As far as features go, G Data delivers on many of the features you’d expect from a full suite. This includes a straightforward, easy-to-use opening screen that doesn’t muddle things up by ignoring security status with the “Protected!” Like many other programs, this program uses an orange tick or caption to display the security status.
The program also does an excellent job of spotting and blocking any new malware. The ‘virus monitor’ that channels your internet traffic through G Data’s cloud service not only updates the virus definition file it also detects and blocks malware based on the behavior. G Data blocked all of the new malware that was not known to us we threw its way in our tests. There was just one false positive.
In AV Comparatives’ offline detection test, G Data scored even better than Bitdefender’s closest competitor did. This is probably due to the program’s in-house DeepRay engine, which detects malware disguised by looking at all the actions that malware is typically attempting to perform. It is looking for patterns that suggest malicious intent. For instance, it can detect changes to the settings of other programs, or tracking keystrokes.
However the program does fall short in a few areas that we consider essential for an antivirus software suite. The program does not offer a firewall, VPN, or parental controls. If you’re interested in these features, you’ll need to purchase G Data’s more expensive Internet Security package. This could be a major drawback, especially since top-tier competitors such as Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer the same features for a price or less.