The most famous antivirus in the world. Which antivirus is better

Antivirus reviews and tests

It is unlikely that your computer will be infected with a virus, but at the same time there is a risk of infection by other types of malware and online threats. Ransomware Trojans encrypt important files and wait until a ransom is paid before unlocking access to them. Banking Trojans interfere with online transactions and try to steal funds. Infection with a botnet will make your computer a link in the chain of devices used to launch DDoS attacks. For these and many other reasons, you should protect your computer with an antivirus. No need to worry about the price. The best free antivirus programs are more effective than some commercial solutions. The Internet portal PCMag has conducted a comprehensive review of more than a dozen free antiviruses and recommends the best products for choosing.

Many of the antiviruses presented are free for non-commercial use only. If you want to protect computers in your organization, you will have to purchase a paid version. In this case, it is worth considering switching to a full-fledged comprehensive antivirus. After all, the security of your business depends on it. If you need to protect large enterprises, then SaaS solutions come to the rescue, allowing you to centrally monitor and manage the protection of all computers in the company.

Your antivirus should reliably remove malware that has taken root in the system, but its main task is to prevent new infections from ransomware, botnets, Trojan horses and other types of threats. All antiviruses presented in this rating offer real-time protection against malicious attacks. Many products offer strong web protection that blocks access to malicious sites and prevents you from entering sensitive data on fraudulent sites.

Laboratory testing

Researchers from independent laboratories spend a lot of time and effort testing antiviruses. Some organizations regularly publish reports with test results. PCMag tracks results from 5 major labs: AV-Comparatives, AV-Test Institute, Simon Edwards Labs formerly Dennis Technology Labs), Virus Bulletin and MRG-Effitas. Certification from ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs is also appreciated.

Typically, antivirus developers pay for the opportunity to participate in testing. In turn, the laboratories provide vendors with detailed reports that help improve products. Thus, the number of laboratories that test a particular product is an indicator of the significance of this decision. In any case, to test an antivirus, two conditions must be met: the laboratory must consider the product important enough, and the development company must be satisfied with the cost of participation. Labs are not required to test free products, but many vendors include full protection in free solutions, adding only advanced features to paid products.

PCMag tests

In addition to in-depth analysis of lab test results, PCMag conducts its own amateur antivirus testing to block malware. Each antivirus encounters a set of different types of malware, after which the product's reaction to the threat is recorded. Typically, an antivirus removes most samples at once and detects several more instances of malware when it tries to launch. Based on the test results, the product can receive between 0 and 10 points for blocking, depending on how thoroughly it protects the system from the test samples.

The test collection has been in use for months, so the malware blocking test does not provide any indication of an antivirus's ability to detect the latest threats. A separate test attempts to download malware from online sources less than a day old, provided by the MRG-Effitas laboratory. The testing process notes whether the product blocked access to a network location, cleared the malware payload during download, or ignored the threat. Norton received the highest score in this test, followed by Avira Free Antivirus in the final table.

Useful features

Each antivirus product in the collection scans files on access to prevent potential malware from running, and also scans the system on demand or on a set schedule. Blocking access to malicious links is a great way to stay out of trouble. Many products extend protection to prevent you from visiting fraudulent or phishing sites that try to steal your credentials. Some solutions assign rankings to search results by flagging suspicious and dangerous links.

Behavioral detection is featured in some products in the collection. On the one hand, this component can detect malware, which are unknown threats. On the other hand, behavioral analysis can lead to false positives for reliable programs.

One simple way to keep your computer as protected as possible is to install security updates for Windows, browsers, and other popular programs. In Windows 10, updates are mandatory and fully automated, but there remain a large number of gaps in older Windows systems, popular applications and plugins. Vulnerability scanning in the form of missed updates is a feature often found in commercial antivirus products. However, some free antiviruses have similar functionality.

Who was not included in the rating

This rating contains information only about free antivirus solutions that have received at least a “Good” rating based on PCMag reviews. Among those products that were not included in this rating is Windows Defender, which was awarded 2.5 stars. Microsoft participates in tests from all monitored antivirus labs, but only for basic protection. If a product cannot exceed the basic level of protection, it is not worth considering.

