10 best antivirus software 2011

BitDefender AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

For those seeking the best antivirus software for the money AND an “install and forget” proposition, BitDefender is the right choice earning the "Gold Award". Not only does it protect your computer and files, but BitDefender is easy to use, light on your computer and (maybe most importantly,) light on your pocketbook.

BitDefender Antivirus offers comprehensive protection from viruses in an easy-to-use solution. Striking the perfect balance of powerful features and usability, BitDefender provides a unique security solution. BitDefender is a great antivirus solution in all regards, delivering the best in protection, performance, and price.

BitDefender Antivirus provides comprehensive protection, takes up little space on your computer, costs less and requires little maintenance. If you're a gamer you should consider the special GameSafe edition of BitDefender Antivirus. For workstation and server protection, consider BitDefender Small Office Security.

BitDefender Standout Features

* Effective antivirus protection
* Light footprint on your computer
* Instant messaging encryption
* Advanced heuristic protection
* Excellent value (One user license for one year at $24.95.)

Ease of Use:

Most people want antivirus software they can install and forget and BitDefender does just that! In less than a half an hour, you can download, install, follow the prompts, re-boot your system and voilá, you're protected and can forget about viruses, trojans, spyware, worms, and malware. Nobody wants to spend time tweaking antivirus software when they could otherwise be getting work done or watching the latest videos on Youtube. We all want protection without the effort or expense and now we can have our cake and eat it too.

When tested right out of the box with the default setting, BitDefender did exactly what it was supposed to do. It scanned boot-up files, recently accessed files, packed files and incoming and outgoing emails. For those who want more aggressive protection, BitDefender can be enabled to scan HTTP blocks on port 80 and 443 for malicious ActiveX and JavaScript which is nice, but not necessary. Simple installation of the program using the default setting is recommended for the average user.

One of the best advancements in the latest version of BitDefender has been the increase in scanning speed. Softwin makes BitDefender capable of logging when files were last accessed, and if a clean file hasn’t been used since the last scan, BitDefender skips it. This has made scans much faster than they used to be, which is nice because scan speeds were BitDefender’s prior weakness.

Effectiveness:

You might think antivirus software that’s this easy to use and this inexpensive might not be as effective as products with bigger brand names and bigger price tags, but you would be wrong. AV-Test.org is among the most prestigious, independent research laboratories in the world for testing antivirus software. In recent tests, BitDefender received their highest rating for having removed 98% of all viruses and spyware in their rigorous tests. In addition, BitDefender has received the highest ratings for effectiveness by Virus Bulletin (VB100%) and AV Comparatives.org, and was certified by ICSA, Checkvir.com and West Coast Labs for its ability to detect viruses and virus replication while minimizing false positives (detecting viruses that are not there).

One of the key features BitDefender has developed is a virtual machine that runs invisibly in the background on your computer where it tests suspicious code, which is code that looks like a virus but doesn't currently match any of the known virus signatures. In this way, BitDefender can protect your computer from viruses no one has reported yet. In the same tests by AV-Test.org, BitDefender scored higher than Kaspersky, Norton, Computer Associates (CA) and McAfee on its proactive detection of viruses and other malware with this heuristic approach. BitDefender scans somewhat slower than some of its competitors, due (we believe) to this virtual machine running. Naturally, there's going to be a price for this type of protection, but other products like ESET's NOD32 have done a better job at minimizing it.

Although BitDefender is great at removing viruses and spyware, it excels at protecting your system from incoming viruses. The new BitDefender can actually strip viruses from your incoming HTML stream before the virus makes it to your browser. We think every new computer should be outfitted with this kind of protection.

Updates:

Virus signatures need to be updated regularly to maintain overall effectiveness. The heart and soul of antivirus software is recognizing malicious code and BitDefender does that primarily by matching code on your computer with known virus signatures.

BitDefender updates its virus signatures every hour unless you adjust it to a longer interval. Or if you are really into managing your antivirus software (does your photo appear in Wikipedia under the listing geek?), you can set it to “manual” and manually update the virus signatures and decide what other features you want updated. Otherwise, just sit back and know that your BitDefender is updating itself every hour, 24/7.

Feature Set:

In the spirit of “install and forget” software, BitDefender doesn't go in for the blinking red and green lights to notify you of its activity. Instead, a tiny red and black icon appears in the lower-right corner of your desktop, just above the system tray. This unobtrusive icon is the scan activity monitor. A green line indicates when files are being scanned for viruses and spyware. You can remove the monitor by going into the configuration settings.

The antispyware section of BitDefender includes Privacy Protection. This feature is disabled by default, but turning this feature ON is recommended. In the Advanced Setting link, you can enter your credit card numbers or other private information, and if any Windows application attempts to send these over the Internet, it stops and requires your active permission. Otherwise, BitDefender will refuse any program that attempts to send your personal information over the Internet.

BitDefender is the only antivirus software reviewed with a gamer mode. With gamer mode enabled, online gamers are protected without sacrificing much performance. Since online gamers are notorious for disabling firewalls and other protection to optimize performance, this could be a lifesaver for the family computer used for online gaming by members of your household.

