McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014

Pros CleanBoot rescue CD solved most installation woes. Very good malware blocking. SiteAdvisor blocks dangerous websites, marks up links in search and social media. Intelligent, hassle-free firewall. Intrusion prevention blocked some exploits. Includes remote management, file shredder, system tuneup, vulnerability scan.

Cons Installation on one test system required hours with tech support. Malware cleanup good, not great. Independent lab results good, not great. Firewall protects some of its services, not all. Antiphishing accuracy down from last year. Bottom Line McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014 is practically a mini-suite, with firewall, phishing protection, and a variety of bonus features. It's not quite an Editors' Choice, but it's definitely an effective tool.

By Neil J. Rubenking

The line between simple antivirus and full-on security suite continues to blur, as some vendors load up entry-level antivirus tools with features more typically found in a full security suite. For example, McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014 ($49.99 direct; $69.99 for three licenses) adds a powerful firewall and a number of useful security tools. In testing, it was better at blocking malware attacks on a clean system than at hunting down and destroying existing malware infestations.

McAfee's large main window devotes large panels to four important functional areas: Virus and Spyware Protection, Web and Email Protection, McAfee Updates, and Your Subscription. Smaller panels represent Data Protection and Backup and PC and Home Network Tools. The display is just fractionally misleading, in that this product doesn't actually include backup and the link to "firewall and anti-spam settings" reveals that anti-spam isn't present either. To get those features you'll need McAfee's actual full-scale security suite.

A separate "navigation" view simply lists all of the product's numerous features along with links to settings, reports, and online resources. If you know what you want to do but don't know where to find it in the program's user interface, this view is a godsend.

CleanBoot to the Rescue
On over half of my malware-infested test systems, my initial McAfee installation failed to complete successfully, for one reason or another. Tech support recommended that I run McAfee's CleanBoot rescue disk, a Windows-based bootable antivirus.

For all but a couple of the problem systems, CleanBoot totally did the job. Once I got McAfee installed I ran a full scan. Interestingly, every full scan after a CleanBoot scan found nothing at all, suggesting that CleanBoot incorporates McAfee's very latest technology. I mention this because the bootable rescue systems offered by many vendors run in retro text-only mode, and a subsequent full scan often finds traces missed by the bootable solution.

On one system, a virtual fistfight between McAfee and malware sucked up all the CPU cycles. Tech support took some very detailed diagnostic logs and, after quite a bit of back and forth, supplied a one-off solution. Another system lost all connectivity after its full scan. I supplied diagnostic files requested by tech support and they came back with a fix. Overall I give McAfee three stars for installation experience; it would have been four except for the very lengthy repair process on the CPU-impaired system.

CleanBoot seems to have exactly the malware-fighting power of the McAfee antivirus, packaged in a bootable form that doesn't have to contend with malware running alongside it. That being the case, I'd suggest running a CleanBoot scan before any attempt to install McAfee on a system that's' not guaranteed clean.

Decent Malware Removal
With installation problems solved, I went on to run a full scan on each of my twelve malware-infested test systems. McAfee missed a fair number of the resident samples, and didn't remove all the executable traces of some that it did find. In a few cases, I found a malware process still running after supposed cleanup. With a 75 percent detection rate and 5.9 points overall for cleanup, McAfee is in the middle of the pack, much as it was in last year's test.

It did beat out Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2014 by a tenth of a point. However, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014) managed 83 percent detection and 6.6 points against the same collection of samples.

Tested with my previous collection of malware, Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus 2013 also scored 6.6 points. Top score among that group was 7.1 points, earned by the free, cleanup-only Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.70.

Cleaning up the mess when malware has already invaded is clearly a tough task. For an explanation of how I set up this type of test, please see How We Test Malware Removal.

McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014 malware removal chart

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Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2014

Pros Excellent score in malware-blocking test. Impressive blocking of malicious URLs. Accurate antiphishing and antispam protection. Bonus firewall booster blocked many exploit attacks.

Cons Installation on some malware-infested test systems required hours of remote-control support. Good-not-great score in hands-on malware cleanup test. Behavior-based detection suspects or even quarantines valid programs. Bottom Line Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2014 focuses on resisting the very newest malware attacks, and does a good job. Its behavior-based detection can be over-enthusiastic, but it offers accurate phishing and spam protection and a firewall booster that can block exploit attacks.

