The best antiviruses to protect yourself from ransomware
In fact, threats are increasingly complex and differentiated, and alongside traditional viruses, trojans and worms, the large category of malware includes new types of threats, increasingly dangerous and widespread, including ransomware. As the name itself indicates, this type of malware acts by making a system inaccessible through encryption (it can encrypt individual files, or the entire file system, for example) and then require the victim to pay a ransom (from English " ransom “, in fact) in exchange for the cryptographic key with which the user can get back their data, at least in theory. In fact, paying the ransom may not automatically prevent other attacks or extortion attempts. On the other hand, the best defense against ransomware and malware in general is prevention.
Read also: The best VPNs of 2022 This is where security suites come into play. Among the various functions offered, some brands include protection from ransomware, however, it can be difficult to make the right decision: there are so many brands to evaluate and it is not certain that an established and appreciated brand for the antivirus engine will be able to effectively counteract even ransomware attacks. And there are opposite cases, software that does not stand out against the competition in tests, for example in behavioral analysis, but which then manages to block ransomware even before they manage to encode a single file.
And since reading every single review of every single security package available on the market can be time-consuming, we have decided to bring together in this guide the best antivirus and security suites with anti-ransomware function .
Before moving on to the list, however, it should be emphasized that this type of attack should not be underestimated. Recent research from Kaspersky and Microsoft shows how ransomware is evolving, becoming more capable of evading security systems and adapting to target environments. Therefore, having a good antivirus and always keeping it updated is now more fundamental than ever. And if you still have doubts, find out the 5 most popular ransomware and the most devastating attacks.
The best antiviruses to protect against ransomware
Sophos Home Premium Antivirus
Sophos Home Premium Antivirus is an antivirus and security suite that is perhaps too simple and spartan for more experienced users, yet it offers one of the best levels of ransomware protection ever. In fact, it is among the few that can stop a ransomware attack in its tracks, even before it manages to encrypt files. This is crucial because, sometimes, a failed ransomware attack still results in the loss of some data. The antivirus engine does not stand up to comparison with the big names in the sector, however it does its duty and, overall, we recommend that you give this suite a chance, especially if you are a novice user.Download Sophos Home Premium Antivirus
Bitdefender Total Security
The Bitdefender Total Security antivirus is an impressive suite with tons of features and is also great against ransomware. The only precaution that you will have to take is to activate the function as soon as the package is installed, since it is deactivated by default (and we do not really understand the reason for this choice). Nonetheless, the level of protection is high, making it reactive and prompt in intervening against a ransomware attack. Check out our Bitdefender Antivirus review.Download Bitdefender Total Security
Trend Micro Maximum Security
Trend Micro Maximum Security is an antivirus we got to recommend in our guide to the best antivirus of 2022. In our tests, it was able to recognize a ransomware simulator thanks to the behavior analysis, since the signature was not in the database. We were very impressed by the speed with which the anti-ransomware protection blocked the attack, immediately recovering the few documents that the malware had managed to lock with encryption (we are talking about 3 files in total). If you are looking for a security suite with effective ransomware protection, give this software a try.Download Trend Micro Maximum Security
Kaspersky Total Security
Antivirus Kaspersky Total Security fully convinced us in the review. It is no coincidence that we have defined it as one of the best antivirus on the market. And from a ransomware protection standpoint, we found excellent responsiveness in our tests. We simulated a ransomware attack, and the suite not only blocked the malware even if it wasn't in the database, it also immediately restored the encrypted files. We'd like to see a more proactive approach like with Sophos, having said that, we recommend Kaspersky unreservedly.Download Kaspersky Total Security
Avast Ultimate
The Avast Ultimate antivirus suite it offers a very effective engine as well as a good level of protection from ransomware. Sure, there are suites that have performed better in testing, however, if you want to combine one of the best antivirus engines on the market with anti-malware protection that does its job, Avast's package might be for you, especially in discount periods.Download Avast Ultimate
Norton 360 Premium
Norton 360 Premium antivirus is an excellent suite for protecting a large number of mobile devices. various platforms. It also offers interesting extras like a VPN. From a malware protection point of view, in our tests, the suite proved effective in blocking our attack simulations. Unfortunately, however, before being stopped, the ransomware managed to encrypt dozens of files, which we unfortunately lost. So, if you are looking for a security suite with the main goal of protecting you from ransomware, perhaps it would be better to look elsewhere, however, overall, Norton Antivirus is one of the best products we have tried, as we said in the review and, maybe combined with an effective backup system, it might be interesting to try.Download Norton 360 Premium
