The Best Anti-Virus Software?

[parag24]

Hey Guys, I have installed a new pc and I want to know your opinion about the anti-virus which is good. And also mentioned anti-virus your currently using?

I think McAcfee is good because I was using it before and I had no issue with it?

What you say guys?

[Medley]

McAcfee is good.

Mac OSX10.5 is better......

- Joe U.

[Didache]

McAfee is fine ... AVG (from Grisoft) is very good too and is free (it comes well up in independent tests). I would not touch Norton with a barge pole.

Mike

[mwfanelli2]

Hey Guys, I have installed a new pc and I want to know your opinion about the anti-virus which is good. And also mentioned anti-virus your currently using?

I think McAcfee is good because I was using it before and I had no issue with it?

What you say guys?

McAfee has lots of problems and interferes with the OS. I'd avoid it. Even uninstalling it is a tedious nightmare.

I use free AVG (Grisoft) and have also used free Avast.

As for Macs... just you wait and see! Security through Obscurity won't last much longer. Remember, at that big security conference a couple of months ago, Leopard was hacked in two minutes (!), Vista in two days, Ubuntu never. Hmmm.

[SmartWombat]

I use Grisoft AVG too.

Although I'm not stupid enough to click on email attachments (our company directors are) in one month it's caught 8 virus-ridden attachments to emails.

I also use Windows Firewall.
As well as a Stateful Packet Inspection firewall on the home router.

And checking for spyware with Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D.

More than one AV product at a time doesn't work well, unfortunately.
Otherwise I'd have two so that I can be sure that if a virus gets pas one because the signatures aren't updated - it won't get past the second !

I agree security by obscurity isn't a defence, it's just complacency.

[Grandpaw]

Norton is a pain in the @$$ I have used AVG for several years and I recommend it to everyone, Jeff

[JETA]

Here's an old thread that may help you. It sure helped me.

Internet security programs....

[AgingEyes]

If you really want the best and not just a good anti-virus program, and if you do a search on the internet, you would find:

1. None of the above cited is the best. They are average to decent but just not the best, last time I checked.
2. The best program for this year may not be the best one next year.

So I've decided not to chase for the best one. Otherwise, I may find myself switching program every year.

I've been using Trend Micro (not free) for a couple of years.

[mwfanelli2]

If you really want the best and not just a good anti-virus program, and if you do a search on the internet, you would find:

1. None of the above cited is the best. They are average to decent but just not the best, last time I checked.
2. The best program for this year may not be the best one next year.

So I've decided not to chase for the best one. Otherwise, I may find myself switching program every year.

I've been using Trend Micro (not free) for a couple of years.

IMHO, there is a difference between careful and obsessive! The ratings go up and down every time someone does a survey. I have been using AVG for many, many years (some time off with Avast when AVG didn't like Vista) and, since the extremely old days of Windows 95, have never had a virus. Knock on virtual wood.

Most virus writers used canned programs that create the same virus with slight modifications in actions. These are easily stopped. The really nasty and inventive ones won't be stopped by any software but, luckily, rarely make a big impact.

If you chase after the "best" you will die early from exhaustion. For what it is worth, an 18-month version of Trend Micro was included with my new last year laptop. At best, it was mediocre, at worst, crashed the system. Replaced it quickly with AVG. Dell does this a lot, adding bloated stuff that has not been fully tested!

[Franglais]

I've used Kapersky for a couple of years. It doesn't get in the way of Outlook or any of my other programs.

[barb_48]

I also have Kaspersky, my sons prefer this software to the others.

[AgingEyes]

For what it is worth, an 18-month version of Trend Micro was included with my new last year laptop. At best, it was mediocre, at worst, crashed the system.

Sorry about your experience with Trend Micro. It has never crashed my system. Don't know if it is mediocre. It was not before. Like other programs of the same category, it has its goods and bads. Last time I checked, Trend Micro is still pretty decent. I used some free program before. It wasn't the best for sure (stupid to expect something free to be that), but I ran across no problem, too. Just like McAfee was THE anti-virus program before, now it isn't. These day it is Kaspersky, some defender or something, etc. Every year some new company comes up with something newer and better. I probably would look at some other programs next year. Anyhow, I read somewhere that most of us don't really have any virus problems after all. Just pick a decent one and it'd like be fine.

[RP Racing]

Avast on all my PC's with ZA firewall.

Used norton at first but it was a nightmare trying to get on sites (my 401K's) without it going crazy and it let a virus through. Switched to Mcafee. Mcafee was good, didnt go nuts and caught a few.

Then I got broadband. So I got the Internet Security Suite 6 from Mcafee. 2 weeks everything was fine. Then 1 update and BLAM. took 15 min before mcafee would even let me right click after starting up. Once I was back in control it would take a min or two to think about if it was gonna let me do anything. Shut down teh spam filter adn privacy portion of ISS6 and just used firewall and av and it would work mediocre. Now I can at least click without waiting.Mcafee kept saying they are trying to fix the problem. 9 months AFTER it started nothing from Mcafee. So many peopel had the same problems on Mcafee's forum that it was silly. It got so bad there if you said anything disparringly about Mcafee, you got banned. Trying to remove it from my cmoputer was even more of a nightmare. Ended up just saving my files and wiping the hdd clean and reinstalling the OS. Been with Avast since.

Like Mike said. Mac users better start getting used to having AV's. Its just a matter of time.

[susaan]

Currently using ESET Smart Security,passed ALL its tests..
.
Before had Avg pro (I had no problems,but my husband had tuns of stuff get thro it.)
and Threatfire = a very slow computer......

(Especially if you still have Norton -uninstalling is not a job for the fainthearted...get it done properly,by an expert,if you are a ditz at computers,like me, lol)

[Anbesol]

Mac......

;), or AVG free edition, viruses are best prevented by responsible computer use, actually. Viruses are not as sneaky as they are made out to be. Examine web certificates, don't automatically download every applet as soon as you get to a web page, be sure that all EXE files you download are genuine programs, etc...

[photonature]

McAcfee is quite good.

[f5fstop]

Used Norton's for many years, but each year it seemed to get slower, then back in June 07 I switched to Zone Alarm...talk about slow, it made Norton's look like a lightening bolt. This year, doing some research, it appeared that Norton was at the top of the list, and it was noted they have increased speed of their product.
To further this, I talked with some professionals that work on large servers. They advised against McAfee...too vulnerable, and recommended Norton. So, in June of this year, I switched back to Norton and it is faster. Not sure what they did, but it worked.
In all my years with either Norton or Zone Alarm, I have never had a virus or another type of infection make its way into any of my computers. I also do all my bills, banking, most of my purchasing online.