By Neil J. Rubenking

We all agree that "antivirus" these days refers to a product that protects against all kinds of malicious software, not just viruses. But should it do even more than that? The folks at Trend Micro want to offer full-scale security protection even in their entry-level product, so Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2014 ($39.95 direct) adds spam filtering and a firewall booster, as well as an impressive antiphishing component.

The product's sparse main window uses one extra-large icon to show current security status; if it's anything but fully protected, you can click a button to fix the problem. From the mini-toolbar you can launch a scan, open the settings dialog, or check protection statistics. A second page titled "PC/Mobile" lets you create a rescue disk or launch a trial of Trend Micro's mobile protection.

The main window features a button bar at top and status bar at bottom in bold black and red. In between, in the main body of the window, you can swap in one of eight supplied background images. Clouds, fields, flowers, psychedelic patterns—the choices are quite varied. Don't like any of them? You can use your own picture!

Focus on Dynamic Testing
Trend Micro pulled out of Virus Bulletin's VB100 testing some years ago, on the basis that testing against a static malware collection just isn't relevant. They also don't participate in testing by ICSA Labs or West Coast Labs. The reviewer's guide for this product touts its ability to block zero-day threats, and indeed it received the top rating, ADVANCED+, in the grueling real-world protection test by AV-Comparatives.

AV-Comparatives does also run an on-demand detection test, but it's not precisely a static test. Each antivirus product gets a chance to scan and wipe out known malware, true, but the researchers also launch any samples that survive, giving the antivirus a chance to use behavioral detection and other dynamic technologies. Trend Micro passed this test with a STANDARD rating. Note that my own malware blocking test works in a very similar fashion.

German lab AV-Test evaluates products using a combination of static and dynamic tests. Each product can earn up to six points for Protection, Performance, and Usability. Trend Micro averaged 14.8 of 18 possible points in the most recent two tests.

Trend Micro's scores are good, but Bitdefender and Kaspersky participate in all of the lab tests that I follow and routinely earn top scores. For more about the labs and their testing methods, see How We Interpret Antivirus Lab Tests.

Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2014 lab tests chart

Mixed Installation Experience
Trend Micro installed without incident on nine of my twelve malware-infested test systems. To get past ransomware that blocks desktop access in another system, tech support recommended Trend's advanced bootable USB solution. It proved incompatible with my virtual machine configuration, but their old-school text-only Rescue CD totally solved my ransomware problem.

The remaining two systems caused me a lot of grief. On advice from tech support, I used the Trend Micro Anti-Threat Toolkit and several other in-house tools. Eventually, though, I had to turn over these systems for remote diagnosis and cleaning by a tech support agent, which took hours but ended in success for both systems.

An antivirus that installs on all twelve systems with little or no hassle displays a five-star installation experience. If all problems can be solved by applying a rescue CD or other ancillary tool, that's still good for four stars. When getting the product installed drags on into hours of remote control, that's not a great installation experience. Like Norton AntiVirus (2014), AVG Anti-Virus FREE 2014, and quite a few others, Trend Micro gets two stars for installation experience.

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McAfee unveils 2014 versions of Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, and Total Protection

McAfee announced Monday its 2014 product line of consumer antivirus and security products for the PC platform. All are available for download or retail purchase starting today.

McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014 is priced at $34.99 for one year of protection for one PC. McAfee Internet Security 2014 costs $55.99 for use on up to three computers, and McAfee Total Protection 2014 costs $89.99 for use on up to three computers. McAfee is also updating the LiveSafe cross-platform security product it announced in the spring.

All of the upgraded products provide some basic protections. They all use McAfee's AM Core scanning engine to detect viruses, malware, Trojan horses, and their nefarious ilk in real time. McAfee claims to have faster scanning performance in AM Core as well, so it doesn’t hold up your computer's other operations. The new products also include McAfee Vulnerability Scanner to look for patches or updates to your installed programs.

McAfee Shredder comes with all three products, supplying a tool that completely deletes files and makes them unrecoverable. To prevent hackers and other unwanted intrusions, the products include a two-way firewall and network security, plus a My Home Network viewer to check for freeloaders on your connection. McAfee SiteAdvisor also comes with all three, and tells you whether a site you’re about to visit is known to be safe, suspicious, or downright dangerous.

Internet Security 2014 and Total Protection 2014 add parental controls including a usage report, activity monitoring, and site blocking. Both products also offer spam filtering.

Total Protection 2014 adds file encryption and wireless network security. The latter can protect your passwords and data even if you’re using an open, public network.

