Webroot is a Colorado-based company and since 1997 it’s been protecting people from all online threats through antivirus software. The company completed several acquisitions throughout the years, which allowed it to broaden its resources and advance even further.
Webroot is definitely lesser known than some of the big names in cybersecurity, but we think it can be a great option for some of our readers, since it has a compelling set of features, some of which are pretty unique.
First of all, it’s exceptionally lightweight. They run the majority of scanning in the cloud which allows you to free up your computer’s local resources. Additionally, it has great backup capabilities that allow you to protect your data from unexpected situations, e.g., your computer is drawn or broken.
Many other antivirus products won’t function properly on older Windows XP-based computers. For these users, Webroot is the answer.
Webroot might not be the cheapest provider out there and in this review, we will help you figure out if it’s worth it.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Overview
With Webroot, you have minimum impact, yet high effectiveness when it comes to malware protection.
Webroot’s automated scanner and anti-malware recognized and quarantined the infected files within seconds. After each malware removal event, Webroot required users to scan their system again to ensure that the system was free of any trace of the malware.
In rare instances, this secondary scan will reveal two or three additional samples, resulting in the form of a chain reaction. To eliminate the new threats, it needs a re-scan. While scanning was tiresome, each scan took just five to ten minutes. For an ordinary user, it’s not a huge problem. Now, this is really fast. Some antivirus products take several hours to scan the entire system.
Overall, we think that Webroot’s malware detection capabilities are great and the performance is amazing.
Phishing Detection
Phishers play on users’ trust. During July 2019, 54% of malware domains leveraged HTTPS to make their URLs seem legitimate F5 Labs. “2019 Phishing and Fraud Report.” (October 2019)
Even if you think you can recognize an email that wants you to share your information where you’re not supposed to, you might be wrong. Because more and more phishing emails look like legitimate messages from your bank or favorite retailer. And phishing can lead its victims to devastating consequences: identity theft, financial losses and even trust issues if your organization fell a victim of a phishing attack.
Webroot leverages latest Machine Learning and content classification techniques to leave no security holes for phishers. This tool analyzes every single website you visit according to hundreds of parameters to find out if it can be trusted. It happens within milliseconds, so you won’t even notice.
Check out this infographic to learn more about phishing and how Webroot addresses it.
Does it Block Ransomware Quickly?
Ransomware is when a piece of software gets to your computer, encrypts your files and hackers behind the screen hope that you’d pay to get your data back.
The main difference between ransomware and any other malicious software is that ransomware can’t be removed after it penetrated your device.
How Webroot protects you? Webroot was among first cybersecurity products who moved away from classic signature-based file detection model. By harnessing the power of cloud computing, Webroot replaced the traditional reactive antivirus with a proactive real-time endpoint monitoring and threat intelligence approach.
What does it mean for me? It quickly categorizes new threats and because all of the computing happens in the cloud, Webroot is able to quickly guard you against newly-discovered threats.
Additionally, once the suspicious behavior is detected, Webroot automatically creates a backup. If the threat is eliminated, all of the backup records will be restored.
If you are a Webroot’s user and a piece of ransomware was still somehow able to get a hold of your computer, they offer you to contact them directly and discuss your best options in moving forward.
Can Webroot Protect me Against Privacy Interference?
Your personal information is safeguarded by Webroot Identity Shield, which secures all of the information you provide at the time of accessing a web-based banking website, purchase online or use social networking websites. Information that is safeguarded includes personal and login credentials, passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers, and so forth. It offers another degree of security, particularly when dealing with high-priority hacking targets.
VPN is available as a stand-alone product and as an add-on to antivirus protection. So, if you’re looking for complete privacy online, we recommend to look at Webroot WI-FI Security VPN.
Other Features
Webroot SecureAnywhere incorporates various helpful tools, such as a virus scanner, that provide simple but effective protection. Let’s check out some of them.
Web protection
Webroot scours 95% of the Internet 3x a day—billions of web pages, files and apps—
to determine where and what is safe online.
Here’s what it does to protect your online safety:
- Blocks threats at the domain level – automatically blocks questionable websites before you even get a chance to click on them
- Stops up to 88% of undesirable internet traffic the domain layer, so it never reaches your network. This saves you time, money and minimizes support costs.
- Leverages machine learning or other heuristics to augment threat feeds.
