The best antivirus for Windows 10 PCs of 2021

How we test?

Digital security and privacy are essential. And knowing what sources to trust, when selecting your security software, is equally important.

Therefor, we want to be transparent about the methods we use to analyse and select the best antivirus software for Windows 10 PCs.

Below are the 3 factors that we consider most important. All of them matter, but they are not equal. Therefor, each has a different impact on the final score.

Read more below to learn about each factor.

Protection

The core function of antivirus software is the protection against malware threats and phishing attacks. The German and Austrian test laboratories, AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, run several in-depth studies each year to analyse how the various brand handle these threats.

To do so, they run each of the security tools through the three tests described below. Rather than duplicate their work, we use their findings to reach the protection score for each of the brands in our comparison.

Real-World Protection Tests

The aim of the exercise is to discover how antivirus software respond to online malware threats.

This is done by browsing to a malicious URL and observing whether the URL is blocked or not. In case it is blocked, the antivirus passes the test.

In case the URL is not blocked, the malware will be allowed to execute. Should the antivirus software detect the malware at this stage (via signature or behavioural detection methods) and block its execution, the antivirus still passes the test.

If neither the URL nor the malware is blocked, then the system is compromised, and the antivirus fails the test.

Malware Protection Tests

During this tests, computers are exposed to malware via USBs and network drives, rather than the web.

After exposing a PC to a malware sample, an on-demand scan is run. Should the antivirus detect the malware’s digital signature and prevent it from executing, the antivirus passes the test.

In case it does not discover the digital signature, the malware is allowed to execute. Here the antivirus has a second attempt to catch the malware. This time using its behavioural detection features.

Should it fail to catch the malware again, the antivirus fails the test.

Anti-Phishing Test

Phishing attacks attempt to trick users into handing over sensitive information to hackers, such as their credit card details. This is done by mimicking legitimate websites, often PayPal and banks, and requesting users to type in their log-in details.

This is an important test, because phishing attacks do not infect a PC with malware, but rather attempt to manipulate the user through social engineering and spoofing. Therefor, the antivirus require a different skill set from detecting malicious computer code or suspicious file behaviour.

The test itself is actually quite simple. It measures whether the antivirus software, or its browser extension, warns the user when he or she attempts to access a fraudulent website. If it does not, it fails the test.

Privacy

The privacy industry is taking the world by storm. At a time when governments, internet service providers (ISPs), and big data firms can track everything, consumers are craving privacy. To meet this demand, cybersecurity companies are adding privacy features to their products.

Below, we describe the most essential privacy features. Our experience in working with these tools is the basis for the privacy score in this comparison.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN allows you to encrypt your internet connection and mask your IP address. The benefit of this is that hackers, internet service providers (ISPs), big data companies, and governments cannot see what you do online. In effect, this restores your anonymity when browsing the web.

Until recently, antivirus and VPN were separate industries. That is no longer the case. Nearly all antivirus manufacturers now offer VPN connections as part of their product. However, the way in which they do this varies quite a bit. In our analysis of the various VPN, we test for:

• The impact on the upload and download speed, and latency (ping).
• Whether streaming Netflix and torrenting are allowed and work.
• The number of servers available and where these are located.
• The security features such as AES-256, kill-switch and OpenVPN.
• How much the VPN costs.
• Who the creator and owner of the VPN is, and what their logging policy is.

This last point – the logging policy – is particularly important. Although you are anonymous online when you use a VPN, the VPN company itself can still track what you do. After all, your online activities flow through their servers.

Of course the VPN shouldn’t track what you do online. A VPN is a privacy product. That means privacy from everyone, including the VPN provider itself. Sadly though, many free VPN services and even some paid ones, abuse their power by collecting and reselling your data.

So what about the companies in our comparison? Can you trust them? And are their VPNs worth your money?

Norton: A trustworthy company and a good VPN deal.

Norton built its own VPN, called Norton Secure VPN. It is included for free with all antivirus products, except for the entry-level AV Plus.