Ease of Installation:

Here is where BitDefender really shines. Installation is easy and intuitive. BitDefender also easily and transparently removes any other antivirus software you might have on your computer. This is a requirement for effective use of your computer after installation. Two antivirus packages on your system do not give you twice as much protection, but rather play havoc with performance and diminish protection.

Bit Defender uses about 60MB of hard disk space (new computers average about 200GB hard drive so it uses about .03% of your hard drive space), which is more than Kaspersky and NOD32, but about 1/3 of the space required for Norton AntiVirus.

Help/Support:

BitDefender does its job without you having to fuss or tinker with it. BitDefender is much like your car or phone, ready when you are. It works without you having to. You can rest assured, though, in the rare case when you may need some help, BitDefender offers good live support either over the phone or through live chat online.

Previously, BitDefender phone support required you to fork out money for a long-distance call to Europe. But the manufacturer, Softwin, has since issued a FREE phone support line for you to use (1-888-868-1873), making it cheaper and easier to get support when you need it.

For common issues, BitDefender offers a FAQs page. BitDefender can also be reached via email at support@bitdefender.com, and they have been very prompt and effective in answering questions.

Summary:

BitDefender is nearly everything you’ll want in easy-to-use, highly-effective antivirus and antispyware software. When BitDefender upgrades their tech support and improves their uninstall utility, they will have a nearly perfect product.

BitDefender received the "Gold Award" as the top antivirus software for its consistent high performance in protecting your computer, ease of use and installation. BitDefender is highly effective and offers tremendous value without making a dent in your pocketbook. For superior performance, protection, and price, we recommend BitDefender Antirvirus 2009.

Homepage: http://www.bitdefender.com

Kaspersky AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

Kaspersky Labs has been one of the best antivirus software developers in the world for over a decade and now Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 only strengthens that reputation. Founded by Natalia and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, this Russian company is often the first to find and identify new viruses. Long used in Russia and Europe, Kaspersky is now making inroads in the North American market. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 is one of the most effective antivirus packages in the world today and boasts a great interface with easy to use and intuitive controls.

Like so many of the other antivirus packages including BitDefender, Kaspersky Anti-Virus comes with an antispyware component. Kaspersky's software is among the best products in the world, but at $39.95 for a one-user for one-year license, it’s on the high-end of the software we reviewed. There are no complaints about Kaspersky's effectiveness or ease-of-use. As a result, Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the "Silver Award" winner. If you're looking for antivirus protection for small business, you might be interested in Kapersky Anti-Virus for File Server or Kaspersky Business Space Security, one of the best small business antivirus software suites available.

Kaspersky's Standout Features

* Highly Effective antivirus/antispyware protection
* Light on computer resources
* Nearly all features are configurable
* Great interface, easy-to-use and intuitive

Ease of Use:

Kaspersky has always been among the best samples of antivirus software on the market, but has been less than simple to use. With the release of version 7, Kaspersky dramatically improved their interface giving this software an interface that matches the quality of the overall package. Further improvements have been made for the 2009 version. From a geek’s perspective, Kaspersky's interface is probably the best of all the software reviewed. That being said, it may not be ideal for someone who's not interested in fine-tuning and tweaking their antivirus software. Every feature is configurable and controllable with intuitive and easy to use controls in Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Effectiveness:

Kaspersky Labs has always been known for its ability to effectively detect and remove viruses as well as or better than any software program on the market. Like BitDefender, Kaspersky was able to remove over 98% of all viruses it encountered in the most recent objective tests of AV-test.org. Kaspersky is also certified by all of the major virus/malware testing laboratories. Tests confirm Kaspersky's effectiveness. It found every virus on the test computer.

Although Kaspersky is excellent at detecting viruses and malware, it could use some work in the detection of spyware. Independent tests by AV-test.org showed that Kaspersky allowed 8% of adware/spyware to go undetected. Furthermore, Kaspersky’s proactive/heuristic engine failed to meet the high standards set by BitDefender, NOD32, F-Secure, Panda and some others.

Like other software with proactive/heuristic engines to detect malware before their signatures are available, Kaspersky's scan is relatively slow. The time and resources demanded by these proactive/heuristic engines slows these scans, and relatively slow scans may be the price we pay for this level of protection. Of the antivirus software packages reviewed, only NOD32 (see “Bronze Award” winner) scored high on both proactive detection and scan speed.

Updates:

The best antivirus software packages provide virus signature updates on a routine basis. Both Kaspersky and BitDefender update their signatures every hour. That may seem like overkill until a new virus rapidly begins to spread around the globe and your antivirus software only updates every week. That may be too late for you! Since it does its updates automatically, you get the best protection with no effort on your part.

