Two recent studies by cybersecurity testing lab AV-TEST have lauded our basic security for Windows and Macs for doing what we do best — detecting and blocking the bad guys. You can see the full reports on the best antivirus software for Windows home user and antivirus solutions for MacOS Sierra, but here are the highlights (at least, to us):

The best free antivirus software for Windows home user

Throughout November and December 2017, the lab ran a battery of specified tests on twenty consumer cybersecurity products. The tests evaluated protection, performance (if it slowed down the system), and usability (unnecessary distractions, such as false positives). Avast Free Antivirus scored high in every category.

The protection tests consisted of the lab introducing over 10,000 malware samples to the Avast-protected PC. We are proud to have received a perfect score in this category, and we thank our network of hundreds of millions of users, because we couldn’t have done it without them. Every one of them is a data sensor adding to the machine learning that helps us protect the planet. These days, it doesn’t take a village — it takes a network.

We also scored well in the performance and usability categories, showing that Avast keeps you protected without any significant slowdown to your system and that Avast rarely-to-never troubles you with alerts that turn out to be false positive.

If you are not yet part of the world’s biggest cybersecurity network, now is the perfect time to start. 

Antivirus solutions for MacOS Sierra

We’ve discussed before how Macs need cybersecurity just as much as PCs do, and that necessity grows more important every day. Last year, we blocked over 250 million malware attacks targeting our Mac users.

AV-TEST studied thirteen antivirus products for Mac, including Avast Security for Mac. As with its PC counterpart, “Avast Security did indeed deliver error-free detection,” states the report. Over 500 MacOS threats attacked the system, and Avast Security detected and blocked 100% of them.

Additionally, questionable programs were injected into the mix, programs that are not easily recognizable as either friendly or malicious. These are called “potentially unwanted applications” or PUAs, and while some software let these files in, Avast Security successfully filtered out 98%-100% of them.

To protect your Mac from the increasing number of threats targeting it, install Avast Security for Mac today (it's free) and defend your digital life.