The VPN has some flaws (no kill switch and no torrenting allowed), but it’s secure, fast, works with Netflix, and has a clear no-log policy (meaning that it doesn’t track anything you do online).

And the fact that it is included for free, makes it the best VPN deal among the major antivirus brands.

BitDefender and Panda: Trustworthy companies and good VPN deals.

BitDefender and Panda haven’t build their own VPN. Instead, they re-sell Hotspot Shield‘s VPN under their own brandname.

Hotspot Shield’s VPN, which is owned by Pango, is one of the global leaders in the VPN space. It is fast, highly secure, allows torrenting and works with Netflix. It can easily compete with the other big names, like CyberGhost and NordVPN.

The VPN sold by BitDefender and Panda is a basic version of Hotspot Shield’s VPN, as you’ll miss out on several server locations and the kill switch. However, it comes at a very significant discount. Where Hotspot Shield sells its VPN at about $ 100 per year, you can get it from BitDefender at $ 39,99.

One thing to note is that, although BitDefender and Panda own your data, Pango processes it on their behalf. Luckily, Pango has a clear no-log policy, which means that none of your online activity is stored. So you can rest assured that you are completely anonymous online.

BullGuard: A trustworthy company but not a good VPN deal.

BullGuard re-sells a basic version of NordVPN’s service under its own brandname. Although NordVPN is excellent (fast, secure, works with Netflix and torrenting, and has a clear no-log policy), not all its features are available on BullGuard’s version (only 16 server locations an no kill switch).

This is not necessarily a problem, as long as the price is right, like in the case of BitDefender and Panda. After all, if you get less, you should pay less. 

Sadly though, that is not the case. BullGuard’s VPN and NordVPN are priced very close to each other, which makes no sense. So if you want NordVPN’s excellent service, just get it straight from the source. Don’t pay the same for less at BullGuard.

McAfee: Not a trustworthy company and, therefor, a terrible VPN deal.

McAfee bought TunnelBear (a VPN company) in 2018. Since then, it includes its VPN (now called Safe Connect) for free in its McAfee Total Security package. Sadly though, you should avoid this VPN.

McAfee’s VPN is fast, relatively secure, and allows torrenting, but it doesn’t work with any streaming service (Netlfix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu or Disney+). And to make matters worse, McAfee’s logging policy is simply terrible:

McAfee logs your IP address, location, websites your visit, links you click, and much more. It retains this data forever and grants itself the freedom to sell it to others. This is as bad as it gets. There is little difference between McAfee’s logging policy and that of your average internet service provider.

Anti-Tracker

Some antivirus brands, like BitDefender, now also include an anti-tracker in the form of a browser extension. Although there are plenty of free anti-trackers on the market, it is nice to see BitDefender increasing its privacy features.

As the name suggests, anti-trackers block tracking elements such as cookies. This stops those annoying ads from following your every move online. This has the double advantage of increasing your privacy and making websites load faster.

Microphone and webcam security

Hackers are able to activate your laptop’s webcam and microphone without your awareness. This is as creepy as it sounds. Luckily, both Norton and BitDefender include webcam security as standard in their antivirus package.

Speed

Any program that continuously runs in the background requires a certain amount of resources. Antivirus software do as well. The manner in which they do varies significantly however. Where one is hardly noticeable, another might cause your system to slow down by as much as 20%.

The test laboratories AV-Test and AV-Comparatives both run performance tests, in which they measure the resources required by antivirus software to perform their tasks.

Test cases include the slow down caused by antivirus software when copying, downloading and archiving files, installing and launching applications, and browsing websites.

AV-Comparatives runs the tests on “low-end” Windows 10 machines (i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a SSD hard disk), using their own in-house tests, as well as standardised performance tests such as PC Mark 10 Professional.

AV-Test runs the tests of both “low-end” (Intel i3, 256 SSD, 8GB RAM) and “high-end” (Intel i7, 256 SSD, 16GB RAM) Windows 10 machines.

We use their results, combined with our own test results, as the basis for our verdict in the speed section.

Features

What is anti-malware?

