Broadband Tech > Security > Security > Best Free Anti-Virus Program Is...

Best Free Anti-Virus Program Is...

said by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols :

---

And the best free Anti-Virus program is...

When I recently grew discouraged with the popular Windows anti-virus program AVG and considered the alternatives, little did I know that an overview was coming of the free anti-virus programs.

According to this review, I'm not the only one who's found AVG doesn't that good a job anymore. I'm also pleased to report that this crew, who did a much more scientific study than I did, agrees with me that if you want a good, free A/V (anti-virus) program, you want Avira.

Now, if Avira would only kill their daily pop-up ad*, I'd be happy. It's not that I begrudge them looking for customers, it's just that, well, it's one honking, big pop-up ad. And, as Erik Larkin of PC World points out in his review of A/V software even its paid interface is a bit daunting for non-techie sorts. On the other hand, it delivers the best protection out there so I can live with ads and a hardcore techie front-end.

Larkin also looked at one A/V program I didn't look at it: Avast Antivirus Home Edition. This also, according to his tests, delivered good protection. But, Avast's interface makes Avira looks beautiful. Given that, and that it took second place in the all important finding and blasting malware category, I don't see myself trying Avast anytime soon.

He also glanced at another program, ClamAV, which some people have asked me about because it's, to my knowledge, the only open-source A/V program out there. It didn't make his grade since on Windows because it doesn't run automatically. On Windows, if you don't have your shields up at all times, you might as well be running without any protection at all.

I'll give you another, even better reason: ClamAV on Windows is no longer supported. ClamAV is fine if, for example, you run it on a Unix or Linux-based mail server to scan mail going to Windows users. I do that myself with the servers I run. But, these days it's really just a tool for network and system administrators, not end-users.

Finally, ahem, "If you were running desktop Linux or using a Mac, you wouldn't have these problems." That said, if you're running Windows on a budget, two out of two experts agree: Avira's the program for you.

---

Right click on the system tray icon > Start AntiVir > Administration > Scheduler > select Daily Update (or other update) > right click > Edit Job > Next > Next > Next > set Display Mode to 'invisible'

These guys are on drugs. Everyone knows Microsoft's Security Essentials is the best free av.. and no pop up ads...

Can't improve on the following comment...

From ZDNet
06/13/09 -

said by dkawalec :

---

Who would trust Microsoft to get security right?

If Microsoft could do security well, then Windows would simply be secure without the necessity for additional security (from them or other third parties). If they can't make Windows secure out of the box, then why would I trust that installing "Morro" [Microsoft's Security Essentials] is going to make it so.

Cost isn't the issue. Microsoft's poor track record regarding security is.

---

I agree sumware

The question is will Microsoft maintain Security Essentials

What I mean by that is

Once this thing goes live and everyone has it installed, Malware authors will do to MS what they do to Symantec:

Test their malware against MSE and insure it can get past it before releasing it in the wild.

To Symantec's Defense(I loathe their products because they are bloated and cause problems) they are doing the best they can, but fighting a losing battle...but they are fighting hard.

Nothing is going to catch everything

I just wonder how often new versions of MSE will be released...afterall..its free

I would figure Microsoft ForeFront will get the majority of the attention and will get new versions first because its a paid product.

I think MSE is a fine replacement for other paid AV as long as something like WinPatrol, ThreatFire, and a HIPS is used with it.

reply to StraitShoot

reply to SUMware
I'm sticking with Avast. A beauty competition doesn't belong in an AV analysis. And I prefer to use other tools for malware.

reply to SUMware
Ditto what La Luna said.

Sammy

reply to La Luna

reply to SUMware
Avira rocks.

reply to SUMware

RAP Excerpt

said by PCWorld :

---

Virus Bulletin is best known for its VB100 Certification, which rates software products against the independent but limited WildList collection of malware samples. The RAP is an attempt to pioneer more demanding tests that measure how products react to new malware sets in each of the three weeks prior to a pre-defined test deadline (the Reactive dimension) and in the week immediately following it (The Proactive).

What constitutes a good result is simply a consistently high score relative to other products. The assumption is that no product can possibly detect 100 percent of new threats given their rapid mutation, huge volume, and variety of attack methods, including exploiting flaws in specific software products. As ever, anti-virus is not a barrier against all possible attacks but a percentages game.

---

reply to StraitShoot

reply to La Luna
I second La Luna. Avast for me.

reply to SUMware
I'm neutral.

No one noticed my avatar?

reply to La Luna

reply to SUMware
It wasn't free but I thought I give GData a try. Had it since July. It seems to be ok.

reply to La Luna

reply to SUMware
These are all good programs and you can't knock ads when something is free and someone/thing has to pay the bills...

reply to KrK
I can't believe all of you agreeing that a beauty competition doesn't belong in an AV analysis, Avast user interface is very poor.
I love avast but why would you make your antivirus look like media player complete with skins? Also why does clicking the toolbar icon open some separate settings with a completely different look than the main program icon?

I can't wait until they release version 5 of avast soon with the new UI(and no more stupid skins), I may switch back. Either way Avira or avast are far superior to AVG.

reply to GameGuy369