Avast Free Antivirus 2017 combines highly effective antivirus protection with a comprehensive collection of additional tools.

AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) has received an updated interface and new security technologies. Tests from independent labs and PCMag's own tests show that protection is stronger than ever.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition includes the same antivirus protection as the paid Bitdefender antivirus, but lacks the additional functionality of the commercial version.

Kaspersky's free antivirus offers full-featured basic antivirus protection that scores excellent in lab tests.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+ combines powerful antivirus protection from Kaspersky with a high-quality firewall. The product is an excellent choice for users who do not want to install a complex solution.

Sophos Home allows you to provide the capabilities of a powerful corporate antivirus to ordinary home users absolutely free. The product performed well in independent lab tests and most of PCMag's own tests.

Avira Free Antivirus (2017)

Avira Antivirus gets excellent scores from independent labs, but in PCMag's amateur tests it was very slow to scan the test system. Additionally, web protection only works in Chrome and Firefox.

Adaware Antivirus Free 12 has a new name and a new look. However, its testing results are not the best, and competing free antiviruses offer more features.

Comodo Antivirus 10 received a new look and achieved a perfect detection rate in the malware blocking test. However, the product performed worse in other PCMag tests and in independent lab tests.

Panda Free Antivirus has an attractive user interface and an unusual USB vaccination feature. However, the product didn't perform the best in independent lab tests and PCMag's own tests.

Qihoo 360 Total Security comes with a powerful set of additional tools, but its core antivirus protection can't compete with the best free antiviruses.

A few seconds after accessing the Internet. Viruses that spread on flash drives and other removable media are also not asleep. A number of worms are capable of using a WiFi wireless connection. Considering all this, the issue of choosing an antivirus becomes especially acute and top priority.

What do you need to know to choose the right antivirus?

Of course, you should choose an antivirus among the most well-known, reputable and proven programs. After all, creating an antivirus that can effectively detect and neutralize all types of viruses, as well as quickly monitor the emergence of new threats, is not an easy task, which only an experienced and large company can do. There are several such antiviruses, and you should choose among them. At the same time, there is a large share of personal preference in choosing an antivirus. Each specialist will warmly recommend his favorite brand to you, accusing others of inefficiency, gluttony for resources, etc. These statements should be assessed sensibly; they are largely subjective. All presenters are quite effective, although they differ in the nuances of their work and settings. Therefore, it is wise to try several of them and choose the one that suits you best. Remember that you should not run several antivirus programs at the same time - they will interfere with each other's work. Before installing and running the antivirus, the existing one should be stopped and uninstalled.

So, here is a list of noteworthy programs from which you can choose an antivirus.

Leading brands of Russian origin - Dr. Web and Kaspersky Anti-Virus. These products are of high quality, which are appreciated not only in our country, but also abroad. In addition, domestic antiviruses, as a rule, respond faster and better to new threats that appear in our country.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the leading product at the moment. Heuristic, which allows you to identify even previously unknown threats, update the database several times a day, check the contents of archives, etc.

Dr. Web is also a fairly powerful antivirus tool, loved by users for its careful use of resources. A good choice for equipment with insufficient power.

ESET NOD32 is a relatively young and promising antivirus that is quickly gaining popularity among users.

Panda Antivirus is also a fairly popular and effective product.

Avast! - an antivirus that has an important advantage over others: for individual non-commercial use, it is fully functional and completely free. The reason is not the excessive kindness and generosity of the product creators. Simply, to combat online epidemics, it is more effective to provide users with powerful protection than to try to neutralize massive virus attacks from millions of infected people.

Video on the topic

Sources:

• How to choose the right antivirus in 2019

The modern computer is constantly exposed to the threat of infection by viruses. In order to avoid this, special software is required - antiviruses. A separate problem is choosing the right antivirus program.

Video on the topic

Today, the number of full-fledged free antiviruses is more than a dozen. How to choose the best one among them, which will consume less computer resources and allow fewer false positives? In this article we will determine the fastest antivirus.

