Antivirus 360 Total Security: reviews from specialists and users

Keeping your data safe on your device is easy these days. And although more and more different viruses are being launched onto the Internet, many high-quality anti-virus programs are becoming more and more accessible to users. However, choosing a good antivirus will require some effort. This article will help make your task easier. It will take a detailed look at the 360 Total Security antivirus program. Reviews in 2020 call it an extremely profitable choice. What is she? What advantages does it have over competitors? What are the features of its installation and operation? How does using the antivirus in question affect computer performance? What do experts say about him? How do users rate this program? Detailed answers to all these questions will be discussed in this article.

Comparison with competitors

First, you need to consider how this antivirus program differs from its competitors. Considering the fact that the product in question is free, the competitors with whom we would compare it should also be free. There are quite a lot of antiviruses available today. This means that it is almost impossible to compare the program in question with even most of them. So we will compare only with the key competitors of this product, such as Avast Free Antivirus and Avira Free Antivirus.

Why did we choose these programs over hundreds of others? For example, Avira was recognized as the best free antivirus program a couple of years ago. In addition, the 360 Total Security antivirus we are considering in this article (reviews point out this fact) also works on the Avira Antivir engine. Although in general the program supports three different engines, which can function both separately and together. Avast constantly shows good performance, that is, during its operation it does not consume too many system resources.

It is quite obvious that today antivirus programs are equipped with many functions that have nothing to do with the antivirus protection itself. This could be a price comparison function for online shopping, system optimization and cleaning functions, or a password manager.

Of the antiviruses presented, the option that lacks additional functions is Avast. So, it contains only a password manager, the antivirus itself, consisting of a monitor and a scanner, as well as a firewall protection function. Of course, the paid version has a few more additional features. For example, there is also protection against spam, phishing, and a firewall. The situation is similar with the Avira program. All additional security features will have to be purchased. While 360 Total Security for Windows (reviews especially emphasize this) all of the above functions are available for use by users absolutely free. Isn't that attractive?

Now it has become absolutely clear that 360 Total Security (reviews also point out this) offers its users complete vulnerability fixes, system cleaning, firewall, system optimization, cloud protection, as well as a number of other nice features, on a completely free basis.

Efficiency

In this regard, both antiviruses work equally well. Both Avast and 360 Total Security easily find and destroy almost all threats. Heuristic algorithms work fine in both products. And for users this is the most important thing.

As for false positives, the situation here is twofold. On the one hand, 360 Total Security has more such cases. But Avast is not far behind in this regard. Even despite the advanced real-time protection system.

However, both products are capable of providing decent protection for your computer. And in modern realities, for the average user this is precisely the most important criterion. The remaining functions are secondary.

It's worth noting that 360 and Avast provide basic protection. But the first one also offers options that most products only have in premium versions. Therefore, with a minimal advantage in this regard, it is 360 Total Security that looks more attractive.

Installation

The program installation mechanism is incredibly simple. In order to do this, you do not need to have any special knowledge. You just need to download and run the downloader file, click on the “Install” button. It is also possible to select the folder in which the program will be installed. In general, you won’t be able to configure anything else yourself at this stage.

According to 2020 user reviews of 360 Total Security, the program contains a number of antivirus engines. Among them are:

The Avira engine is the fruit of the labor of German developers and is considered extremely powerful. Initially disabled.
The Bitdefender engine is the result of the work of Romanian programmers. Initially disabled.
Cloud Scanner 360 Cloud - This engine is always enabled and cannot be disabled. Uses information about file checksums.
QVM AI is its own engine, which is a proactive protection system that is based on cloud technologies. Provides an opportunity for your system to receive protection from threats that this antivirus is not yet familiar with.

Almost all engines can be disabled and enabled directly in the settings of the program itself. However, first you still need to download and install them. Of course, you don’t have to do this yourself; this process is completely automated. You just need to click on the button in the “Antivirus” section that corresponds to a specific engine. The installation and download process will be demonstrated below in the same window. In the same window, you can disable the engine that you do not currently need.

It's incredibly convenient to use. By installing just one program, the user essentially receives a whole range of working antiviruses, which can be turned on or off when the user wants it.

