AVG ANTIVIRUS

AVG Technologies provides a number of products from the AVG range, suitable for Windows 2000 onwards. In addition to this, AVG Technologies also provides Linux and FreeBSD versions of the software. AVG Anti-Virus is available in both a free and commercial editions. For desktop protection of PCs running Windows, the AVG solutions include:
AVG Internet Security 8.5 is a full suite which brings together the AVG Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, LinkScanner, Anti-Rootkit, Web Shield, Security Toolbar, Firewall, Anti-Spam, Identity Protection and System Tools protection components.
AVG Identity Protection 8.5 provides protection against identity theft and unknown malware threats using behavioral monitoring.
AVG Anti-Virus plus Firewall 8.5 provides the Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, LinkScanner, Anti-Rootkit, Web Shield, Security Toolbar and Firewall protection components.
AVG Anti-Virus 8.5 provides the Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, LinkScanner, Anti-Rootkit, Web Shield, and Security Toolbar protection components.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 provides basic Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware protection, plus the full AVG LinkScanner safe search and surf technology, but lacks anti-rootkit protection. AVG Free Edition is licenced for home and non-commercial use on one PC.
All versions of the AVG products, excluding AVG Anti-Rootkit Free Edition (now discontinued), are compatible with the 64-bit edition of Windows.
Versions for servers
AVG Technologies also sells AVG anti-virus and Internet security solutions for web/file servers or email servers running either Linux, FreeBSD or Windows.
AVG Internet Security Network Edition 8.5 provides centrally controlled protection for workstations and file servers. AVG Internet Security SBS Edition 8.5 adds e-mail server and Microsoft SharePoint server protection, plus e-mail server based anti-spam protection.
AVG Anti-Virus Network Edition 8.5 provides centrally controlled anti-virus and anti-spyware protection for workstations and file servers. AVG Anti-Virus SBS Edition 8.5 adds e-mail server and Microsoft SharePoint server protection.
AVG File Server Edition 8.5 provides anti-virus and anti-spyware protection for file servers.
AVG E-mail Server Edition 8.5 provides anti-virus and anti-spyware protection for e-mail servers, plus e-mail server based anti-spam protection.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5

AVG released AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 on March 2, 2009. AVG Free Edition 8.5 continues using the more colorful interface and combined Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware protection engine introduced in the AVG 8.0 product range in April 2008. However, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 added the LinkScanner Active Surf-Shield safe surfing protection, which was previously only available in AVG commercial versions.
There are some limitations with AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 compared to the commercial versions of AVG products. These limitations include:
Less protection – AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 provides the same anti-virus and anti-spyware scanning engine as the commercial product; however, it lacks anti-rootkit. The older 7.5 Free Edition is perfectly capable of finding and disabling rootkits based on signatures, but cannot scan for rootkit-like activity. The 8.5 version of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version lacks any anti-rootkit capability. While there is no official protection for files from messaging sources, the Resident Shield component automatically scans files before they are opened or copied.
Infrequent updates – AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 receives updates via a lower priority service. Priority updating via high-speed servers is only available for the commercial versions of AVG products.
No telephone or e-mail technical support – There is no telephone or e-mail technical support provided by AVG for users of AVG Free Edition products anywhere in the world. AVG Free Edition users have access to support via the self-help AVG Free Forum.
Less customization – Scheduling options in AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 are very limited (only one scheduled update per day, one scheduled scan per day etc.). However, the AVG Resident Shield configuration allows exclusions. The on-demand/scheduled scanner allows advanced testing options such as heuristics and reporting of password-protected archives reporting. Process priority for on-demand/scheduled scans can be dynamically adjusted over three different configurations.
No server support – AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 cannot be installed on server operating systems (such as Windows Server 2003), nor can it be used for the scanning of network drives.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5 is only licensed for home and non-commercial use on a single computer.
AVG Free Edition was once responsible for popup ads advertising the non-free versions of AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 and AVG Internet Security 8.0, which claim to provide more comprehensive levels of protection. Current free versions display only in-program banner ads for the full edition, not popups.

DOWNLOAD

BitDefender Total Security 2010 Beta 1 Build 13.0.10 / 2009 Build 12.0.12.0:

Proactive protection against viruses, spyware, hackers, spam

BitDefender Total Security application was designed to provide comprehensive proactive protection against viruses, spyware, hackers, spam and other Internet security threats, along with system maintenance and data backup.

Here are some key features of "BitDefender Total Security":

ANTIVIRUS & ANTISPYWARE
· Protects your PC in real time against known viruses, spyware and other malware
· Blocks unknown viruses using advanced proactive detection techniques
· Detects and removes hidden threats (rootkits)
· Provides a smooth gaming experience by reducing the system load to a minimum
· Monitors and prevents potential spyware threats in real-time
ANTI-PHISHING
· Protects against phishing attempts by filtering all accessed web pages
· Reduces the risk of identity theft by preventing personal information leaks via e-mail or web.
FIREWALL
· Controls the access of applications to the Internet while "hiding" your computer from hackers with the stealth mode setting
· Helps prevent unauthorized access to the Wi-Fi internet connection by notifying you about computers that log in to the network
ANTISPAM
· Responds faster to new spamming techniques with new adaptive engines
· Prevents different types of scam e-mails from reaching your Inbox
PARENTAL CONTROL
· Blocks access to inappropriate web content and e-mail
· Allows or blocks web access during specified intervals
BACKUP
· Safeguards your data by creating backup copies to local and removable drives, CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW
· Automatically backs up only new files, based on a pre-set schedule.
TUNE-UP
· Improves PC operation by removing unnecessary files and registry entries
· Completely erases files and "traces" of files from disk to prevent recovery

Click here to download

ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS

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?

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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.

Freebies

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.

Combos

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.

Online scanners

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.

Conclusion

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.

Award winners

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