You will need

• Personal computer or laptop

Instructions

Select your operating system from the link provided in the article. The most recent test will be shown. Now let's sort the results by the parameter you are interested in. For example, Performance - antivirus performance. The higher, the smaller the system. Free antiviruses are circled in the figure.

Now let's check the data from another reputable antivirus tester - av-comparatives.org. Here, without knowledge of English, it will be difficult, so we will go straight to the Awards page. Here we will see the leaders.
So, it looks like Avast: Free AntiVirus 2014 can be considered the most productive antivirus!
The solution is also slightly behind AntiVirus FREE 2014. The third is the antivirus 360 Internet Security.

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note

No one can guarantee that the antivirus on your computer will be as fast as on the test equipment. Only actual use on your computer will give you an accurate estimate. Therefore, do not be afraid to install different antiviruses from the top three listed in our article.

Helpful advice

Reading user reviews of antiviruses does not lead to an objective assessment. You will find a lot of negative reviews even from users of expensive professional antiviruses.

Sources:

• Website av-test.org
• Website av-comparatives.org (awards)

When the question arises of protecting a computer's operating system from viruses, spyware and malware, the user is faced with a wide selection of different antiviruses. You can purchase both expensive licensed products and shareware ones. How to understand this diversity?

How to choose the right antivirus

First of all, it should be noted that supposedly free antiviruses have many limitations in settings, technical support, functionality, etc. They are unable to provide full internal protection, so there is little point in them. They are popular due to the efforts of marketers and ease of use.

It is better to pay attention to the three recognized leaders - Doctor Web, ESET and Kaspersky Anti-Virus. It’s worth mentioning right away that if you decide to spend money on a full-fledged licensed version, then it makes sense to purchase a full package that includes not only the antivirus itself, but also a firewall.

The prices for all three antiviruses are practically the same, so you can safely choose based on your goals. For example, if you need a parental control feature, then ESET is out of the question because it doesn't have it. Before purchasing, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the comparison tables of the functionality of antivirus programs. They can be easily found on the Internet.

Review of the main antiviruses

ESET NOD is a Slovak-made antivirus package, a comprehensive solution for protection against Trojans, worms, spyware, and phishing attacks. It uses proprietary ThreatSense technology to detect potential threats in real time. ESET also uses heuristic methods, which allows it to identify previously unknown viruses. The big advantages of the package are high speed and low use of system resources. No particular shortcomings were noticed with ESET, the only thing that causes criticism is some confusion of the interface, but problems arise only for inexperienced users.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus is one of the most popular anti-viruses in Russia and the CIS. Produced by the Russian Kaspersky Lab, this package provides protection against Trojans, adware, spyware, rootkits, keyloggers and unknown viruses. The program is actively criticized by both specialists and ordinary users for its lack of efficiency and a large number of false alarms.

Finally, Dr.Web is a popular antivirus that provides protection against the widest possible range of viruses. Its key feature is the ability to be installed correctly on an already infected machine. At the same time, it does not require resources and has an intuitive interface.

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Any antivirus The program uses a lot of computer system resources. Sometimes, in order to speed up your computer, you need to temporarily disable your antivirus program. You may need to free up RAM for other programs. If your computer is of average power, and you need to use several resource-intensive programs at once, then disabling the antivirus will increase the power of your PC.

• 1. List of paid antiviruses
• 2.ESET NOD32
• 3. Kaspersky Total Security
• 4. DR.Web
• 5. Norton Security
• 6. Emsisoft Anti-Malware
• 7. List of free antiviruses 2019
• 8. AVAST Free
• 9. AVG AntiVirus Free
• 10. BitDefender Antivirus Free Edition
• 11. Kaspersky Free
• 12. Avira Free

The rapid development of the Internet has not spared all kinds of scammers and hackers. They use malware to gain access to the user's personal information on his PC or take control of the computer.

To help you navigate the field of computer security, we have prepared a 2017-2018 antivirus rating for Windows 10. The selection includes both free and commercial programs.