Backup & Sync
Sync allows you to synchronize data among your devices. If you move certain files or folders to the Sync folder, it will available on every device that you’ve connected to Webroot.
SecureAnywhere constantly monitors the Anywhere folder and other sync folders. If the system detects a change, such as an edited file, a new file, or a deleted file, it immediately makes the same change to your online backups, to shared folders on other computers, and to mobile devices with the Backup & Sync app installed. If you are working offline, SecureAnywhere automatically picks up changes the next time you connect to the Internet.
If you don’t want to synchronize your devices, you can simply create backups of important files like tax refunds, copies of important documents and so to make sure they’re safe regardless of what happens to your computer.
Firewall
Additionally, Web Shield provides a firewall administration utility. To defend the computer from external threats, a firewall is needed, which is included in every Windows installation. Firewall capabilities include:
A USB shield that looks for hazards attached to any connected USB device. This malware prevention feature is used to prohibit the system interacting with the device with harmful software on it.
Webroot shields customers from known cyber threats with an advanced live shield that continually blocks malicious programs from the company’s threat database and community.
This features a password manager and, further, is web-based that also syncs your passwords across your iOS and Android devices.
Over the last few months, the appearance of the product has remained unchanged. The lighter panel on the front of the green-toned glass displays statistics about recent scans and contains a scan button. Regardless of whether or not you ever actually click that button, Webroot does a comprehensive scan on installation and runs a daily scheduled scan.
Putting Webroot to the Test
As soon as we launched Webroot, our MacBook was checked for malware and viruses, and there were none found. As our tests have shown, scanning the first time only took around 30 minutes. The good news is, Webroot doesn’t need to be manually scanned whenever we choose to do so. Instead, it scans the computer automatically each hour.
Instead of bogging down the performance of a computer, Spybot doesn’t affect internet browsing or the computer’s performance while scanning. Antivirus software doesn’t always protect the network from unwanted network traffic, because a firewall is usually in place. However, you need to solve the captcha every time if you want to make any changes in the settings, that may be a bit annoying.
To sum it up, Webroot’s software is quite simple to use, and we loved how the scans were brief and sweet.
How much does it cost to get Webroot Antivirus?
You can download a free 14 day trial of Webroot without even adding your credit card details. Just simply you need to register on the site and they will give you a license code to try the free edition.
However, buying a premium Webroot plan for a single device can cost you around $30. Based on your actual requirements like Webroot antivirus for home protection or business PC protections, single devices, or multiple device protection, you can choose different plans available on its official website.
If you purchase Webroot Antivirus for Endpoints, you can utilize the licenses to run antivirus on both personal computers and Macs. In terms of their respective web-based security systems, certain Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus (for Mac) components are the same on both platforms.
Do you have to provide your credit card details to Webroot?
If you are planning to download a trial or free version of Webroot antivirus software, you don’t need to provide your credit card details. However, for buying any premium plans, there are several payment options available on the website. You can either choose the credit card option and share the details, else you can make the payment through Mastercard, Visa card, PayPal, or other ways.
How does the use of the Webroot affect computer performance?
Unlike many other security programs, Webroot Secure Anywhere has been developed to be extremely speedy and unobtrusive, while still providing a high level of protection. Its setup file size is around 6MB only that downloads in seconds. It’s shockingly small compared to some of the other antivirus solutions that take up to 1 GB! Thanks to cloud computing, it does the majority of work without utilizing the resources of your computer letting you go about doing your business. It runs scans every hour without you even noticing, which we find exceptional.
If your computer is getting slower when you’re using Webroot, check if you’re using the latest version of the app. If that doesn’t help – submit a support ticket describing the nature of your issue here.
Should you buy Webroot Antivirus for Mac?
To safeguard your Mac devices from fraudulent assaults and/or virus infection, various reasons necessitate the usage of antivirus software. For those who choose to use an antivirus on Mac, the Webroot is a decent option because the application is developed to give full protection that is compatible with multiple operating systems.
Does it provide mobile protection?
Yes, it does! With Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection, user data is protected from unintentional loss or theft, while devices are protected from malware, harmful websites, and app hijacks.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection application requires little in the way of dedicated hardware or software. Instead, a separate site under the Webroot SecureAnywhere Business Management console online interface lets end users oversee the security status of their mobile devices.
Managing PCs, smartphones, and networked gadgets is a straightforward task. Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection is built to deliver a simple, efficient, and secure computing experience on smartphones. It uses fewer battery resources, bandwidth, and memory than the previous version, and it’s constantly up to date.
