Best Paid AV Security 2023

[zkSnark]

As we are in to 2023, few of the AV testing websites have published the test results for 2022/2023 based on malware protection, performance and other criteria. Below are the test results I have compiled from these websites.

Now, let's hear what MT members have to say regarding their analysis and opinion about the best paid internet security software.

Which AV software do you think perform best in terms of real-time protection, online and offline malware protection (detection and block pre-launch and post-launch), ransomware protection, false positives, use of system resources, etc.? It can be one product or combination of different products that provide the best protection.

And which periodic scanners along with the main AV software do you think provide extra security?

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

I use Intego A/V for my Mac. Seems ok, regular updates etc.

 

[Cheeseman]

I've used quite a lot of AVs, most (if not all) of them were the Internet Security Editions. When it strictly comes to performance and required resources, the very best was Eset. I used to use Kaspersky and Bitdefender too, both of them ended up reinstalling the entire computer, due to resource usages. Sure they provide more or less the same overall protection as Eset (this isn't a-licking), but at a heftier price. Now I only use Malwarebytes Free edition + Adguard (both which technically aren't AVs, I know and well aware of) which is more than enough for me. I used Avast too, it was okayish for resource hunger, but horrible for protection. The rest I used are lost and forgotten.

 

[ForgottenSeer 97327]

Thanks for your hard work, but because the results are so close it is better to zoom-in on the missed samples, like @Andy Ful does in his "it does not matter which Tier-1 / Premium Antivirus you use" threads because the differences are marginal, see example below (Avast Free scored in below references 100% while KIS paid scored 99.2% and 99.7%)

AV-Test rewards an antivirus a 6 when it meets the average protection results, better to summarize calculate the missed samples in the under laying score.
For Kaspersky (link) this would: November and December 312 samples total (we don't know the division, so let's assume 50-50) a protection percentage KIS of 99.2% in December would indicate a missed number of samples: 301 X 50% = 150,5. 99,2% of 150,5 = 149,3 so KIS missed 1 sample

AV-Comparatives stars (*) count is also a very high level indication better mention the total missed in the samples (link) protection percentage KIS of 99,7% for 626 samples total, so KIS blocked 624 samples, so it missed 2 samples (seems to make sense AV-Comparatives has roughly twice the number of samples compared to AV-Test and and KIS misses also twice the number of samples of AV-C vs AV-T).

Because of the VirusTotal malware exchange, AI-ML, post-infection telemetry and cloud protection, only a few people have the questionable honor to be the first victim (in a herd you don't need to outrun the lions, you only have to be faster than someone else in the herd to survive). The irony of IT becoming a critical infrastructure makes companies a much more interesting target for malware writers than consumers. In the last 10 years I have not heard of any relative, friend or distant acquaintance complained of being infected, while I know that at least two of my friends owning an company have been attacked (one website hack and one partly successfull ransomware infection).

 

[upnorth]

Mixing free and paid home versions, and on top of that business and enterprise versions in the screenshot, is a sure recipe for confusion and a end result that sadly will become skewed.

 

[Trident]

Mixing free and paid home versions, and on top of that business and enterprise versions in the screenshot, is a sure recipe for confusion and a end result that sadly will become skewed.

Not to mention most people are not aware that for business, that’s just one out of the many products that need to be purchased. Best to leave the business portfolios and not to deal with them.

 

[Jonny Quest]

And my greater concern above what AV I'm using is this last sentence from @Max90 post:
"In the last 10 years I have not heard of any relative, friend or distant acquaintance complained of being infected, while I know that at least two of my friends owning an company have been attacked (one website hack and one partly successfull ransomware infection)".

We all here pretty much know what to do and have for personal security protection, but the greater money now (millions) is regarding ransomware with businesses, organizations etc, and what are they doing to protect themselves and their user database, that we have no control of?

 

[Trident]

 

[zkSnark]

Mixing free and paid home versions, and on top of that business and enterprise versions in the screenshot, is a sure recipe for confusion and a end result that sadly will become skewed.

I just made a list from the test results posted on those sites, so it got mixed up since they did not separate free and paid ones in their results. As for the enterprise versions, Mrg--effitas had not tested other home versions, or maybe I did not find on their site (though I searched there).

 

[Shadowra]

I just made a list from the test results posted on those sites, so it got mixed up since they did not separate free and paid ones in their results. As for the enterprise versions, Mrg--effitas had not tested other home versions, or maybe I did not find on their site (though I searched there).

You talk about paid version for individuals, you should have removed the enterprise versions (including Endpoint) in your capture

 

[upnorth]

my greater concern above what AV I'm using is this last sentence from @Max90 post:
"In the last 10 years I have not heard of any relative, friend or distant acquaintance complained of being infected

3. How do they know?
Most malware does not show signs of infection. How do people actually know their systems never got infected?
People who think they can outsmart malware, are often not using an AV that could alert them either.

This is a myth: "Just be smart and you are safe from malware"

This statement bothers me on several levels. 1. It is not true. There are infection vectors you cannot prevent at all. E.g. supply chain attack --> your favorite trusted software receives an update --> your system is screwed 2. It is presumptuous and arrogant People who say this are interested...

malwaretips.com

Member @struppigel is a professional malware analyst at the AV company GData.

 

[Jonny Quest]

This is a myth: "Just be smart and you are safe from malware"

This statement bothers me on several levels. 1. It is not true. There are infection vectors you cannot prevent at all. E.g. supply chain attack --> your favorite trusted software receives an update --> your system is screwed 2. It is presumptuous and arrogant People who say this are interested...

malwaretips.com

Member @struppigel is a professional malware analyst at the AV company GData.

Thank you, good thread link. i.e. never let our guard down, or become complacent.

 

[Nevi]

I find Kaspersky the best anti malware. Bitdefender, G Data, Avast and others is maybe just as good or better, but I have not tried any of them. I use Eset, because it's performance is so smooth, and have been documented so long with good protection.

 

[zkSnark]

You talk about paid version for individuals, you should have removed the enterprise versions (including Endpoint) in your capture

Removed the Endpoint Security versions.

 

[Ink]

Removed the Endpoint Security versions.

If you want to re-capture votes, click Edit (on Poll) and Reset all votes. This will remove all existing votes.

 

[Jonny Quest]

I would also include the stability of the AV as far as the annoyance factor. Some AV's are more prone to glitches, and some run more stably.
For some of the years I've used Kaspersky, it seemed very stable. I don't remember having to uninstall, reinstall or repair it due to a module problem or of a setting changing or disabling.

 

[Sorrento]

I don't take a lot of notice of comparative sites to be honest, out of all AV's I use F-Secure, I can't say how effective it is as I've not had in infection for use a least 20 years & that was a worm - F-Secure is stable & simplistic I would also stick Emsisoft & ESET on my list too, I've never had issues with either of those.

 

[ShenguiTurmi]

I choose SentinelOne so vote Others

 

[[correlate]]

I choose SentinelOne so vote Others

The choice I see is appropriate and effective
-Cynet
-Crowdstrike Falcon
-cylance protect
-SentinelOne

 

[zkSnark]

The choice I see is appropriate and effective
-Cynet
-Crowdstrike Falcon
-cylance protect
-SentinelOne

I choose SentinelOne so vote Others

These are Endpoint versions for businesses or home use too?