Is Antivirus Software Necessary
Windows Defender has been available since the Windows Vista days as an antispyware program, designed to monitor and detect programs that try to gather information about you without your knowledge. With the release of Windows 8, Windows Defender was upgraded to offer additional antivirus protection features. Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender built in to the operating system itself. Microsoft Security Essentials offers antivirus protection against viruses, spyware, Trojans and rootkits, and it is available on Windows XP, Vista and 7 but not on Windows 8.
Although Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials offer built-in support and Microsoft continues to improve upon these systems, they don't generate high scores in the tests conducted by AV-Test, the respected independent antivirus software test lab. This is expected to a point, as these programs were designed as a baseline of protection for users who don't plan on purchasing commercial antivirus protection. However, AV-Test regularly publishes its test results comparing both Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials to the top third-party antivirus programs. The third-party systems score higher every single time.
Although baseline virus protections can give you some sense of security, you want the top-performing antivirus programs to make sure you are always protected. AV-Test tests two separate categories of malware or virus interception: the detection of widespread and prevalent viruses and the detection of zero-day, or brand-new, malware attacks. In both categories of tests, Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials performed poorer than the industry standard, regardless of which Windows operating system was used during the tests. This means that third-party antivirus programs are more capable of protecting your computer, and you, against malicious virus attacks.
TOP 10 BEST ANTIVIRUS FOR 2016
1) Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016
Gold Award Winner
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus protects against professional hackers and identity thieves. Full of safety features and easy to use, this program wins our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award for best antivirus software. As in previous years, this software received the highest marks in independent tests that measure protection, performance and ease of use. The company also offers excellent customer service, which includes the ability to reach representatives 24/7.
2) Kaspersky Anti-virus Plus 2016
Silver Award Winner
Kaspersky Anti-Virus outshines so many of its competitors that it wins our Top Ten Reviews Silver Award for best virus protection. Its ability to seek out and destroy malware – whether the malware is known or freshly hatched – is remarkable. Although it is the entry-level Kaspersky security product, it includes more features than some others in its product category. For example, some of Kaspersky’s competitors lack antiphishing and automatic detection of removable media.
3) McAfee Antivirus Plus 2016
Bronze Award Winner
In your quest to find the best virus protection software for your Windows computer, few products are more effective than McAfee AntiVirus Plus. While it isn't a complete internet security suite, it includes a rich set of features beyond typical antivirus software. However, features are of secondary importance to protection. McAfee AntiVirus Plus competes at the head of the class, where it wins our Top Ten Reviews Bronze Award
4) Norton Antivirus Plus 2016
Norton Security goes beyond antivirus protection by combining many previous products into one antivirus protection subscription. While Norton’s competitors often pursue a complicated product family architecture, Norton Security brings all of its consumer antivirus software products into one unit, jam-packed with features. More importantly, Norton Security backs up these features with solid performance.
5) F-Secure Antivirus Plus 2016
F-Secure Anti-Virus is among the best antivirus software applications. It is sleek, fast and effective. With advanced protection technology and additional integrated security features, F-Secure protects against viruses, spyware, worms and Trojans. F-Secure can also locate and eliminate rootkits. This antivirus software also protects against viruses spread through emails, cookies or malware that attempts to infiltrate the Windows registry.
6) Avira Antivirus Plus 2016
Competition among the top antivirus application publishers is fierce because more than a billion PC users require protection from the dark side of the internet. It's common to purchase commercial antivirus software rather than settle for Windows Defender, which is part of Windows 8. One virus scanner well worth considering is Avira Antivirus Pro.
7) Panda Antivirus Plus 2016
Panda Security is one of the dominant virus control software vendors. Panda Antivirus Pro offers some helpful features such as a rescue disk tool, automatic USB scanning and a built-in firewall. In terms of protection and performance, Panda Antivirus Pro runs with the best, according to AV-Test.
8) Trend Micro Antivirus + Security 10
Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus + Security is antivirus software that protects against viruses and spyware, as well as other malware: keyloggers, hackers, operating system exploits, dialers, malicious scripts, ransomware, email attachments, malicious ZIP files, Trojan horses, rootkits and worms. Independent test lab AV-Test certifies Trend Micro on Windows 7 and Windows 8. In fact, it scored well in protection, performance and usability tests.
9) BullGuard Antivirus 2016
In the crowded antivirus field, it is difficult to find positive ways to stand out. BullGuard Antivirus does this with antispam tools, impressive early-detection features, an attractive interface and excellent customer service. BullGuard antivirus software works to identify and remove a wide variety of viruses, spyware, worms, rootkits and Trojans.
10) eScan Anti-Virus 14
eScan Anti-Virus offers a good balance of performance and features. It is more than adequate for protecting your computer from a number of online threats, including viruses, rootkits, spyware and other malware. It is effective at detecting and removing existing malware, as well as protecting your PC from new threats.