Benefits of using Webroot antivirus on your smartphone
- Multi-layered protection that shields you from malware, web browsing, identity theft, phishing, and data loss.
- Non-intrusive background scanning is possible while the user is working on other tasks.
- Easily accessible endpoints administration UI lets you control and manage your mobile devices and other endpoints from any location.
- The lost/stolen device feature will let you find, lock, or erase your lost/stolen device.
- Reduced mobile data usage has reduced bandwidth utilization.
Customer Support
The Webroot Help Desk utilizes a ticketing system that goes back to the way it was decades ago. You must use the email form to report your query or issue. The support team can revert within a couple of hours with possible solutions. Unfortunately, they don’t offer support over the phone or live chat. But if you’re logged into your account, you can contact the company using Twitter or Facebook, where they generally reply pretty fast.
Webroot also has a knowledge base on its website. The keywords you provide solely determine the topics that are relevant to you. There is a massive amount of relevant information in the knowledge base. You are quite unlikely to need to send an email to the support team. The Q & A section contains answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Also, there are thousands of members of the community. More than 50,000 people are currently registered members of the forum. Dozens or possibly hundreds of them will answer your query when you ask them to.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Designed to withstand malware like ransomware and phishing.
- It is good for both individual users and corporations.
- Solid reputation
- A lightning-fast scan with almost no system effect.
- It’s applicable to legacy software and hardware.
- An abundance of in-depth content (even with basic plans)
- Effortlessly supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
- This product includes a 14-day free trial, as well as plans with specific discounts.
Cons
- Third-party anti-malware tests don’t have a consistent methodology.
- For new users, some of the features may be difficult to use.
- No protection against unwanted software (also known as adware)
- Somewhat limited customization options
Is it capable of solving all cybersecurity worries?
Yes, it is. We think Webroot is one of the leading malware and phishing detecting providers even though it’s not included in reports of independent testing labs. Partially because it’s detection algorithms is non-conventional and significantly differs from popular products, hence, is harder to test.
If you’re looking for one-fits-all cybersecurity solution, we recommend going with one of the options that has VPN in it. That way, you can get peace of mind.
If you’re looking for a strong antivirus solution, undoubtedly, you can choose Webroot. It protects you from all the traditional malware along with more recent dangers like phishing, ransomware, and so forth. The computational functions performed by the cloud always come up with the correct answers. As a result, the system’s impact is insignificant. Simply said, all that’s left is to discover the potential risks which Webroot has already handled.
What are some alternatives to Webroot Antivirus?
Webroot is one of the best tools that provide multi-layer securities to several devices including smartphones and laptops. Still, there are many antivirus software available online that can give you better solutions to protect your Windows PC, Mac, Android, and iPhone.
A few names of Webroot alternatives are Microsoft Defender, AVG, Avira, Avast, Kaspersky, McAfee, and Dr. Web.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need an antivirus if you use a Macbook?
In a nutshell, yes, you need additional antivirus for your Macbook. Mac machines aren’t malware immune and attacks on Macs are more common nowadays. It may be beneficial to follow best practices and use built-in security features to secure your device, but antiviruses can help further protect your device.
Antivirus software is often believed to be beneficial to Mac users, but not everyone agrees with this point. What’s not unexpected is that Apple has regularly advertised the main product as virus-free, it was recently found to be infected. In 2012, the corporation reneged on its claim that it didn’t receive any viruses. That is evidence to show that as long as Macbook can have viruses, you require an antivirus application for more protection. Malware protection is effective when Apple’s built-in security is enabled, but it’s still important to maintain the level of protection with third-party antivirus software.
Some Macbooks are more secured in certain aspects, which results in them having a lower market share and hence being less viable targets for hackers. But it is a rapidly increasing problem that various malware affects MacBook, iMacs, Mac Pros, and Mac Minis. More than 1,000 dangerous programs targeting Macs are expected to exist in 2021, according to a study. To be on the safe side, Mac users should watch out for hackers.
How to erase Webroot software?
The removal process of webroot is very simple and the detailed steps for the same are listed below. All you need to follow the steps carefully and execute the same as per the guidance.
- Click on the Start menu and in the search bar, type Control Panel and further press the Enter key.
- A control panel window will open that will fetch the list of windows inbuilt features, click on Programs.
