Which antivirus software is best for games? Free computer protection: Which antivirus to choose
Every user, after installing an operating system or when connecting to, faces a very serious and difficult question: which antivirus to choose? We will try to find the answer to this question in this article, talking about why an antivirus is needed, how to choose it and what is necessary for its reliable protection.Why is an antivirus needed?
Surely, most of you have heard of the concept of “computer viruses”. Computer viruses are malicious code or a type of computer program that is aimed at harming a user’s computer, stealing or deleting its information, or remotely controlling a computer for personal gain. Thus, any of the listed goals of the virus is to cause significant damage to the computer and paralyze its operation.
Why are viruses dangerous?
Trojans are a well-known type of malicious virus programs. Trojans typically disguise themselves as harmless programs to trick the user into running them. The ultimate goal of the Trojan program is to cause harm to the user's computer, both for selfish and selfless purposes. There are “Trojans” whose purpose is to erase information on the computer’s hard drive, that is, all your data: music, documents, films, photos - all this will be deleted and it will be almost impossible to restore them. Another type of “Trojan” is the theft of passwords stored on the computer in various programs, most often the theft of passwords occurs from browsers, so if this happens, you will lose access to your email, social networks and other accounts. Well, the last common type of Trojan programs is those that block the operation of the computer in order to receive money for unlocking it. In other words, you turn on the computer and a locking window appears, asking you to transfer a certain amount of money to unlock the computer.
In addition, there are a large number of types of malicious objects that harm the computer, but we will not dwell on them in detail, since they are not so common. The main thing is for you to understand that viruses are very dangerous and your “machine” needs to be protected.
What other functions do antiviruses perform?
In addition to protecting your computer from viruses and Trojans, an antivirus can also monitor the sites you visit, primarily blocking those resources that can cause damage to your computer, simply those sites that have viruses. In addition, antiviruses can block ads on websites, as well as pop-up banners, which is really very useful.
It is impossible not to note such an additional function in some antiviruses as “Parental Control”. This feature is designed to protect children from visiting inappropriate resources on the Internet.
How does a computer become infected with a virus?
You can only become infected with a virus program from the outside, that is, the virus itself cannot appear on the computer. There are two options for infecting your computer with viruses: via the Internet or via removable media. Over the Internet, your computer can become infected with a virus when downloading any files or visiting malicious sites. As for removable media, an example of such media is flash drives or CD/DVD disks, when they were recorded on an infected computer and moved to your computer by copying or launching a virus. In both of these cases, the antivirus program protects the computer from external viruses.
How to choose an antivirus program
Today there are a large number of antiviruses, and of course, there is no consensus on which antivirus is better. This happens for a number of reasons: unsatisfactory protection of antivirus programs, problems in the operation of the antivirus itself, or the high cost of the license. Therefore, which antivirus to choose is up to you. We, in turn, will give you criteria for choosing an antivirus program and list the most popular ones that are worthy of your attention.
What features should an antivirus include?
Let's look at the antivirus features that are necessary to reliably protect your computer, in order of importance:
- Antivirus monitor
- Scanner
- Antivirus self-defense
- Program activity control
- Network control and web antivirus
- Constantly updating anti-virus databases
- Low resource consumption
The reputation and popularity of an antivirus is a very important factor that must be taken into account when choosing an antivirus program. The more popular the antivirus, the correspondingly more users use it, and therefore, it is unlikely that a large number of people will use an unreliable antivirus.
Paid or free
Each of us understands that paid products are always of better quality than free ones. Think about it: in order for an antivirus to reliably protect, you need a staff that will constantly collect information about new viruses and malicious codes from the Internet, and also work to neutralize them. Then, the knowledge base data must be compiled into updates and uploaded to the server so that client programs are updated - and this should be the case constantly. In addition, it is necessary to develop new versions and functions of the antivirus. What conclusion can be drawn from this? To create and support an antivirus, you need a whole staff of employees and their full employment, and therefore, in order to organize all this, the final product must cover all the costs of this activity. Well, who would agree to work for free? And if suddenly this is the case, then the quality of such an antivirus will be appropriate.
The vast majority of firms and companies, as well as ordinary users, use paid antiviruses, and isn’t this an indicator!? Therefore, we recommend giving preference to a paid antivirus program.
You can purchase an antivirus license at a computer store, on the official antivirus website, or in an online store.
