According to the results of some experts, the best antivirus for Windows 7 are Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Symantec and Trend Micro
There are antivirus and antivirus, at least in the opinion of some experts. We know, not all protection software available today offers the same performance. Some are more effective against certain threats and others are “lighter” but less efficient.
Protecting yourself against viruses and malware therefore means choosing the right antivirus. The problem is not easy to solve, especially considering the growing number and increasingly sophisticated level of cyber attacks. A help could come from the new research conducted once again by the German company AV-TEST that has drawn up a ranking of the best antivirus for Windows 7. The company specialized in cybersecurity has subjected the software to a “stress test” that involved more than 11 thousand malware attacks and the analysis of 1.3 million files. Basically, each software’s response was measured by considering three variables: protection, performance and usability.
Test results
Based on the three categories listed above, each antivirus was given a maximum score of six points. The new ranking partly reflects the previous Windows 10 results. Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Symantec and Trend Micro software took first place, recording the maximum score of 18 points: 6 in protection, 6 in performance and 6 in usability. The 4 most virtuous antivirus are heeled by the protection programs F-Secure and Quick Heal, which with 17.5 points are placed in second position.
Surprise Microsoft
Downhill, the ranking gets interesting. Security Essentials, Microsoft’s security system, and often considered as a basic protection tool, scored 16.5, just like the most used Avira, AVG and Avast. The latter antivirus deserves more attention. The free protection software got 6 in protection and 6 in usability, but only 4.5 points in performance.
The least effective antivirus
Now let’s take a look at the antivirus that recorded the lowest scores. Among the least effective and efficient, we find ESET, which, according to the study of the German company, obtained a total score of 15.5, Intel/McAfee with 14.5 and Comodo with only 13 points.
How to protect yourself
These studies are important because they can guide individuals and especially companies in choosing the best software to protect their data from hacker attacks. These softwares can do nothing – or little they can do – if they are not accompanied also by a right preparation against the threats coming from the web. If a user opens a suspicious email, or clicks on an unreliable link, it becomes very difficult for these programs to protect devices.