NordVPN's anti-malware software Threat Protection Pro blocked 92% of phishing websites in an independent lab test of several antivirus products, browsers and VPNs in results released this week.
AV-Comparatives, based in Austria, attacked 15 products with 250 websites -- all verified to be valid phishing URLs -- in a test that ran Jan. 7 to 19. The lab said the products were tested in parallel and with active internet/cloud access. The Google Chrome browser was used for antivirus and VPN testing.
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Phishing is a form of cyberattack in which a malicious actor tries to get someone to go "fishing," with malicious URLs as bait. These phishing attempts might be sent in emails, but they also appear on websites, in texts and in voicemails.
You might get an email that says your bank account has been hacked and you should click on a URL to solve the problem. Or an email says you've won a big prize, instructing you to click on a URL to redeem. During tax season, the amount of scam emails and texts increases dramatically, with AI often used to ramp up the numbers. CNET offers tips for how to detect phishing attempts on even the most sophisticated of emails.
"By creating a sense of trust and urgency, cybercriminals hope to prevent you from thinking critically about their bait message so that they can gain access to your sensitive or personal information like your password, credit card numbers, user data, etc," warns the US State Department website. "These cybercriminals may target specific individuals, known as spear phishing, or cast a wide net to attempt to catch as many victims as possible."
In the AV-Comparatives test, which evaluated phishing-page detection and false-positive rates, NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro ranked fourth among security products, blocking 92% of the 250 phishing URLs tested. The highest scoring included:
Avast Free Antivirus 95%
Norton Antivirus Plus 95%
Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus 93%
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