Which antivirus program to install on your computer or laptop is entirely up to you, since this should be an exclusively subjective opinion of each user. Next, we will list the most popular antivirus programs that exist today, briefly describing their advantages and disadvantages.
Perhaps the most popular antivirus today, which was created and produced in Russia. This antivirus program has several versions, but the most popular are Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security. The difference between these two products from each other is that Kaspersky Internet Security, in addition to anti-virus protection which includes Kaspersky Anti-Virus, has Internet protection, which is very important for safe work on the World Wide Web.
The advantages of this anti-virus program include a high degree of computer protection, a wide range of functions and flexible settings. The disadvantages of Kaspersky include the high cost of the license and excessive control of the program in some aspects.
The price of a 1-year license for Kaspersky Anti-Virus is 1200 rubles, and for Kaspersky Internet Security 1600 rubles.
The second most popular antivirus produced in Russia is Dr.Web. Dr.Web also has two versions: a simple antivirus - Dr.Web Antivirus and a version of the antivirus + protection for working on the Internet Dr.Web Security Space.
Unfortunately, Dr.Web anti-virus is slightly inferior to Kaspersky, both in the number of functions and in virus protection. However, Dr.Web is used by a large number of users who are completely satisfied with its work, and this is a very important indicator.
License price for one year: Dr.Web Antivirus - 990 rubles, Dr.Web Security Space - 1290 rubles. As you can see, Dr.Web makes better offers to users.
A free Czech antivirus that is very popular among users as an excellent free antivirus option. If you don't know which free antivirus to choose, then Avast! the most optimal antivirus for these tasks. In addition, this antivirus also has paid versions, but we will not focus your attention on them. One of the advantages of this antivirus is its free version.
Well-known Slovak antivirus, produced since 1987. NOD32 is positioned as a fairly reliable antivirus that consumes a small amount of system resources and has a high speed of anti-virus scanning. In terms of functions, ESET NOD32 Smart Security does not lag behind its paid counterparts and includes antivirus and Internet protection.
The price of an ESET NOD32 Smart Security license for one year is about 1,267 rubles, which is essentially no different from the prices of analogues.
Which antivirus is better
It is difficult to answer the question of which antivirus is better. Each of them has both its advantages and disadvantages. Besides this, frankly speaking, there is no 100% reliable antivirus; any of them can miss a virus, but for some this probability is high, while for others it is minimal. Also, the operation of the antivirus itself and its new versions may cause complaints, we talked about this a little higher, due to the consumption of a large amount of system resources and other shortcomings.
Antiviruses for gadgets
Due to the widespread use of gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, which are in no way inferior in functionality to a computer, hackers and other attackers have developed viruses for these devices. It is worth noting that most modern mobile operating systems are susceptible to viruses. You're probably asking, is there an antivirus for Android? - An antivirus solution is required for the following mobile operating systems: Android, Windows Mobile (Phone), Symbian and BlackBerry.
Therefore, to answer the question whether an antivirus is needed for a tablet, you must know its operating system (platform). If you have one of the platforms listed above installed, then we recommend installing an antivirus. The best anti-virus programs for platforms that may be susceptible to viruses are the Kaspersky Lab product - Kaspersky Mobile Security and the Dr.Web product - Dr.Web OEM Mobile.
Now, regarding issues related to Apple devices. For devices running the iOS operating system, antivirus programs are not needed, since there are simply no viruses for it. Therefore, if you are interested in the question: is an antivirus needed for the iPad, the answer is clear - no. The same applies to the answer to the question: is an antivirus needed for the iPhone - it is also not needed.
Take care of your information!
Greetings to all readers of this site, in previous posts we discussed in detail on the computer. Now, we are faced with another task, this is to ensure the protection of the computer from viruses and malware. Therefore, in today’s article we will talk about which antivirus is better.
I suggest considering both free and paid versions. Each program has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you must decide for yourself which antivirus to choose. Many of you probably know very well that nowadays, your computer must have a virus protector that can protect your personal data from theft, as well as protect information stored on hard drives from malicious code. After all, it’s no secret that some viruses can not only damage the user’s files, but also disable the computer. As a rule, to protect your home computer from threats, it will be enough for us to install one of the antiviruses.
Which antivirus is better - choose the right protection.
As I already told you, there are free and paid antivirus programs, but you should not disdain free utilities, since they can be no worse than their paid counterparts. We will try to determine which antivirus is best for Windows.