List of paid antiviruses

ESET NOD32

When it comes to the capabilities of antivirus software, ESET is not always remembered, even though the company’s security programs are installed on 100 million devices around the world. You should not underestimate the arsenal of NOD32 Antivirus, since the antivirus has a large toolkit at its disposal to prevent hackers from attacking your computer. The cost of an annual subscription for 2 client computers is 1,590 rubles.

It is worth noting the fast scanning speed of local computer media in a special mode. At the same time, the antivirus carefully uses PC resources without interfering with other running processes. Gamers will love the special gaming mode that automatically turns off all pop-up notifications. The only drawback of NOD32 Antivirus is its weak protection against phishing; the program still allows a large number of malicious sites to pass through.

Conclusion: the best antivirus for Windows 10takes first place in the PCMag portal rating. Suitable forwindows 7.

Kaspersky Total Security

The latest version of the product is positioned as a cross-platform antivirus to protect several synchronized devices at once. By purchasing an annual subscription for 1,990 rubles, the user receives a licensed Total Security client, which monitors possible threats to both PCs and smartphones.

The antivirus has received several useful protective functions. For example, a virtual safe can block data on a disk with just one click of a button, and the Kaspersky Safe Kids parental control system limits access to potentially inappropriate sites for children. The disadvantages of Kaspersky Total Security include the significant loading time of Windows 10 when the antivirus autostarts.

Conclusion: the program will reliably protect your data on several devices at once; a wide range of tools increases the level of reliability of everyday PC use.

DR.Web

The latest versions of DR.Web antiviruses have been giving a clear answer to the question of which antivirus is best for Windows 10 for many years now. An annual subscription to the Dr. client. Web Security Space 11 costs only about 950 rubles. For this money, the user receives a file antivirus, Web antivirus, a parental control system and preventive protection. The latter prevents the spread of malware even before it is launched.

The latest version of Security Space 11 still does not get rid of the standard “disease” that many antivirus solutions suffer from – excessive consumption of RAM. Running local media scanning significantly reduces PC performance.

Conclusion: a cheap, but hardware-demanding antivirus. Recognizes the vast majority of viruses at an early stage.

Norton Security

Norton's reputation speaks for itself; the developer's products have been ranked among authoritative portals for several years in a row. An annual subscription to the latest version of Norton Security Deluxe antivirus will cost the buyer 1,205 rubles for 5 devices.

One of the main trump cards of Norton Security over its competitors is the presence of a special intelligent learning system. It has a multi-level protection principle that prevents malware from running. According to PCMag magazine, the antivirus received 9.7 points out of 10 possible, these results were given after testing the program to prevent virus attacks. It is also worth noting the high speed of Windows 10 with Norton Security installed.

Conclusion: an almost flawless antivirus with excellent performance. Included in the TOP 10 information security products according to the publicationPCMag.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware

An annual subscription to Emsisoft Anti-Malware 11.0 will cost the user exactly 999 rubles. It is worth noting the intuitive design of the antivirus; all unnecessary options are hidden in the settings menu. On the program's home page you can see four large buttons that lead to other windows.

The client performs excellently in PCMag's test, blocking 98% of malware. In addition to regular scanning, Anti-Malware also monitors suspicious activity of already installed programs. If unwanted processes are detected, the client immediately notifies the user. But things are bad with phishing; most attacks on suspicious sites were ignored.

Conclusion: an inexpensive antivirus with good protection against malware. The only negative is that it is not suitable for phishing sites.

List of free antiviruses 2019

AVAST Free

There is an opinion that free antiviruses have reduced functionality and are unable to protect important data. In the case of AVAST Free, everything is just the opposite; the antivirus in some aspects is superior to similar solutions from competitors. In addition to the usual scanning of local drives, AVAST Free also monitors Internet traffic, stores user passwords, provides encrypted access to the Network and checks the reliability of Wi-Fi networks.

If you decide to install a paid version of another client, AVAST Free will automatically go into sleep mode. The antivirus will not waste PC resources or conflict with another program. The problem with the software remains its weak protection against phishing; the client sometimes does not block potentially unwanted sites.