Feature Set:

Kaspersky's feature set is one of its strongest assets. While BitDefender’s interface is primarily an enable/disable feature set, Kaspersky is the software-tweakers dream with controls for nearly all of its features. Like most of the antivirus packages in our review, Kaspersky protects your computer from spyware as well as viruses. Scanning for both viruses and spyware simultaneously is far more efficient in terms of time and resources than stopping to do both separately. Like Bit Defender, “Gold Award” winner, Kaspersky scans email and port 80 traffic (port 80 is the port that receives web traffic and must be open while browsing the web) so that this excellent software can detect and block online viruses, Trojans, and various other malware before they can cause you trouble.

Kaspersky also has a proactive defense for your computer. Kaspersky watches for unwanted adware, dialers, rootkits, remote access utilities and locks specific registry keys that malicious code may target to damage your computer. Furthermore, Kaspersky now includes protection from viruses while using IM and ICQ.

Kaspersky, in its ever-vigilance against viruses and other malware, now helps you create a rescue disc in the case that your computer is hit by some malicious code that makes your system unbootable. Although this effort to prepare users for the computer equivalent of Armageddon is commendable, the process is tedious and difficult. If you downloaded your operating system or the system disc is lost or unavailable, this feature will be unavailable to you.

Ease of Installation:

Kaspersky is among the easiest pieces of antivirus software to install. Its rather compact 50MB file downloads quickly and installation and activation are a snap. After rebooting, Kaspersky was on the job protecting our test computer. One complaint is that Kaspersky did not automatically remove the antivirus software already on the test computer. This is bound to lead to problems with the average user. Invariably, some will unknowingly end up running two antivirus programs and problems will ensue. With two antivirus packages running, computers run more slowly and error messages become an issue. On a positive note, Kaspersky does come with its own uninstall utility and after running it, no traces of it were found still in the registry. Some of the other antivirus manufacturers should take note: How much confidence can customers have in you, if you don't even know how to completely remove your own software?

Help/Support:

Software should be intuitive and easy to use, and if you still have a question, the software manufacturer should have excellent help/support to resolve your issues quickly and easily. Software should not be a source of stress, but instead, should make your life easier and simpler. When a question does arise, Kaspersky has devoted adequate resources to address them. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 provides context-sensitive in-program help files. This is a great idea, and some of the other software developers should do likewise. In addition, there are active user forums and FAQs available online. Finally, you can email or call a toll free number for live technical support.

Summary:

Kaspersky is among the best antivirus software packages on the market today. It’s highly effective, has a great interface, and it’s easy on computer resources. Kaspersky is an excellent choice and was barely edged out by BitDefender, receiving the "Silver Award".

Homepage: http://www.kaspersky.com

Webroot AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

Webroot Antivirus with Antispyware and Firewall is a solid product from Webroot Software. This competent defender earns our "Bronze Award" because it not only includes sophisticated antivirus components but also includes a full version of Spy Sweeper anti-spyware software. Both programs have been awarded all major industry awards and certifications and can dynamically alter themselves to fight emerging threats that hit the World Wide Web every second of the day.

The internet provides unlimited opportunities for communication, education, commerce and entertainment; however, it also provides opportunity to malevolent programmers and pranksters to distribute their viruses, spyware, worms, keyloggers and more. It is absolutely necessary that all internet connected computers have a serious, up-to-the-second form of protection, like Webroot’s Antivirus with Anti-Spyware.

Putting advanced antivirus software on your computer is not a sign of paranoia, it is smart. All computers that are connected to the internet without some sort of protection will acquire some kind of virus, spyware, adware or worse. Take proactive action and defend your personal information and your computer with a program like Webroot’s Antivirus with Anti-Spyware.

Webroot Antivirus Standout Features:

* West Coast Labs and ICSA Labs Certified, also received VB100 Award
* Gamer mode for uninterrupted play
* Includes the award-winning Spy Sweeper for advanced spyware protection
* Webroot offers free remote file storage

Ease of Use:

This antivirus software is perfectly designed for home users and those who do not know much about security software and security threats. The software includes well thought out menus, easy to understand icons, and the layout is organized and logical.

Configuring this antivirus software is easy, it has powerful default or recommended security shields, so it really can configure itself, if you do not want to have to figure out which of the 17 shields to run. It is also simple to command quick or deep scans as needed. However, if you want to configure a customized sweep, that option is available too.

Effectiveness:

Webroot Antivirus successfully keeps computers free of malevolent viruses and other malicious applications. And it has the awards and certifications to prove it. This antivirus software has received the VB100 award (Virus Bulletin) 39 times for detection of 100% of all viruses in the wild. It is also has received the West Coast Labs checkmark certification for detection and disinfection of 100% of in the wild viruses. Webroot Antivirus is also ICSA Labs certified. It is not just that recommends Webroot security software; the Spy Sweeper part of this package has received PC Magazine’s Editors Choice recognition eight times.

Updates:

Frequent updates are absolutely necessary since new threats emerge constantly, Webroot Antivirus and AntiSpyware offers updates automatically and regularly, even hourly if needed. It also has the ability to detect “suspicious” behavior so it can protect your computer well before new menaces hit the official threat list.