In order for you to protect your computer from viruses, you need to choose only one antivirus, since if you install two or more programs at the same time, a conflict will begin between them. At the same time, it often happens that antiviruses come into battle with each other over something, and in this case there can be no talk of any protection, since they block each other’s work. I also want to recommend that it does not conflict with a third-party antivirus.
It is quite difficult to unequivocally recommend which antivirus is better, since each developer praises their own products. We can only choose favorites based on the results of using certain programs. As for me, most popular antiviruses are very similar to each other. Their only difference is that some programs specialize more in protecting computer files, while others provide maximum protection when working on the Internet.
The best free antiviruses.
I suggest starting to consider the list of which antivirus is better with free products. As a rule, free antiviruses have all the basic functions that will be enough to protect your home computer. Such programs can be classified as “set it and forget it”, since they work independently and do not require paid license renewals or other actions from the user. If you are interested in such antiviruses, then let’s start our list.
Avast! Free Antivirus is a fairly popular antivirus program among users. The utility is completely free, but at the same time it can perfectly protect computers in various fields of application. Once installed, Avast! Free Antivirus, you won't have to delve into its settings, since after installation it will be configured by default to perform its basic duties. But if you want to apply some additional parameters, the program can offer you a large selection of options. Avast can quarantine infected and suspicious files, perform a full scan of your computer for viruses, supports game mode and many other functions. After installation, the program requires a one-time registration. Therefore, if you don’t want to worry too much about choosing a defender for your computer, then Avast is perfect for you. 
Avira Free Antivirus is another popular free antivirus program that is ideal for home use. Avira differs from other programs in that it uses little computer resources, thereby not slowing down its operation. The program can constantly monitor the state of the PC, or check it for viruses on a schedule. Avira can update automatically and also monitors the installation of unwanted software. Thus, the utility, without interfering with the user, protects the computer from viruses and malware. 
Microsoft Security Essentials is the latest contender for the title of best free antivirus. This is a small anti-virus program from Microsoft, which has a minimum set of all necessary functions, but at the same time protects your computer well from viruses. The program is constantly updated, so it is able to reflect the interference of any modern viruses. You can scan your computer on a schedule. Microsoft Security Essentials is suitable for those who do not want to install third-party software, but at the same time care about protecting their PC from viruses. It is advisable to use this antivirus software in conjunction with the Windows Firewall. 
I would also like to mention to you such free antiviruses as 360 Total Security, Comodo, Panda; they are less popular among users and have more modest functionality, but just like the products described above, they can provide basic PC protection. All of the above programs can be downloaded from the official websites of the developers. Also in the following articles I will tell you how to install them.
The best paid antiviruses.
Let's now look at several paid virus protectors, and also talk to you about which antivirus is better to install. Paid products are quite interesting. They have very broad functionality, support work on devices with different platforms, and are constantly being improved and updated. At the same time, some programs were developed quite a long time ago and were loved by users so much that they became undisputed leaders. At the same time, they can provide device protection at a professional level.
Kaspersky Antivirus– probably one of the best paid antiviruses. Of course, you can use its free version, but it will have reduced functionality. In order to have “protection to the teeth”, you need to buy an annual license. Kaspersky can provide a full-fledged firewall, has a rich set of functions, and also allows the user to customize protection to suit any needs. I would also like to say that the cost of the license is not particularly high, so I recommend installing this antivirus and using its capabilities to the maximum. 
Dr. Web is another fairly old antivirus program that almost all users of computers, laptops and smartphones know. Doctor Web, like Kaspersky Anti-Virus, has different versions, and after installation it provides the user with a month-long trial period. Thus, you can later make a choice whether to keep this product on your computer or look for another option. But as a rule, due to its comprehensive functionality and impeccable protection, users prefer Doctor Web. The price for a licensed product is less than for Kaspersky, the subscription is also issued for a year. 
ESET NOD32 completes our list. This contender is one of the three best paid antiviruses. It can effectively protect your computer from viruses and provide constant control and monitoring of the system. Unlike the antiviruses described above, this product does not slow down the computer and copes with its task with five points. The program is constantly updated and improved, so if you choose ESET NOD32, you can rest assured about the security of your computer. 
Many manufacturers of security products produce free versions of antiviruses, which can be completely freely downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer and used on your computers.
