for free av kaspersky security cloud free ( if configured correctly that is ) or defender with andy ful configure defender at high settings. I use eset internet security at the moment , I was lucky to get a 3 year license for free from someone over at the " other " forum.
I prefer Avast because of its Hardened Mode, it's better than Kaspersky's Application Control, but the decisive factor is that Kaspersky doesn't offer their Application Control module in the free version.
Free for me is Windows Defender with Config Defender set at High. Other than that, the only other AV I think I'd consider right now is Wise Vector Stop X. Tests of WV I've been seeing are pretty impressive.
Ha-ha! I just changed my vote to WD after using WiseVector for awhile. I like both but prefer built-in,
AVG not avast - UI related choice - IDP is waaay better implemented in AVG (probably because it`s their BB technology)
whats IDP/BB? EDIT: ok found this IDP stands for Identity Detection Protection. It references the fact that a malware/virus is attempting to steal information related to your identity. In PC security channel avast results are much better, though all these tests are totally random
I've been using MS Defender for almost a year now, and it has no impact whatsoever on my system. Maybe some machines are affected, but certainly not mine. Detection is like Kaspersky I.S. and Avira Pro, it hasn't detected anything so far, I'm still convinced that most malware scaremongering is based on FUD histrionics. Windows 10 does not need any third party AV, paid or free... It took 20 years for MS to build a secure platform from the XP days. No wonder many companies are merging under the umbrella of Norton. They call it 'rationalization'...
You pretty much sum it all up perfectly with this comment. EDIT of course the first doorway for attack is via either email (most likely) or the browser, so if these avenues are hardened against these attacks, then antivirus becomes only a secondary or in the case of security-conscious users like most Wilders members, a 3rd line of defense.
People install too much crap on their computers thinking they are doing good. Your computer will run a lot better, faster and less troublesome without it. Windows 10 and 11 is extremely secure running stock. AV vendors try to push their wares onto people who don't know any better. It's not necessary. Think about it. When is the last time you saw a virus?
Agree with the last four posters. There comes a time when you have to start having faith in the few programs that you have, your surfing habits, and a good backup/recover plan. Acadia
Panda. I would prefer None, but MS made it incredibly difficult to disable Defender. Yes, there are various ways and tools to disable it, but as I have learnt, it might result in critical service died BSOD. Thus I use Panda to disable "it".
Well it depends, I'm running about 7 security tools on Win 10, and there are no problems when it comes to stability. And they hardly use any CPU time and RAM, so why not. And to stay on topic, I would probably still go for Win Defender eventhough it's not perfect.
Even on 8.1 with a ignored AV upgrade from Micro, it's going to have to do. Would be in Micro's interest for a better image if they upgraded it with some Windows 10 type performance and settings but at any rate since it's pretty much plain jane, WVSX thankfully fills in perfectly and adds infinitely better coverage for even the predecessor versions at least for Win8. On the Windows 10 it's MD all the way and can be equally supplemented with WVSX and of course various hardening techniques and third party props to provide MD a safety net.
Currently, I'm running both WiseVector StopX and Huorong Internet Security. I'd quite happily to use WiseVector on its own, if it was able to register itself in Windows Security Center. Because it doesn't, I am also using Huorong, (which for the most part is very light) so that Microsoft Defender remains disabled. When WiseVector is able to register itself in Windows Security Center, I'll use it on its own.
Kaspersky Security Cloud, and mainly because it's the lightest for my system. Also, I backup, etc., and keep in mind that that doesn't prevent data theft, and surfing habits don't help when even legitimate sites can be infected.
It seems that you don't have a problem with Chinese security software at all. BTW, I did a search for Huorong Internet Security, and it looks quite good, very smooth GUI. But it didn't perform too well in this test: https://hackmag.com/security/best-av-test-8/
It has a very nice UI, informative alerts and is fully translated to English. However, the detection rate is terrible. You can use custom HIPS rules to greatly increase the detection rate. The low detection rate is not an issue for me, as I'm just using it so that Microsoft Defender remains disabled. I've found that with tools such as Configure Defender, MD will eventually become enabled again.
OK, so you are aware of the bad detection rate. And I was looking at some of the screenshots and I now remember why I didn't like this tool, it's trying to do too much, way too bloated in terms of features.
That's a matter of opinion. In any case, you don't have to use the extra features, and I like its UI a lot more than I do for a lot of other antiviruses.
