Reason Antivirus Review: Malware Protection that Emphasizes Privacy

Viruses and other malware continue to be a major problem for computers regardless of the operating system. This malicious software doesn’t only threaten to corrupt important data stored on the hard drive and degrade machine performance it also collects data and invades privacy.

Data security and privacy are two of the most important concerns of computer users at present. These are the concerns that the Reason Security Antivirus software was specifically designed to address. This cybersecurity software is marketed as the “best protection for digital privacy.” It is a next-generation antivirus application built to protect digital devices, with particular focus on ensuring privacy.

Just to clarify, the focus on privacy here does not mean relegating other important malware protection features to a lower priority. Reason Security Antivirus does not treat privacy as the single most important concern to address. It’s just the highlight feature that distinguishes it from the multitude of other antiviruses on the market. The goal in highlighting privacy protection is mainly a matter of differentiation (for marketing).

The Need to Improve Privacy on Devices

Putting the focus on privacy is a way of encouraging digital device users to be more mindful of their personal information. As more people use computers and Internet penetration rapidly broadens, many tend to neglect their privacy. Device users rarely pay attention to the permissions they grant to applications and the information they wittingly or unwittingly share online.

It’s important to raise awareness about the ever-increasing attempts by cybercriminals to steal private information and expose computer users to various privacy-invading schemes. After all, privacy violations are not limited to the dissemination of lewd or scandalous photos or videos. Tracking a user’s online activities, usually to sell the collected information to advertisers, is also a serious privacy problem.

Reason Security – An Introduction

Reason Security is a powerful cybersecurity solution that stresses the importance of privacy while guaranteeing complete protection from viruses, spyware, adware, trialware, ransomware, and other malware. It is backed by the experience and expertise of a team of cybersecurity experts who are always on the lookout for the latest threats. They make sure that new threat signatures are recorded and updated in the database so that Reason Security is able to detect and appropriately respond to malicious software.

The people behind Reason Security have contributed to the development of the Windows Defender Antivirus. In fact, the lead developer for Reason is one of the co-founders of GIANT Company Software, a cybersecurity startup that was acquired by Microsoft more than a decade ago.

In other words, Reason Security is not some run-of-the-mill virus protection software solution. It is built to solve real-world computer security and privacy problems. This software is developed with innovative technologies to guarantee real-time protection for all kinds of activities performed on a computer. These include online shopping, web browsing, gaming, accessing online services, and the reading of digital files through USB, DVD/Blu-Ray, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

This cybersecurity software is built to run on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and of course Windows 10.

Reason Essential and Reason Premium: Free vs Premium

Reason Security is available in two versions: the free-to-download Reason Essential and the paid version called Reason Premium. The paid version is offered to consumers with a 30-day money back guarantee.

The basic version, Reason Essential, can serve as an adequate malware protection tool for computers. It provides the core antivirus functions of virus and malware scanning, real-time threat monitoring, and malware removal. These are generally enough to prevent malware infections on computers whose users are somewhat acquainted with online threats (and have an idea of how to deal with them).

However, for those who are looking for a malware protection solution that they can install and forget, the Reason Premium is the logical option. This paid version comes with the ability to block the installation of unwanted software. It prevents ransomware from encrypting files in a device. It has a browser add-on that scans links to web pages to help users avoid dangerous or potentially harmful sites, which helps ensure safe web browsing. The premium version also provides tracking protection, which controls the cookies and scripts allowed on web browsers. Moreover, Reason Premium is equipped with a webcam and microphone protection function. This is what makes Reason privacy-centric.

Reason Premium’s regular price is set at $59.99 per year. However, at the time this review was written, the software was offered with a 50% discount ($29.99).

Features

The features of Reason Security can be summarized as follows:

• On-demand virus and malware scan
• Efficient real-time protection
• Threat removal
• Protection from ransomware
• Blocking unwanted software installation
• Web browsing security
• Protection from trackers
• Webcam hijacking protection
• Microphone protection

Reason Security, like most other antiviruses, provides the option to run a quick scan, a full scan, or a custom scan. A custom scan lets you choose a specific folder or file to scan.

This security software is well-optimized to ensure efficient operation even as it performs real-time threat monitoring. It does not slow down the computer while it works in the background.

Also like typical antiviruses, Reason Security can quarantine/isolate or eliminate the malware it detects. It is capable of identifying ransomware and preventing it from holding files or folders “hostage”.

For the uninitiated, ransomware is malicious software that encrypts data stored on an infected device, thereby making the encrypted data inaccessible. This encryption can only be undone by using the corresponding decryption keyword or code. You will have to pay the perpetrators of the ransomware to regain access to your encrypted files.

On the other hand, Reason Security is designed to prevent the unintentional installation of harmful software. It presents notifications or alerts when apps or software are being installed in an anomalous manner. The software also has a web browsing security feature that advises users as to which links are safe and which ones lead to dangerous sites or pages.

Lastly, Reason Security prevents unauthorized access to a computer’s webcam and microphone. It can be configured to track unknown apps that are using the camera or microphone, or track all kinds of access (by all apps) to the camera and microphone. This is the highlight privacy-protecting feature of Reason Security. It does not only prevent hackers or cybercriminals from stealing private information and installing keyloggers; it also stops them from hijacking the video/photo and audio recording components of computers.

Advantages

Reason Security has three main advantages: its intuitive interface, it has a free version (Reason Essential), and its emphasis on privacy protection.

Reason Security is easy to use. There’s nothing difficult about figuring out its user interface. It has a minimalist, professional-looking design. Also, it is light on resource requirements; hence it does not create computer performance issues that lead to the occasional stutters or freezing often encountered by computers running “heavy” tasks in the background.

This cybersecurity software is offered as free and premium versions, which is preferable to being offered as shareware or trialware. The free version (Reason Essential) works as a dependable and adequate free malware protection software that  also doubles as a trial version. If you are satisfied by its performance but you need more features such as web browsing security and ransomware protection, you can easily upgrade to the premium version.

Moreover, the privacy focus of Reason Security is a boon for those who are keen on protecting their private data and other content on their devices, but are not sure how to do so. By simply using this security software, most privacy issues are resolved, including preventing hackers from gaining access to the camera and microphone.

Drawbacks

Reason Security has no serious issues, but it could use some improvements. For one, it is only available to Windows computers. It would be great if it has Mac and mobile versions. Additionally, the software appears to be incomplete with all its “Coming Soon” features, particularly the Internet-of-Things protection function.

Target Users

The premium version of Reason Security is intended for small to midsize businesses. It provides all the features and functions needed by businesses to protect their computers from all kinds of cyberthreats. It is a competitively priced security software package (especially with the 50% discount). Additionally, it comes with SDK/API kits so businesses can customize the appearance of the software.

The free version, Reason Essential, on the other hand, is a good enough computer protection solution for individual users. Its basic functions are generally enough to prevent computer virus infections, although it lacks the web surfing protection feature that guides users in identifying and avoiding possibly harmful sites.

Overall Assessment

All in all, Reason Security is a good computer security software choice. It has all of the features necessary for protecting computers from various forms of threats. The intuitive minimalist interface is a big plus. The free version and competitive price for the premium package can entice new users.

Reason Security is marketed as a privacy-oriented antivirus and anti-malware system, but this does not make it less capable as a tool for detecting and eliminating malicious software or cybersecurity threats. It can go toe to toe against the leading antiviruses in the market despite being a new player.

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