Conclusion: One of the best free antivirus programs, despite problems with phishing.

AVG AntiVirus Free

The program is managed using a single centralized utility, AVG Zen. Its interface is as simple as possible and includes four main menus: the antivirus itself, PC performance optimization, VPN protection and the Web Tuneup function. Some of the client's features are still only available with a paid subscription.

Reliability tests gave AVG AntiVirus Free very high scores. The program blocks up to 99% of malware coming to your computer from various sources. Phishing protection works at an average level; approximately 15% of unwanted sites still open in the user’s browser. Separately, it is worth noting the Do Not Track function. It blocks tracking of your activities (time spent visiting sites, activity) by third-party services.

Conclusion: free and reliable choice. To unlock all features, it is recommended to subscribe to a paid subscription.

BitDefender Antivirus Free Edition

The lack of a paid subscription does not prevent this antivirus from providing complete protection for the user. In the blocking test, the program scored the maximum number of points possible. The results of BitDefender Antivirus Free Edition were even better than those of some services with a very expensive paid subscription.

In addition to almost 100% blocking of malware, the antivirus provides one of the highest levels of protection against phishing. Additional features include Bitdefender SafePay, a special process that isolates a specific part of the desktop. It is recommended to use it during financial transactions over the Internet.

Conclusion: One of the best free alternatives to protect against phishing attacks. The only negative is the almost complete absence of all additional functions without a paid subscription.

Kaspersky Free

The variety of functions of Kaspersky Free is quite difficult to understand at first; a novice user will have to get used to it for quite a long time. The interface design of Kaspersky Free is very similar to the arrangement of icons in similar products from ESET.

The antivirus test results do not disappoint the name of the well-known company; the program coped with the majority of malicious links from the Internet. Additional features include an on-screen keyboard for secure password entry and a simple VPN. The latter provides a secure connection, albeit at a very low speed and only 200 MB of traffic per day.

Conclusion: the best free antivirus for Windows 10, a great gift for Kaspersky Lab fans. Suitable for those who have not yet saved up for the full version of the product.

Avira Free

The antivirus rating is closed by the development of a group of German programmers. Avira was founded back in 1986. Since then, it has been launching comprehensive solutions for information security at any level on the market. The free version of the antivirus has an average level of protection and very annoying advertising. In the process of work, new notifications appear every now and then with a call to install other products of the company.

The effectiveness of Avira Free has been proven in laboratory tests; antiviruses for Windows 10 from many other competitors remain behind the program's points. True, you will have to pay for security with a large amount of RAM, since the client uses PC resources very sparingly. The developers promise to improve antivirus optimization in 2019.

The more the Internet develops, the more malware appears there, used by attackers for various purposes. Therefore, the issue of computer security must be approached with the utmost seriousness. Keeping your computer safe starts with choosing an antivirus program. In this article we will look at what types of antivirus programs there are.

Dr.Web is a reliable antivirus

The company's security software has been on the market since 1992.

This antivirus software has a very user-friendly interface. Scanning is slow, but very high quality. The program is able to detect almost any virus, after which it offers to remove the infected program, cure it or quarantine it. You can use the program for free for a month, after which you need to purchase a license.

To scan your computer for viruses, or a utility Dr.web CureIt, which scans your computer for threats and removes them.

You can also download another useful utility - Dr.Web Linkcheckers. This program is a browser extension that blocks ads and checks links and downloaded files.

Also among the useful components of Dr.Web, you should pay attention to Dr.Web LiveCD. This is a free system recovery application. It is quite effective in restoring the system for most possible failures.

Avast is a popular free antivirus.

Avast is a comprehensive software tool for detecting and removing malware. Avast is able to scan your computer in several modes: full scan, express scan and single folder scan. It is also possible to scan when the computer boots. This process takes quite a long time, but is the most effective.

Avast antivirus is available in several versions:

1. Avast Free antivirus is a free antivirus option.
2. Avast Pro Antivirus - standard version.
3. Avast Internet Security is a tool for Internet security.
4. Avast Premier is the most comprehensive version with various security components.