Features of the 360 Total Security antivirus

Some experts believe that the antivirus in question is built on several engines. The program engine is the algorithm for the functioning of one of its modules. However, this is not a completely accurate definition. In fact, the program uses several modern technologies, namely:

Bitdefender is the most popular modern technology used in many well-known antivirus software products, including paid ones;
Avira is an additional technology from German developers that is not initially included in the antivirus;
360 Cloud Engine - built-in native cloud scanner that performs important file checks for viruses;
QVM AI is a cloud technology integrated into the program that allows you to protect your computer from new and unknown viruses, as well as carry out preventive measures automatically;
System Repair is a technology responsible for restoring the operating system after removing infected files from it.

If necessary, you have the opportunity to manually enable Bitdefender and Avira technologies.

Functions

Reviews of the 360 Total Security antivirus also talk about the abundance of functions that the program in question offers its users. Among them are the following:

Full system scan. After the scan is completed, the program displays a window with the result, where it displays all the problems found. These may include virus threats, problems related to system optimization, as well as the presence of temporary files that take up a large amount of internal memory. What options does the user have for further action? Then he can click the “Fix” button in order to correct all threats. After this, he will have the opportunity to recheck the system by clicking on the “Recheck” button. Expert reviews call 360 Total Security antivirus incredibly simple and extremely informative. What does a full check include? We are talking about searching for problems that interfere with the correct operation of the system (that is, related to its optimization), searching for various kinds of “garbage”, various viruses, as well as other malicious software.
Anti-virus scan. All types of tests described can be carried out separately from each other. Thus, the “Antivirus” section allows you to scan the system using one of three types of approaches: full, quick and selective. The latter is intended, for example, to check files on a flash drive for viruses.
System optimization and cleaning. A function that will be useful no matter how long ago the system was installed. Even if there are no visible problems, the antivirus may suggest disabling a number of unnecessary services (we are talking, for example, about the font buffering service), some tasks that were planned in advance, and also perform a number of tasks in order to optimize the connection to the Network. It will never be superfluous. To do this, you will need to click on the “Optimize” button. What kind of “garbage” does the program in question remove? We are talking about system garbage, browser cache files and temporary files.

It is for the above capabilities that the 360 Total Security antivirus receives, in most cases, positive reviews from users. These features allow you to protect your devices from a variety of threats.

Total Security Features

The 360 Total Security application for Windows 7 has functionality that exceeds the standard capabilities of a free antivirus.

Set up 360 Total Security for effective PC protection.
In addition to safety checks, the following are provided:

Five antivirus systems, including 360 Cloud Scan Engine. Each has its own purpose, so the antivirus supports comprehensive PC protection.
Users have access to computer optimization, which consists in excluding unnecessary modules and services from startup, and this speeds up the system.
Hard drive cleaning is available. Encourage quick removal by downloading 360 Total Security.
There are four modes to scan for malware: security, user, performance, balance. A full check is carried out on the first.
Wi-Fi Test Tool. Protects Windows 7 from receiving malicious files over a wireless connection.
"Sandbox". Every suspicious file is run through this tool for verification by the user. The interaction of the component with the system is limited.
"Vulnerabilities". The built-in system for searching for computer updates allows you to cover weak spots with new “patches”.

If the list of unique features is already impressive, download an antivirus and protect your PC. Read more about the work of 360 Total Security on the main page.

Security technologies

Reviews of Qihoo 360 Total Security show that the antivirus contains a variety of protective technologies. Let's look at some of them below:

Webcam protection. Limits access to your webcam; no attackers will be able to use it.
Keylogger protection. The essence of its functioning lies in the fight against keyboard interceptors. This is incredibly important for those who frequently shop online and pay with a credit card.
Checking downloaded files. The executable file is blocked, but not during downloading, but already in the browser cache.
Blocking malicious sites. It seems that no further explanation is required. Among other things, it provides protection against malicious sites and phishing.
Online purchase protection. The function detects the time when you visit an online store and blocks the ability to launch all suspicious programs for this period. It is also recommended to use a sandbox.
USB storage protection. Provides the ability to disable the autorun function for connected devices of this type.
Registry protection. Does not allow changing critical registry branches.
Behavioral blocking. Prevents programs from performing a variety of suspicious activities.
Blocking network threats. Blocks program access to those network resources that could be harmful to the computer.
System protection file. They will not allow you to modify important system files.