Most developers only include anti-virus scanners without real-time protection in their free editions, but there are developers who provide a full range of tools to protect your data in their free version.
Below is a selection of antiviruses that you can download and use absolutely free.
07/19/2018, Anton Maksimov
The ranks of free antiviruses with constant protection have been replenished by a new version of the Kaspersky Lab product called Kaspersky Free. If previously they only had a healing utility (antivirus scanner Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool), now they also release permanent file system protection and protection against malicious sites on the network.
06/12/2018, Anton Maksimov
Security is never enough. Many manufacturers of security systems think so. Including the developers of the free antivirus 360 Total Security, which includes as many as 5 engines. Yes, this antivirus has many different engines, each of which performs its own task. This includes virus detection mechanisms from Avira and Bitdefender, proactive protection QVM II, the 360 Cloud cloud system and the System Repair system recovery system.
04/18/2018, Anton Maksimov
Avast Free Antivirus is a free antivirus suite with always-on protection. Perfect for home use. In addition to the anti-virus module itself, it has a number of additional tools that will help save data and protect you from online threats.
01/11/2018, Anton Maksimov
So we got our hands on the free Comodo Internet Security. This is a set of tools to protect your computer, which includes a firewall, antivirus and proactive protection module. I will not describe all the features of Comodo Internet Security, because, in my opinion, they are standard and are present in most similar programs. The main difference between this program and the others is that it is free and amazingly reliable. When configured correctly, the program allows you to secure your computer to the maximum. The other day I reviewed several comparative tests conducted by various companies, and the results of these tests quite surprised me. As an example, I will give the results of one of these tests.
10/05/2017, Anton Maksimov
AVG AntiVirus FREE is a world-famous antivirus program that is available free of charge to home users and is already used by millions of people around the world. Unlike many free scanners from large antivirus laboratories, AVG is a full-fledged product that can ensure the full security of your PC. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is easy to use and does not slow down the operating system (has low system requirements).
07/12/2017, Anton Maksimov
Today I will talk about another free antivirus, Avira Free Antivirus, which recently settled on one of my computers. The situation with it is special, since this antivirus is not a simple scanner; it does not need to be downloaded every time you need to check the system. This antivirus hangs in memory and does everything on its own. Independently downloads and installs updates, independently checks files accessed by the operating system and various applications.
A massive attack by the WannaCry ransomware (WannaCryptor, WanaDecryptor) led to the infection of tens of thousands of computers in organizations and public institutions around the world. The malware uses a known vulnerability described in security bulletin MS17-010 and a combination of EternalBlue/DoublePulsar exploits that allow it to attack other vulnerable Windows systems on the same network. As a result, infection of one computer can lead to the compromise of the entire corporate network in the organization.
Once it appears on a computer through successful exploitation of the vulnerability, the WannaCry ransomware encrypts all files and documents of certain formats, executing remote commands sent via the SMB protocol and spreading to other Windows computers on the network.
Perhaps you are too trusting and therefore have not installed an antivirus on your PC, or the license for your antivirus has already expired, or the antivirus you have installed does not provide maximum protection, and... maybe your PC is infected!
02/20/2015, Anton Maksimov
For the vast majority of home users of Windows 7 and Windows 10, a standard antivirus product from Microsoft is quite suitable. In the Windows 10 operating system, it is already built into the system called Windows Defender and does not need to be additionally downloaded and installed. But for Windows 7 you will have to install it by downloading the Microsoft Security Essentials distribution from the Microsoft website. Essentially, they are the same product, but with different names for different systems.
07/22/2013, Anton Maksimov
Dr.Web CureIt! - an antivirus that is noticeably different from the programs everyone is familiar with. This utility does not work constantly, preventing the appearance of malware on the computer. It allows you to cure an already infected PC from viruses, Trojan horses, rootkits, etc. This feature of Dr.Web CureIt! determines the scope of application of this product. It can be used periodically to check the reliability of the antivirus installed on your computer, as well as in cases where, based on indirect signs, you can suspect a PC infection. In general, Dr.Web CureIt! difficult to overestimate.
06/26/2013, Anton Maksimov
Continuing the popular topic of free antivirus, I would like to mention another development that I became acquainted with relatively recently and which I have not yet had time to write about. In theory, it would be possible to add this information to the original message, but I decided to put everything in the form of a separate note. So, today we will talk about a free antivirus from Kaspersky Lab called Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.
