Panda Antivirus FREE 3.0

Panda Security also known as the Cloud Security Company continued their quest to make Panda Cloud Antivirus better.

Advertisements

Recently, they released the new version of Panda Antivirus Free, it is now 3.0.

What’s new with version Panda Antivirus Free 3.0?

The first thing that struck me is, the UI (User’s Interface), from boring and a bit user unfriendly template to awesome new design. It’s more like the Windows 8 interface, easy to navigate, a single click UI and it automatically displays the numbers of “Files Scanned and Enabled Processes”. So, you don’t have to dig into its settings to get such information.

Advertisements

Installation

Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.0 Offline Installer

Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.0 Online Installer

The Online installer is just 1.3 MB, on the other hand, Offline installer is 50 MB. I would recommend to use the offline installer for fast installation. It may take about 2 to 4 minutes to completely install Panda Antivirus Free 3.0 using the offline installer.

While on the installation process, simply uncheck unnecessary plug-ins to keep your current browser settings.

Advertisements

Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.0 New Features

Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.0. removed Data Shield, Parental control and changed the Rescue Boot to Rescue kit. The other changes are, you can now schedule scans and the exclusion list is upgraded, it is now capable of excluding folders aside from files and extensions.

In my opinion, I don’t know why Panda Security skipped Parental Control in the new version. However I am not worried about excluding Data Shield in 3.0 version because it seems that Panda Antivirus is adding protection under different name, such as; scanning of compressed files.

What is this Panda Rescue Toolkit all about?

The Rescue Toolkit, is meant to create a bootable USB Drive that will scan your computer before booting to your Windows operating system. It is very helpful, especially if the virus prevents any antivirus from being installed.

Advertisements

It is also through this toolkit that you can scan your computer for advance viruses via “Detect Advance Viruses”. A good way to start your virus free computer.

Best Settings

Setting up Panda Antivirus Free is not hard. The default settings are good but a few adjustments will make it’s protection capability even better. Below are some changes I made to make my PC more secure with Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.0.

In the “General” tab set a password to protect Panda Antivirus 3.0 from unauthorized access and possible changes in its settings.

In the Antivirus tab, turn everything on, except “Ask before neutralizing a Virus”, “Scan After Cache Synchronization” and “Generate Advance Log”.

In the USB Vaccine, turn on the two protection to automate the USB Vaccination.

In the Process monitor tab, by default “Process Monitor” is turned on but the URL monitor is off. You can turn on the “URL’s Accessed by its process” this will help Panda Cloud Antivirus scan the URL accessed processes and classify it as safe or not. In case certain URL processes are questionable, it will be automatically blocked.

How Effective is Panda Antivirus Free 3.0?

A very good question, needless to say it’s everybody’s concern, after all, what’s the use if we install a non-effective antivirus. It’s a waste of time, effort and computer resources.

So, I decided to try Panda Antivirus Free 3.0.

First, I tried it with the help of http://www.eicar.org/ AV test file. The below code is what I copied in notepad and saved it like any documents. Then, I right click it and scan using Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0. Voila! It was deleted by Panda Antivirus Free 3.0, it simply means Panda Antivirus is working. By the way, for more information about Eicar AV Test file feel free to visit this article http://www.eicar.org/86-0-Intended-use.html.

X5O!P%@AP[4PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Second, I tried to download the compressed AV test file, Compressed AV Test File because as we all know some viruses are hidden through compressed data. The result; so far, so good, Panda Cloud 3.0.0 was able to stop the file from being downloaded.

Thirdly, I visited a website that’s known to have or distributing a malware, in this area Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0.0 miss to Identify unsafe websites. For that, McAfee site advisor will be of great help.

Lastly, I tried its USB Vaccine features and it’s doing a good job, it removes my AV Test file and disinfect shortcut virus though, it wasn’t able to remove the shortcut files. But you don’t have to worry, the shortcut files are just an ordinary files, it is now harmless for your computer. Perhaps, we need a shortcut virus remover to cleanse the shortcut files.

Rating in AV Laboratories

AV-Test There are no test yet for Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0.0. Nevertheless, the previous version got;

Protection – 5.5/6.0

Performance – 4.0/6.0

Usability – 6.0/6.0

Virus Bulletin

The latest test VB had, was in year 2013, so it’s definitely not the 3.0.0. Just for reference, Panda Cloud Antivirus got a (1) one false alarm on Windows 7 platform and passed the Windows 8.1 platform.

AV-Comparatives

According to AV Comparatives Fact Sheet as of March 2014, Panda Cloud Antivirus Performs well. Based on the chart, it is rated at 99 to 99.5% overall performance. It has a solid protection, less false positives, almost user-independent and almost no compromises, alongside with known Antivirus brands Kaspersky, Avira, and Bitdefender.

Update: Latest AV Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Test shows that Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0 achieves 100% detection rate with no false positives.

Should you consider Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0.0 Pro?

The Pro version includes Firewall, Wifi Monitor, VIP Support and there are no ads. So, is it time to upgrade to PRO? Please be guided that the extra features of Panda Antivirus Pro are worth buying. However, do you really need it? If your answer to these questions are all YES, then it’s about time.

Do you have sets of computers in your network that is always online? Definitely you need a firewall. (better than built in firewall)

Is your WIFI always on? No question, you need to have a WIFI monitor, this is good for those who find it hard detecting the persons using your WIFI through a Router.

Are you always having problem in using Panda Antivirus 3.0.0? You need the VIP support.

Review Verdict

Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0.0 simply shows that it is worth installing. The features, solid protection and now, being a user friendly. No surprise, if it is now part of the top brands in the Antivirus industry. The free version is already good enough for home users and average surfers….but if you are a heavy downloader you might need the features of Panda Cloud Antivirus 3.0.0 Pro Version.

What I love to see in the next version of Panda Cloud Antivirus?

I would love to see the Parental Control again and a task bar pop-up when it disinfect USB drives would be a great addition.