Anti-malware software detects and deletes any malware (malicious software) on your device. It also prevents you from downloading and installing new malware. In its war against digital threats, it has three strategies in its arsenal:

Signature-based detection: When anti-malware software identifies a potentially harmful program, it can analyze part of its code against a database that contains all known malware. Should the suspicious code match any of the malware signatures in the database, then the program is flagged as malicious. The downside to this detection method is that only known malware are in the database, which means that new malware can slip by unnoticed.

Behavior-based detection: To detect unknown malware in the wild, the behavior of software can be analyzed. Should an app act in an unauthorized or unusual manner it will be flagged as malicious. This method is at the forefront of cybersecurity and frequently relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect malware.

Sandboxing: A sandbox is an isolated digital testing environment, in which a suspicious program can be allowed to execute. In this sealed-off environment, its behavior can be safely analyzed, without running the risk of it infecting the rest of the system. To not strain your device’s processing power, the sandbox analysis is often performed in the cloud.

What is anti-ransomware?

Ransomware is a modern form of malware that locks you out of your files or entire devices. It then requests payment via an anonymous method, such as cryptocurrency, to unlock them again. The best way to protect yourself from ransomware is to prevent the installation of it. There are four methods to do so:

Invest in cybersecurity software. The best antivirus software have anti-exploit features to protect vulnerable files and prevent ransomware from holding devices hostage.

Create regular backups. Whether it’s online via a cloud storage provider, or on a physically separate hard disk, a secure backup can be a lifesaver. Whichever you choose, make sure to use an encrypted system with multi-factor authentication.

Don’t skip security updates. When your device requests you to update the operating software; do it. These are often security updates. For instance, the infamous WannaCry ransomware attack relied on a vulnerability in Windows, that Microsoft had already released a patch for. However, many users simply hadn’t updated their system.

Stay vigilant. Ransomware is often installed by the end-users themselves. Through clever social engineering, people are tricked into downloading attachments or clicking links they shouldn’t. If it looks dodgy, it usually is.

What is anti-phishing?

A phishing email comes from a seemingly legitimate sender or trustworthy source and requests login credentials or payment details. These are often sent in an email blast to thousands of people at once. By being fairly general, they are easily spotted by digitally-savvy people.

It becomes more complex in the case of spear-phishing attacks. These are very personalized assaults, that use information from social networks to target specific individuals. An email might appear to come from a colleague, superior, or spouse, increasing the likelihood of its success significantly.

Although it is incredibly difficult to safeguard you from spear-phishing attacks, anti-phishing software has become very good at protecting you from the plain vanilla phishing attacks. The vast majority of these assaults are easily prevented via:

Anti-spam: By blocking emails that are suspicious or flagged by other users as spam, the majority of phishing emails directly go into the spam folder.

URL scanning: With the help of a browser extension, antivirus software will warn you before you enter a website that is known for phishing.

What is anti-theft?

Phones and laptops get stolen all the time. Their portability is what makes them both great and vulnerable. In the unfortunate event that your device is stolen, anti-theft software can do four things for you:

Location tracking: By using battery-efficient tracking software, the location of your device is tracked and updated in a central admin panel.

Data protection: Many anti-theft tools will allow you to remotely retrieve documents and photos, encrypt your hard drive, and entirely wipe all files from your device.

Alarm and spy tools: Some anti-theft tools allow you to display a message on the home screen, activate an alarm, and/or take photos of the thief using the front camera on your device.

Device management: In the case of enterprise anti-theft software, all devices can be monitored, tracked, and organized in a single admin.

What is a firewall? 

A firewall is a barrier between your device and a network, like the internet. It can filter traffic and block unauthorized intruders from accessing your files. In principle, it can be both a hardware or software solution. Although in the case of antivirus software, it is always the software variant.

In case of a two-way firewall, not only external connections are monitored, but also internal. This means that apps can’t just connect to any external server they like. The firewall monitors their activity and prevents any suspicious data flows.