- In the next window, you will find the list of the installed application on your computer and your job is to select Webroot and further click on the Uninstall button.
- Soon, a pop-up window will appear on the screen for the confirmation of your action, click on the Yes button.
- After that, Webroot pop-up window will appear and you need to type the given characters in the box.
- Next, you will have to provide the valid reason for removing Webroot, so do the task and click on the Send button.
- That’s it; now refresh the Control panel window and this time, you won’t find Webroot.
Why does Webroot detect viruses, but other scanners don’t?
The fact that Webroot scans are faster than the competitors, requiring only roughly 50 seconds, adds even more value to the process (20 seconds are claimed on the website though).
Many anti-virus programs use signature-based scanning. However, Webroot uses a different method like concentrating on recognizing suspicious files and tracking patterns of behavior that are believed to be malicious. If it detects something new, it begins logging everything it does, without doing anything yet.
Most antivirus software collects information in the same way. But in terms of malware/potentially harmful files, Webroot doesn’t treat them on its own. It relays all the data it’s acquired in the cloud, and then gives the freedom to perform all the computations. As there is no processing power required, this product uses fewer resources. Webroot conducts the appropriate course of action once the cloud computer detects it.
The benefits of running anti virus locally instead of in the cloud are limited by the device’s processor speed. It is the largest drawback of most third-party antivirus programs not being able to assess it accurately but Webroot can do that.
Is Webroot Antivirus a part of an ad scam?
No, it’s not. In fact, it’s one of the most reliable providers that has never been spotted selling their customers’ data. Webroot is a legit antivirus protection tool that has been dedicated to providing reliable security services to devices since 1997. Spending more than 20 years in the industry, Webroot has gained enough customer trust by providing its state-of-the-art security solutions.
Does it have a free antivirus program?
Yes, it does. The Webroot antivirus offers a 14-day free trial plan with limited features.
Cybersecurity theft continues to rise when you are doing online activities like shopping, banking, and financial planning. The free trial doesn’t contain all safety features like password management, mobile security, and identity and privacy protection. So, to get full security to your devices, you might need to upgrade with the Webroot premium plans.
Why do we need Webroot for Android?
Android devices are used for shopping and for that use the bank credentials. Android users are the prime target of hackers because Android devices aren’t secured and easy to penetrate. So, Webroot antivirus is one of the best applications that assure full protection to your Android phone.
You can also lock the device to prevent an unauthorized user with Webroot mobile security solutions. Device safety with Webroot Antivirus, all apps and updates are protected, scanned, and checked without interruptions. Due to its low footprint on both memory and battery usage, it won’t impact your device’s performance as well.
Should you buy Webroot software for your Mac?
Using Webroot on a Mac is an incredible combination of security and performance. This safeguards your personal data, as well as your device, from a wide range of malware. It guards your Mac devices against all forms of fraud including online threats.
Mac users get all the features they need with Webroot antivirus that also includes firewall and VPN protection. If you are installing the application on a Mac, it will take hardly 30 seconds to scan your device, which takes less than half of the time than other antivirus tools available in the market.
It also safeguards your data, making it virtually impossible for fraudulent accounts, spam comments, and phone emails to do any harm. Data, such as your login credentials, bank account number, and other information is stored in the Webroot vault.
Final Thoughts
Using innovative detection algorithms, Webroot remains unique in the antivirus industry. Signature databases are generally used by other companies, but Webroot doesn’t use them. Instead, it relies solely on behavioral analyses, which produce inconsistencies in laboratories with no affiliations.
Although it has proven to be effective, Webroot doesn’t slow down your computer because of its lightweight design. It is also optimized to use as few resources as possible on your computer and at the same time, Webroot gives you several features like VPN, firewall, phishing and web protection, data backup and sync option, and significantly more. Overall, for those who are tech-savvy or just searching for reliability to protect their several devices, Webroot is the best antivirus tool available for free trial along with affordable premium plans.
Another great thing that you’re getting is that your data is safe with Webroot. With the exception of a small data breach caused by a hacker attack in 2019, Webroot has never been spotted selling its customers’ data or any other suspicious activities. Which, believe it or not, is pretty rare.
Navigating Webroot – our experience
Installation is straightforward and stress-free.
This Webroot installer is small, just taking up under 6MB of space, and is easy to use. Upon installation, it immediately starts working on several startup chores, marking each one off as it is completed.