Feature Set:

Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper offers almost everything that a full security suite does, it monitors internet activity, scans emails, performs full system scans and it is constantly updated.

This antivirus software includes 17 kinds of shields, 13 of which are included in the recommended setting. These powerful shields include web browser protection, network shields, Windows systems shields, start-up protection and email attachment scanning. This software has the ability to protect computers from common threats like viruses, adware, spyware, Trojans, malware, keyloggers, worms, rootkits, browser hijackers and cookie trackers.

Beyond the "always" on protection it also includes three different types of scans, a quick sweep, a full sweep and a customized sweep option. The quick sweep quickly scans through locations that unwanted programs are often found, the full sweep is a once per week scan that looks deep for spyware and viruses, the customized sweep can be configured to only scan or not scan specific drives, files or file extension types.

This software is updated constantly, every hour or less if needed, it can be set to automatically update or can be updated manually. It will also tell you when the last update occurred. In addition, Webroot Antivirus offers alerts and news that relate up-to-date information about the newest threats.

Webroot Antivirus also has a feature called gamer mode, which can pause scheduled scans and alerts while you are playing a game or watching a movie, so you can enjoy your entertainment uninterrupted.

Ease of Installation:

This security software downloads quickly and in most cases can run in the background without slowing down other processes. However, we would recommend that this software be installed on a PC that exceeds the recommended minimum system requirements. The recommended requirements list only 256 MB of RAM, which will hardly run any software efficiently these days and certainly is not competent enough for multitasking.

Help/Support:

Webroot provides free US-based online and telephone support. They also publish extensive customer and technical support online such as tutorials and a useful, searchable knowledgebase. They offer remote desktop assistance with your permission.

With the purchase of this antivirus software you get a service that very few other companies offer, free remote storage of files. Webroot offers a virtual storage space for backing up files, so you can access you files from any computer with an internet connection. This service also is useful if you need to send large files. Generally, it is difficult to send large files as an email attachment; this service can provide you with a download link that you can pass along through an email, so the recipient can instantly access the file without having to open a large attachment. Of course this download link does not provide others access to your additional files stored on the remote servers.

Summary:

Webroot Antivirus with AntiSpyware, backed up evidentially by high test scores from rigorous industry testing, has proved to be a powerful and versatile security program that is easy to use and install. With a gamer mode and free remote file storage, Webroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper provides full spectrum security with useful extras.

Homepage: http://www.webroot.com

NOD32 AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

ESET's NOD32 is rapidly becoming one of the best pieces of antivirus software on the market today. ESET's NOD32 once again has delivered an excellent product that is highly effective, and now, easy to use. The strength and beauty of this software is its light footprint, relatively fast scanning and superior ThreatSense® Technology that detects malicious software before it has been reported. Its interface is intuitive and easy to use for the average home user, but can be configured and tweaked by the advanced user. The one-user, one-year package is priced at $39.99, which is the middle range of the antivirus software products reviewed.

Standout Features

* Effective antivirus protection (98%)
* Light footprint on your computer (34M)
* Excellent scanning speed
* Excellent proactive protection
* Is one of the few companies still offering products for legacy O/S's such as DOS and Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.
* Impressive Business Edition available

Ease of Use:

ESET's NOD32 is simple to use right out of the box (figuratively speaking … it’s a download) and requires little or no configuring for the average user. Yes, it’s an “install and forget program! The interface is clean and simple with enable/disable toggles and a configure option for those who are into tweaking their antivirus software. Unlike Kaspersky, which allows you to tailor their software based upon the perceived threat and the level of protection desired, advanced configuring NOD32 requires a bit more knowledge of your system. Fortunately, NOD32 works as it should in its default configuration and most users will never have to do anything but simply install this excellent software.

Effectiveness:

ESET's NOD 32 is among the most effective antivirus software products on the market today. Independent tests show that NOD32 removed about 98% of the virus threats it faced, putting it on par with BitDefender, “Gold Award” winner, and Kaspersky, “Silver Award” winner. In addition, NOD32 is certified by all the major independent testing laboratories the world over. Of the major antivirus software packages tested, NOD32 interfered less with our other computer operations than any of the other products reviewed. Its spyware protection is a little weaker than one might like, putting it on the same level as Kaspersky's 92%. Where NOD32 stands head and shoulders above its competitors is in its proactive detection and protection.

Most of the reputable antivirus software developers now include a heuristic engine that attempts to detect malware before it has been reported. Some refer to this as “Day Zero” detection because it is able to detect threats before their signatures is has been identified. The idea here is that when the software finds some code that looks malicious, it executes the software in the background to determine if it’s a threat to your machine. ESET has refined this technique like no other antivirus software developer with their ThreatSense® Technology.

This ThreatSense® Technology delivers an excellent detection rate while offering a very fast scan rate. Other antivirus packages offer similar detection rates, such as BitDefender and Kaspersky, but in both of those cases, the penalty you pay are slow scan rates. NOD32 is the only software package reviewed and tested that offered both high detection rates AND fast scan rates, indicating these folks know how to write efficient and effective code (according to the company, NOD32 is written in assembly language, a very efficient, low-level language). ESET could be the sleeper antivirus company ready to take this market by storm in coming years.

