AV-TEST Product Review Report – Sep-Oct/2012

During September and October 2012 we continuously evaluated 24 home user security products using their default settings. We always used the most current publicly-available version of all products for the testing. They were allowed to update themselves at any time and query their in-the-cloud services. We focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged the products against real-world threats. Products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.

Security Essentials

Version	4.0 & 4.1
Platform	Windows 7 (SP1, 32 bit)
Report	123698
Date	Sep-Oct/2012

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Protection

Protection against malware infections
(such as viruses, worms or Trojan horses)
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	Industry average	September	October
Protection against 0-day malware attacks, inclusive of web and e-mail threats (Real-World Testing) 102 samples used
Detection of a representative set of malware discovered in the last 2-3 months (AV-TEST reference set) 272,799 samples used
Detection of widespread and prevalent malware (according to AV-TEST data) 5,000 samples used
Protection Score	1.5/ 6.0

Repair

Cleaning and repair of a malware-infected computer

	Industry average	September	October
Detection of actively running widespread malware (including Rootkits and stealth malware) 40 samples used
Removal of all active components of widespread malware (including Rootkits and stealth malware) 40 samples used
Removal of further malicious components and remediation of critical system modifications 40 samples used
Repair Score	3.5/ 6.0

Usability

Impact of the security software on the usability of the whole computer
(lower values indicate better results)
More information

	Industry average	September	October
Average slow-down of the computer by the security software in daily use Number of test cases: 5
False detections of legitimate software as malware during a system scan (false positives) 657,250 samples used	4	1	0
False warnings of certain actions during download, installation and use of legitimate software 27 samples used	1	0
False blockings of certain actions during download, installation and use of legitimate software 27 samples used	1	0
Usability Score	5.5/ 6.0