Summary: When your computer, smartphone, tablet, or internet-enabled device is connected online, the potential for hackers and scam-artists to invade your privacy is high.
One of the best ways to protect these devices from hackers and scam-artists attempting to hijack your device to steal your sensitive information, bank, and credit card accounts is to use a quality antivirus software.
After extensively testing each of the antivirus services available in 2017, I have found that Avast Antivirus provides the best protection in an easy-to-use package with competitive pricing.
To protect your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device with Avast Antivirus in 2018, click here now.
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Why is An Antivirus Important?
In 2017, there are more devices connected to the internet than ever before, and each of these devices are at risk of being taken over by hackers and other scam-artists.
Depending on the device you’re using, you could have already stored sensitive information, like passwords to your bank accounts and credit card data on the device.
That means, if a hacker manages to hijack your device, they could access your bank accounts and use your credit cards, or even use your device to commit crimes against other people.
Many hackers devote significant effort to ensuring that their viruses and malware remain hidden from the user, so if you do not have a way to detect the viruses, you could end up dealing with a very frustrating experience.
The way to ensure you’re not going to fall victim to these attacks is to install a high-quality antivirus software on your device, and ensure that it’s updated on a regular basis.
Antivirus software will regularly scan your device to identify malicious software and identify threats as you attempt to download new files or access potentially harmful websites.
A good antivirus will also encrypt the sensitive information that’s stored on your machine so that hackers cannot decipher what’s stored, even if they do gain access to it.
In 2017, you cannot simply trust that your device is safe online, even if you follow the best practices for keeping yourself safe. You need to use an additional layer of protection, like an antivirus.
You can learn which antivirus software I recommend now by clicking here.
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Antivirus Software Testing Methodology
I tested the effectiveness of each service’s software by using the Anti-Malware Testfile, which you can learn more about by clicking here.
The Anti-Malware Testfile is developed by the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research and the Computer Antivirus Research Organization.
The Testfile used has been specifically designed to verify the accuracy of antivirus software and trigger the software into providing a warning for potential threats.
In 2017, the Testfile is currently the only piece of software that’s being continually supported because development of the tools previously used, by Spy Car, has been discontinued.
How I Judged Their Performance
Criteria #1: Is It Easy to Use?
It’s unfortunate that software that’s meant to protect you is typically hard to install and configure or creates a frustrating experience for people attempting to use it.
To ensure you do not get frustrated while protecting your device, I have tested each service’s software to ensure that it is easy to install and configure.
Criteria #2: Do They Offer a Refund Policy?
I take pride in the tests that I have run and being able to recommend a quality antivirus software, but do understand that your experience may be different than mine.
To ensure that you do not waste money by taking a recommendation that I’ve given you, I have ranked any service without a refund policy lower than services that take away your risk.
Criteria #3: Can You Protect Multiple Devices?
If you are like so many other people reading this, you probably connect to the internet with more than one device, and need an antivirus software that will protect every device you own.
Some companies will require you to purchase additional licenses if you attempt to protect more than the original device you signed up to their service with.
To ensure that you can protect every device you own without spending more money, I have ranked companies that allow you to protect them with a single license higher in my review process.
Criteria #4: Does It Slow Down your Machine?
One huge complaint that people have about their antivirus software is that it typically slows down their machine and makes it unusable, especially while scanning for existing threats.
I have tested each of the service’s software to ensure it does not place excessive loads on a machine, and that you do not need high-end hardware to run the antivirus software.
Any service that provides software that causes lagging and freezing issues has been ranked lower in my review.
Criteria #5: Does It Create False Warnings?
Another complaint people have with their antivirus software is that they are being constantly inundated with false warnings and the software identifying objects as viruses that are truly harmless.
These false warnings can confuse many users, making them believe that their computer is infected when it’s simply a poorly developed antivirus software identifying harmless threats.
I have tested each of the service’s antivirus software to ensure that they do not warn of false threats, with software that is 100% accurate being ranked higher in my review process.
Criteria #6: Does It Protect Against 0-Day Attacks?
0-day attacks, if you’re unfamiliar, refer to threats and viruses that are not currently known by major antivirus developers. For an antivirus service to be recommended, they must be able to identify these threats.
Many antivirus software developers will force their software to update on a regular basis to help stay ahead of hackers and scam-artists.
That’s why I’ve tested each service’s software to ensure they maintain a fresh database and can properly detect threats that aren’t currently included in their database.
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Best Antivirus in 2018
By now, you can probably see that a significant amount of work has gone into testing each of the different service’s antivirus software that’s currently available.
