Panda Cloud Antivirus

Panda Cloud Antivirus is a bit of an underdog in the antivirus software community, but its functionality sets it apart from the rest. Panda Cloud Antivirus takes part of its name from its unorthodox method of scanning a computer for viruses: using cloud-based computing. Beating out most of the competition in scan-speed testing, as well as its capability to defend against Trojans, worms, hacks and other security risks, Panda Cloud Antivirus consistently ranks highly with home and business users alike.

Features in Panda Cloud Antivirus Free
The latest version of the Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition offers a simplistic design, “collective-intelligence” protection and cloud monitoring to prevent threats. Panda Cloud Antivirus’ other features are sure to increase the security of your computer as well.

After a super fast download (the installation file is only 301kb), it is easy to install the antivirus software. When you first open Panda Cloud Antivirus, you’ll notice that the interface relies on a minimalistic design to prevent confusion from too many buttons, readouts and logs. There are only three available options: scan, report and recycle bin, making the software easy to navigate. The first window also includes a color-coded icon – green is good, red is bad – that tells you whether your computer is safe.

Panda Cloud Antivirus operates similarly to most other antivirus software. Panda's scan times are fast due to its cloud-based systemization. It also creates reports to show you what kind of malware it has eliminated. In the settings section, you can add proxy information and disable autorun (most viruses take advantage of the autorun feature), as well as set automatic vaccination for your computer's USB drives (although this service is only available in the software's Pro version).

Another important feature is that Panda Cloud Antivirus automatically updates its virus definitions in real time. As a function of the cloud system, Panda identifies new threats and immediately adds them to the software's “collective intelligence,” which ensures that your computer will remain safe from any unwanted malware, even the most recent permutations. This reduces the time and amount of bandwidth needed to download updates.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this antivirus service, though, is that Panda Cloud does most of its processing on the cloud system, freeing up valuable RAM resources on your computer. Even offline, Panda Cloud hunts down threats using a minute database stored locally on your computer. This can be useful in a heavily infested machine.

Panda Cloud Antivirus also offers advanced configuration options on the settings page. For experts who want to exclude certain processes from being scanned and wrongly flagged as malware, Panda offers options to manage exclusions. Users beware, though. Changing these settings may affect the performance and level of protection that Panda Cloud Antivirus is capable of providing.

Features Available Only in the Paid Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro Edition
The free edition of Panda Cloud Antivirus has an extensive feature set that is sure to equip any internet user with the security necessary to prevent malware attacks. Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro is a paid version of the software that provides more usability and support.

Along with 24/7 support, Pro users receive a “behavioral analysis” of running processes. This function effectively monitors live processes in order to keep your system clean and free of malware and other security threats. The Pro version also automatically scans USB drives, which is a common way in which malware can infect a computer.

Whether you choose the paid Pro version or the free edition, Panda Cloud Antivirus has all the capabilities and speed that the average internet user is looking for in antivirus software. Panda Cloud Antivirus has a strong reputation for maintaining your computer's security. It constantly updates malware definitions through its cloud servers, and the software's simplicity is sure to please.

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