Malware detection constituted a critical aspect of the evaluation, encompassing 210 instances of "zero-day" malware and nearly 12,000 known malware samples encountered in the preceding four weeks. Notably, Avast, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender, F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee, Microsoft, Norton, PC Matic, Protected.net, and Trend Micro achieved perfect scores in malware detection, demonstrating their efficacy in identifying new and existing threats. Conversely, Bkav's solution lagged behind, garnering only three points in this category. Performance assessment scrutinized the impact of antivirus software on various system operations such as web browsing, file downloads, software installation, and file manipulation. Twelve out of sixteen packages earned the maximum score of six points in this segment, with the remaining four achieving 5.5 points.

Usability evaluation focused on the occurrence of false positives, instances where legitimate software or websites are mistakenly flagged as malicious. This examination involved 500 websites and 1 million files. Eleven packages excelled in usability, earning the highest score of six points, while PC Matic and Bkav received four and three points, respectively, positioning them at the lower end of the spectrum.

Among the sixteen virus scanners tested, eight achieved a perfect score of 18 points, including Avast, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender, F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee, and Microsoft. Notably, Microsoft's free Defender solution, integrated into Windows, emerged as a top performer scoring 6 points for detection, just like all commercial programs.  Bkav however leaves room for improvement in its antivirus capabilities.

Source: AV-TEST Institute