Not having a firewall on your device, is the equivalent of leaving your front door unlocked and wide open. You allow any hacker free access to your device and network. Granting them the ability to steal data, commit identity theft, or hijack your device.

What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?

With the help of a VPN, you can browse the web securely and anonymously. This means that no one, including the government and your internet service provider, can see what you do online.

The advantages are numerous. You can safely download torrents, circumvent censorships, unlock foreign Netflix libraries, and use public Wi-Fi networks without the risk of being hacked.

Although the technology is complex, it is fairly easy to understand the basics idea:

Normally when you visit a website, your device creates a direct connection to it. This allows savvy website owners to register a lot of information on you, such as your IP address, which is the digital equivalent of your home address.

When you use a VPN, you first create an encrypted connection to a VPN server, before visiting the website. This means that the website’s owner can no longer see your home IP address. Instead, it sees the server’s IP address. This makes you virtually untraceable online.

On top of that, the data that you send to the VPN server is encrypted. Which is a fancy way of saying that it is scrambled and unreadable. This allows you to safely use public Wi-Fi networks, without worrying about being spied on.

In short, your online anonymity is restored.

What is an anti-tracker?

Advertisers track your online surfing habits and collect data on your devices and browser settings. Taken together, these create a digital fingerprint that is unique to you, which allows the advertisers to build a customer profile and send you targeted ads.

The results can be merely annoying, like those shoes you once looked at once on Amazon, and now keep showing up on ads around the web. Or downright unfair, like that plane ticket that increased in price overnight.

Over time this data really adds up. After all, most people are more truthful with their search engine than with their spouse. Consider for a moment everything you have searched for, or the websites you’ve visited, over the last 12 months. Would you like someone else to have this information?

Good anti-trackers have a few tricks up their sleeve to stop all this:

1. They block advertisers’ attempts to track you.
2. They disguise your digital fingerprint, so advertisers don’t know who you are.
3. They regularly clean your browser history and clear your cookies.
4. They block ads from showing up, without breaking the website.
5. They show you the tracking attempts that have been thwarted.

What is webcam protection?

Imagine someone looking at you right now, through your webcam, without you knowing it. The light doesn’t even need to turn on. He or she could still be watching. That’s creepy. And frankly, it’s entirely possible. 

You might have downloaded a seemingly legitimate piece of software, or clicked a harmless link, only to install malware that acts like remote desktop software. From that moment forward, a hacker can remotely activate your webcam and watch you. 

By updating your operating software, installing antivirus with a firewall, using secure Wi-Fi networks, and avoiding the dodgy corners of the internet, you reduce the risk of your webcam getting hacked. But you can take your security one step further.

By installing antivirus with dedicated webcam protection, your webcam is constantly monitored. When an unknown or suspicious application attempts to activate it, the attempt is blocked and you are notified of it. 

Depending on the webcam protection feature, you can also dive into the settings to block access to the webcam entirely, block specific programs (like browsers), or create a “white list” of applications that are allowed to access it. 

Malware Types

What is Adware?

Adware is a universal name for computer programs that have been designed to display various advertisements on a person’s computer. Adware programs can redirect search requests, display unwanted ads in your browser, and even collect data like the kind used in marketing campaigns.

There can be both malicious and non-malicious adware programs. Malicious adware programs are those that collect marketing data without the user’s consent and that can’t be located on the computer. Such “invisible” pieces of software that operate behind the scenes can often get into a user’s computer through freeware programs, infected websites and emails, or remote installations through a backdoor.

Read more about the top types and examples of adware

What is Antivirus?

An antivirus is a type of software, initially designed to aid in the removal of computer viruses. Over the years, this type of software has evolved to the point where it can also prevent various cyber threats from getting into one’s computer.

Antivirus programs are essentially suites of tools known to protect computers against malware, viruses, hijackers, keyloggers, worms, adware, spyware, spam, phishing, rootkits, and so on. These programs use the so-called “definitions” which need to be updated regularly to ensure protection against all the latest threats. They can also use sandbox detection (behavioral-based detection), data mining, or even machine learning algorithms to detect, quarantine, and ultimately remove threats.