To use the free version, it is enough to indicate your email address and full name.

Kaspersky Internet Security

Kaspersky is a software tool that can easily be called one of the leaders among security products. Many uninformed users criticize it for the fact that it heavily loads the computer's RAM. But this was the case before, and modern versions of this antivirus do not consume very many resources, a computer, and do not greatly affect performance. The only resource-consuming process is scanning hard drives, and in all other cases, the antivirus has virtually no effect on system performance.

The antivirus includes: a classic antivirus, an online scanner that protects your computer in real time, and an antispyware module. on our website.

ESET NOD32 ANTI-VIRUS

ESET NOD32 is also a fairly popular antivirus tool; like most other similar products, it has a classic antivirus, web antivirus and antispyware. NOD32 is one of the fastest antiviruses, the operation of which does not in any way affect the operation of the system.

ESET NOD32 Business Edition includes a centralized system for protecting servers from Trojans, ad viruses, worms and many other threats. The product also includes the ESET Remote Administrator application used for administering corporate networks.

ESETNOD32 Business Edition Smart Security is a tool for comprehensive protection of servers and workstations in large enterprises and offices, including antivirus, antispam, antispyware and personal firewall.

Comodo Antivirus Free

When talking about popular antivirus tools, one cannot fail to mention free antivirus COMODO. It may not be the most powerful antivirus product, but its main advantage is that it is completely free. It is free to use at home and in business. Despite being free, COMODO provides a fairly impressive range of antivirus tools.

COMODO also produces paid security products. The most powerful of this company's paid antiviruses is Comodo Internet Security Complete, which is suitable for ensuring security, even in large production facilities or in the office.

Conclusion on choosing an antivirus

The choice of antivirus programs is very large and they all have certain advantages and disadvantages. There are both paid and free antiviruses. Of course, many users, especially for commercial organizations, seek to purchase a paid product in order to be as confident as possible in the security of their PCs. But even among free antiviruses there is a large selection of tools that can ensure the security of information at the proper level.

You have to pay for pleasures, and you have to pay for free pleasures. Well, it’s never happened to anyone: they downloaded a pirated program, followed an unknown link, and on you - they picked up viruses. Then we pay with the loss of information, and sometimes money. At best, we spend time searching for and destroying the malware, rejoicing if it didn’t manage to do much harm, and regretting that we didn’t get good protection in time.

Which antivirus should you trust with your security, since they are all different? Of course, the strongest. Today I have prepared a rating of the best antiviruses of early 2018 based on the results of the last half of 2017. Unexpected discoveries await you!

Who compiles antivirus program ratings and how?

Inexperienced users usually follow the recommendations of friends or the advice of “gurus” from computer forums. However, people’s opinions, based only on their personal experience, can hardly be called objective: some people like one thing, others another. Meanwhile, there is data that you can really trust: these are the results of comparative tests conducted by specialists from independent professional laboratories. Such as, and some others. Their activity consists of a thorough, comprehensive study of the properties of antivirus products and a comparative assessment of their effectiveness.

Testing is carried out in various areas. For example:

• The best antivirus for Windows.
• The best means of protecting mobile devices.
• Best performance in treating active infection, etc.

Researchers publish summary reports on their websites and in specialized online publications. Products that have received a maximum of gold-silver-bronze medals, especially in several categories and in different laboratories, are objectively the best.

Major League 2018: antiviruses with the maximum detection rate and the fewest errors

And antivirus programs aimed at the home segment should not require serious mental effort from the user during installation and configuration, but at the same time they should provide a high level of security. Therefore, developers are tasked with configuring their products to perform optimally by default. More precisely, maintain a golden balance between the level of detection of malicious objects and false detections. Ideally, the first indicator should be 100%, and the second 0%, but in real conditions, few succeed.

Based on the results of dynamic testing conducted for 5 months in a row, experts from the AV-Comparatives laboratory determined which antiviruses protect the system best using default settings. By the concept of “best protection” they meant the maximum level of recognition of various malware and the minimum level of false positives.

