Which anti-virus program is the best?
A number of computer magazines perform regular anti-virus roundups and note the best performers. But over the long haul, which anti-virus program is the best one for you?
Each year, one of the magazines I write for regularly, Australian PC User, does an in-depth assessment of the main anti-virus programs available, and gives the nod to the anti-virus program which does the best job. The most recent winner of the PC User anti-virus gong was Eset's NOD32. In fact, NOD32 has claimed the top spot in the last four PC User anti-virus shootouts. It's priced competitively and runs at lightning speed.
What more could you want?
Well, some people do want more. For instance:
- Those on a strict budget want to know whether they can use free anti-virus software and still get decent protection.
- Those who have used one anti-virus product for years want to know whether they should stick with it or give it the heave ho.
- Those battling spyware and spam want a product that can defend them on all fronts.
- Those whose systems came with anti-virus Product X already installed want to know it it's good enough to do the job.
- Some people want a program that not only offers good protection but which also provides a little handholding.
NOD32 is a great choice for many users, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
The problem with anti-virus tests
One of the problems with anti-virus tests is that they focus almost exclusively on accuracy and scanning performance. But what about usability? What about the way the program interacts with your operating system and other applications over time? What about a friendly interface, understandable error messages, unobtrusive virus handling, configurability? How about aesthetics?
Those may seem like trivial issues in comparison to effectiveness and accuracy, but in many ways issues such as aesthetics have an influence on the effectiveness of any program. If you hate the way an anti-virus program looks, works and alerts you to problems, chances are you'll either stop using the program or limit how often or how closely it monitors your computer. It will no longer be as effective.
That's not to say NOD32 is defective in these areas, but it's certainly a utilitarian product, designed to do a single job very well without coddling the user. For experienced computer users, it's the perfect choice.
If you don't think of yourself as an experienced user, or if you're recommending anti-virus software to someone who lacks computer nous, there are alternative choices well worth considering. After all, 17 products in PC User's September 2004 wrap-up received the independent Virus Bulletin's top-rank VB100% Award; three products in addition to NOD32 scored perfectly in every single test. In a usability shootout, some of those other programs would trounce NOD32.
So let's take a look at some of the alternatives.
Traditional advice about free anti-virus software is that it's okay as an emergency interim measure and better than no protection if you really cannot afford to buy a "real" anti-virus product, but not all that reliable in the long term. That judgment was based on the limitations imposed on free versions and their track record in anti-virus tests over the years.
It's probably time to revise that assessment. Take, for example, AVG from Grisoft, one of the best-known free anti-virus programs. In the past, it only rarely earned the VB 100% Award; in the last two years, it has earned the award six times on multiple platforms. That's a good recommendation. In addition, if you look at the limitations placed on the free version, you'll find very few of them are likely to have a major impact on the program's effectiveness, unless you work in a large networking environment. You can only schedule a single scan per day (but you can run any number of scans manually); you can only schedule one update per day (but once again you can update manually at any time); it can't be installed on server operating systems; there's no technical support; and several advanced testing options are not available. For the average home user, those limitations are immaterial and AVG makes a good choice. Even better, because it's free you can try it out and see whether you like how it works.
AVG is not the only free program out there. A Google search for "free anti-virus" will turn up a number of other products, including AntiVir Personal Edition, which runs on Linux, Solaris and a number of other operating systems in addition to Windows; avast! 4 Home Edition, which missed out on a VB 100% Award running on Windows XP, but has a fairly good track record overall; and BitDefender Free Edition v7, probably the only anti-virus program with a skinnable interface.
Viruses are only one of the threats you face as a computer user. Spyware, phishing scams, intruders, spam…the list is long and gruesome. In fact, for most people these days spyware is a far greater danger than viruses. So products which combine multiple lines of defense – firewall, anti-spyware, spam blocker, anti-virus, and so on – are particularly attractive. Instead of having to pay for the individual components, you can get a bargain by opting for a security suite.
The leading suites are McAfee Internet Security Suite, Norton Internet Security, PC-cillin Internet Security and ZoneAlarm Security Suite. Each includes an anti-virus module, a firewall and a content filter. Some add a spam filter and a spyware remover. Each of the anti-virus modules, in their standalone form, scored a VB 100% Award in the latest testing.
Despite the financial benefits and ease of installing a single security suite, there are some drawbacks to these combination programs. Firstly, the interface can get a little cluttered and the array of options somewhat dazzling. PC-cillin provides an exceptional interface and Norton is pretty good, too; McAfee falls down in this regard.
Secondly, individual components in a suite are not necessarily of the highest calibre. For example, even if you choose a suite with an anti-spyware tool, you'll probably need to install additional spyware removers to ensure good protection.
Finally, the all-in-one approach of the suites can lead to some pretty hefty code bloat. Norton Internet Security, for example, is just too heavy for its own good. It bogs down your system, causing slow boot up, slow application load times and a general decline in performance. You'll frequently find Norton scores very well in tests in computer publications, but user ratings (including my own assessment) fall far short of those scores. That's because its performance deficiencies show up over time and are exacerbated on a well-used machine. McAfee, too, suffers similar performance problems.
If you want to use a suite, try the 2005 version of PC-cillin Internet Security. It provides excellent anti-virus protection, a spyware scanner, spam blocker, and a content blocker. Its firewall is so-so and you may want to adjust the frequency of its pop-up alerts, but it won't hurt your computer's performance and it's a pleasure to use. It's also available in an economical 3-pack – great for homes with several computers.
If you're in the unfortunate position of having no anti-virus software installed and you think your system may be infected, you can always try one of the free online scanners. These Web-based programs are stop-gap measures only, but useful in times of emergency. They can also provide a useful test of your existing anti-virus defences: run your computer through a battery of online scanners and you may be surprised to find viruses lurking on your seemingly well-defended machine.
Trend Micro's Housecall provides free online virus and spyware scanning. (Click the image to see a full-size screenshot.)
There are almost a dozen online scanners available. Note that some of these programs do nothing more than scan your computer for viruses; they won't remove them if they find them. Some do a full job of scanning and disinfecting, while some even add spyware scanning and removal to their tests. You'll need to use Internet Explorer to access most of these online scanners, because they run ActiveX scripts to perform their task, so if you're a Firefox or Mozilla user, be ready to load up IE for a change.
Four of the best online scanners are BitDefender Online, Panda ActiveScan, RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan and Trend House call.
There's plenty of choice when it comes to choosing effective anti-virus software. You probably won't go wrong if you choose any of the 17 programs listed below in the Award Winners box: each scored a perfect 100% on Virus Bulletin's recent tests. Most of these programs provide a trial version you can download and take for a spin, but note that some anti-virus programs are notoriously difficult to uninstall (Norton is one such), so make sure you set a System Restore point before installing.
Whichever program you choose, make sure you keep it up to date. New threats emerge on an almost daily basis, so even the best anti-virus program is only as good as its last update.
Each of these programs qualified as a VB 100% Award winner in recent tests:
Authentium COMMAND Antivirus Computer Associates eTrust Antivirus 7.1 Computer Associates Vet Anti-Virus Cat Quick Heal X-Gen * Eset NOD32 Antivirus System FRISK F-Prot Antivirus F-Secure Anti-Virus * G DATA AntiVirustKit Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus Professional H+BEDV AntiVir * Kaspersky Anti-Virus McAfee VirusScan Norman Virus Control * Norton AntiVirus Sophos Anti-Virus Trend Micro PC-cillin VirusBuster |
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