Panda Cloud Antivirus is an antivirus software developed by Panda Security, a free and a paid version are available. It is cloud-based in the sense that files are scanned on a remote server without using processing power of the user's machine. The cloud technology is based on Panda's Collective Intelligence. It can run constantly, providing protection against viruses and malicious websites but slowing the system to some extent, or do a system scan.
Features
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According to Panda Security, Panda Cloud Antivirus is able to detect viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, dialers, hacking tools, hacker and other security risks.
Panda Cloud Antivirus relies on its "Collective Intelligence" and the cloud for up-to-date information. It normally uses an Internet connection to access up-to-date information; if the Internet cannot be accessed, it will use a local cache of "the most common threats in circulation".
Reviews
An April 2009 review found Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.0 to be clean, fast, simple, easy to use, and with good detection rates. The same review scored Panda 100.00% in malware detection and 100.0% in malicious URL detection. Its overall score was 100%, a strong protection factor considering it is software.
When version 1.0 was released on November 10, 2009, PC Magazine reviewed Panda Cloud Antivirus and gave it an Editor's Choice Award for Best AV.
TechRadar's review states "We think that Panda Cloud Antivirus is best viewed as a defense tool rather than a utility for cleaning up a system that's already riddled with infection."
Lifehacker's review states that the antivirus is lightweight, and is a fresh approach to attacking malware. However they did not try to detect real malware (only tracking cookies) in their test.
When Softpedia reviewed the software they said that it had a high overall detection rate, but had trouble listing all the results. Overall they say it is the best in the market for lightweight usage, and is easy to use, with a clean interface. Version 1.4 changes: Toolbar and URL Filtering compatibility with Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4
License
The free edition of Panda Cloud Antivirus is released under a license. Its usage is exclusively allowed for private households, state schools, non-governmental and non-profit organizations.
Competitors
Other cloud-based anti-virus companies are:
- Immunet
- Comodo Cloud Scanner
- Webroot
References
External links
- Panda Cloud Antivirus Website
- Interview with the developers