What Anti-Virus do you Use/Recommend?

[awergh]

etrust is that vet?

i dont like vet it had too high downloads

do you really want to download 3mb a day when your on dialup

[BassettHound]

I use Norton Internet Security 2007. It is NOT a resource hog and does NOT slow down my laptop.

[Jeremy]

I use Norton Internet Security 2007. It is NOT a resource hog and does NOT slow down my laptop.

What are your system specs? Do you have NIS2007 customized (Services disabled to only allow few functions)? I find that extremely difficult to believe.

[TravisO]

Not running AV software is like not wearing a car seatbelt. Sure, I know how to use a computer, not go to sites that push junk ware or open email attachments (unless I asked for it) but just like a car, just because you drive safe, doesn't mean you won't ever get in an accident.

If you were truly a "smart" user, you'd use a small & lite AV app (ex: NOD32 and Kaspersky are the best) and then follow sane computer use practices.

I should also point out that both AVG and Avast are inferiour solutions (but I guess better than nothing right?) as there are many viruses that can get around these AVs and infect the system and even let the AV think everything is working correctly, I've seen this with my own eyes.

PS: I'd also stick Windows Defender + DropMyRights (free XP util from MS) to make your PC even more secure. If you want to read my mini guide on this setup check out http://rhelik.lehost.net/help/security/

PPS: There are many scenarios to infect you despite being a "smart user" such as via an online game accessing an infected server, opening an Excel/Word/PDF document, streaming audio, etc etc. Although if you run all these apps via DropMyRights it does make it MUCH harder to infect you.

Edited January 9, 2007 by travisowens

[Jeremy]

Not running AV software is like not wearing a car seatbelt.

Not quite. If you use HDD images to restore with, then you can completely rollback to a clean installation as long as you have an image that was taken during a point in time when it was 100% clean. If you don't wear a seatbelt and have a head-on collision going 100 km/h, game over. No rollback.

Sure, I know how to use a computer, not go to sites that push junk ware or open email attachments (unless I asked for it) but just like a car, just because you drive safe, doesn't mean you won't ever get in an accident.

Of course. You can be safe, but another coming in your direction may not be. But it's a little different than a computer virus.

If you were truly a "smart" user, you'd use a small & lite AV app (ex: NOD32 and Kaspersky are the best) and then follow sane computer use practices.

This is partially true, but some people simply cannot help it. Elderly folk with some second hand PC using aged hardware just for the sake of browsing the web are:

a. Either not know what a virus is.

b. Not know what an anti-virus is.

c. Realize they need some sort of protection and go with whatever had good marketing.

It's sad that people will go with Norton and Symantec, but it happens.

I should also point out that both AVG and Avast are inferiour solutions

They are not inferior, just not the best. Any AV solution can become victim of a smarter virus. No AV is the ultimate dominator, only very good,

I'd also stick Windows Defender + DropMyRights to make your PC even more secure.

Nice ideas.

There are many scenarios to infect you despite being a "smart user" such as via an online game accessing an infected server, opening an Excel/Word/PDF document, streaming audio, etc etc.

I've never known an infection to be possible via streaming audio, the others I've heard about, though.

[Zxian]

Not running AV software is like not wearing a car seatbelt. Sure, I know how to use a computer, not go to sites that push junk ware or open email attachments (unless I asked for it) but just like a car, just because you drive safe, doesn't mean you won't ever get in an accident.

If you were truly a "smart" user, you'd use a small & lite AV app (ex: NOD32 and Kaspersky are the best) and then follow sane computer use practices.

...

PPS: There are many scenarios to infect you despite being a "smart user" such as via an online game accessing an infected server, opening an Excel/Word/PDF document, streaming audio, etc etc. Although if you run all these apps via DropMyRights it does make it MUCH harder to infect you.

