You’re reading this article because you want to learn more about the best antivirus software 2021. Chances are you may currently be using free antivirus software or maybe nothing at all. Maybe you feel like you’re taking a chance using nothing, but fear paying for it is not worth it either.
Whether you want to set up and use your own antivirus software or want to change the antivirus software of your business; we’ve got you covered. There are many great antivirus solutions available commercially and we’re going to list out the best ones for small businesses as well as big enterprises.
ESET Endpoint Security
ESET is known globally for their effective, lightweight cybersecurity solutions designed to protect organizations of all sizes against the most sophisticated known and zero-day threats. ESET Endpoint Security is their cloud-based endpoint protection solution, which offers multiple layers of defense technologies, automation and centralized management. It protects computers, mobile devices, file servers and virtual environments against malware and fileless attacks. ESET Endpoint Security is available as a standalone product and as a part of a wider cybersecurity bundle, which also includes file server security, disk encryption, a cloud sandbox and EDR.
ESET Endpoint Security combines machine learning technologies and crowdsourced threat intelligence to detect targeted malware, ransomware and fileless attacks. It does this by monitoring and evaluating all executed apps for malicious content, based on their known behaviors. Its powerful intrusion detection capabilities mean that ESET’s solution has excellent detection rates before, during and after execution. ESET Endpoint Security also offers protection that focuses on the web browser, preventing users from downloading malicious files and enabling admins to white- and blacklist URLs.
Administrators can manage all ESET endpoints, including mobiles, via one cloud-based unified management console. This, along with automatic updates, makes ESET’s solution easy to deploy and maintain, with no need for extra hardware.
ESET Endpoint Security is extremely lightweight, but performs as well as any solid anti-malware engine. It’s also a highly flexible solution: ESET Endpoint Security is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux and Android operating systems, with built-in mobile device management for iOS and AndroidOS. Additionally, the console is available in 21 languages, and ESET offers localized support in 38 languages. This makes their solution ideal for SMBs with a diverse workforce and device fleet, who are looking for powerful antivirus software that won’t slow their systems.
Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security
Bitdefender are a global leader in endpoint protection software, protecting over 500 million systems in 150 countries. Their GravityZone solutions are consistently ranked highly in independent security tests, providing effective protection for SMBs and large enterprises alike. GravityZone Business Security is Bitdefender’s antivirus software designed specifically for small businesses. Admins can use one cloud-based console to manage all workstations and servers, as well as track all security events.
GravityZone Business Security uses machine learning and AI to monitor networks and detect malware, ransomware and zero-day exploits. As with some other solutions on this list, this information comes from the cloud so, if an issue is detected on one system, all others are made aware of it. This results in a much faster response to new threats, allowing Bitdefender to protect against attacks before they’re executed. Bitdefender’s solution consistently has extremely high detection rates with very few false positives in third-party tests, so there’s no need to worry about safe files being blocked and quarantined by the software. The solution also comes equipped with the capability to block remote desktop protocol (RDP) brute force attacks, which hackers use to execute remote logins to Windows PCs. RDP is the most common way of connecting remote desktops to a network, and if the connection is compromised then an attacker can spread malware to other endpoints across the network. Because of this, the RDP attack blocking feature is particularly useful for organizations with employees working from home.
Finally, Bitdefender’s customizable dashboard allows admins to view reports and alerts to help users stay on top of security events. This dashboard can also control employee access to certain websites or applications, which enhances productivity as well as blocking sites that are known for presenting security risks.
Bitdefender’s GravityZone Business Security is a brilliant solution for small organizations looking for fast and effective antivirus software. For slightly larger organizations, users should consider adding the Advanced Threat Security add-on, which includes HyperDetect and sandbox analysis.
End-user Endpoint Security
Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) is designed to protect against malware attacks including targeted attacks, advanced persistent threats, and zero-day threats with a layered approach to security at the endpoint. Superior protection that fuses essential and next-gen technologies in a multi-layered fashion. High-performance, lightweight single client, single management console across both physical and virtual protection and orchestrated response delivered at scale
CrowdStrike Falcon: Endpoint Protection
CrowdStrike is the leader in cloud-delivered next-generation endpoint protection. CrowdStrike has revolutionized endpoint protection by being the first and only company to unify next-generation antivirus (AV), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and a 24/7 managed hunting service — all delivered via a single lightweight agent. Many of the world’s largest organizations already put their trust in CrowdStrike, including three of the 10 largest global companies by revenue, five of the 10 largest financial institutions, three of the top 10 health care providers, and three of the top 10 energy companies.
McAfee Total Protection
Platforms: Windows 10 plus MacOS, Android, iOS
Cost: One year subscription: $85 for a single device, $50 for 5 devices, and $55 for 10 devices.
Two year subscription: $35 for 5 devices and $40 for 10 devices.
It feels like McAfee Antivirus has been around forever, first on its own in the ’80s, then as part of Intel starting in 2010, and then again on its own when Intel spun it off in 2017. And it’s been around forever because quarter after quarter it creates solid, modern antivirus software that protects your PC. (In recent evaluations by AV-Test, it had high scores on both protection and performance.) McAfee Total Protection guards five devices against viruses and offers ransomware protection, wards off malicious websites and includes a password manager for $35 (usually $100) for the first year. If you agree to auto-renew your security suite subscription, you get access to McAfee ID Theft Protection Essentials, which monitors for ID fraud.
Norton AntiVirus
Solid protection with genuinely useful features
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS optionsMaximum devices covered: 5Stand out features: Intelligent firewall, PC maintenance features, bundled backup tool with online storage
Norton AntiVirus Plus is a sterling antivirus software app from the security company now known as NortonLifeLock. The main attraction here is the absolute stack of features you get, even with the entry-level antivirus product – not to mention the quality of those features.
They include a really useful intelligent firewall, which is a genuinely big help in terms of policing your system, along with some very thorough browser protection measures to keep you safe on the web.
There are also extras you don’t normally get with other antivirus applications, including a bundled backup tool which offers 2GB of online storage (it’s very user-friendly, too, ensuring that backing up is a breeze), and some useful PC maintenance utilities.
The package’s central antivirus defenses are tight, as we found in our testing, and as evidenced by the independent test labs (albeit with slightly mixed results from one of those labs).
The slight disappointment here, however, is that in our latest evaluation, we found that Norton is a bit heavy-handed when it comes to eating up system resources. Furthermore, Norton came near the bottom of the pack in AV-Comparatives’ latest performance rankings – surprising as well as disappointing, seeing as in previous years Norton has done very well in this department.
Still, under normal operation, you likely won’t notice much in the way of performance slowdown, and you’re certainly getting a strong feature set for the money when purchasing Norton AntiVirus Plus.
If you want more then NortonLifeLock offers a range of higher-level suites. Norton 360 Standard adds some nifty extra bits of functionality, including an integrated full VPN service, more backup storage (10GB) and dark web monitoring (for some countries, including the US and UK). There are also strong mobile apps for Android and iOS.
However, if coverage for more than one device is required, then you’ll need to step up to Norton 360 Deluxe – this grants protection for up to five devices, along with even more backup space (50GB) and an in-depth system of parental controls.
Conclusion:
Business owners are constantly hit by cyber-attacks. You wouldn’t even believe the number of emails I get every day with questions on antivirus software for business! But it is important to invest in an antivirus software for business, even if you own a small business. After all, if it protects your business, you can hug yourself at the end of the day.