How we test

Each of the security suites on test this month is awarded an overall score out of five. We calculate this score by weighing up each product’s performance, usability, features and value.

The first, and most heavily weighted, is protection. Here we draw on the latest test results from independent security analysts

AV-Comparatives.org. Published in September 2017, these results indicate each product’s effectiveness against a total of 389 real-world malware downloads. We also take into account how many false positives that each package registered during the test. You will find full results on p95.

Next, we consider the impact of each security suite on system performance. For this again we draw on the most recent performance test published by AV-Comparatives. Testers gave each suite a set of speed ratings – “poor”, “mediocre”, “fast” or “very fast” – reflecting relative system performance across a number of common tasks, such as copying files and launching applications. You can see the ratings on which our conclusions are based in the table opposite.

We also factor in an assessment of each package’s features: while all security suites do the basic job of detecting malware, supplementary tools can be useful. We additionally consider how easy it is to find and use these features – is the front-end clear, or is it a clunky design that makes it hard to find what you’re looking for?

Finally, we consider value for money. Where available, we have used everyday pricing from online retailers. As always, a low price is good, but we’re not just looking for the cheapest option – we would rather pay a little more for a top-quality package than skimp on security for the sake of a few pounds.