Read more about the top types and examples of antivirus

What is a Botnet?

Botnets, also known as zombie armies, are used by black hat hackers or crackers for a wide range of applications. In essence, a botnet is a series of linked devices (computers, smartphones, etc.), each one operating its own bot unknowingly. This kind of network can be created without the device’s owner’s consent and operated remotely by one or more individuals.

The most common use for a botnet is launching powerful DDoS attacks, stealing personal information, and sending spam, amongst other things. The combined computational power of multiple devices, hijacked and connected via bots is what makes botnets so dangerous and hard to safeguard against. Botnets can also be rented to individuals or groups that need the computing power for attacks.

Read more about the top types and examples of botnets

What is a Computer Exploit?

The name computer exploit can refer to software, data, command sequences, or lines of code that can take advantage of a certain software or hardware vulnerability. Using an exploit, one can either gain remote access to someone else’s device or cause significant damage to their software or hardware components. This happens as a result of unintended behavior triggered by the attacker.

Computer exploits can come in various types and are typically categorized depending on the type of vulnerability they exploit. There are also both local and remote exploits. These classifications refer to the level of access one needs to use the exploit against a computer or network of devices. Zero-day exploits are the most dangerous as there’s no protection against them.

Read more about the top types and examples of computer exploits

What is a Computer Virus?

A computer virus is one of the most common types of malware, affecting millions of operating systems every day. It’s essentially malware with the potential to replicate itself through the corruption of other programs, much like how the flu virus works. It inserts its own code into other programs thus infecting them and causing them to behave poorly or in a very specific way.

Not only is it one of the most damaging types of malware but it can also be costly due to how it can waste resources, corrupt important data, and even cause system failures. That’s not to mention its potential for use in identity theft, DDoS attacks, spreading political propaganda, terrorist propaganda, and so much more. Computer viruses don’t attack until the file or program they’re attached to is opened. As such, many can be removed before doing any harm.

Read more about the top types and examples of computer viruses

What is a Computer Worm?

A computer worm is a self-replicating malicious program that usually spreads through entire networks, causing significant traffic disruption. While not typically created to deliver any kind of payload, as most computer viruses do, a computer worm will often be used to set up a botnet.

Worms can install backdoors on user computers. This, in turn, allows someone else to control those devices, install bots, and create a zombie network that can be used for more powerful attacks or rented to others with nefarious plans and in need of high computing power. Worms can also cause traffic disruption or make systems unreliable or unavailable due to eating up a chunk of the infected device’s computing power.

Read more about the top types and examples of computer worms

What is Computer Hacking?

Computer hacking can be used to describe two types of activities. It is sometimes used with a negative connotation when it refers to activities practiced by those with malicious intent. These individuals or groups use various computer exploits and malware programs to take control over foreign computer systems in order to either cause disruption or gain a financial advantage.

It is also a term used in association with activities practiced by coders that work against malware programs, those that create antivirus programs, firewalls, and patch various system vulnerabilities. As such, hacker is usually used to describe a security hacker while cracker is the term associated with individuals with malicious intent.

Read more about the top types and examples of computer hacking

What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime, originally named computer-oriented crime, is any crime that involves either a computer or a network of computers. If computers, networks, or other mobile devices are used either as tools to commit the crime or the intended targets, the crime is classified as cybercrime.

Also covered under cybercrime are crimes that involve the use of telecommunication networks or services (chat rooms, emails, etc.). Cybercrimes have multiple classifications depending on the actions or tools used. As such, there are financial fraud crimes that fit under cybercrime, as well as cyberterrorism, online harassment, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and others.

Read more about the top types and examples of cybercrime

What is a DDoS Attack?

DDoS stands for distributed denial-of-service. This type of attack is often used to disrupt traffic on networks or individual servers. It works by flooding its targets with large amounts of internet traffic, thus slowing down their performance. A DDoS attack can be initiated against a target or a target’s infrastructure.

