispam and firewall protection as a bonus. It's good, just not up there with the best, and the inaccurate spam filter doesn't help things. Read the full review ››Anti- Executable 5. Price% at %seller% Anti- Executable 5. It can definitely prevent installation of new malware, as long as you don't erroneously override its block. However, the average user may find managing its protection to be a chore. Read the full review ››Kromtech PCKeeper Antivirus$3. Price% at %seller% Kromtech PCKeeper Antivirus is attractive and easy to use, and it has chat- based help built right in. However, the chat- based help supplied misinformation during testing. Read the full review ››Malwarebytes Anti- Malware Premium 2. Price% at %seller% Malwarebytes Anti- Malware Premium 2. Malwarebytes utility with lackluster real- time protection and malicious URL blocking. Businesses buying it should consider pairing it with a more effective real- time antivirus. Read the full review ››Tiranium Premium Security 2. Price% at %seller% Tiranium Premium Security 2. The bonus firewall didn't do anything in our tests, though, and the quality of other features varied. It's a good first effort. Read the full review ››Valt. X 'Absolute Security for Windows' Special Edition$8. Price% at %seller% Valt. X 'Absolute Security for Windows' Special Edition rolls your system back to a safe, malware- free state on every reboot. However, any malware that does infest your system can run wild until the next reboot, and external actions like false bank transactions or transmission of personal data can't be rolled back. Read the full review ››. Best free antivirus software 2. Introduction. Our best free antivirus round- up has been fully updated. Staying loyal to the trusty built- in Windows Defender keeps you safe to a certain extent, but with independent testing showing it typically misses at least one threat in 1. Your Android device has stronger core security, but it's still vulnerable to the new crop of malicious apps, and you're going to need some help to stay safe. Luckily paying through the nose for this kind of protection is no longer the status quo and there are scores of different free programs offering protection that is more than adequate. So if you no longer want to pay for the privilege of protecting your valuable piece of hardware, read on – we've picked out four of the best free antivirus engines, two top Android apps and three online detection services, all delivering great security at no cost. AVG Anti. Virus Free. While AVG struggled to keep up with the competition for most of last year, you shouldn't give up on the package just yet – the latest AVG engine is showing real signs of improvement. Independent testing lab AV- Test recently awarded AVG Anti. Virus Free its maximum score for protection, for example. AV- Comparatives isn't quite as impressed, but also has AVG climbing the rankings, often without delivering a single false positive. The program is hugely configurable. You're able to define exactly what various scan types do, schedule them to run unattended, configure which notifications you'd like to see, decide how updates will be handled, and a whole lot more. All this functionality is easily accessed, too, thanks to a well- designed interface which clearly points you to the features you need. There are some issues. In particular, AVG Anti. Virus Free doesn't get priority real- time updates, leaving you a little more vulnerable to the latest threats. But it's still a solid and reliable product, and the best AVG release for a while. Avast Free Antivirus. While free antivirus software won't cost you anything to download, you might sometimes find you'll pay in other ways. Install Avast Free Antivirus and it'll also equip your PC with Google toolbar, unless you're paying attention and clear the relevant checkbox. Once you're up and running, the situation improves rapidly, with Avast Free's clean and configurable interface giving speedy access to a host of features. The testing labs currently award Avast only mid- range scores for its standard protection. But the package does better than most when blocking malicious URLs, which means you're less likely to encounter malware in the first place. And it also rates highly when dealing with tricky zero- day threats, another vital area where others often fall short. Perhaps the real highlight here is the lengthy list of genuinely useful security extras. In a few seconds the program can warn you of network vulnerabilities, highlight missing software patches, reveal weak or duplicate passwords stored by your browser, and more. Avast Free Antivirus doesn't offer the best antivirus protection, then, but a capable set of supporting tools mean it's still worth a look. For those looking for something beefier to protect their devices, check out Pro Antivirus 2. Avast, which sells for £2. Amazon and comes as a one- user, two- year subscription with a myriad of features (remote assistance, rootkit protection etc). Avira Free Antivirus 2. Some security companies spend a great deal of time and effort on interface design, but Avira isn't quite so concerned. Avira Free Antivirus looks plain, ordinary, and a little dated. Fortunately that's because the company is way more interested in substance than style, and the end result is one of the best security freebies around. The product's engine is loved by the testing labs, scoring very highly in most tests. AV- Comparatives has placed it first in three out of the last 1. Real- World Protection Tests, and in the top five in five others. Panda has the only comparable free antivirus offering. If you're looking for an easy life then you can leave the program alone, and it'll do its work almost entirely automatically. But expert users get plenty of fine control. There are options to protect the Hosts file, block autorun, scan archives, monitor network drives, set the file types to be scanned, even password protect your Avira installation so others can't mess with your settings. Put it all together and Avira Free Antivirus is an excellent product which leaves most of the commercial competition trailing in its digital wake. While Avira free antivirus does the job, its bigger brother, the Ultimate Edition Suite 2. You also get Laplink PCMover Express, Drive. Lock Private, Super. Easy Driver Updater and Avira Antivirus Pro for Android thrown in for a grand total of £3. Amazon. Panda Free Antivirus 2. Panda Free Antivirus 2. Yahoo unless you clear the necessary check boxes. Fortunately Panda's accuracy means it's all worth the effort. The