Updates:

Unlike Kaspersky and BitDefender, ESET's NOD32 only updates its virus signatures once a day. That's probably a short enough interval considering that ESET has the power to “push” updates to your computer in the instance of attack. Also, with ESET's highly effective heuristic, proactive engine, it is very likely that NOD32 will recognize malicious code before the signature is available. These two features make us more comfortable with the slightly longer update intervals than some of its competitors have.

Feature Set:

ESET's NOD32 is all about effectiveness AND speed. This software uses fewer resources than any of the packages tested and this is a thing of beauty. NOD32 is a breath of fresh air in a world of bloated software in that its code is efficiently written. From the perspective of the average user, this means this software has a light footprint and fast scans, both very good things. Its ThreatSense® Technology’s proactive defense is among the best heuristic programs on the market.

NOD32 offers several layers of protection including real time email scanning, antivirus protection, antispyware protection and rootkit scanner. The email scanner integrates easily and directly into MS Outlook or any other standard POP3 email client. Disappointingly, NOD32 did not have a Parental Control option where parents can block and control what sites their children are able to access online.

NOD32 is among the few antivirus products that still supports such legacy operating systems as DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, etc. as well as Windows XP and Vista.

Ease of Installation:

Installation was prompt and easy. The package is just 34M making it among the lightest antivirus packages we have ever seen. We were disappointed, though, that ESET did not automatically remove the existing antivirus software on our system. Instead, NOD32 prompts you to remove any existing antivirus on your computer before installation.

ESET has made some excellent and necessary improvements in their interface with version 4, making the software far easier and more intuitive to use. Anticipating that the vast majority of people don't want to spend time messing with their antivirus software, but instead just want it to work, ESET crafted NOD32’s interface to be clean and simple. Most people can simply “install and forget” this software. The left-hand column features Protection Status, Computer Scan, Update, Setup, Tools and Help. The right windowpane is reserved for the active feature in use.

Although the features have an enable/disable toggle, the advanced user can simply click on “configure” in any of the features and find all of the advanced tweaks that anyone could ask for. Should you need to remove NOD32 from your computer, there is an uninstall option. After a reboot we found almost no evidence of the product on the machine.

Help/Support:

ESET's NOD32 provides extensive, context-sensitive help files similar to Kaspersky and this feature by both firms should be applauded. It’s about time the other software developers include similar help files. It’s simple and quick for the user and doesn't require much development cost for the software publisher. Online, ESET provides a fairly thorough 32-page PDF file manual for download, plus online FAQs for NOD32, links to an active user forum dedicated to the software, and a web form for contacting ESET customer support. While there is live telephone support offered, the call is not toll free and is available only during business hours, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

Summary:

ESET's NOD32 offers the antivirus software buyer one more excellent choice. Its sets itself apart from the competition with its scanning speed and light footprint on your computer resources. Its proactive approach to virus and other malware detection is among the best in the world, its virus detection is excellent, and now with an easy to use interface, this software ranks among the best available.

Homepage: http://www.eset.com

AVG AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

AVG Antivirus has been an up and coming virus scanner for many years. Its free version is one of the most downloaded files on the Internet in the Computer Security sector. The new interface is clean and intuitive while still remaining useful.

AVG went through a re-write of their virus scanning engine and included two of their stand alone products with AVG Antivirus as well. AVG Antispyware and AVG Antirootkit were both integrated with the virus scanner. Also revamped is the way AVG Antivirus uses the hardware within your computer. It has been changed to make better use of the multiple cores which are common in today's computers. This should speed up scanning as well as reduce slowdowns.
Ease of Use:

Though AVG Antivirus is mostly a hands-off program, there may be some instances when you may need to configure some advanced options. For 99% of the population though, the default options will be more than sufficient.

The menus within AVG Antivirus are very simple and offer all the options and information needed to keep your system safe from Internet threats.
Effectiveness: Excellent

AVG Antivirus is one of the most complete programs we have found to date. It includes many new options to make it one of the most effective virus scanners on the market. It is still plagued by horrible slowdowns at times. Even things so simple as just typing an IM can be stopped for several seconds for some reason. If you can get passed the occasional slowdowns of your computer, the scanning functionality of AVG Antivirus 8 is top of the line. With the rewrite of the scanning engine, AVG includes multi-processor support. That dual core processor you bought is actually going to start getting a workout now. AVG also includes support for Windows Vista and the 64 bit versions of Windows XP and Vista.

Updates:

AVG Checks for updates every 4 hours by default. You can change this to any interval you wish. The updates section of AVG Antivirus also shows you which virus database version you have, as well as when the last update was. It also tells you when the next update is scheduled. All of this information is also displayed on the main menu screen so that you always have the information at your fingertips.

