Real-World Antivirus Protection Test: Winners and Losers

[A Guy]

Your antivirus tool has many different opportunities to protect your PC from attack. It can totally block access to a malicious URL, wipe out the downloaded code on sight, recognize and prevent malicious behavior, even roll back the system changes made by a malware attack. It's easy to create a lab test that checks just one of these layers, for example, the ability to block malicious URLs or recognize malware by signature. Such a test is informative, but doesn't give the whole picture. AV-Comparatives runs a continual Real-World Protection test that lets each antivirus use all of its weapons against live malware. The latest summary of this test's results reveals a broad range of effectiveness.

Source

A Guy

 

[TVeblen]

One thing I never see in these tests is a comparison of free vs paid programs. Or even an acknowledgement of whether they are testing the free or paid version.

I've always used only free AV. This is not a corporate environment. So I'm obviously interested in whether there is any difference.

 

[A Guy]

But, but...they do say what they are testing? Avast, Ad-Aware, and Panda all mention free.



Do you mean compare a certain companies free to that same companies paid?

A Guy

 

[andrew129260]

Not sure what you mean there TVeblen.

If you read the full report in every detail and small print lots of info shows up.

 

[King Arthur]

The thing that annoys me about this test is that they're trying to dodge around MSE and Windows Defender.

They need to test MSE since it's a legitimate AV program, but they skirt around giving it a formal rating because it's "optional" and "included in the operating system" and thus "out-of-competition".

I never trusted these reviews all that much to begin with and I still will continue to use and recommend MSE, but it does make me wonder if there are ulterior motives at play here.

 

[A Guy]

AV-Comparatives ran this test under Windows 7, and included the optional Microsoft Security Essentials as a baseline. Had it been given an official rating, it wouldn't have reached the Standard level. Along with AhnLab and ThreatTrack VIPRE, Microsoft rated merely Tested.

MSE is the baseline in this test. A Guy

 

[TVeblen]

But, but...they do say what they are testing? Avast, Ad-Aware, and Panda all mention free.

View attachment 326143

Do you mean compare a certain companies free to that same companies paid?

A Guy

Oui!

 

[andrew129260]

MSE will always remain a baseline.

It only has simple methods of detecting malware, and is a very light baseline solution.

The average user requires much more. MSE is also very easily disabled and shut down.

But I do not want to get into a pissing contest over mse again.

Having said that, if you do not trust non profits or multiple testing companies and testing for yourself, better wear that tinfoil hat.


@TVeblen

Your fine

 

[TVeblen]

Not sure what you mean there TVeblen.

If you read the full report in every detail and small print lots of info shows up.

You have hit upon my weakness: no time (too lazy) to scan for small print.

 

[Layback Bear]

Small print hell; look at the huge Bitdefender add on the page. Who do you think is going to get a great report.

 

[andrew129260]

Small print hell; look at the huge Bitdefender add on the page. Who do you think is going to get a great report.

That "ad" is for the website that is hosting the article talking about the report from av comparatives, and not coming from the site (av comparatives) non profit who is doing the actual study. Please look more closely.

The full actual report the article talks about is found here:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/avc_prot_2014a_en.pdf

And if that was the case (which it isn't), then explain why panda did better in the testing compared to bit defender?

There is also av test:

http://www.av-test.org/en/home/

 

[Computer0304]

Not sure what you mean there TVeblen.

If you read the full report in every detail and small print lots of info shows up.

You have hit upon my weakness: no time (too lazy) to scan for small print.

It's okay, you are not the only one. (Same for me) Huh, then why did I put that in my sig?

 

[Phone Man]

The thing that annoys me about this test is that they're trying to dodge around MSE and Windows Defender.

They need to test MSE since it's a legitimate AV program, but they skirt around giving it a formal rating because it's "optional" and "included in the operating system" and thus "out-of-competition".

I never trusted these reviews all that much to begin with and I still will continue to use and recommend MSE, but it does make me wonder if there are ulterior motives at play here.

MSE was tested and it really sucks.



Jim

 

[andrew129260]

@Phone Man

You just had to start the war didn't you?

 

[Phone Man]

@Phone Man

You just had to start the war didn't you?

Only when others post opinions not backed by the facts.

Jim

 

[King Arthur]

@Phone Man

You just had to start the war didn't you?

Only when others post opinions not backed by the facts.

Jim

I didn't comment one way or the other about MSE's prowess, only that I personally will keep using and recommending it regardless of reviews. What annoyed me was that the test refused to formally rate MSE alongside all the others on the simple basis that it was the baseline, "optional", "included in the operating system" and "out-of-competition" (their words, not mine).

They tested it, so they might as well formally rate it so that all the participants have an equal showing.

I digress though, to each their own.

 

[A Guy]

They did rate it, it came in last. A Guy

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...I never trusted these reviews all that much to begin with and I still will continue to use and recommend MSE...

Based on many of your past posts, that's not surprising.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

One thing I never see in these tests is a comparison of free vs paid programs. Or even an acknowledgement of whether they are testing the free or paid version.

I've always used only free AV. This is not a corporate environment. So I'm obviously interested in whether there is any difference.

I agree. The report (and I read the complete PDF) doesn't compare free versions of the AVs with the paid versions.

 

[Phone Man]

My favorite quote:

My mine is made up, don't confuse me with facts.

Jim