Cylance Smart Antivirus Review [2023]: Is it Any Good?
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated. With this in mind, it’s crucial to ensure your devices are protected by a reliable antivirus program. In this article, we’ll explore Cylance Smart Antivirus, a unique solution leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver robust security.
About Cylance Smart Antivirus
Cylance Smart Antivirus is an innovative, AI-driven antivirus solution. Unlike traditional antivirus programs that rely on signature-based scanning, Cylance employs AI algorithms to detect and mitigate malware threats. It’s lightweight, minimalistic, and affordable, making it an excellent choice for users who prefer simplicity and efficiency.
How Does Cylance Work?
Cylance’s approach to malware detection is surprisingly effective. Instead of relying on signature databases, it uses AI to identify malware threats. It boasts a malware detection rate of 95%, proving its efficacy against a variety of cyber threats, including rootkits, trojans, and cryptojackers.
Real-time Protection
The real-time protection feature of Cylance Smart Antivirus is always active, scanning your device continuously for potential threats. It’s trained on a database of over 2 billion malware code samples, enabling it to identify and quarantine malware effectively. However, it’s worth noting that it occasionally flags safe files as malware, requiring users to manually whitelist them.
Malware Scanning
Although Cylance encourages users to rely on its real-time scanner, it does provide the option for on-demand scanning. However, accessing this feature involves using a command-line interface, which may be challenging for non-tech-savvy users. Nevertheless, the scanner is efficient and quick, completing a full disk scan in just over 20 minutes during testing.
Cylance Plans and Pricing
Cylance offers three plans, each differing only by the number of devices they cover. Users can choose to protect 1, 5, or 10 devices with monthly, annual, or biennial subscriptions. While Cylance doesn’t offer a free trial, all subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ease of Use and Setup
The setup process for Cylance Smart Antivirus is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. Most of the program’s features and settings are accessible via its online dashboard, which is intuitive and user-friendly.
Cylance Mobile App
Cylance’s mobile app, available for Android and iOS, offers device and network safety features, an activity monitor, and an app safety tool (Android only). Despite the lack of some features commonly found in other antivirus apps, such as anti-theft protections or parental controls, Cylance’s app is a decent option for those seeking a lightweight and reliable mobile antivirus solution.
Customer Support
Cylance’s customer support includes a responsive email support team. While it doesn’t offer phone support or live chat, the email support team provides knowledgeable and helpful assistance, usually responding within an hour.
Is Cylance Any Good?
While Cylance Smart Antivirus lacks some features offered by more comprehensive security suites, such as web protections or a VPN, its AI-driven approach to malware detection makes it an excellent choice for users seeking a minimalistic and efficient antivirus solution.
Conclusion
To conclude, Cylance Smart Antivirus is a reliable, AI-powered antivirus solution that delivers robust security with a minimalistic approach. Although it occasionally flags safe files as malware and lacks some features offered by more comprehensive security suites, it’s an excellent choice for users seeking a straightforward, efficient antivirus solution.