It is also important to know that most DDoS attacks are launched using what’s called a zombie network or a botnet. Because they can make use of multiple corrupted or compromised devices, these attacks can have devastating effects and disrupt the regular flow of data and information.

Read more about the top types and examples of DDoS attacks

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is a crime in which someone deliberately uses another person’s identity as a means to gain financial advantages or other benefits, while also leaving the victim to suffer consequences for the perpetrator’s actions.

When classified as a cybercrime, it means that the identity theft happened as a result of various computer exploits, hacks, use of malicious programs or suites to gather the personal identifying information necessary to gain said advantages. Identity theft can also be used to describe actions in which a person’s personal information is used by a cybercriminal to steal money from their banking account or to open new accounts and run up massive bills.

Read more about the top types and examples of identity theft

What is a Keylogger?

A keylogger can be a hardware component or software program used to monitor and record keystrokes on a keyboard. A keylogger is usually designed to work in the background and be completely invisible to the user. Keyloggers can also be part of malicious software suites known as rootkits and set the stage for a more powerful attack.

Not all keyloggers are used with malicious intent. Some are used by companies to monitor employee activity, some by parents to monitor their kids’ online activity, while others are used in the field of cognitive writing research. However, keyloggers can also be used to steal passwords and other sensitive personal information.

Read more about the top types and examples of keyloggers

What is Malware?

Malware, or malicious software, is the term used to describe any type of software designed to grant unauthorized access to devices or networks of devices. Malware can also be used to steal, corrupt, or collect data and hamper the target computer’s or network’s processing power. Some common examples of malware include adware, spyware, keyloggers, etc.

Depending on what type of malware is affecting a system, specific actions are required to contain the situation and repair the damage. This is why the best protection against most types of malware is usually a strong antivirus suite that has adware and spyware detection functionality, a comprehensive and regularly updated virus directory, and a firewall.

Read more about the top types and examples of malware

What is Phishing?

Phishing is one of the most popular techniques used in social engineering. It denotes any malicious attempt to illegally obtain confidential or personal information while posing as a trustworthy entity. Phishing is often done via email spoofing.

While most phishing attacks involve the use of fake websites and redirects to said websites via links or corrupted attachments, some phishing attacks are carried out the old-fashioned way. For example, voice phishing usually uses fake caller IDs and VOIP services to gain the target’s trust and extract confidential information.

Catphishing is a popular type of phishing in which the perpetrator attempts to lure the target into developing an emotional investment for the purpose of eventually sending money. Law enforcement may also use catphishing techniques to catch criminals.

Read more about the top types and examples of phishing

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is malicious software most often used to hold various important files, programs, or entire networks hostage until a ransom is paid. It is also used to blackmail targets under the threat of releasing sensitive information publicly unless the perpetrator’s demands are met.

These types of attacks are generally launched with a Trojan virus, most likely mirroring a legitimate file that the user would download and access. What makes ransomware so dangerous is not just the difficulty of cracking decryption keys but also the difficulty in tracing back the attack to the perpetrators. That’s because most ransoms are paid in cryptocurrencies which are virtually untraceable.

Read more about the top types and examples of ransomware

What is a Rootkit?

A rootkit is usually a collection or suite of software tools designed to grant remote access and eventually control over foreign computer systems or networks. It is often used with malicious intent such as establishing a backdoor into a system. This backdoor can then be used to install other malware.

When not used with malicious intent, a rootkit program could be used to provide end-user support for various programs and applications. Because a rootkit is not classified as a computer virus or worm, it can’t spread by itself, meaning that it has to be installed directly. As such, malware rootkit suite is often either masked as a legitimate program or hidden inside one.

Read more about the top types and examples of rootkits

What is a Scam?

A scam is any action that involves a fraudulent scheme carried out for the purpose of taking money, goods, or sensitive information from individuals or groups. In this digital age, more and more scams are done via the internet due to the ease of targeting multiple individuals or marks simultaneously.

