BEST anti-virus software out right now?

A common question, to which there is no simple answer:   what's "best" for one person may not be "best" for someone else:  you're sure to get many different opinions on the matter.

you need to consider not only "reliability" --- the raw ability to catch/prevent and remove viruses (and without being subject to false positives) --- but also, the "usability":   how "friendly" the interface is  for you.   also, the "drain" on system resources [CPU, RAM, & hard drive].  many also consider the ease of installation, as well as the ease of UNinstalling, should one subsequently decide to remove it.

Let me simply point you to an excellent summary by forum member Joe53, whose recommendations I heartily endorse.    While focusing on free products, Joe also cites two paid anti-virus programs:

http://naut.homestead.com/files/Free/free1.html

(Anti-viruses are considered under topic # 2 )

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P.S.   You wrote that you "want to make sure I'm fitted with the top-of-the-line virus protection software".   Let me stress that the best defense against "catching" anything --- as well as the weakest link --- is the person typing-away at the keyboard:   YOU.   Even the "best" anti-virus product will not necessarily prevent problems if you intentionally surf  "bad" sites and/or choose to override security warnings.   Also, anti-virus programs don't necessarly catch "malware":   I have yet to find an antivirus program that is adroit at preventing vundo and zlob infections.

Ky331 and Bugbatter are giving the best advice found in this Forum, but remember that it does not matter what antivirus or antimalware your PC uses, you are the ultimate weapon against the viruses, worms, and malwares. Using a bit of common sence will keep you away from trouble. Well most of the time. I copied this 14 rules from some where, I do not remember where, appologies to the writter.

14 ways to get Infected without trying

A little bit of humour but also based on fact.

1) Look for cracks, subdivided in illegal software and .....#%&*(edited for Forum protocol).

2) Practice unsafe hex, browse the web for free pOrn .....uuoohhh.

3) Look for software that adds smileys to your posts, mail etc .....ha,ha, ... oohh.

4) Look for kewl skins, screensavers etc .... niceee ...eeeh

5) Look for spyware removers, concentrate on the kind that makes you pay before it removes anything ....????

6) Install a P2P program and repeat all of the above .... yeahh.

7) You always want the best; use p2p to download anti-virus/firewall software .... fooolll.

8) Do NOT pay for anything, the internet is a place where you can steal anything from everyone without even saying as much as thank you ...chich,chich.

9) Don't have/use/update antivirus/security software ....no, no, no.

10) Look for pokergames, slotmachines and other gambling outfits ....I won, I won, I,I....eh.

11) Look for ringtones and other stuff to bling your phone ....blip, blip ....BLUP

12) Click on those unexpected links and attachments in email, because you're curious ....#%&*(edited for Forum protocol).

13) Do loan your laptop for the weekend and give your Admin account login so your friend can get his project done with no hassles ....bad idea.

14) Let the Babysitter use your laptop for 'schoolwork' ......worst yet.

Good luck, and keep your nose clean... pardon me, you computer clean.

"... you are the ultimate weapon against the viruses, worms, and malwares. Using a bit of common sence will keep you away from trouble".

Essentially a paraphrase of the "P.S." in my reply.

"Essentially a paraphrase of the "P.S." in my reply."

That is why I said remember. It was a way to introduce "the 14 ways to get infected"; However, if in any way, I disrespected you. my apologies to you.

Any other recommendations? I've heard that McAfee and Norton are . I've also heard that ESET is good. Any thoughts?

baseballnut020:

I think ky331 and Bugbatter anwered your question. I personally would not want McAfee or Norton on my PC, but they are reputable products. If you want an opinion poll on what security-conscious people are using, I can refer you to the Wilder's forum poll here:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=213806

"Any other recommendations?... I've also heard that ESET is good."

Baseballnut:   If you clicked on the link I gave you to Joe's recommendations, you would have seen that it in fact cited ESET's NOD32 as one (of his two) paid recommendations.

As I originally mentioned, you may receive many opinions/suggestions here, if the thread continues.   While some people want a "gazillion" choices, others find it overwhelming, and appreciate our "pruning" of the results down to a scant few items in which we have confidence.