Feature Set:

AVG Technologies, formerly Grisoft, has gone above and beyond with the new release of AVG Antivirus. Included with the virus scanner, are a rootkit scanner, spyware scanner, an on-access scanner called Resident Shield, email scanner and a link scanning browser plug-in. There is also a portion of AVG Antivirus called Web Shield. Web Shield is a chopped down firewall application that scans standard web ports for any threats encountered while browsing the web. It also includes protection for MSN Messenger and ICQ.

Ease of Installation:

Installing AVG Antivirus 8 was easy and only took about 10 minutes including downloading the additional updates required after installation finished. We had no issues or errors during the install.

Help/Support:

With the name change from Grisoft to AVG Technologies, the support site was updated and saw many improvements over the old design. Support offerings included with AVG Antivirus 8 are a FAQs, email support, phone-based technical support, as well as an inclusive support section within the program itself.

Summary:

Version 8 of AVG Antivirus is a definite improvement over version 7.5. The scanning features have been sped up and the new interface is a clean and modern take on a time-tested product.

Including a link scanner and integrating AVG Antispyware and AVG AntiRootkit provides an even more effective product. An unfortunate problem that has plagued AVG products for quite some time has not been eliminated, even though AVG did a complete rewrite of the virus scanning engine. The on-access scanner still tends to slow down computers to the point where they are not usable at times. This isn't a constant factor and has been improved significantly, but you will notice it when it happens. Beyond the slowdown issue, AVG Antivirus 8 is a complete product that will help keep your computer clean and safe.

Homepage: http://free.avg.com

Vipre AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware is a great security software solution with all the right features. Vipre is easy to use and is specifically designed to not slow down your PC. It’s not a typo, VIPRE stands for Virus Intrusion Protection Remediation Engine.

Ease of Use:
Antivirus + Antispyware by Vipre has a straightforward and easy to understand interface. The menus within the program are easy to follow and ensure quick and easy navigation. Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware is very easy to use for both beginners and those who want to delve into customized scans.

Effectiveness:

Vipre is very effective when it comes to antivirus and antispyware protection. Vipre has passed the West coast Labs tests. The program also includes anti-rootkit technology. Vipre monitors your PC in realtime for constant protection from malware. Vipre’s Active Protection works inside the Windows kernel to protect your computer before viruses have the opportunity to execute.

Vipre also helps deter viruses sent through email. Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware supports any email client using POP3 and SMTP, including Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail.

Updates:

Updates for Antivirus + Antispyware can be performed automatically or manually. This includes both updates for the program itself, and the most up-to-date virus definitions. Timely updates are crucial for antivirus software, and Vipre doesn’t disappoint.

Feature Set:

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware has all the essential features, and several additional helpful capabilities. The security software has a variety of scanning options. Users can perform scans manually and on-demand, or even schedule specific scans. But even better, Vipre is set by default to perform scans on-access whenever they are received.

Vipre features heuristic scanning to detect the newest viruses before they cause a problem. Vipre also incorporates script blocking technology to monitor Java and VBS scripts that show signs that may lead to potential computer threats.

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware can scan compressed files, and can quarantine infected files or simply automatically take care of them. Furthermore, Vipre protects your computer from threats from email, peer-to-peer file sharing, and webmail.

Ease of Installation:

Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware is easy to install and update. Vipre was engineered to use minimal system resources and keep pop-up notifications and warnings down. Installation is no exception; the process is quick and doesn’t require a lot of useless steps.

If you’re using the previous antivirus solution from Sunbelt Software, CounterSpy, upgrading and updating to Vipre is easy.

Help/Support:

There is plenty of help available for using Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware, but the software is easy enough to use that you likely won’t need to use it. Help can be found in a FAQs section, an online user guide, or by searching the knowledgebase. Or you can call Sunbelt directly for assistance, or submit your questions through email.

For instant live help online, users can chat live with a representative. And unlike some sites that require you to input a bunch of information before connecting with a service rep, the live chat support for Vipre is instant and connects you as soon as the assistant is available.

Summary:

Vipre’s Antivirus + Antispyware software is straightforward, easy, and effective. Vipre has complete protection and is packaged in an efficient software. With Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware, you get thorough security without sacrificing PC resources.

Homepage: http://www.vipreantivirus.com

F-Secure AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

F-Secure Anti-Virus is a great product that offers many of the standard functions associated with antivirus software, but also goes above and beyond the bar set by others with efforts by F-Secure to educate the people that use F-Secure Anti-Virus on general security practices as well as specific threats. For business workstation and server protection, consider the F-Secure Small Business Suite.

Ease of Use:

F-Secure Anti-Virus is very easy to use and comes preconfigured with the most effective options for your computers' security. The menus within F-Secure Anti-Virus are simple and quick to display the options under each menu.

Effectiveness:

F-Secure Anti-Virus is one of the most effective antivirus programs on the market. Its heuristic scanner is considered by many to be one of the fastest and most complete on the market.

