Naturally, this suite includes all the protective features found in ESET NOD32 Antivirus. You can peruse that review for an in-depth look at the core antivirus features. Given that my review of the standalone antivirus is nearly two years old, I reran all my tests, and the results did not change significantly.
A full antivirus scan on my standard virtual machine testbed completed in 87 minutes, which is significantly faster than the current average of 113 minutes. ESET clearly did some optimization during that scan, as a repeat scan finished in just seven minutes, cutting more than 90% from the initial scan time.
(Credit: ESET/PCMag)
Independent antivirus testing labs around the world test dozens of protective solutions and regularly report on their capabilities. I follow five such labs, and four of the five included ESET in their latest reports. ESET holds perfect scores from AV-Test Institute, AV-Comparatives, AVLab Cybersecurity Foundation, and MRG-Effitas. My aggregate lab score algorithm maps all results to a 10-point scale and returns an overall score. With only perfect results, ESET has an admirable lab score of 10 out of 10.
Sophos Home Premium also has a 10-point aggregate score, as does Webroot, but these are based on results from one lab and two labs, respectively. I consider ESET’s score better because it’s derived from four labs. On that basis, Norton is the big winner, with perfect scores from all five labs. Avast and Microsoft Defender Antivirus also appeared in the latest reports from all five, scoring 9.6 and 9.4, respectively.
When I opened my folders full of malware samples, ESET eliminated 30% of them on sight, little change from 31% when last tested, and still very low. McAfee and UltraAV detected 100% of the samples before they could ever launch, and Malwarebytes managed 99%. It’s worth noting that, as before, ESET only wiped out half of my ransomware samples on sight, whereas most competitors eliminate them all or nearly all.
Continuing the test, I launched all the surviving samples. ESET caught all but one of the ransomware samples at this stage; however, the one that slipped past completely wiped out the virtual machine testbed. It also detected a significant number of other malware types, achieving a total detection rate of 87%. It lost points in several cases by allowing the malware to install one or more executable files, resulting in an overall score of 8.1 points. Challenged with this same sample set, McAfee and UltraAV detected 100% and scored a perfect 10 points. Malwarebytes scored 9.9, while Avast, AVG, Norton, and Webroot all scored 9.7.
(Credit: ESET/PCMag)
For another window into antivirus effectiveness, I challenge each security app by attempting to visit web pages that literally host malware downloads. Starting with a feed supplied by the testing experts at MRG-Effitas, I launch each URL in turn and note whether the antivirus blocks access to the URL, wipes out the malware download, or takes no action.
After running through hundreds of samples, I found that ESET blocked 42% of dangerous URLs. In most cases, it displayed a red-bordered warning that it had found dangerous content, though for a few cases it used a yellow border to flag content it considered “potentially unwanted.” It eliminated another 55% by identifying and removing the malware, bringing the total to 97% protection.
(Credit: ESET/PCMag)
That 97% score is good, and matches the latest scores from G Data, McAfee, Total Defense, and Webroot. Even so, others have done better. In their own malicious URL tests, Avira, Guardio, and Sophos all scored 100%.
The same browser extension that identifies dangerous websites also steers your surfing away from phishing sites. These frauds masquerade as legitimate sites, including those of banks and financial institutions, as well as dating and gaming sites. Anyone who, fooled by the fakery, logs in to the phishing site has given away their credentials to the fraudsters. Yes, you can train yourself to spot the fakes, but most antivirus apps, ESET included, aim to help you.
(Credit: ESET/PCMag)
For the phishing test, I use recently reported frauds scraped from websites that collect examples of phishing. I include both verified phishing messages and reports that are too new for commonly used blacklists. I also compare the antivirus app’s response with the built-in phishing protection in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
ESET had scored in the low 90s for the last several years. This time around, and the time before, it achieved 100% accuracy, detecting every single instance of phishing fraud. AVG, Avira, Guardio, McAfee, and Webroot also scored 100%, as did Norton Genie, which focuses on phishing, and Surfshark One, which has VPN protection at its core.
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