package almost always rates a top five lace in AV- Comparatives' Real- World Protection Tests, and it's usually in the top three, trampling all over most of the commercial competition. URL filtering is another significant plus, with Panda doing an above- average job of blocking access to malicious sites. Bonus extras include USB Protection to keep your USB keys safe from some malware, while Process Monitor is a Task Manager- like tool, displaying running processes, their open HTTP connections, and highlighting likely dangers. If you're feeling picky, and spend long enough exploring the program, you might find one or two minor issues. Scanning speeds were marginally below average in our tests, for instance. And it's not as configurable as some of the competition. It's hard to complain about a package which gives you market- leading protection at zero cost, though. If you're looking for something simple and reliable, which you can install and just leave to do its job, then Panda Free Antivirus is a great choice. Although Panda Antivirus Free is a superb deal, you can get the Global Protection (2. Mac protection, VIP services, chat support as well as identity and family protection) for five computers for only £2. Amazon. Avira Antivirus Security 4. Selecting the best free Android antivirus app is difficult at the moment. It's a competitive market, and the independent testing labs currently show there's very little between the leading products. Avira Antivirus Security earns our vote for its consistency. It's a reliable engine, typically amongst the top- rated apps at AV- Test and AV Comparatives (4. Google Play), and Avira's excellent record with PC products makes us think you'll be able to trust the product over the long term. There are plenty of bonus features, too. Anti- theft tools can locate a lost phone, trigger a siren, remotely lock or wipe a device. Privacy ratings give you an indication of how apps are handling your data, and there's identity protection, app locking, call filtering and more. Browsing protection, hourly updates and tech support are reserved for the commercial Pro version only, but Avira Antivirus Security provides the core essentials you need and does a great job of keeping you safe. While Avira free antivirus does the job, its bigger brother, the Ultimate Edition Suite 2. You also get Laplink PCMover Express, Drive. Lock Private, Super. Easy Driver Updater and Avira Antivirus Pro for Android thrown in for a grand total of £3. Amazon. 3. 60 Security - Antivirus FREE3. Security - Antivirus FREE is one of the most popular antivirus apps around – it's 4. Play store – and the name alone gives you one reason why: it really is free. Okay, you get ads, but there are no "upgrade" buttons or limitations to the protection you receive. There's a lengthy list of extras. The optimisation features alone – junk file cleaning, memory booster, power saver – are more capable and effective than many standalone apps. We're particularly interested in the antivirus, and 3. Security - Antivirus FREE delivers there too. It's an extremely accurate engine which doesn't generate too much traffic, significantly drain the battery, or otherwise get in the way of your regular activities. The system also monitors apps as they're installed, blocking malware before it can do any harm, and there's a good set of bonus features: anti- theft, call and SMS filtering, an app locker and more. Virus. Total. Installing a good antivirus engine will keep you safe from most threats, but no product offers a 1. Even if a download hasn't raised an alert, you might sometimes wonder if it's safe. Upload a suspect file to Virus. Total and eventually (it can take a while, especially at peak times) you'll see the scanning results from 5. One problem with this multi- product approach is you'll regularly see false positives, where most of the engines say a file is safe, but a few flag it as dangerous. If only a small number of packages raise alerts (maybe five or less), and the most trusted engines say it's safe, we may run the file anyway – but that does increase your risk of infection. Wait a day or two and try scanning the file again, if you're concerned, or try a behavioural monitor like Payload Security (which we cover at the end of this round- up). Metascan Online. Virus. Total is the king of the online virus scanners, but there are some competitors around, and. Metascan Online is one of the best. The core idea is much the same. Point Metascan Online at a file, it'll be uploaded and scanned by a host of antivirus packages, with their verdicts listed in a detailed report. Meta. Scan Online uses less engines than Virus. Total – it employs 4. Dropping the weaker products should mean fewer false positives, and we also found reports were usually generated in less than a third of the time (there's none of Virus. Total's "your file is now queued.."). Meta. Scan Online can also scan marginally larger files than Virus. Total (1. 40. MB versus 1. MB), and has a neat Scan History page to show how a file's detection rate has changed over time. But balancing that, it doesn't provide any behavioural information, and malware doesn't normally arrive in such large files anyway. Overall, Virus. Total is still our online favourite, but Meta. Scan Online has pluses too. Give it a try, see how the site works for you. Payload Security. Antivirus engines typically detect threats by matching files with malware signatures, which is great for known threats, but a problem if you run into something brand new and undiscovered. Payload Security is an online service which doesn't use signatures, instead analysing application behaviour for malware- like actions. This can take a very long time – we often waited five minutes or more – but the finished reports are hugely detailed. You'll read about malicious indicators in the EXE structure, packer types, the functions being used, DNS or website requests, modules loaded, files opened, image strings and a whole lot more. Yes, this is just as technical as it sounds, but fortunately an overall "Threat Score" (out of 1. Yes/No "Malicious" indicator give you a clear verdict on the file. And although this isn't as reliable as Virus. Total for known malware, we found it much more likely to spot brand new threats. For most cases we'd stick with Virus. Total, then. But if you're particularly suspicious of a file, and don't mind a lengthy wait for the report, Payload Security is a useful second layer of defence. The Top 1. 0 Antivirus Software of 2.
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