Here are some of the activities that can be completed with Webroot:
- Scanning for malware to discover running malware
- Evaluating apps to eliminate warnings and prompts
- Building a baseline for the system
- Enhancing system performance for your system configuration.
Even with these additional assignments, the whole procedure only takes minutes.
Webroot Security Features
Malware Detection and Protection
To be effective in today’s cyber threat landscape, antivirus procts should posses several important features:
First, they should have a robust database with as many threats as possible.
Secondly, they should be able to adapt quickly and detect new threats in real-time.
Webroot has it all. It has a database with more than 27 billion categorized URLs and stops threats based on knowledge previously gathered about their source.
But knowing the threats and detecting them isn’t enough anymore since new malicious software is being created as you read. Now, before this malware will be detected and categorized it could do significant damage. To avoid this, Webroot takes further steps. If the file’s URL or IP of origin is unknown, it goes through heuristic or behavior-based layers. That’s where it’s decided whether to prevent a file from executing based on its intended action. If the action that the file is trying to execute is potentially harmful or just way out of the ordinary – then this file is categorized as malicious and being quarantined.
If there’s still a question on whether the file is malicious, Webroot sends it to a sandbox where it can be further studied without harming your device in a meantime.
Webroot’s automated scanner and anti-malware recognized and quarantined the infected files within seconds. After each malware removal event, Webroot required users to scan their system again to ensure that the system was free of any trace of the malware.
In rare instances, this secondary scan will reveal two or three additional samples, resulting in the form of a chain reaction. To eliminate the new threats, it needs a re-scan. While scanning was tiresome, each scan took just five to ten minutes. For an ordinary user, it’s not a huge problem. Now, this is really fast. Some antivirus products take several hours to scan the entire system.
Overall, we think that Webroot’s malware detection capabilities are great and the performance is amazing.
Phishing Detection
Phishers play on users’ trust. During July 2019, 54% of malware domains leveraged HTTPS to make their URLs seem legitimate F5 Labs. “2019 Phishing and Fraud Report.” (October 2019)
Even if you think you can recognize an email that wants you to share your information where you’re not supposed to, you might be wrong. Because more and more phishing emails look like legitimate messages from your bank or favorite retailer. And phishing can lead its victims to devastating consequences: identity theft, financial losses and even trust issues if your organization fell a victim of a phishing attack.
Webroot leverages latest Machine Learning and content classification techniques to leave no security holes for phishers. This tool analyzes every single website you visit according to hundreds of parameters to find out if it can be trusted. It happens within milliseconds, so you won’t even notice.
Check out this infographic to learn more about phishing and how Webroot addresses it.
Does it Block Ransomware Quickly?
Ransomware is when a piece of software gets to your computer, encrypts your files and hackers behind the screen hope that you’d pay to get your data back.
The main difference between ransomware and any other malicious software is that ransomware can’t be removed after it penetrated your device.
How Webroot protects you? Webroot was among first cybersecurity products who moved away from classic signature-based file detection model. By harnessing the power of cloud computing, Webroot replaced the traditional reactive antivirus with a proactive real-time endpoint monitoring and threat intelligence approach.
What does it mean for me? It quickly categorizes new threats and because all of the computing happens in the cloud, Webroot is able to quickly guard you against newly-discovered threats.
Additionally, once the suspicious behavior is detected, Webroot automatically creates a backup. If the threat is eliminated, all of the backup records will be restored.
If you are a Webroot’s user and a piece of ransomware was still somehow able to get a hold of your computer, they offer you to contact them directly and discuss your best options in moving forward.
Can Webroot Protect me Against Privacy Interference?
Your personal information is safeguarded by Webroot Identity Shield, which secures all of the information you provide at the time of accessing a web-based banking website, purchase online or use social networking websites. Information that is safeguarded includes personal and login credentials, passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers, and so forth. It offers another degree of security, particularly when dealing with high-priority hacking targets.
VPN is available as a stand-alone product and as an add-on to antivirus protection. So, if you’re looking for complete privacy online, we recommend to look at Webroot WI-FI Security VPN.
Other Features
Webroot SecureAnywhere incorporates various helpful tools, such as a virus scanner, that provide simple but effective protection. Let’s check out some of them.
Web protection
Webroot scours 95% of the Internet 3x a day—billions of web pages, files and apps—
to determine where and what is safe online.
