Virus scanners Malwarebytes, Avira & Co.

Whether cities, companies or private individuals: according to statistics, 92 percent of households in Germany (as of 2019) have a computer at their disposal. Around 18,000 new viruses are discovered every day, which is roughly 13 new viruses per minute appearing in the cyber world. In this respect in particular, it makes sense to have a virus scanner installed on your computer, laptop and smartphone. In this blog post we present a few virus scanners with their advantages and disadvantages.

Malwarebytes

The American security software Malwarebytes was released in January 2008. The developers offer Malwarebytes as a 14-day trial version, which however can no longer remove potential malware. This is intended to let prospective users get to know the functions. After this trial period you are still protected against malware and rootkits¹. The premium version of Malwarebytes includes the following functions: web, exploit, malware, ransomware and rootkit protection. With many antivirus programs, a system scan takes 45 minutes on average. Malwarebytes, on the other hand, has an average scan time of 2.5 minutes (depending on the speed of the computer). Computer performance is briefly affected. However, this is not a major disadvantage, because the scan is completed in a few minutes.

Avira

The German company Avira launched its product in 1988. They offer a 30-day trial version. With the update, the developers gave their antivirus program a new look. A “Protection Cloud” was also added. The cloud security solution is combined with artificial intelligence. This is intended not only to detect zero-day threats faster and better, but also to make real-time protection more effective against threats from the “WWW”. Many users and critics had complained about a missing firewall for years. This is now included as standard. It is designed to monitor web and network traffic. After phishing attacks, damaged files are supposed to be easier to restore. According to Avira, the current version uses hardly any resources and therefore does not burden the system.

Norton

Norton Internet Security comes from the American software house Symantec. Their product was first released in 1990. Norton also offers its customers a 30-day trial version. In the premium version, Norton offers 25 GB of backup storage, parental controls, a firewall and standard protection against virus infection for up to 10 devices, whether PC, tablet or smartphone. Sensitive data such as account, credit card or personal information is protected from prying eyes. When surfing websites, the Security Toolbar function is active and blocks unsafe websites. In terms of performance, Norton scores well. The performance of the devices is hardly affected.

Kaspersky

Kaspersky Lab was founded in 1997. Its headquarters are in Moscow. The Ultimate protection package has the following functions: standard protection, protection of personal data, protection during online shopping and online banking. A password manager, parental controls and protection of the files on the PC are integrated. Cloud protection, spam filter and phishing protection are also provided. Kaspersky’s performance and operation are user-friendly. On the whole, Kaspersky is a good antivirus protection, but it is not the best at detecting zero-day threats.

Virus scanners compared

	Malwarebytes	Avira	Norton	Kaspersky
Advantages	Protects against exploits4 and ransomware Uses behaviour-based detection High detection rate Real-time protection Protection against zero-day malware5	Design	Resource- efficient Parental controls good support High security standards Good value for money Backup storage	Detects known viruses saves resources
Disadvantages	System scans can slow down the system (duration varies depending on the speed of the computer)	Scans slow down the system no optimal detection of active malware few updates intrusive advertising	Long waiting times on the hotline Poor offline protection Few additional functions	Weak zero-day detection Protection drops sharply if the internet or server fails Inadequate terms and conditions and privacy policy
Protection	★★★★★	★★★ ☆☆	★★★ ☆☆	★★★ ☆☆
Speed2	★★★★★	★★ ☆☆☆	★★★ ☆☆	★★★★ ☆
Cost3	€40 per year ★★★★★	€35 per year ★★★★★	€60 per year ★★ ☆☆☆	€50 per year ★★ ☆☆☆
Overall rating	★★★★★	★★★ ☆☆	★★★ ☆☆	★★★ ☆☆

Please note the following:

¹Root refers to the administrator rights of a user that are anchored deep inside a system. A “kit” is essentially a collection of software tools. Translated, a rootkit is therefore a toolbox for administrators.

²This point is about whether the virus scanner affects the speed of the computer.

³Price applies per PC

⁴Exploits are tools used to reveal security vulnerabilities in software.

⁵Zero-day malware is a virus that exploits the security vulnerability and attacks a system on the same day it is discovered. This can only be remedied after updates and patches.

Virus scanners – our conclusion

With regard to the functions and the advantages and disadvantages, all antivirus programs are adequate to good, as long as it is not the free version. These are limited in their functionality and therefore do not offer optimal protection. Nevertheless, we recommend Malwarebytes. In our view, it is one of the best antivirus programs and also offers good value for money. MCL Computer-Spezialisten sells Malwarebytes exclusively. Feel free to contact us. We will help you with the installation and activate the 2-year licence for you.

If you would like general information on virus scanners/antivirus protection, you can click on this link.