McAfee has long been a leader in antivirus and security software. Nevertheless, competition abounds, including capable freeware. The company says its AM Core malware scanning engine, introduced earlier this year, offers a competitive advantage because it can dynamically detect and fend off hostile software. Even simpler features like the McAfee Shredder seem like they'd be handy tools for routine PC housecleaning. We'll know more in a few months, when we embark upon our annual roundup of antivirus software.

The daughter of a mechanical engineer, Melissa grew up playing with machine parts and still loves getting into the nuts and bolts of how things work. She is never happier than when she is on a factory tour.
More by Melissa Riofrio

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Lookout Antivirus & Security review: Basic protection for your Android phone

Lookout Security & Antivirus Free Lookout Security & Antivirus is a solid choice for families serious about mobile security, but you'll need to pay for a premium account in order to get the most out of the app.

Smartphones are a treasure trove of personal information and it doesn't take much for people who would mean you harm to get at all that sensitive data. While putting a PIN lock on your phone helps deter physical threats, you still have to keep an eye out for sneaky apps that want your private info. Lookout Security & Antivirus is a security app that helps defend your phone against all kinds of evildoers, but you'll have to pay if you want comprehensive protection.

Lookout is available for free from the Google Play Store and offers both free and premium account levels. Signing up for a free account gives you access to all the basic tools, like a virus scanner and the ability to locate your phone remotely.

Lookout's privacy advisor gives you an at a glance look at which apps are accessing your information.

If you decide to pay $3 a month, you'll get access to a privacy advisor that breaks down what information each app has access to. It's basically a simplified version of Google's permissions warning that pops up whenever you install an app, but Lookout presents the information in a way that's easier to digest. Lookout Premium also gives you a safe browsing tool that warns you if you're going to a known malicious website in your phone's browser.

Lookout's virus scanner automatically runs whenever you install a new app, and you can set it to scan your entire phone during certain times or initiate scans manually. According to data provided by AV-Test, a well-respected antivirus testing outfit, Lookout has a malware detection rate of 99 percent. The app compares favorably to other Android security apps and is ranked as the fourth best security app by AV-Test. In all the years I've used Lookout, I've never actually had the app alert me that it had detected malware, though—you're more likely to find a legit app that violates your privacy instead of one that carries a trojan.

A major downside to having Lookout run whenever you install an app is that it can slow down your phone—especially if you are installing multiple apps at once and aren't using a high-end phone like the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4. Having the virus scanner run in the background doesn't seem to adversely affect battery life, but if you're really worried about it you can set it so it doesn't activate each and every time you download an app.

Even if you don't decide to sign-up for Lookout Premium, the app is worth installing for its ability to remotely locate your phone. By logging into Lookout.com, you can see your phone's location on a map and even make it "scream" to make it easier to locate. The scream is helpful if you misplaced your phone at home, but it's disappointing that the two more useful options (remote lock and remote wipe) require you to have a premium account. The app can also send up a "flare" and email you its last registered location if the battery is starting to run low or the phone dies. Again, it's a helpful tool if your sofa ate your phone, but it isn't much use if some thief snatched it from your hands.

The remote wipe and remote lock options are sadly only available for paying customers.

The free version of Lookout only offers basic protection, but it's a solid app that provide some piece of mind as you navigate the murky waters of the Google Play Store. Other security apps like TrustGo Mobile Security offer many of the same features that Lookout locks behind its premium service for free, making them better for individual users worried about their phone's safety. Lookout is a better choice for families, however, as you can use a single Lookout account to manage and track multiple devices at once. Just make sure to put a PIN lock on your phone if you choose against paying for a subscription.

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Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2014)

Pros Advanced disinfection at install handles active malware. Excellent ratings from independent labs. Very good score in hands-on malware removal test. Accurate phishing protection. Useful bonus tools.

Cons Some difficulty installing on malware-infested systems. Good-not-great results in hands-on malware blocking test. Bottom Line The independent testing labs give top marks to Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2014). It didn't fare quite as well in my own hands-on tests, but it's definitely a good choice.

By Neil J. Rubenking

It's not even September yet, and I've already encountered one antivirus with "2014" in its name and another with an implied 2014. Kaspersky doesn't use year or version numbers anymore; I'll call their latest product Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2014) to distinguish it from last year's version. In addition to effective antivirus protection, it offers a number of useful bonus features.

G Data AntiVirus 2014 is the product that's declared itself ready for the new year. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014) doesn't actually use a year number, but it's the latest version. Symantec has also eliminated version and year numbers; their new product line will show up in early September.