Here’s what it does to protect your online safety:
- Blocks threats at the domain level – automatically blocks questionable websites before you even get a chance to click on them
- Stops up to 88% of undesirable internet traffic the domain layer, so it never reaches your network. This saves you time, money and minimizes support costs.
- Leverages machine learning or other heuristics to augment threat feeds.
Backup & Sync
Sync allows you to synchronize data among your devices. If you move certain files or folders to the Sync folder, it will available on every device that you’ve connected to Webroot.
SecureAnywhere constantly monitors the Anywhere folder and other sync folders. If the system detects a change, such as an edited file, a new file, or a deleted file, it immediately makes the same change to your online backups, to shared folders on other computers, and to mobile devices with the Backup & Sync app installed. If you are working offline, SecureAnywhere automatically picks up changes the next time you connect to the Internet.
If you don’t want to synchronize your devices, you can simply create backups of important files like tax refunds, copies of important documents and so to make sure they’re safe regardless of what happens to your computer.
Firewall
Additionally, Web Shield provides a firewall administration utility. To defend the computer from external threats, a firewall is needed, which is included in every Windows installation. Firewall capabilities include:
A USB shield that looks for hazards attached to any connected USB device. This malware prevention feature is used to prohibit the system interacting with the device with harmful software on it.
Webroot shields customers from known cyber threats with an advanced live shield that continually blocks malicious programs from the company’s threat database and community.
This features a password manager and, further, is web-based that also syncs your passwords across your iOS and Android devices.
Over the last few months, the appearance of the product has remained unchanged. The lighter panel on the front of the green-toned glass displays statistics about recent scans and contains a scan button. Regardless of whether or not you ever actually click that button, Webroot does a comprehensive scan on installation and runs a daily scheduled scan.
Putting Webroot to the Test
As soon as we launched Webroot, our MacBook was checked for malware and viruses, and there were none found. As our tests have shown, scanning the first time only took around 30 minutes. The good news is, Webroot doesn’t need to be manually scanned whenever we choose to do so. Instead, it scans the computer automatically each hour.
Instead of bogging down the performance of a computer, Spybot doesn’t affect internet browsing or the computer’s performance while scanning. Antivirus software doesn’t always protect the network from unwanted network traffic, because a firewall is usually in place. However, you need to solve the captcha every time if you want to make any changes in the settings, that may be a bit annoying.
To sum it up, Webroot’s software is quite simple to use, and we loved how the scans were brief and sweet.
How much does it cost to get Webroot Antivirus?
You can download a free 14 day trial of Webroot without even adding your credit card details. Just simply you need to register on the site and they will give you a license code to try the free edition.
However, buying a premium Webroot plan for a single device can cost you around $30. Based on your actual requirements like Webroot antivirus for home protection or business PC protections, single devices, or multiple device protection, you can choose different plans available on its official website.
If you purchase Webroot Antivirus for Endpoints, you can utilize the licenses to run antivirus on both personal computers and Macs. In terms of their respective web-based security systems, certain Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus (for Mac) components are the same on both platforms.
Do you have to provide your credit card details to Webroot?
If you are planning to download a trial or free version of Webroot antivirus software, you don’t need to provide your credit card details. However, for buying any premium plans, there are several payment options available on the website. You can either choose the credit card option and share the details, else you can make the payment through Mastercard, Visa card, PayPal, or other ways.
How does the use of the Webroot affect computer performance?
Unlike many other security programs, Webroot Secure Anywhere has been developed to be extremely speedy and unobtrusive, while still providing a high level of protection. Its setup file size is around 6MB only that downloads in seconds. It’s shockingly small compared to some of the other antivirus solutions that take up to 1 GB! Thanks to cloud computing, it does the majority of work without utilizing the resources of your computer letting you go about doing your business. It runs scans every hour without you even noticing, which we find exceptional.
If your computer is getting slower when you’re using Webroot, check if you’re using the latest version of the app. If that doesn’t help – submit a support ticket describing the nature of your issue here.
Should you buy Webroot Antivirus for Mac?
To safeguard your Mac devices from fraudulent assaults and/or virus infection, various reasons necessitate the usage of antivirus software. For those who choose to use an antivirus on Mac, the Webroot is a decent option because the application is developed to give full protection that is compatible with multiple operating systems.
Does it provide mobile protection?
