PC Magazine - USA (2021-12)

(Antfer) #1

NOD32 detected 89% of the samples one way or another. But the fact that it let
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dismal 7.9 points, even worse than the 8.3 points it scored in my previous
review. Tested with this same sample set, Malwarebytes managed 100%
detection and a perfect 10 points. McAfee came close, with 100% detection and
9.9 points. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus detected 99% and scored 9.8.


NOD32’s score in this test is the lowest of any product tested with the current
sample set. That result doesn’t line up at all with its many excellent lab test
scores. When my results don’t jibe with the labs, I give the labs more weight.


It takes me quite a while to collect and analyze a new set of malware samples, so
those necessarily stay the same for months. To check a product’s protection
against the latest in-the-wild threats, I start with a feed of malware-hosting
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URL in turn and note whether the antivirus prevents access to the URL,
eliminates the malware payload, or utterly fails to detect any threat.


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websites, NOD32 functions below the browser level. That means it can extend
its protection to any internet-capable app. In testing, NOD32 blocked the
browser’s access to 86% of the malware-hosting URLs. For most of these
URLs, it displayed a red warning page. In a few cases it displayed a yellow

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