We did have some problems with its on-access scanner though. The test system we used is a pretty fast system. Intel Pentium D 2.8GHz with 1GB of RAM. The on-access scanner would sometimes bring this system to a halt when opening programs or moving files.

Updates:

F-Secure Anti-Virus checks for updates every two hours. This is fine for most people and shouldn't cause any problems. One issue that we did notice is that one of the updates that was received required a reboot of the test system. While we had a choice in the reboot, it was odd that it should require a reboot to apply new virus signatures or even minor program updates.

Feature Set:

F-Secure Anti-Virus comes with the standard protection you would expect from any modern antivirus suite. Both on-access and on-demand scanners are included as well as a spyware scanner that runs with both. An email scanner is also included for those of us using local email clients like Outlook or Thunderbird.

One feature we especially liked about F-Secure Anti-Virus was the integrated news on the home menu. The Security News section is full of useful information about which new security threats are out and whether you are protected from each threat.

Ease of Installation:

Installation of F-Secure Anti-Virus is fast and easy. It took less than 5 minutes to initially install, but required a very long update upon completion of the install. The install itself required a single reboot as well as the update that was download after the install finished.

Help/Support:

F-Secure offers several options for support. They have a "How to" section with several FAQ's included as well as offering a product manual from within the program itself. Also available are phone support and email support. You may find that support for F-Secure Anti-Virus is difficult to obtain once you get past the self-help options. The site is somewhat convoluted and could use a redesign to make it easier and faster to use. To be fair, most people will not need to contact customer support directly if they use the self help options that are available on the support site.

Summary:

With one of the most thorough antivirus engines available, F-Secure Anti-Virus provides good protection against viruses, spyware and many other security threats. The added benefit of the support and education portion of their website adds to the overall feeling of protection while using this product. While it isn't perfect, and does have issues with significant slowdowns while the on-access scanner is working, the overall product is effective.

Homepage: http://www.f-secure.com

Trend Micro AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is a full-featured and well-equipped program that is geared towards keeping your computer free of viruses and spyware. It is easy to configure for nearly any antivirus need. It causes significant computer slowdowns occasionally, but makes up for these issues with thorough scanning and frequent updates.

Ease of Use:

Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware is extremely easy to use. Nearly all of the configuration options are set after the install is finished. Scanning and updating are as easy as clicking a button on the overview page within the program. Changing settings and configuring advanced settings is easy and each of the settings is clearly explained within the program.

Effectiveness:

Trend Micro has a history of producing effective products that have been used in homes and enterprises for years. The included virus scanner is well-equipped and has a high success rate on par with many other high end antivirus programs.

Despite its high marks in scanning, Trend Micro Antivirus is slow when scanning and can cause problems with freezing and slowdowns. It also has a tendency to not play nice with Firefox and MSN Live Messenger.

Updates:

Updates can be done automatically or manually depending on your needs. Automatic updates default to being done every 3 hours. They are done in the background by default as well. The only time you will be notified of an update is if it requires a reboot for some reason. Take note that updates can take quite some time to complete depending on the size of the update.

Feature Set:

Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware includes the antivirus scanner as well as the antispyware scanner noted in its name. It also includes a utility to track unauthorized changes to your operating system or system files.

Ease of Installation:

Installing Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware is as simple as reading a couple screens and hitting the next button a few times. The only problem we experienced was the initial update that the program gets after installation is finished. That update took nearly 30 minutes and required a reboot.

Help/Support:

Trend Micro has always been big on customer support. In this tradition, they offer several support options. The most impressive is their guided knowledge base. This is the first knowledge base (KB) that has actually been useful in finding solutions to problems. If you are not able to get help for your issue through the KB, they also offer ticket-based-support as well as live chat and phone support. The phone support option is available at appropriate times in the USA, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Summary:

Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is a solid solution for those that are looking for an antivirus program that is easy to configure and doesn't require much user interaction. It has a simple interface and some of the best customer support available in the antivirus market. The only thing that keeps Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware from being a top 3 product is the severe slowdowns that can occur while performing seemingly unrelated tasks.

Homepage: http://us.trendmicro.com/us/home

McAfee VirusScan AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

McAfee is an industry leader in computer protection and VirusScan is their #1 defense against viruses. This software comes with a ScriptStopper to prevent viruses from propagating from one computer to another via email, and WormStopper.

Some downsides to the program are that it doesn't provide instant message protection, P2P/file sharing protection or registry startup protection. Check out the Gold product if you're looking for these features.

Ease of Use:

If you use the default settings, setup is a breeze. The default settings provide very good protection against viruses, Trojans, worms, malicious ActiveX controls and Java applets.

The SecurityCenter has several tabs besides the VirusScan tab. There is one for Personal Firewall+, Privacy Service and SpamKiller. These are other programs offered by McAfee.

Effectiveness:

VirusScan boasts one of the best virus detection records. The software has received the VB100% award, the ICSA award and passed both level 1& 2 Checkmarks from West Coast Labs.

