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Baidu Antivirus 2015

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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65 EXPERTS
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Baidu Antivirus 2015 has definitely improved since we tested it last year. However, it's still not a recommended choice for free antivirus protection. - Baidu Antivirus 2015
2.5 Fair

The Bottom Line

Baidu Antivirus 2015 has definitely improved since we tested it last year. However, it's still not a recommended choice for free antivirus protection.

Pros & Cons

    • Slick, attractive user interface.
    • Decent results from independent testing labs.
    • Improved scores in our hands-on malware blocking test.
    • Poor protection in our malware-download test.
    • Dismal score in our antiphishing test.
    • Actively reported some malicious files as safe.

Google gets its name from the immense number googol. Baidu, the go-to search engine in China, has a different story. Its name comes from a poem that "compares the search for a retreating beauty amid chaotic glamour with the search for one's dream." The free Baidu Antivirus 2015 is definitely attractive, and its antivirus capabilities have improved markedly since the last version, but it's still not a top choice.

The poem's "retreating beauty" may have inspired Baidu's main window, with its blue background that suggests clouds and sky. There's little clutter here, just an animated security status indicator and a few buttons. If the serene theme doesn't suit you, Baidu offers a number of other skins, including holiday and sci-fi themes.

View All 10 Photos in Gallery

Final Thoughts

Baidu Antivirus 2015 has definitely improved since we tested it last year. However, it's still not a recommended choice for free antivirus protection. - Baidu Antivirus 2015

Baidu Antivirus 2015

2.5 Fair

Baidu Antivirus 2015 has definitely improved since we tested it last year. However, it's still not a recommended choice for free antivirus protection.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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