The Best Antivirus of 2020
The need for antivirus has increased
The advent of the dark web has made us be on guard against
cybercriminals. There have been several cyberattacks against the biggest names
in the business. It has become necessary to take safeguards against hackers. As
the first line of defence, we have the antivirus software that needs to be
loaded on all employee terminals at the workplace and also on all personal
desktops and laptops.
An antivirus will help you prevent your system from being
hacked by cybercriminals. The hackers utilise various techniques to hack into a
network and create havoc with the underlying critical data. Sensitive personal
information could also be financial data like credit card information or even,
bank details. Antiviruses will help prevent any unauthorised access by ensuring
that unknown programmes are blocked and prevent any brute force attacks on your
systems.
Best Antivirus of 2020
You are always worried about the safety of the data stored
on your workstations. Similarly, organisations are also worried about the
safety of data on their networks. You need to safeguard the data against
hackers for which antiviruses can help. But how do you know which are the best
in the market? We will now discuss some of the antiviruses that you can use.
Kaspersky Total Security
Overview
An entry-level programme, the Kaspersky Total Security
provides excellent malware protection capabilities along with the negligible
impact on the performance of the system. The antivirus also provides excellent
ransomware protection. It also comes with parental controls along with a
virtual keyboard. Kaspersky was also among the first antivirus software to
implement two-factor authentication.
Pros
- All products undergo heuristic monitoring along with AI analysis. This helps the products to prevent malware from attacking your system.
- Kaspersky has 100% detection scores at various tests in June 2019. Apart from protecting your phones and tablets, it also prevents webcam hijacking.
- The user can easily schedule scans as per their policy. There are settings for vulnerability, quick or full scans.
Cons
- It can use up a lot of resources of your device. It makes the performance of your system a tad slower than its competitors.
- The cost of the barebones Kaspersky is also a bit higher than some of its competitors.
- The Essential version costs Rs. 719.20 for a term of 2 years. You can buy online on the Kaspersky website.
Norton AntiVirus Plus
Overview
It runs on Windows and Mac and had been revamped as
AntiVirus Plus in 2019 through a slew of advanced features. It provides
high-quality protection during browsing, PC maintenance support services and an
intelligent firewall. It also allows unlimited access to the VPN along with
security for your webcam and monitoring of the dark web and blocks malicious
domains while browsing. The presence of Norton Power Eraser helps to eradicate
far trickier threats. There is also an Insights tool that provides reports on
the reputation of the files on your terminal.
Pros
- The antivirus software comes with a backup toll with 2 GB online storage.
- The installation does not make any flimsy demand on the system resources.
- It is straightforward with fast scans available through clicks.
Cons
- If you subscribe to the Norton 360, you would be unable to subscribe to the Norton AntiVirus Plus. The subscription for the AntiVirus Plus is removed from the cart without informing the user.
- The Norton AntiVirus Plus is slower in finding newer threats and sending out a warning than its peers.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Overview
It could be the ideal antivirus for you due to its malware
removal capabilities coupled with faster scans. The cheapest version also has
ransomware protection and a hardened browser. It comes with an Anti-tracker
that provides the user with security while browsing and shows the blocked
items. Along with webcam protection, it also prevents microphone hijacking. It
also comes with parental control and is also able to scan emails.
Pros
- Detection of malware starts with the detection of known threats along with a lookout for behavioural signs for infection.
- A password manager makes banking and online purchases safer as it forces an encrypted HTTPS connection and prevents browser add-ons.
- An on-screen keyboard stops all keylogging malware.
- It is known for its fast scans and superior system performance.
Cons
- The performance of Bitdefender can be said to be good but not without flaws. On testing, Bitdefender had fallen behind some of its peers.
The basic protection level for Bitdefender comes at an annual
rate of Rs. 1549.50 for three devices.
Trend Micro Maximum Security
Overview
While on the one hand, the Trend Micro Maximum Security is
known for its heightened security levels, it leads to a fall in the performance
of the terminal. It comes with parental control, a file shredder and a system
optimiser. The suspected files are uploaded to the Smart Protection Network and
tested further. On disclosure of a threat, it updates its database and sends
the information to all clients. It can also scan your emails on Gmail and
Outlook to search for phishing emails.
It supports browser extensions for browsers like Google
Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer.
It also blocks malicious websites and works with Trend Micro's password
manager.
Pros
- It protects your terminal from rootkits, phishing, spam, malware and ransomware. Its performance matches those of its competitors.
- The Pay Guard features secure browsers and forces an encrypted data connection wherever possible.
- It has a Folder Shield that protects essential files, including those stored on the cloud.
Cons
- The malware scanner often creates false detections which could lead to wrong quarantines and deletion of vital records.
- It does not come with a two-way firewall, and there is no protection from microphone and webcam hijacking.
- Protection comes at the price of lower system performance and slows down the computer.