Yes, it does! With Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection, user data is protected from unintentional loss or theft, while devices are protected from malware, harmful websites, and app hijacks.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection application requires little in the way of dedicated hardware or software. Instead, a separate site under the Webroot SecureAnywhere Business Management console online interface lets end users oversee the security status of their mobile devices.
Managing PCs, smartphones, and networked gadgets is a straightforward task. Webroot SecureAnywhere Mobile Protection is built to deliver a simple, efficient, and secure computing experience on smartphones. It uses fewer battery resources, bandwidth, and memory than the previous version, and it’s constantly up to date.
Benefits of using Webroot antivirus on your smartphone
- Multi-layered protection that shields you from malware, web browsing, identity theft, phishing, and data loss.
- Non-intrusive background scanning is possible while the user is working on other tasks.
- Easily accessible endpoints administration UI lets you control and manage your mobile devices and other endpoints from any location.
- The lost/stolen device feature will let you find, lock, or erase your lost/stolen device.
- Reduced mobile data usage has reduced bandwidth utilization.
Customer Support
The Webroot Help Desk utilizes a ticketing system that goes back to the way it was decades ago. You must use the email form to report your query or issue. The support team can revert within a couple of hours with possible solutions. Unfortunately, they don’t offer support over the phone or live chat. But if you’re logged into your account, you can contact the company using Twitter or Facebook, where they generally reply pretty fast.
Webroot also has a knowledge base on its website. The keywords you provide solely determine the topics that are relevant to you. There is a massive amount of relevant information in the knowledge base. You are quite unlikely to need to send an email to the support team. The Q & A section contains answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Also, there are thousands of members of the community. More than 50,000 people are currently registered members of the forum. Dozens or possibly hundreds of them will answer your query when you ask them to.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Designed to withstand malware like ransomware and phishing.
- It is good for both individual users and corporations.
- Solid reputation
- A lightning-fast scan with almost no system effect.
- It’s applicable to legacy software and hardware.
- An abundance of in-depth content (even with basic plans)
- Effortlessly supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
- This product includes a 14-day free trial, as well as plans with specific discounts.
Cons
- Third-party anti-malware tests don’t have a consistent methodology.
- For new users, some of the features may be difficult to use.
- No protection against unwanted software (also known as adware)
- Somewhat limited customization options
Is it capable of solving all cybersecurity worries?
Yes, it is. We think Webroot is one of the leading malware and phishing detecting providers even though it’s not included in reports of independent testing labs. Partially because it’s detection algorithms is non-conventional and significantly differs from popular products, hence, is harder to test.
If you’re looking for one-fits-all cybersecurity solution, we recommend going with one of the options that has VPN in it. That way, you can get peace of mind.
If you’re looking for a strong antivirus solution, undoubtedly, you can choose Webroot. It protects you from all the traditional malware along with more recent dangers like phishing, ransomware, and so forth. The computational functions performed by the cloud always come up with the correct answers. As a result, the system’s impact is insignificant. Simply said, all that’s left is to discover the potential risks which Webroot has already handled.
What are some alternatives to Webroot Antivirus?
Webroot is one of the best tools that provide multi-layer securities to several devices including smartphones and laptops. Still, there are many antivirus software available online that can give you better solutions to protect your Windows PC, Mac, Android, and iPhone.
A few names of Webroot alternatives are Microsoft Defender, AVG, Avira, Avast, Kaspersky, McAfee, and Dr. Web.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need an antivirus if you use a Macbook?
In a nutshell, yes, you need additional antivirus for your Macbook. Mac machines aren’t malware immune and attacks on Macs are more common nowadays. It may be beneficial to follow best practices and use built-in security features to secure your device, but antiviruses can help further protect your device.
Antivirus software is often believed to be beneficial to Mac users, but not everyone agrees with this point. What’s not unexpected is that Apple has regularly advertised the main product as virus-free, it was recently found to be infected. In 2012, the corporation reneged on its claim that it didn’t receive any viruses. That is evidence to show that as long as Macbook can have viruses, you require an antivirus application for more protection. Malware protection is effective when Apple’s built-in security is enabled, but it’s still important to maintain the level of protection with third-party antivirus software.
Some Macbooks are more secured in certain aspects, which results in them having a lower market share and hence being less viable targets for hackers. But it is a rapidly increasing problem that various malware affects MacBook, iMacs, Mac Pros, and Mac Minis. More than 1,000 dangerous programs targeting Macs are expected to exist in 2021, according to a study. To be on the safe side, Mac users should watch out for hackers.
