Virus scanners not only protect against malware, but also against phishing attacks. — Photo: Daniel Naupold/dpa
BERLIN: With the ever-present threat of malware and phishing attacks it makes sense to have a virus protection program on your computer, whether it’s a Windows machine or a Mac. But the good news is that free programs are just as good as paid ones.
This was the finding of a comparison of 14 such programs for Windows and nine for MacOS carried out by Stiftung Warentest, a consumer goods testing organization in Germany.
The experts recommended four free virus scanner programs for Windows computers (Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows, Avast One Essential, AVG Antivirus Free, and Avira Free Security) and two for Macs (Avast One Essential Mac and AVG Antivirus for Mac).
Microsoft's in-house virus scanner Defender, which is integrated into Windows 10 and 11, came in last in the Windows test field with a score of “Satisfactory.”
Apple, on the other hand, does not equip MacOS with protection software at all. MacOS users hardly have to fear virus attacks, according to the product testers. However, they would benefit from the phishing protection provided by the tested programs.
But what is the difference between free and paid programs, if the free programs perform so well? Additional functions, such as the automatic updating of the programs and drivers, is the answer given by the product testers.
In addition, the software providers derive a direct benefit from the free versions. The more customers a provider has, the more information it receives about new malware variants.
That’s because all virus scanners immediately forward any findings to their provider, which can then react quickly. – dpa