The antivirus software comes at Rs. 1574 for an annual
subscription. It covers a single device only.
Avast Antivirus
Overview
While Avast bought over its competitor AVG, both of them
have not merged yet. The reason being that some of the clients prefer one over
the other. The latest edition can reduce the load on the system and mute
pop-ups if you are playing a game that utilises lots of resources. It also has
a password manager to help you in handling the security of your terminals.
The Avast Premium version comes with a firewall, secure file
deletion and a spam filter. You can also have webcam hijack protection. It also
comes with an anti-ransomware solution to prevent unauthorised apps from
modifying files. It prevents malware from hijacking your DNS and blocks
malicious downloads.
Pros
- It comes with a sandbox to enable users to run suspicious programmes and apps.
- It is configurable to the extent that you can choose which features you wish to enable.
- You can have more scan options that most of its peers; viz. a boot-time scan, a quick scan and a full scan. You can also create a custom scan of your wish.
Cons
- The setup programme installs the antivirus and also automatically selects it as your default browser.
- When setup is complete, you must know that it eats up one GB of your data space.
- Avast may impose some issues on the speed of your desktop or other devices.
The Windows version of Avast Premium comes at an annual
subscription of Rs. 1999 for one device.
Windows Defender Security Center
Overview
If you are looking for a no-frills software, the Windows
Defender is ideal for you. Surprisingly, the free version has essential
features like parental control and browser protection. It comes pre-installed
with the Windows 8.1 and 10 versions. It scans your system for malware and
monitors software to find the infected files.
As a prevention against ransomware, it controls access to
main folders along with network protection and prevents data from being stolen.
Pros
- It can browse through the malware code and get to the dangerous portions.
- The features have developed immensely and count among the best free antivirus software.
Cons
- Its performance is not as good as the industry leaders and offers only a barebones software.
It is not always easy to manage and shoots up many false
positives after a scan.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus
Overview
The NOD32 is ideal for home users with a sharp focus on
anti-ransomware and anti-phishing techniques. It supports Windows, Linux and Mac
devices. Moreover, it comes with a secure browser, parental control and a spam
filter feature. Unauthorised programmes cannot access your webcam, and it also
can locate your missing laptop.
Pros
- It comes with a feature to monitor dangerous traffic patterns and a firewall. You can also scan your home devices.
- It allows your essential files and folders to be encrypted.
- Apart from checking files for malware, you can also check its reputation.
- It has two filters for URLs: one protects from phishing sites and the other blocks general website dangers.
Cons
- Though known to be lightweight, it uses up 800 MB of space.
- It allows limited scan types only; viz. removable scan, full system scan and custom scans, but you can include the drives, folders and files of your choice.
- There are issues with its abilities to detect malware and does not score highly like its peers.
It is reasonably priced at Rs. 1279 for three years. Buy it
on the ESET website.
McAfee AntiVirus
Overview
It is another of those antiviruses that have significantly
improved but still a long way from the top guys. They can run on OS X, Windows,
Android or iOS. It also includes the best password managers available in the
market. You can get the benefits of parental control if you are on a specific
license plan. A Vulnerability Scanner which checks for weaknesses in passwords.
A two-way firewall can find vulnerabilities in your network.
The three performance boosters help to speed up the
applications, tidies up the temp files and registry files, and balances battery
life with overall system performance when playing online videos.
Pros
- It has a data shredder with four levels of protection.
- You can also protect your terminals from cryptojacking software in addition to rootkits, worms, viruses and trojans.
- If you are on a specific plan, you get unlimited access to the VPN.
Cons
- While it can detect well-known malware, it is unable to identify "zero-day" malware or the newest ones. It also shows up more false positives than its peers.
An annual subscription of the McAfee AntiVirus costs Rs.
1,299. You can buy it online through the McAfee website.
Avira Antivirus
Overview
It was ranked among the best free antivirus software until
its peers upped their game. It runs on Windows 7 (with Service Pack 1), Windows
8/8.1 and Windows 10. Browser extensions rate websites based on their earlier
reputation. It is a barebones software that pinches you towards its paid
version. An applet adjusts the Windows firewall. A password manager, a VPN
service and a system optimiser are all available at an extra price.
It has three-layer protection; including a malware scanner
comparing files against an incumbent library, and monitoring to examine code
and indications of any infected files. Users can quickly start a scan from the
main window.
Pros
- Like most of its peers, infected files are updated to the signature updates that are sent to all its global users.
Cons
- The scans undertaken by Avira slows down the system too much and have lagged behind the other brands.
- It is not counted among the best in blocking phishing attempts and malware, coupled with a heavy system load during scans.
- Emails are opened when opened and not when they arrive.
The Avira Antivirus Pro version annual subscription is
available at Rs. 1529 and is available online at its website. It is for one
device only.
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