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Antivirus software works by protecting your computer, mobile, and other internet-connected devices from viruses, Trojans, and malware, including ransomware.
Most modern antivirus uses a combination of application whitelisting and blacklisting to protect users. Application whitelisting creates a list of things that are safe and only allows those things through, while blacklisting creates a list of unsafe things that are blocked when recognized.
We evaluate these products based on independent third-party testing, our own in-house testing, and the overall value they provide. We then weigh each feature and calculate an overall star rating out of 5 possible stars.
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All products are tested on our own devices with subscriptions bought using our own money. Here’s what goes into every antivirus rating that we display on All About Cookies.
This section of our rankings determines how the antivirus software protects you from malware, viruses, Trojans, and hackers. Protection features are very important and need to function properly.
What it is: Real-time protection is the ability to protect you as you’re using the internet, including blocking malicious downloads as they happen. This is different from virus scans, which search for files that are already on your computer.
How we test it: We turn on the antivirus real-time protection and try to download fake virus files.
How we rate it:
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What it is: A blocker that filters internet traffic to catch anything malicious before it infects your computer.
How we test it: We turn on the firewall feature, if available, and run EICAR testing to see if it catches the test files.
How we rate it:
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Independent third-party testing is one of the best ways to evaluate a security product. We take test results from the two most reputable companies — AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives — as well as our own EICAR testing, to see how well the software works.
What it is: European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (EICAR) is an independent company that provides test files that mimic malware, viruses, Trojans, phishing, and potentially unwanted programs to test the effectiveness of your antivirus software.
How we test it: We turn on the antivirus software and run the files from EICAR.
How we rate it:
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What it is: A reputable third-party service that rigorously tests antivirus software. It should be noted that companies have to pay to be evaluated by AV-TEST, but AV-TEST only gives accurate findings and doesn’t play favorites.
How we test it: We search for the most recent AV-TEST scores on each individual product.
How we rate it:
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What it is: Another reputable third-party service that rigorously tests antivirus software. Again, companies must pay to be evaluated, but that is for the privilege of evaluation and doesn’t affect the results.
How we test it: We also search AV-Comparatives for the most recent scores for each product.
How we rate it:
What it is: A U.K.-based firm that evaluates cybersecurity products and services. Like AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, SE Labs uses a combination of the most aggressive and most modern malware, viruses, and Trojans to test an antivirus’ effectiveness.
How we test it: We search SE Labs for the most recent testing and scores for each product evaluated.
How we rate it:
This refers to the type and efficiency of the antivirus scans meant to catch anything malicious or even unwanted from your device. A scan is essential to catching anything that real-time protection doesn’t.
What it is: Manual scans are ones you initiate yourself while scheduled ones can be set-and-forget routine security measures.
How we test it: When testing the product, we look for the ability to scan manually as well as set scheduled scans.
How we rate it:
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What it is: This is how fast your software scans your device for viruses, Trojans, malware, and potentially unwanted programs.
How we test it: We run full disk scans along with quick scans and anything else offered by the software during our testing.
How we rate it:
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If software is too confusing, you may not want to use it. We evaluate how easy a product is to use, especially for those who aren’t tech savvy, and how well the design and interface make using the antivirus a breeze.
What it is: This is how you see and use the product.
How we test it: We examine a product as if we knew nothing about how it’s supposed to work. Our evaluation includes finding every advertised feature to see if it’s readily available or if you have to search for it.
How we rate it:
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What it is: This refers to the customer service options, the efficiency of the service provided, and the time it takes to receive a response from support.
How we test it: We reach out to support like any other customer via all the available channels.
How we rate it:
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This evaluates how much value the product adds at its price point, especially in comparison to its competitors. Products that offer a lot for a little provide the most bang for your buck. We also look at free products to make sure they keep your data safe and do what they advertise.
What it is: What features and functionality you get for the price you pay for the software.
How we test it: We compare each antivirus to competitors to see who’s offering the best value for the money.
How we rate it:
We’ve included the percentages of how each aspect is weighted when we evaluate the software. We keep a grading rubric where we enter all the information based on a 5-star system. Once the totals are tallied, we input our star rating on our product reviews based on the breakdown you see above.
Testing is not a one-and-done situation. We retest products regularly and give updates on if and how the service has changed. This allows us to recommend the best antivirus software so you can make an informed decision.