Reviews call all these functions of the 360 Total Security antivirus software undoubtedly useful and necessary for this type of program. It's nice.

Additional tools

What other additional tools does the free antivirus 360 Total Security contain? Reviews recommend paying attention to the following:

360 Connect is great for remotely controlling your other devices. A similar tool will be useful for users switching from a PC to a tablet or smartphone.
Instant installation - designed to install the necessary programs in just one click.
Browser protection - designed to prevent unauthorized interference with browser settings.
Firewall - if the standard firewall of the Windows system is not enough for you, then you can use this function of the antivirus in question for free.
Sandbox - designed to run dangerous applications and programs in safe mode. Changes made to the system configuration directly in the sandbox will not be reflected on the real system.
Vulnerabilities - allows you to scan all system vulnerabilities that exist.
Cleaning system backups.
Disk compression - designed to free up disk space by compressing a number of system files. However, it is important to remember that this process significantly reduces productivity.

These extra features are what really make 360 Total Security Essential reviews stand out. Most of them are extremely useful. Therefore, they should not be neglected.

Performance

Even on systems with the most modest parameters and, frankly, weak ones, the functioning of the 360 Total Security antivirus (user reviews confirm this fact) does not in any way affect its performance.

For the user, slowdown can only become noticeable if a full or partial scan of the computer is currently running. In general, it is recommended to close all applications during such checks until it is clear that the device is not infected.

The 350 Total Security program receives negative reviews because its update mechanism is supposedly incredibly demanding on system resources. However, tests did not confirm this theory.

Product Interface

This is a very important parameter, since it is with it that users interact. It is worth noting that in both antiviruses you can launch a full scan with just one button. For beginners - this is it.

Avast has a more modern design that goes well with the Windows 10 interface. The antivirus window does not look like a throwback compared to other OS components. The menu is organized very intelligently. You can easily get to the desired category.

Visually in 360 Total Security everything is approximately the same. But there is also the possibility of customizing the window design. The user can choose any topic. Finding the right item is also not difficult.

Both antiviruses have a full-fledged Russian language, which makes working with them much easier. Even though Total Security is a Chinese product. Even there everything is fine with the Russian language.

Settings

Judging by how the 2020 reviews of the 360 Total Security antivirus are described, the user can configure many of the nuances of the functioning of this program independently. Some possibilities in this regard will be discussed below. For example, the user can enable or disable active protection at the moment the system starts, and also manage the automatic update settings. Although, of course, in order to provide your device with proper protection, it is recommended to leave all the above parameters enabled. However, there is still one option that can be disabled if you want. This is about displaying the time during which the system boots after it has been rebooted.

In general, all settings intended to control active protection are located in a special section. In order to significantly improve productivity, there is only one automatic check - scanning executable files and documents. While other programs often examine all files in a row, which significantly reduces the efficiency of the process. This also means that if an infected archive is copied into the system (even without a password), the antivirus will not detect it. As explained, in its initial settings the program does not scan compressed files in principle. However, this is easy to fix. You just need to activate the “Scan compressed files” function when you run a full scan of your hard drive. The “Confidentiality” tab allows you to activate a mode that protects the webcam from any access attempts, of each of which it will immediately notify the user.

Reviews from experts

Professionals call 360 Total Security a fairly powerful multi-engine antivirus program that provides a good level of protection. This software is absolutely free for its users. What is especially important is that the antivirus does not overload the RAM. Even rather weak test systems do not slow down when using the program in question at its maximum settings. By the way, the settings of this antivirus are quite flexible. Various additional engines can be enabled one at a time. You will also be able to independently choose which security technology you want to use. The program interface seems convenient to specialists. You can also customize it to your taste by choosing one of the suggested themes.