10.21.2009, Anton Maksimov
An interesting free antivirus program is produced by Microsoft Corporation. The utility is called Malicious Software Removal Tool (Malicious Software Removal Tool for Microsoft® Windows® OS). This tool automatically scans your computer for a range of malicious programs and immediately removes them when found. The tool is not a replacement for a regular antivirus utility; it only allows you to perform a quick analysis for the presence of common viruses.
If you have already thought about computer security and have chosen an antivirus program, you have probably read user reviews on the Internet.
Any user would like to install on their computer best antivirus, providing 100% protection against viruses and other malicious software. That is, the ideal antivirus is the one that installed and forgot about all the dangers forever. The best antivirus should not bother you with various pop-ups, but should simply quietly do its job, protecting your computer 100% from viruses and other evil spirits.
I hasten to disappoint everyone who wants to find the best antivirus. " The best antivirus"does not exist and cannot exist. There is a completely logical explanation for this, but I would not like to go into all the technical aspects. Next, I will tell you only the most important things that every computer user should understand.
Proof that the best antivirus does not exist can be found in the comments of the users themselves, which they leave on various forums on the Internet. In these comments, some praise certain antiviruses, while others at the same time accuse these programs of being unreliable and allowing viruses and Trojans to pass through.
Unfortunately, most of these comments are left by people who have a very vague understanding of antivirus software and draw conclusions about it only by comparing one antivirus with another.
« Well, yes", you say, " if one antivirus missed the Trojan, and the second one detected it, then the second one is more reliable" But this statement is only half true, or even less!
Have you ever wondered how viruses are scanned?
And the search principle is quite simple. The antivirus passes the code of running or downloaded files through itself. Thus, using certain algorithms, the antivirus searches for suspicious sections of code in the file and, if they are detected, they are compared with the information stored in the antivirus database. If the information matches, the antivirus issues a warning that such and such a virus or malicious software has been detected and even indicates its name taken from the database.
But viruses are created every day and in huge quantities. We are not talking about dozens, but about thousands of new computer viruses created every day. Not one anti-virus program simply physically cannot have all existing viruses in its anti-virus database, much less update the database every day to such an extent. However, this problem has been partially solved.
In order to prevent an unknown virus from entering your computer, antivirus developers create special algorithms that allow you to analyze file codes and identify potentially dangerous areas. Every modern antivirus is equipped with a so-called heuristic code analyzer. This module uses certain algorithms to analyze files in search of malicious code.
If such a piece of code is found, the antivirus warns about it, indicating the danger in the message. But few people read these messages, right? If a message appears, then for most users this means that a virus has been found! But is this really so?
Each antivirus software developer's heuristic analyzer works differently. You could say that this is trade secret every developer.
I hope you understand that such an analyzer can just guess that some part of the file code is malicious. He cannot guarantee this 100%. Therefore, claims that some new and as yet unknown antivirus found viruses where everyone knows Kaspersky, Avast or Dr.Web They remained silent, which means that the unknown antivirus is better, it only makes me smile.
It is on the basis of the readings of heuristic analyzers that narrow-minded users conclude that one antivirus is better than another. But let's face it. Unknown antivirus programs are developed by unknown programmers who may have some experience in the field of protection, but it is not at all comparable to such monsters as Kaspersky Lab or ESET NOD32, who have been professionally dealing with protection issues for decades.
Very often, developers of new antiviruses “play it safe,” as a result of which their creations block any files whose code they “didn’t like” for some reason.
Even well-known manufacturers sometimes use algorithms in their heuristic code analyzers that block completely reliable files.
Here is an example from my personal experience. In the early 2000s I used free antivirus Avira. This is an antivirus from a German company, which is one of the oldest antivirus developers and to this day their products are among the best in their class. At that time, another service pack, that is, an update, was released for the operating system Windows 2000 and I downloaded it from the official Microsoft website, but Avira blocked this update, accusing it of being a Trojan...
Of course, there will be people who, based on this case, will conclude that Microsoft is distributing Trojans with the goal of taking over all the computers in the world :) There have always been and will always be fans of the “big conspiracy” theory. But let's face it - this antivirus's heuristic analyzer failed. Neither Kaspersky, neither Dr.Web, neither NOD32 no threat was detected...