Installation Challenges
Kaspersky installed without incident on eight of my twelve malware-infested test systems. On seven of those systems, it reported active malware immediately after installation and asked permission to perform an advanced disinfection, followed by a reboot. In a couple of cases it requested another advanced disinfection afterward. This made for a lengthy installation process, but on several systems a later full scan found nothing, meaning that the initial disinfection did the entire cleanup job.

The WindowsUnlocker component of Kaspersky's Rescue Disc foiled a ransomware threat that initially prevented installing the antivirus. On another system, the installer totally failed. On advice from tech support I employed a number of specialized tools and ran the Rescue Disc. Advice from tech support fixed collateral damage caused by the Rescue Disc; eventually I managed a full scan.

Kaspersky installed fine on one system but every time it launched, the process was immediately terminated by malware. Solving this required a number of tools, including a custom script supplied by tech support, but eventually I got the product installed and working.

I did run into some issues getting Kaspersky installed, granted, but all of the problems were solved by the Rescue Disc and other ancillary Kaspersky tools. On that basis, Kaspersky gets four stars for installation experience.

Good Malware Cleanup
Once I completed all of the installations I ran a full scan on each system and tallied up the results. I was a little apprehensive, because I had tested Kaspersky PURE 3.0 Total Security using the same malware collection a few months ago. I wondered if information gathered during that earlier test would give the antivirus an unfair advantage.

I needn't have worried. The antivirus handled almost 90 percent of the malware samples exactly the same way the suite had, right down to the percentage of non-executable traces remaining. For those where the two products produced different results, sometimes one was better, sometimes the other. Why any difference? Most likely it's because I applied different ancillary cleanup tools in the process of getting the two products installed.

Kaspersky detected 81 percent of the samples, the same as Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition (2014) and better than the 78 percent detected by Kaspersky PURE. It scored 6.1 points for malware removal, a fraction above Kaspersky PURE and a fraction below Bitdefender Free.

Best among products tested with this same malware collection was Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, with 83 percent detection and 6.6 points. The unusual cleanup-only Jumpshot tool detected more, 86 percent of the samples, but scored just 6.5 points.

For a full explanation of how I run this test see How We Test Malware Removal.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2014) malware removal chart

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Windows 8 users prefer third-party antivirus to bundled tool

Microsoft's Security Essentials (MSE) remains a hugely popular consumer antivirus product but new figures suggest that its Windows 8 successor, Defender, is losing out to third-party alternatives.

Security tools firm OPSWAT has carried out market share analysis of antivirus clients using numbers from its AppRemover tool in the past, but the latest stats are derived from its new security assessment application, Security Score, released in June.

This time the firm divided its results into three categories; the most popular vendors overall, the most encountered individual products and the most encountered individual products that had real-time protection enabled (or not), coming up with some interesting numbers.

Not surprisingly, the frequency of Microsoft's Security Essentials (the standard Windows antivirus client) and Windows Defender (which was upgraded to succeed it on Windows 8) topped the list at a combined 25.8 percent, just ahead of Avast Software's 23.6 percent. A clutch of other familair vendors scored under 10 percent, including AVG, Symantec, Eset, Avira, and Kaspersky.

The top individual product was in fact Avast's Free Antivirus with 19.5 percent, followed by MSE on 18.3 percent, with the Windows 8-only Windows Defender on 7.7 percent.

There were some limitations to this element of the study, starting with the small installed base of Security Score due its recent release. However, the numbers it generated chime with past OPSWAT products share results that used larger data sets.

More interestingly, when the company logged the number of occurrences of each vendor where real-time protection was not enabled (i.e. where the software was present but inactive or disabled), they found that two thirds of Windows 8 users were using a second program for real-time protection.

Windows Defender comes enabled on every install so users who choose to supplement it are making a positive choice to do so. By contrast, MSE on Windows 7, Vista, and XP was far more likely to be enabled, 98 percent of the time to be precise.

"RTP status can be seen as a metric for product usability and/or effectiveness; if a user views an antivirus product as effective and easy to operate, the user is more likely to have that product actively running on his or her machine," concludes OPSWAT's researchers.

It could also be the case that Windows 8 users are confused about the level of protection offered by Defender or even whether, given its self-effacing design, it is present at all. A study by OPSWAT from 2012 found that antivirus programs were often poorly configured.

On cloud backup use, OPSWAT found Google's Drive on 22.5 of systems, Dropbox on 19.5 percent, and Microsoft's SkyDrive (soon to have its name changed) on 15.4 percent. The top ten vendors accounted for more than 83 percent of the market, which suggests that this particular market is now too mature for outsiders to make headway.

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