The antiviruses that continue to defend Windows 7
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After reaching it’s EOL, Windows 7 has become something of a Wild West. Unless you’re eligible for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, you will no longer receive free security updates from Microsoft- leaving your PC vulnerable, unless you take extra precautions to secure it.
As of now, only selected businesses still receive the updates- and they come at a cost. For everyone else, it’s strongly recommended to secure yourself with antivirus software.
AV-TEST, a German antivirus testing laboratory with connections in the antivirus industry, contacted leading antivirus vendors to see who plans to still stick around for Windows 7.
Here’s the feedback they received:
| Manufacturer | Support information |
|---|---|
| AhnLab | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| AVG & Avast | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years – further details |
| Avira | Support ends in November 2022 – further details |
| Bitdefender | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years – further details |
| BullGuard | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Carbon Black | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| ESET | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| FireEye | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| F-Secure | No end of support announced, at least until December 2021 |
| G Data | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Ikarus | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Kaspersky | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| K7 Computing | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| McAfee | No end of support announced, at least until December 2021 – further details |
| Microsoft (Security Essentials) | End of support for program updates, still offering only signature updates (without an end date) – further details |
| Microworld | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| PC Matic | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Quickheal | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Seqrite | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| Sophos | Support on-premise until December 2020, Cloud-managed until June 2021 |
| Symantec / NortonLifeLock | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| ThreatTrack / Vipre | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years |
| TotalAV | No end of support announced, at least 1 year |
| Trend Micro | No end of support announced, at least another 2 years – further details |
With the exception of one or two, it looks like all the major antivirus software vendors will continue to provide support for Windows 7, past its End of Life. The vendors who officially announced their plans to end support give the user at least a full year to switch over; so those affected have plenty of time to make the switch to an Antivirus that’s active for the OS.
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