Therefore, it is very important to understand that the heuristic analyzer only assumes the presence of a virus that is not listed in anti-virus databases. This assumption is based on special algorithms based on certain characteristics. The antivirus itself “conjectures” that the code being scanned is viral.
Besides the antivirus often only warns you about the presence of a suspicious file, but users rarely understand the messages that the antivirus produces and immediately conclude that the file is infected.
Now let's talk about the reliability of antiviruses.
There are independent laboratories that test antivirus software and provide summary tables of test results.
You can find similar tests yourself on the Internet, for example, on the website of the independent Russian information and analytical center for information security - anti maLware.ru.
After studying the tests, you will understand that Even well-known antivirus systems make mistakes. They miss viruses and Trojans, and cannot cure all infected files. Many well-known antiviruses have passed the virus detection test with a very high rate of 99% or so, but there is always 1% left that was not detected and this is very important to understand!
So how do you choose the best antivirus?
I hope that you already understand that there are simply no better antiviruses!
Remember, the protection that any antivirus program provides is just 10-30% of protection for your entire system!
Therefore, I can only give one piece of advice on choosing anti-virus protection - it should be a product from one of the world's leading anti-virus software developers.
Which one exactly? This question is very individual and I suggest you study the ratings of antivirus programs yourself, for example, on the website of the independent information security center anti maLware.ru or any other, and choose an antivirus from the market leaders.
In conclusion, I’ll just say that I myself have used many of the well-known antiviruses - Kaspersky, Avira, sh, Norton Internet Security, NOD 32, but it’s been three years now that I’ve been using antivirus protection Avast, both in free and paid versions.
Don't miss the opportunity to do a good deed:
Today, more than ever, anti-virus software is not only the most in demand in the security system of any operating system, but also one of its main components. And if previously the user had a very limited, modest choice, now you can find a lot of such programs. But if you look at the list of “Top 10 antiviruses”, you will notice that not all of them are equivalent in terms of functionality. Let's look at the most popular packages. At the same time, the analysis will include both paid and shareware (antivirus for 30 days), and freely distributed applications. But first things first.
Top 10 antiviruses for Windows: testing criteria
Before you start compiling a rating, you should probably familiarize yourself with the basic criteria that are used in most cases when testing such software.
Naturally, it is simply impossible to consider all known packages. However, among all those designed to ensure the protection of a computer system in the broadest sense, the most popular can be identified. At the same time, we will take into account both the official ratings of independent laboratories and reviews of users who use this or that software product in practice. In addition, mobile programs will not be affected; we will focus on stationary systems.
As for conducting basic tests, as a rule, they include several main aspects:
- availability of paid and free versions and limitations related to functionality;
- standard scanning speed;
- quick identification of potential threats and the ability to remove or quarantine them using built-in algorithms;
- frequency of updating anti-virus databases;
- self-defense and reliability;
- availability of additional features.
As can be seen from the list above, checking the operation of antivirus software allows you to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular product. Next, I will consider the most popular software packages included in the Top 10 antiviruses, and also give their main characteristics, of course, taking into account the opinions of people who use them in their daily work.
Kaspersky Lab software products
First, let's look at the software modules developed by Kaspersky Lab, which are extremely popular in the post-Soviet space.
It’s impossible to single out just one program here, because among them you can find the standard Kaspersky Antivirus scanner, modules like Internet Security, portable utilities like Virus Removal Tool, and even boot disks for damaged Rescue Disc systems.
It is immediately worth noting two main disadvantages: firstly, judging by the reviews, almost all programs, with rare exceptions, are paid or shareware, and secondly, the system requirements are unreasonably high, which makes it impossible to use them in relatively weak configurations . Naturally, this scares off many ordinary users, although activation keys for Kaspersky Antivirus or Internet Security can easily be found on the World Wide Web.
On the other hand, the activation situation can be corrected in another way. For example, Kaspersky keys can be generated using special applications like Key Manager. True, this approach is, to put it mildly, illegal, however, as a way out, it is used by many users.
The speed of operation on modern machines is average (for some reason, more and more heavyweight versions are being created for new configurations), but constantly updated databases, the unique technology for identifying and removing known viruses and potentially dangerous programs are at their best. It is not surprising that Kapersky Laboratory is today a leader among security software developers.
And two more words about the recovery disk. It is unique in its own way, since it loads a scanner with a graphical interface even before Windows itself starts, allowing you to remove threats even from RAM.