After working through the list of available services, I have concluded that three have performed better than the rest, with one service easily setting themselves apart from their competition.
Each of the three services that performed the best during my review process have been listed below.
#1 – Avast Antivirus – 9.4 / 10 – Voted Best Antivirus in 2018
Avast Antivirus is the service that has clear put themselves at the front of the line in nearly every test I performed, and have earned the right to receive my top recommendation.
PROs
The antivirus software developed by Avast is easy to install and intuitive to use, making it possible to protect your PC with a few clicks and minutes after subscribing to their service.
Whenever you are subscribed to Avast, you subscribe with an email address that can be used on any additional devices you own without worrying about purchasing additional licenses.
During testing, I did not notice their software causing my machine to slow down or freeze, even while running tests on known infected files, such as the Testfile.
I verified Avast’s ability to avoid false warnings by visiting websites that caused false warnings with other software, and did not have any of the same warnings with Avast.
Their development team is large and you can tell they devote substantial resources toward maintaining their database of potential threats.
If you do happen to have issues with Avast and your machine, they offer a full 30-day refund policy so you can easily receive a refund and try a different service.
CONs
Even though Avast did perform well in most tests, their pricing is slightly higher than other services that I have tested. Their higher pricing is a con, but it does allow them to spend more on development of their antivirus software.
OVERALL
When you want to protect your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device that’s connected to the internet in 2017, I have found Avast to be the clear winner in my review process.
If you’re looking for the absolute best antivirus software in 2017, we recommend you get Avast Antivirus by clicking here.
#2 – Bit Defender – 7.9 / 10 – Quality Antivirus if Avast Antivirus Doesn’t Work for You.
I understand that some people reading this may not have the same experience with Avast Antivirus that I had. For times when Avast doesn’t work on your machine, Bit Defender may be a good alternative solution for keeping your device protected in 2017.
PROs
Bit Defender, like Avast, is easy to install and configure it to work on most machines. I had it installed and configured within a few minutes after subscribing to their service.
While testing for false warnings, there were times that I received warnings for files that I believe shouldn’t have been flagged, but the number of warnings were minimal compared to other software.
The way you subscribe to Bit Defender allows you to protect multiple devices while using the same license key, so you do not need to spend more money.
Bit Defender’s development team works hard to maintain a database of the latest threats, and I didn’t have any issues with them properly identifying 0-day threats I tested.
CONs
I did notice that Bit Defender caused a few minor hiccups during testing, and my machine slowed down while performing full scans on my hard drive.
They also offer a shorter refund policy than what I consider to be the industry standard, but I didn’t find any signs of them refusing to stand behind their refund policy.
OVERALL
Whenever you are trying to protect a computer, smartphone, or tablet in 2017, Avast is currently the best antivirus software available.
However, if they are unavailable for you or do not function properly with your device, Bit Defender could be a decent alternative solution for keeping yourself protected.
If you’re unable to get Avast Antivirus to work, you can protect your device in 2017 with Bit Defender by clicking here.
#3 – Kapersky – 6.7 / 10 – Poor Performing Antivirus That Lacks Proper Protection
If you want to protect a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device in 2017, there are far better options available than Kapersky Lab’s antivirus software.
PROs
Kapersky’s saved themselves with the fact that their software is simple to install, though it did have more options to configure than either Avast or Bit Defender.
CONs
Once I installed the Kapersky software on my machine, I began having issues that make it hard for me to recommend them as a viable solution to my readers.
Their software caused significant delays, both while scanning for existing threats, and while scanning new files to determine if a threat had been found.
They do allow you to register the software with a single email address, but I experienced “licensing issues” while attempting to protect more than one device using the same email.
I also had multiple false warnings with files that are known to be harmless, suggesting that the Kapersky team has work to do in the false detection realm.
They do not offer a money-back guarantee, but they do offer a 7-day trial period so you can test their software without risking your money.
OVERALL
While I have gone to great lengths to find the best antivirus in 2017, I can say that Kapersky Labs does not claim that title. There is better antivirus software currently available, like Avast.
If you want to find out more about the Kapersky Antivirus, you can visit their site by clicking here.
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Conclusion
Whenever your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or other device is connected to the internet, hackers are trying to find new ways to target it and steal your sensitive information.
The best way to protect yourself in 2017 is to use an antivirus software that can find these viruses and malware before they have a chance to infect your device.
When you want to use the best antivirus software available to protect your device in 2018, download and install Avast Antivirus now by clicking here.