How to erase Webroot software?
The removal process of webroot is very simple and the detailed steps for the same are listed below. All you need to follow the steps carefully and execute the same as per the guidance.
- Click on the Start menu and in the search bar, type Control Panel and further press the Enter key.
- A control panel window will open that will fetch the list of windows inbuilt features, click on Programs.
- In the next window, you will find the list of the installed application on your computer and your job is to select Webroot and further click on the Uninstall button.
- Soon, a pop-up window will appear on the screen for the confirmation of your action, click on the Yes button.
- After that, Webroot pop-up window will appear and you need to type the given characters in the box.
- Next, you will have to provide the valid reason for removing Webroot, so do the task and click on the Send button.
- That’s it; now refresh the Control panel window and this time, you won’t find Webroot.
Why does Webroot detect viruses, but other scanners don’t?
The fact that Webroot scans are faster than the competitors, requiring only roughly 50 seconds, adds even more value to the process (20 seconds are claimed on the website though).
Many anti-virus programs use signature-based scanning. However, Webroot uses a different method like concentrating on recognizing suspicious files and tracking patterns of behavior that are believed to be malicious. If it detects something new, it begins logging everything it does, without doing anything yet.
Most antivirus software collects information in the same way. But in terms of malware/potentially harmful files, Webroot doesn’t treat them on its own. It relays all the data it’s acquired in the cloud, and then gives the freedom to perform all the computations. As there is no processing power required, this product uses fewer resources. Webroot conducts the appropriate course of action once the cloud computer detects it.
The benefits of running anti virus locally instead of in the cloud are limited by the device’s processor speed. It is the largest drawback of most third-party antivirus programs not being able to assess it accurately but Webroot can do that.
Is Webroot Antivirus a part of an ad scam?
No, it’s not. In fact, it’s one of the most reliable providers that has never been spotted selling their customers’ data. Webroot is a legit antivirus protection tool that has been dedicated to providing reliable security services to devices since 1997. Spending more than 20 years in the industry, Webroot has gained enough customer trust by providing its state-of-the-art security solutions.
Does it have a free antivirus program?
Yes, it does. The Webroot antivirus offers a 14-day free trial plan with limited features.
Cybersecurity theft continues to rise when you are doing online activities like shopping, banking, and financial planning. The free trial doesn’t contain all safety features like password management, mobile security, and identity and privacy protection. So, to get full security to your devices, you might need to upgrade with the Webroot premium plans.
Why do we need Webroot for Android?
Android devices are used for shopping and for that use the bank credentials. Android users are the prime target of hackers because Android devices aren’t secured and easy to penetrate. So, Webroot antivirus is one of the best applications that assure full protection to your Android phone.
You can also lock the device to prevent an unauthorized user with Webroot mobile security solutions. Device safety with Webroot Antivirus, all apps and updates are protected, scanned, and checked without interruptions. Due to its low footprint on both memory and battery usage, it won’t impact your device’s performance as well.
Should you buy Webroot software for your Mac?
Using Webroot on a Mac is an incredible combination of security and performance. This safeguards your personal data, as well as your device, from a wide range of malware. It guards your Mac devices against all forms of fraud including online threats.
Mac users get all the features they need with Webroot antivirus that also includes firewall and VPN protection. If you are installing the application on a Mac, it will take hardly 30 seconds to scan your device, which takes less than half of the time than other antivirus tools available in the market.
It also safeguards your data, making it virtually impossible for fraudulent accounts, spam comments, and phone emails to do any harm. Data, such as your login credentials, bank account number, and other information is stored in the Webroot vault.
Final Thoughts
Using innovative detection algorithms, Webroot remains unique in the antivirus industry. Signature databases are generally used by other companies, but Webroot doesn’t use them. Instead, it relies solely on behavioral analyses, which produce inconsistencies in laboratories with no affiliations.
Although it has proven to be effective, Webroot doesn’t slow down your computer because of its lightweight design. It is also optimized to use as few resources as possible on your computer and at the same time, Webroot gives you several features like VPN, firewall, phishing and web protection, data backup and sync option, and significantly more. Overall, for those who are tech-savvy or just searching for reliability to protect their several devices, Webroot is the best antivirus tool available for free trial along with affordable premium plans.