The same applies to the portable utility Virus Removal Tool, which can track any threat on an infected terminal. It can only be compared with a similar utility from Dr. Web.
Protection from Dr. Web
Before us is another of the strongest representatives in the field of security - the famous “Doctor Web”, who stood at the origins of the creation of all anti-virus software since time immemorial.
Among the huge number of programs you can also find standard scanners, security tools for Internet surfing, portable utilities, and recovery disks. You can't list everything.
The main factors in favor of this developer’s software include high speed, instant detection of threats with the ability to either completely remove or isolate them, as well as a moderate load on the system as a whole. In general, from the point of view of most users, this is a kind of lightweight version of Kaspersky. There is still something interesting here. In particular, this is Dr. Web Katana. It is believed that this is a new generation software product. It is focused on the use of “sand” technologies, i.e. placing a threat in the “cloud” or “sandbox” (whatever you want to call it) for analysis before it penetrates the system. However, if you look at it, there is no particular innovation here, because this technique was used in the free Panda antivirus. In addition, according to many users, Dr. Web Katana is a kind of Security Space with the same technologies. However, generally speaking, any software from this developer is quite stable and powerful. It is not surprising that many users prefer such packages.
ESET programs
Speaking about the Top 10 antiviruses, it is impossible not to mention another bright representative of this field - the ESET company, which became famous for such a well-known product as NOD32. A little later, the ESET Smart Security module was born.
If we consider these programs, we can note an interesting point. To activate the full functionality of any package, you can do two things. On the one hand, this is the acquisition of an official license. On the other hand, you can install a trial antivirus for free, but activate it every 30 days. The situation with activation is also interesting.
As absolutely all users note, for ESET Smart Security (or for a standard antivirus) on the official website you could find freely distributed keys in the form of a login and password. Until recently, only this data could be used. Now the process has become somewhat more complicated: first you need to login and password on a special website, convert it into a license number, and only then enter it into the registration field in the program itself. However, if you do not pay attention to such trifles, you can note that this antivirus is one of the best. Pros noted by users:
- virus signature databases are updated several times a day,
- identification of threats at the highest level,
- there are no conflicts with system components (firewall),
- the package has the strongest self-defense,
- there are no false alarms, etc.
Separately, it is worth noting that the load on the system is minimal, and the use of the Anti-Theft module even allows you to protect data from theft or misuse for personal gain.
AVG Antivirus
AVG Antivirus is paid software designed to provide comprehensive security for computer systems (there is also a free, truncated version). And although today this package is no longer among the top five, it nevertheless demonstrates fairly high speed and stability.
In principle, it is ideal for home use, because, in addition to speed, it has a convenient Russified interface and more or less stable behavior. True, as some users note, sometimes it is able to miss threats. And this does not apply to viruses as such, but rather to spyware or advertising “junk” called Malware and Adware. The program’s own module, although widely advertised, still, according to users, looks somewhat unfinished. And an additional firewall can often cause conflicts with the “native” Windows firewall if both modules are active.
Avira package
Avira is another member of the antivirus family. It is not fundamentally different from most similar packages. However, if you read user reviews about it, you can find quite interesting posts.
Many people do not recommend using the free version under any circumstances, since some modules are simply missing in it. To ensure reliable protection, you will have to purchase a paid product. But such an antivirus is suitable for versions 8 and 10, in which the system itself uses a lot of resources, and the package uses them at the lowest level. In principle, Avira is best suited for, say, budget laptops and weaker computers. A network installation, however, is out of the question.
Cloud service Panda Cloud
Free at one time became almost a revolution in the field of antivirus technologies. The use of a so-called “sandbox” to submit suspicious content for analysis before it penetrates the system has made this application especially popular among users of all levels.
And it is precisely with the “sandbox” that this antivirus is associated today. Yes, indeed, this technology, unlike other programs, allows you to prevent threats from entering the system. For example, any virus first saves its body on the hard drive or in RAM, and only then begins its activity. Here the matter does not come to conservation. First, the suspicious file is sent to a cloud service, where it is checked, and only then can it be saved in the system. True, according to eyewitnesses, unfortunately, this can take quite a lot of time and unnecessarily loads the system. On the other hand, it’s worth asking yourself what is more important: security or increased verification time? However, for modern computer configurations with Internet connection speeds of 100 Mbit/s and higher, it can be used without problems. By the way, its own protection is provided precisely through the “cloud”, which sometimes causes criticism.