Updates:

McAfee VirusScan 9.0 automatically downloads updated virus definitions from the Internet on a regular basis. Staying up to date will dramatically decrease any possibility that a virus will infect your computer. On Average, McAfee comes out with new virus definitions on a daily basis.

You will have to register and login to get updates making the process longer than it needs be.

Feature Set:

McAfee VirusScan offers a rich list of features. You can set VirusScan to scan your computer at a preprogrammed scheduled time. The program also scans for spyware and adware.

You can't add several tasks to the Scheduled Scan. It would be great to be able to scan all files once a month and only program files weekly or any other tasks you would like to set up.

McAfee has an Antivirus Emergency Response Team that continually monitors the worldwide virus activities to provide you with the utmost safety. The always-on protection guards against viruses, spyware and other Internet threats that may enter your PC via e-mail, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing.

One of the newest features is also one of our favorites. It's the QuickScan feature, which basically narrows virus scans to the most vulnerable and frequently attacked parts of your computer. This makes scanning much faster, although we still recommend doing a full scan periodically. Another great feature that can save you some time is SiteAdvisor. This system automatically gives you a visual signal in your browser telling you if the link you are about to click on will send you to a malware site. This can significantly decrease your infection rate, if used properly.

Ease of Installation:

We didn't encounter any problems during the installation process. Recently, McAfee has simplified the setup process, making installation faster than it used to be. But don't get too excited, installation times will still vary depending on the computer.

Help/Support:

McAfee has plenty of help options, including documentation, email and phone support. We were disappointed with their email response time - it took 5 days to respond and they didn't answer all of our questions, hence the low rating.

Summary:

McAfee is a name brand product that does an excellent job at detecting and removing viruses. Their update process can be somewhat tedious and their support department needs to answer their emails in a more timely manner.

Homepage: http://www.mcafee.com

Norton AntiVirus 2009 Software

2009-07-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Norton Antivirus 2009 is a full-featured antivirus and antispyware product. It includes several options that are commonly passed over by other suites while still leaving many out that would be useful. The Norton scanning engine is one of the most complete on the market, but suffers from issues with system resource usage and overzealous integration with your computer that can cause freezing or simple hanging application.

Ease of Use:

Norton Antivirus 2009 is very easy to use. It comes with a default configuration that is sufficient to protect most home computer systems. It integrates with the start bar with an icon that is large and easy to spot. The icon also includes a way to tell if your system is protected or needs intervention from the user.

Effectiveness:

Being VB100%, W.C.L 1 and 2, as well as ICSA certified means that Norton Antivirus 2009 is equipped to handle all of your virus scanning needs. The scanner has proven to 3 independent labs that it has the ability to detect and remove viruses and variants of all viruses that the Norton virus engine was tested against.

The antispyware capabilities of Norton Antivirus 2009 were less effective than the virus scanner. It missed all of our tests while finding only a single tracking cookie on our whole test system.

We noticed that Norton Antivirus still suffers from some pretty significant issues with the program eating up resources and just slowing down our test machine overall. However, the latest version has made great strides in speeding up functions and is much better than previous versions. This is accomplished by only scanning files that are at risk.

Updates:

The new Rapid Pulse feature allows Norton Antivirus to update every 5 to 15 minutes. This makes it much more current and is a great improvement over the old system of looking for and installing updates only once a week.

Feature Set:

Norton Antivirus 2009 includes an antispyware scanner, Instant Messenger protection for MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and Trillian, as well as the ability to lock down program settings to help prevent other users on the computer from changing your settings. Symantec has still neglected to include parental controls with Norton Antivirus as well, but includes these tools in other Norton products.

Ease of Installation:

One of the greatest benefits of Norton Antivirus 2009 is the improved installation time. Previously, installation was a long process. But now Norton installs in less than one minute. At least that's what the box says. The actual install time you experience may be longer than that, but it's still a significant improvement over past versions.

One additional thing to note is that uninstalling Norton Antivirus did not remove everything that was installed. There are several registry entries and directories left behind as well as the LiveUpdate program that has to be removed separately.

Help/Support:

Symantec has always been hit on their help and support by reviewers. This fine tradition doesn't end here as there seems to have been no changes since our Internet Security Suite review of Norton Internet Security. While they still offer free online chat and email support as well as phone support, they estimate a 30 minute wait time. We expect more for paid support options.

The live chat option is also much less useful than we initially thought. It requires Internet Explorer to function requiring an additional product install in order to get support. Once the application is installed, you still have to wait for a rep to become available. We stopped waiting after 25 minutes. For most people, this would probably be a bit more time than expected to wait for support.

Summary:

Norton Antivirus 2009 is a good product for keeping your computer safe from viruses, but is not as effective as it should be against spyware. While it has a good track record of keeping viruses off of computers using it, it also has significant issues with slowing down computers that it is protecting. Symantec has done a lot to fix the slow down issues by reducing the amount of system resources used, but they still need to do more work to make the product a contender in the modern antivirus market. The upgraded business version, Symantec Endpoint Protection, is another good solution, specifically designed for business antivirus.

Homepage: http://www.symantec.com