Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus - Review
Available for Windows and Mac, Webroot stands out with an unconventional approach to research malware. In fact, the software is very focused on the intelligent monitoring of the “behavior” of apps and processes, in order to identify even the most recent threats. Probably, this is why Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is very light on the system, taking up only 15 MB on the disk (unlike other suites which can even require 1 GB of free space). And scans are lightning fast too, as the software only scans a selection of file types. The company claims on their site that their suite is up to 60 times faster than the competition, and in fact we have seen scans that only last a few seconds.
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Plans and prices
Despite its space-saving format, SecureAnywhere AntiVirus includes, in addition to antivirus, a firewall, a real-time anti-phishing system, network monitoring and a ransomware protection add-on.| ); }Upgrading to Internet Security Plus with AntiVirus, the company also offers Android and iOS support, along with a simple password manager.
Finally, Internet Security Complete added web activity wipe and 25GB of secure online backup space. - th_hardware_d_mh3_1 slot id: th_hardware_d_mh3 "); }
SecureAnywhere AntiVirus (PC / Mac) | € 34.99 per year for 1 SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus device (PC, Mac, iOS, Android) | € 54.99 per year for 3 SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete devices (PC, Mac, iOS, Android) | € 74.99 per year for 5 devices + 25 GB online backup Click here to sign up for a Webroot Secure Anywhere plan starting at € 34.99 per year
Antivirus
Al After the very simple installation process is finished, Webroot starts the first system scan. In our case, it took less than a minute. Then, you will find yourself in front of the suite interface.The first thing you will notice is the amount of elements inside it, including icons and panels available. Of course, you could ignore everything and let the software manage the protection automatically, on the other hand the scan button is large and well highlighted.
In any case, you will have various types of analysis available, such as the quick scan that scans RAM only, a full scan that covers all local storage drives, an in-depth scan that looks for possible rookits, trojans and other malware, as well as custom scan that allows you to select specific files and / or folders. However, reaching these options may be less straightforward than expected, as you will need to access the security settings and navigate between different panels.
All the scanning options, however, guarantee an extremely fast process. Detection rates were also satisfactory: for the first time, our test tools were detected even before they were launched.
However, we also encountered a number of false positives. For example, we use PCMark Professional to measure the impact of security suites on the system, well Webroot recognized it as a potential threat. This is a first time too.
Features
URL filtering combines Webroot's large database of malicious sites with real-time anti-phishing monitoring to protect users from risk . In our tests, the system performed well, regularly blocking malicious sites that Chrome and Windows didn't recognize. Unfortunately, however, you need to use an extension compatible with Edge, Chrome and Firefox. Other apps will not be protected.The firewall offered by Webroot is not comparable, in terms of configurability, to that of Norton, Bitdefender or other similar products. In fact, SecureAnywhere AntiVirus automatically manages most of the functions, looking for new and untrusted processes that try to connect to the Internet, warning the user about new connections made by unverified apps, asking for their approval or blocking.
This lack of control will undoubtedly alienate many of the more experienced users, however, it could be appreciated by basic users or by those who do not want to invest too much time in the most widespread configurations.
Identity protection acts in the background, "locking" browser sessions to thwart possible keyloggers, screen grabbers, clipboard snooping attempts and other attacks aimed at stealing user data. We tested the system with a freeware keylogger while browsing with Chrome. By disabling Identity Shield, the keylogger logged URLs, usernames, passwords, and anything else typed on the keyboard. By activating the service, however, the block was found to be effective and the logs no longer contained any usable data.
There are other extra tools that Webroot hardly mentions, but which prove to be quite useful. One example is SafeStart Sandbox, which allows you to run suspicious programs in isolated environments so that they cannot make any changes to your system.
The Antimalware Tools Dialog offers a utility to manually remove potentially harmful software entries of the Registry included. While this is not a full uninstaller, it is useful and somewhat unusual to see one in a security suite.
There are also some handy system "repair" features, which include an option to set default policies immediately. If a malware manages to disable Task Manager, the registry, or impose other restrictions, Webroot will correct the problem with a single click.
Protection
Although SecureAnywhere AntiVirus performed well in ours internal tests, the results obtained at independent laboratories should always be evaluated.Unfortunately, Webroot has not been analyzed by either AV-Comapratives or AV-Test in recent years. SE-Labs, on the other hand, has included the brand in its Home Anti-Malware tests, although the results are not entirely encouraging.
Webroot's best result is fifth out of nine, with a score of overall accuracy of 97%. In itself it is not disastrous, but it must be considered that the suite has been surpassed by three free antivirus, namely Avira Free Security, Avast Free and even Microsoft Defender.
Analyzing instead the worst result, in the SE-Labs test of Q2 2021, the company took last place with an overall accuracy score of 94%, while all other competitors achieved 100%.
Speaking of ransomware protection, we tried a simulator custom that, as such, does not appear in the databases and does not have a recognizable signature or behavior model. Unfortunately, the result was unsatisfactory: SecureAnywhere ignored our ransomware simulator altogether, as a result we saw thousands of files and gigabytes of data being encrypted.
Sure, our test didn't use real malware, however when we think about the low score obtained with SE-Labs, we find it difficult to recommend this product to those with serious concerns about ransomware.
Conclusion
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus it's a really lightweight product, with a precise URL blocking and great extra features. However, the test results indicate a certain lack of accuracy, especially compared to the competition.Sure, Webroot works flawlessly in parallel with other antiviruses, and maybe a combo with Microsoft Defender could allow you to stay safe enough , but we cannot fail to point out that you will find much better antivirus on the market.
Click here to subscribe to a Webroot Secure Anywhere plan starting at € 34.99 per year