Avast Pro Antivirus Scanner
Now a few words about another prominent representative. It is quite popular among many users, however, despite the presence of the same sandbox, anti-spyware, network scanner, firewall and virtual account, unfortunately, Avast Pro Antivirus is outperformed in terms of the main indicators of performance, functionality and reliability clearly loses to such giants as Kaspersky Lab software products or applications using Bitdefender technologies, although it demonstrates high scanning speed and low resource consumption.
Users are attracted to this product mainly by the fact that the free version of the package is as functional as possible and does not differ much from paid software. In addition, this antivirus works on all versions of Windows, including Windows 10, and works great even on outdated machines.
360 Security Packages
Before us is probably one of the fastest antiviruses of our time - 360 Security, developed by Chinese specialists. In general, all products labeled “360” are distinguished by enviable speed of operation (the same Internet browser 360 Safety Browser).
Despite its main purpose, the program has additional modules to eliminate operating system vulnerabilities and optimize it. But neither the speed of operation nor the free distribution can be compared with false alarms. In the list of programs that have the highest indicators for this criterion, this software occupies one of the first places. According to many experts, conflicts arise at the system level due to additional optimizers, the action of which intersects with the execution of tasks of the OS itself.
Software products based on Bitdefender technologies
Another “old man” among the most famous defenders of operating systems is Bitdefender. Unfortunately, in 2015 it lost the palm to Kaspersky Lab products, nevertheless, in antivirus fashion, so to speak, it is one of the trendsetters.
If you look a little more closely, you will notice that many modern programs (the same 360 Security package) in different variations are made precisely on the basis of these technologies. Despite the rich functional base, it also has its shortcomings. Firstly, you will not find the Russian antivirus (Russified) Bitdefender, since it does not exist in nature at all. Secondly, despite the use of the latest technological developments in terms of system protection, unfortunately, it shows too high a number of false positives (by the way, according to experts, this is typical for the entire group of programs created on the basis of Bitdefender). The presence of additional optimizer components and their own firewalls generally does not affect the behavior of such antiviruses for the better. But you can’t deny the speed of operation of this application. In addition, P2P is used for verification, but there is no real-time email verification, which many people do not like.
Antivirus from Microsoft
Another application that is notable for its enviable performance with or without reason is Microsoft's own product called Security Essentials.
This package is included in the Top 10 antiviruses, apparently, only because it is designed exclusively for Windows systems, which means it does not cause absolutely any conflicts at the system level. Besides, who else, if not specialists from Microsoft, knows all the security holes and vulnerabilities of their own operating systems. By the way, an interesting fact is that the initial builds of Windows 7 and Windows 8 had MSE as standard, but then for some reason this kit was abandoned. However, for Windows it can become the simplest solution in terms of security, although you can’t count on any special functionality.
McAfee app
As for this application, it looks quite interesting. However, it has gained the greatest popularity in the field of application on mobile devices with all kinds of blocking, however, on desktop computers this antivirus behaves no worse.
The program has low-level support for P2P networks when sharing Instant Messenger files, and also offers 2-level protection, in which the main role is given to the WormStopper and ScriptStopper modules. But in general, according to consumers, the functionality is at an average level, and the program itself is focused more on identifying spyware, computer worms and Trojans and preventing executable scripts or malicious codes from entering the system.
Combined antiviruses and optimizers
Naturally, only those included in the Top 10 antiviruses were considered here. If we talk about other software of this kind, we can note some packages containing anti-virus modules in their sets.
What to prefer?
Naturally, all antiviruses have certain similarities and differences. What to install? Here you need to proceed from the needs and the level of protection provided. As a rule, corporate clients should purchase something more powerful with the possibility of network installation (Kaspersky, Dr. Web, ESET). As for home use, here the user chooses what he needs (if desired, you can even find an antivirus for a year - without registration or purchase). But, if you look at user reviews, it is better to install Panda Cloud, even despite some additional load on the system and the time it takes to check in the sandbox. But this is where there is a complete guarantee that the threat will not penetrate the system in any way. However, everyone is free to choose for themselves what exactly they need. If activation is not difficult, please: ESET products work fine on home systems. But using optimizers with anti-virus modules as the main means of protection is extremely undesirable. Well, it’s also impossible to say which program takes first place: there are so many users, so many opinions.