Some notable examples of scams include auction fraud, phishing, donation scams, the Nigerian prince scam, catphishing, cold calls, chain mail, online surveys, and others. Scams can be targeted cons or simple steps in much larger cons that merely serve as a means to advance a scheme forward.

Read more about the top types and examples of scams

What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering refers to any action of psychological manipulation against individuals or groups for the purpose of divulging confidential information or generally performing actions that might be detrimental to them or their organizations.

There are various types of social engineering, depending on how the manipulation is done or what it aims to achieve. Usually, a social engineering tactic is just one step in a larger con, a means to advance a plan to the next step. One of the most common tactics is that of impersonating trustworthy entities through direct contact or by phishing.

Read more about the top types and examples of social engineering

What is Spam?

Spam is the designation used for the action of sending unwanted electronic messages in bulk. While the most popular use involves sending unwanted and unsolicited emails to trick people into giving personal or otherwise sensitive information, spam can also be used in what are known as spam marketing campaigns. Spam campaigns can be initiated via a botnet and are considered very cheap, even though they don’t appear as trustworthy to most people.

Of course, the term is not used just for emails. Spam is in fact the definition of any type of unwanted electronic message sent in bulk. This includes emails, phone messages, search engine messages, blog posts, social media posts, forum posts, classified ads, and so on.

Read more about the top types and examples of spams

What is Email, IP, or DNS Spoofing?

Spoofing is the practice of altering any number of forms of communication coming from unknown sources to appear as though they are coming from trustworthy sources.
IP spoofing is used to disguise a computer in order to gain access to an otherwise restricted network or to hide one’s activity online.

Email spoofing often involves the use of fake email accounts that look almost legit, carrying links or attachments that either ask for confidential information or lead to other websites that can spread malware.

DNS spoofing is usually done to divert traffic from trustworthy websites to fake websites that can spread malware programs. Sometimes email spoofing and DNS spoofing go hand-in-hand.

Read more about the top types and examples of spoofing

What is Spyware?

Spyware is any type of malicious software like adware, Trojans, system monitors, or even tracking cookies that can be used to collect and transmit sensitive information from individual computers or computer networks without the user’s consent.

Although spyware is typically used with malicious intent and the programs tend to run covertly without the user’s knowledge, one could also classify keyloggers as spyware. As such, not all spyware is used to steal information. Sometimes it is used to simply monitor someone’s actions to better assess their productivity, interests, or level of loyalty to their employer.

Read more about the top types and examples of spyware

What is an SQL Injection Attack?

An SQL injection attack is often used to spoof an identity and modify or corrupt existing data. This type of attack vector is quite common and is often used against online vendors, marketplaces, or any other business that uses an SQL database. The main purposes of these attacks include gaining access to hidden data, modifying balances, and destroying data.

The attack is performed by inserting malicious SQL code into a field for execution or database query. Although there are multiple types of SQL injection attacks, they are all considered to be less threatening when compared to other types of malware programs and exploits due to the constant improvements in the field of web security.

Read more about the top types and examples of sql injection

What is a Trojan Horse?

A Trojan horse is the designation for malicious software that doesn’t self-replicate or propagate itself through entire networks and appears benign in nature. There are multiple types of Trojan horse viruses and they are categorized by the type of actions they perform. As such, there are remote access Trojans, backdoor Trojans, and proxy Trojans, among others.

The typical method for propagating Trojan viruses is through social engineering techniques like phishing and spoofing. The victim unknowingly downloads them to their computer, usually attached to a seemingly legitimate file or piece of software.

Read more about the top types and examples of trojan horse

What is a Zero-Day Exploit?

A zero-day exploit can be one of the hardest things to safeguard against. The reason behind this is that there is actually no way to protect against a vulnerability that no one knows about. This designation is given to exploits that are not common knowledge, meaning that only the person or persons that are taking advantage of it know about it.

Once a zero-day exploit becomes known or publicized to other coders and security experts, it is no longer called that. The exploit instead becomes known as an N-day exploit, where N stands for the number of days since the discovery of the exploit.

Read more about the top types and examples of zero day exploits