Nevertheless, expert reviews also describe the 360 Total Security antivirus from a negative perspective. For example, the following disadvantages of the program in question are highlighted:

There is no firewall.
Failure to block an infected file before it has been downloaded.
Incorrect functioning of web protection components.
Lack of a single tree in the program settings for all its components.
There is no reference information for this program.
Questions are also raised by the system optimization service, which permanently suggests turning off those Windows services that are potentially necessary.

As a result, we can say that the program in question leaves an extremely pleasant impression among specialists. It's a great option if you're looking to move away from a paid platform but keep your device safe, or if you're looking for a powerful new antivirus that's free.

Recent updates have made the program even more effective. Thus, protection against keyloggers has been significantly improved (it really is impossible to intercept information). And the protection of online purchases on a virtual system now functions as efficiently as possible. A lightweight version of the program was also released, which is only an antivirus without any additional components.

User reviews

Antivirus 360 Total Security reviews are rated differently. So, some are so happy with its use that they do not notice any shortcomings. At the same time, as other reviews show, some people find 360 Total Security so frustrating that they find it difficult to talk about any of its benefits at all. Today we will carefully consider both opinions. So, first, let's figure out what users like about the antivirus in question? In the 360 Total Security program, user reviews highlight the following advantages:

Installs even on an infected system.
The antivirus program in question is absolutely free.
Reliable enough against malicious software.
High speed.
Great design.
The presence of five protection engines.
Effectively cleans and optimizes your computer.
Significantly increases the speed of the device.
Availability of visual notification and dialogue with the user.
Clear and logical interface.
A wonderful set of tools.

For many, such a list of advantages becomes an undeniable argument that convinces them to actively use the program in question on their personal devices. However, not everyone is so optimistic. How do 360 Total Security reviews highlight the disadvantages in a special way? Among them are the following:

False alarms incredibly often.
It does not always react promptly to new threats.
Sometimes it provides insufficient protection.
Requires constant access to the Internet.
A powerful program that at the same time consumes extremely little RAM.
Sometimes it is installed without asking.
Some consider this antivirus to be a spy.
Interferes with many computer functioning processes.
The presence of advertising banners that have questionable content and may contain viruses.
It is impossible to remove even using programs specially designed for this.
Makes changes to Windows files without the user's request.

Now you have complete information regarding how 360 Total Security works. Feedback from experts and users allows us to draw certain conclusions. So, it is better to think in advance about whether the program in question is suitable for you and whether you are willing to put up with its shortcomings. This will allow you to rid yourself of negative emotions in the future.

Conclusion

360 Total Security reviews 2020 are called an excellent option for a free antivirus program for personal use. It operates on three different engines, which can be run all at the same time or separately. This significantly simplifies the mechanism for using the program in question. Among other things, this antivirus contains a number of additional tools that not only provide additional security for the device, but also allow you to surf the Internet with greater confidence.

Also, what is incredibly important, this program does not in any way affect the performance of the computer, which does not decrease when it is used in the background. Reduced performance is only possible during a system scan. However, this is not too noticeable for users.

Be careful and careful when choosing. The security of your computer and all your personal data directly depends on this. This is especially important for those who regularly make purchases in online stores. Give enough attention and time to choosing a high-quality antivirus. This will soon pay off in full.

System resource consumption

Here we will try to impartially compare the system resource usage readings taken using the most common Windows task manager. And Avast will be the first to take the test. How much will it load the OS? Let's get a look.

When running in the background, Avast puts virtually no strain on the system. With 4 GB of RAM and a dual-core processor, it is quite comfortable to work with. CPU usage doesn't even reach 3%. RAM is loaded even less.

Some difficulties begin when updating the virus database or background scanning. Then the program may well load the CPU halfway. In principle, nothing critical, unless some other heavy application is running at the same time.

360 Total Security also showed itself to be great. CPU usage in the background is 2-3%. RAM – 5%. Similarly, there is a sharp jump in consumption when a product is updated. But almost all antiviruses behave this way.

However, users noticed one unpleasant feature of Total Security: after about two weeks of use, it begins to behave inappropriately and overloads the OS. What this is connected with is still unclear.

However, both products are much more economical in terms of resources than the same Kaspersky Anti-Virus. So there is a reason to use them on relatively weak and old computers. System performance will not be affected much.