The top five were:

• First place: (Germany) - a comprehensive solution that includes an anti-virus scanner, a personal data protection tool, a website security monitor, etc. The cost of an annual license for 1 computer is approximately $35.

• Second place: (Romania) – universal antivirus with a multi-level web protection system. The promotional price for an annual license for 3 devices is $49.99 (this is with a discount).

• Third place: for all devices (Russia) - a powerful anti-virus processor with advanced capabilities. The cost of an annual subscription for 3 devices is 1990 rubles.

• Fourth place: (USA). A single machine license costs $38.49 (discounted) per year.

• Fifth place: (Czech Republic). Free.

Free is good… it happens!

And now the promised surprise and pleasant surprise. To ensure the proper level of security for your devices, you don't have to buy an expensive commercial product. Some free antiviruses cope with this task no worse than paid ones.

Not only solutions with a minimum basic level of protection are non-commercial. Many of them are packages that, in addition to antivirus, include a firewall, tools for protecting user personal information, a password manager, web security modules, vulnerability scanners, etc. At the same time, they do an excellent job of detecting and removing all types of malicious objects and effectively preventing re-infections.

So, according to comparative tests, the best free ones in 2017 were:

• Already familiar
• (Czech Republic) .

• (Spain).

• (USA).

The free use of these products is unlimited, but some require annual license renewal.

"Cyber ​​antibiotics" of the year: the best in the treatment of active infection

Truly good antiviruses can not only repel potential threats, but also cope with the treatment of active infections, which means running on an infected machine without problems, cleaning out malicious objects of any type, and ideally restoring damaged operating system functions.

The AV-Test laboratory determined how standard antivirus systems and . Each prototype passed more than 450 tests. The study was carried out for about 6 months on real computers in Windows 7. Therefore, the accuracy of the result is beyond doubt.

Based on the testing results, the following leaders were identified:

• Utility (USA).

• Kaspersky Internet Security and utility (another name AVPTool).
• (USA).

• Avast!FreeAntivirus.

As for repairing damage to Windows after infection, only Kaspersky Lab products have this ability among the leaders in this rating. They also do a good job of cleaning viruses and restoring the functionality of unbootable systems, for example, those blocked by a ransomware Trojan or with a damaged bootloader. For this purpose, the Laboratory has released a free bootable rescue disk - an image for recording on DVD or USB flash drives. The disk's toolkit includes a powerful anti-virus scanner and system recovery tools.

The best protection for operating systems

Windows 10

Microsoft has recently equipped its products with a built-in and, in their opinion, full-fledged MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) antivirus tool, which has been renamed to “Windows Defender”. However, the “Defender” does not provide any special protection. Together with the Windows Firewall (which the user must still configure), it creates only a basic barrier against the most serious threats.

Microsoft Security Essentials' detection rate of malicious objects is significantly lower than that of the leaders in today's rankings. And even below average. However, in 2016 there was progress. If several years ago MSE showed record low efficiency in tests, today it is simply low.

According to the AV-Test laboratory, the following applications demonstrated the best protection performance in Windows 10:

• Already familiar Avira Antivirus Pro.
• Excellent in every way
• Popular in Europe, but not in Russia BitdefenderInternetSecurity.
• A promising Japanese antivirus.

• And an Indian product known in eastern countries .

The assessment was carried out according to three main parameters:

• quality of protection, including against malware unknown to the antivirus;
• impact on the overall performance of the computer (the less, the better);
• ease of use (usability) and the number of false detections.

The first two products showed equally excellent results. The other three are only 0.5 points behind them.

Android

Special, increased requirements are placed on mobile platform protection tools. In addition to a high level of detection and neutralization of threats, they should not reduce the autonomy of the device, take up a lot of memory space and unduly affect network traffic (as some operators still charge for each kilobyte downloaded and sent to the network).

According to AV Test, 6 products meet these criteria. I am very pleased that several free solutions were among the leaders. Here they are:

• (Great Britain).