Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus - Review 2022

There are antivirus utilities that load on so many bonus features you'd be tempted to call them security suites. And there are antivirus tools that focus strictly on the task at hand. As the name suggests, Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus doesn't stray far from the essential task of protection against viruses and other malware. It does a decent job, but with no protection against malicious and fraudulent websites information technology misses a meaning opportunity to forestall attacks.

The most common toll point among commercial antivirus products is just under $40 for a year of protecting ane PC. Total Defense force costs $49.99 per yr, just that gets you lot three licenses, then it's a good bit less expensive than average. That same $49.99 subscription gets you three licenses for IObit, while three Kaspersky licenses run you $59.99. McAfee AntiVirus Plus as well costs $59.99, but that gets you unlimited licenses for your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

While not as well-known as Norton or ZoneAlarm, Full Defence matches the virus-costless guarantee that these products offering. If malware gets by the antivirus, Full Defense techs will dig in to actively remove information technology. If the malware proves and then pernicious that the experts can't remove information technology, yous get your money back. Of course, this commitment from Total Defense force requires a similar commitment from you, in that you lot must sign up for automatic subscription renewal, but that's reasonable. Note, too, that Norton and Bank check Betoken ZoneAlarm Extreme Security reserve this guarantee for their suite-level products.

Later on a adequately quick install to a test arrangement, Total Defense started a download of the very latest malware signatures. The product's very uncomplicated main window reflects its laser focus on antivirus protection. A big status indicator dominates the left side of the chocolate-brown principal window, with buttons for Scan and Devices sharing the right site. A elementary menu of icons at far left lets y'all choose the dwelling, Scan, and Devices pages, or invoke settings or assist. As noted, your subscription lets you lot protect three devices, and the Devices page is where you manage them.

No Data From Independent Labs

How do yous know if an antivirus product actually does its job? Researchers at independent testing labs put hordes of products to the test in various means, challenging them to do the job they're designed for, and reporting the results on a regular basis. I rely heavily on these test results, given that the labs have such impressive resources devoted to testing.

For review purposes, I consult lab results from AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, SE Labs, and MRG-Effitas. Alas, none of these labs include Full Defense in their latest reports.

Dorsum in 2022, Total Defence force did receive sixteen.5 of 18 possible points from AV-Test Institute, and took an Advanced rating in one test past AV-Comparatives. In 2022, information technology managed side by side-to-elevation level certification from SE Labs. That'south interesting, but, as the threat mural is constantly changing, only the latest tests are truly relevant.

Lab Test Results Nautical chart

In contrast to the absenteeism of Total Defence force from the lab reports, quite a few products show upwardly in reports from all iv labs. I use an algorithm that maps all the results to a x-point scale and comes up with an amass lab score. Kaspersky Anti-Virus is tops here, with an amass score of x, the maximum. Bitdefender didn't show up in the latest report from SE Labs, but 9.9 points based on three labs is still very good.

Decent Local Malware Protection

When the labs don't requite me anything to piece of work with, my hands-on malware protection testing is all I have to go along. This test starts when I open a folder containing a collection of malware samples I've selected and analyzed myself. Total Defense's real-fourth dimension protection sprang into activity at this point, wiping out 79 pct of the samples on sight.

When I launched the surviving samples, the real-fourth dimension and behavioral detection systems got a few more; in a couple of cases they eliminated the malicious component while leaving the innocuous carrier intact. Overall, Total Defense detected 86 percentage of the samples and scored 8.6 of x possible points.

That's a decent score, but others accept washed ameliorate against this aforementioned set of samples. Cylance, F-Secure, McAfee, and Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic all tied at the tiptop, with ix.3 points.

Tested using an earlier sample gear up, Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus did even better. Information technology detected and thoroughly prevented installation of all the samples, earning a perfect 10 points.

I besides timed a total antivirus scan on a clean examination system. The initial scan took almost lxxx minutes, rather longer than the current average of 45 minutes. However, Total Defense used that initial scan to optimize for subsequent scans. A 2d scan completed in only 7.v minutes. That'due south pretty good, merely an optimized 2nd scan by F-Secure Anti-Virus did the task in merely one minute.

Malware Protection Results Chart

In add-on to the total scan, yous can choose a quick scan for agile malware, or a custom scan targeting specific drives or folders. By default, Total Defence schedules a monthly full scan; yous tin can modify that to a daily or weekly schedule if yous prefer.

Dismal Blocking of Malware Downloads

Gathering and analyzing a collection of malware takes quite a while, so I can't refresh those samples very oftentimes. For a view on how each antivirus handles current, prevalent malware, I start with a feed of malware-hosting URLs recently discovered by experts at MRG-Effitas. I launch each URL, discarding any that don't load properly, and note whether the antivirus diverts the browser from the dangerous URL, eliminates the malware download, or misses the boat altogether.

Total Defense force is at a disadvantage hither, because the standalone antivirus doesn't include the web-based protection component found in suite products from this company (and in nigh competing antivirus products). Its defense necessarily relied on detecting the malware samples at download, and it seriously fell downwardly on the job in that location. With just 8 percent protection, Full Defense has the lowest score amongst all current products. I'll run this examination again when I evaluate Total Defense Premium Cyberspace Security.

Note that the absence of spider web-based protection means that Total Defence doesn't offer protection against phishing websites. These fraudulent sites don't comprise malware. Rather, they imitate sensitive websites in hopes of tricking hapless visitors into giving away their login credentials. If you exercise choose to rely on Total Defense antivirus, don't turn off the phishing protection congenital into your browser.

Aim Higher

Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus skips the cornucopia of bonus goodies presented by some competitors, which is fine. The point of an antivirus is to eliminate existing malware and prevent new infestations, after all. Nevertheless, it omits web-based protection confronting malicious and fraudulent sites, and information technology earned a record low score confronting downloads of recent malware. Soon we'll test the Total Defense force Premium Internet Security suite, which does include that web-based protection, and more. Very likely information technology will show to be a better selection than the company'due south basic antivirus.

Amend still, consider using 1 of our Editor's Option antivirus tools. Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Bitdefender Antivirus Plus earn well-nigh-perfect scores from the labs, and they also score well in our hands-on tests equally well. The unusual journal-and-rollback characteristic of Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus means it can opposite damage done by zippo-day malware, even ransomware. And with McAfee AntiVirus Plus you tin can protect every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/total-defense-essential-anti-virus/30255/total-defense-essential-anti-virus

Posted by: malavereceepland.blogspot.com

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