Independent antivirus testing outfit AV Comparatives released the results of their latest real-world protection test. It compiles data aggregated between the months of March and June, and it comprises a number of 23 security solutions for consumers.

AV Comparatives found that the three most efficient products were from Panda Security, Bitdefender and Avira. In the case of the last two, the Internet Security suites were tested, while for Panda it was the Cloud Free Antivirus (versions 2.3 and 3.0) that participated.

According to the statistics, Panda’s solution was the most efficient in preventing computer infections, blocking 99.9% of the samples. Competition followed closely, as Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 recorded a 99.8% score. Avira’s Internet Security 14 came in third, with a 99.7% detection rate.

Interestingly enough, the products of Bitdefender and Panda managed to achieve perfect scores in April and May.

For checking the efficiency of the products, AV Comparatives turned on all the protection features available in the tested software. As such, the investigation did not take into account only signatures or heuristic file scanning.

“A suite can step in at any stage of the process – accessing the URL, downloading the file, formation of the file on the local hard drive, file access, file execution – to protect the PC. This means that the test achieves the most realistic way of determining how well the security product protects the PC,” reads the test documentation.

However, all settings are used with their default configuration, and in case user intervention is required, the researchers say that they always choose the “Allow” option or its equivalent.

Automated systems are used for the verification of the products' anti-malware shields, as hundreds of URLs are sent to them on a daily basis.

To achieve real-world behavior, the researchers update the security software before starting testing, to ensure that the best protection is in effect at all times. Moreover, the test machine they are installed on is also manually updated every day.

Among the measures taken for the trials, AV Comparatives says that every PC used in the evaluation has its own IP address, and it ensures their ISPs provide a stable Internet connection for each of them. Moreover, precautions are taken in order to prevent infection outbreaks, through specially configured firewall systems.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1 is used as the underlying operating system, and several other programs are also installed: Flash Player, Adobe Reader, QuickTime, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Home, .NET Framework, Mozilla Firefox, Java, and VLC Media Player.
Kepler Reviewed by Kepler on . AV Comparatives Shows Winners of Real-World Protection Test http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news-700/AV-Comparatives-Shows-Winners-of-Real-World-Protection-Test.jpg Independent antivirus testing outfit AV Comparatives released the results of their latest real-world protection test. It compiles data aggregated between the months of March and June, and it comprises a number of 23 security solutions for consumers. AV Comparatives found that the three most efficient products were from Panda Security, Bitdefender and Avira. In the Rating: 5