The independent test site AV-Comparatives also recently polled its members as to what AV they were using, and how satisfied they were with it. Results from about 1,000 respondents are here: http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/ergebnisse/survey2008.pdf

Matousec.com, another independent security site noted for its firewall tests, also has an ongoing poll on which AVs its members use. Results are here: http://www.matousec.com/info/poll-archive.php?poll=2

I am always struck by seeing the same top-rated AVs recommended by experts and sites that I trust. Alwil, Avira, ESET, and Kaspersky products (both paid and free) all consistently rank highly. The last time I checked, all offered 30 day free trials of the paid versions.

When you purchase your new PC, the odds are that none of these AVs will be included in the package. Dell seems to push Norton, McAfee, And Trend Micro security software, on a trial basis. None of these would be my first choices.

Best of luck with whichever computer/AV you decide to get.

Hi Joe,

On your website you stated that some free AV programs are just as good/effective as the paid versions. What would you recommend? Would you go with a paid AV app such as ESET's NOD32 or Avira's AntiVir Premium Edition or would you go with a free AV app such as Avira's AntiVir PE Classic or Alwil's avast! 4 Home Edition? Since you said the free versions basically use the same virus definitions as the paid ones and are just as effective would I be better off going with a free AV app since it will also save me money?

Thanks

Hi Brian:

What I said was that the free versions were "almost as good" as their paid counterparts, and more than adequate for most home users. I used the free avast and AntiVir versions for a long time with no problems, and no virus infection. However these free versions are restricted to home (i.e. non-business) use only, as per the vendors' EULAs.

When I began using my main PC for professional purposes, I felt obliged to switch to a paid AV. You really do get what you pay for, and my paid AV does offer more frequent updates, better anti-spyware protection, and priority access to update servers. I felt it a small price to pay for peace of mind to protect work-related data.

It is true that the free and paid versions use the same virus signature definitions. It is also true that when I used the free AVs, there were occasions when the update servers were overloaded, and I could not update for a day or two. With my paid AV, this has never happened. How much more effective this makes my AV, I do not know.

I can't really answer your question better than that. The experience in this forum is that the free versions of avast and AntVir are very good. Whether it is worth the price to upgrade to a paid AV is something only you can decide.

To all: Which AV program do you use? Is it a paid AV or a free AV? I just need to get a feel of what people here prefer before I decide what route to take.

Hello,

I use Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 latest version. :emotion-21:

I have used it for the last few years. I have not have problems at all with the 2009 version. :emotion-21::emotion-21:

It is one of the highest rated AV software and is excellent at firewall and anti-malware also. It cost at bit, but supplies three PCs, which if you went together with two friends would cost each just over $10. It's set and forget too. :emotion-21::emotion-21::emotion-21:

To all:

Which AV program do you use? Is it a paid AV or a free AV? I just need to get a feel of what people here prefer before I decide what route to take.

Thanks!

I am currently using Avast Free Home Edition on both of my computers, one a Vista machine, and the other with XP. I have it set to auto update which happens 3-4 times a day, so I know that I am as current as I can be. I have previously used Avira's AntiVir with good results, except that the manual updates sometimes were quite slow. I never used McAfee or Kasperky products and had nothing but trouble with Norton products, paticularly the NIS suites. I have tried some other paid products in the past like Spyware Doctor, but was not pleased with it.

Presently I have all free computer security products including my firewall, of which there are also a couple of good choices, thanks to the excellent advice I have received from the regulars here on the forums. The final pick will be up to you, but I see no reason to spend money on any paid programs when the free versions are more than adequate to keep you safe. As others have mentioned, what you do and where you go has a lot to do with keeping your computer pest free. And one of the best things you can do is to make sure to keep it updated as best you can, because purveyors of scumware never take a day off and they keep getting more sophisticated all the time.

I have been using, with no problems and good results, Avast! (free), MBAM (paid version which is $24.99 for a lifetime license), and the Windows Firewall.  I also have WinPatrol which offers a degree of malware protection.  I have this set-up on two Vista machines.