Well what you say has some merit, but then again, when it comes to Office Documents, I don't open any from whom I don't know the sender. It's just like opening random e-mail attachments. I've been running without an anti-virus for a while now, and before that, I hadn't got a virus in over 2 years. The one that I did almost get was one of those "oh crap" moments - i.e. my own stupidity.

Also... isn't it funny that the "small & lite" apps that you mentioned are also generally held as some of the best (anti-virus wise) out there?

[Guest rakmeister]

Sophos 6.5.1 on Vista RTM Business

[aLGee]

For now, Avira Antivir 7.0

When ClamWin supports scanning on demand i'll consider to switch over (it appears avira is just not much into pleasing people using their free stuff)

who pays for antivirus software anyways? the (if at all) slightly better security can in no way make up the price you gotta pay. if i use antivirus software at all, its always freeware and i never had any big issues yet, and i DO surf alot of sites most people would avoid because of their risks ... driving on dangerous ways must not mean you can't drive carefully

i dont consider it to be a must-have, but a nice-to-have-on-hand-in-case-you-need-it-once, kinda like a seatbelt in case you have an accident on one of your dangerous ways.

[Jeremy]

For now, Avira Antivir 7.0

I'm actually considering switching to this from Kaspersky. It has a higher detection rate and the GUI is very nice. The memory usage is fine, two services, responsive and detailed. It was actually fun taking screenshots of it compared to some other products I tried.

[azagahl]

FYI, as I promised to do a while ago, I just tried installing the older version of AVG AntiVirus (7.1 Free I believe) on a clean machine and SURPRISE! it would not function at all, it just popped up "expired" messages.

Even the Virus Vault would not open. What happens to the files therein when your AVG AntiVirus suddenly shuts off?? What happens if you have a virus spreading through your documents, and the only antivirus software you have on hand is non-functional AVG software?

This isn't a complaint about trialware, which is of course a legitimate practice. The problem is that this AVG AntiVirus product had a bona fide, undisclosed timebomb implemented in it. Do the commercial products also have secret timebombs? I'm not certain but I suspect the answer is yes. Hopefully, such timebombs would not go off at inopportune moments.

Please go ahead and attack the messenger though. A lot of insults were hurled and inane rebuttals posted, last time I mentioned this issue.

Edited January 26, 2007 by azagahl

[cluberti]

But I am hearing good things about NOD32 and somewhere that MS use it on their campus.

Actually, eTrust is used on campus.

As to antivirus packages, I have to give a disclaimer here in that I spend all day troubleshooting, fixing, and working around the performance problems almost all antivirus packages cause (and I've seen problems with all of the above listed in the poll over the years, none is sacred), so I'm a bit jaded. However, for home use, I find eTrust to be good enough and resource-friendly enough, but I've also got beefy machines with resources to spare so it isn't that important to me that a program be small or fast - but be reliable and good at detection. For corporate environments, I also recommend eTrust, but Symantec corporate versions of their antivirus product (not the Norton crapware they dupe home users into using) are quite stable and good at virus detection, and in a corporate environment that is usually tantamount to anything else, speed or resource utilization included.

Just my .02¢.

[Jeremy]

...but Symantec corporate versions of their antivirus product (not the Norton crapware they dupe home users into using) are quite stable and good at virus detection, and in a corporate environment that is usually tantamount to anything else, speed or resource utilization included.

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition v10.1.5.5000

Main GUI

Advanced Scanning Options

Processes (While Idle)

Processes (After Manual Full System Scan)

I like the GUI, features and options and the memory usage is not disappointing. I've tested 19 products and I've seen the worst of the worst, believe me.

However, 9 Services later and in my entire history of dealing with anti-virus, reading user comments, talking with IT Techs and half a dozen popular forums, I haven't read a single positive thing about Symantec. Not even once. I'm not being biased, but absolutely truthful.

I've yet to personally test it against some test viruses. I shall do that soon.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[cluberti]

However, 9 Services later and in my entire history of dealing with anti-virus, reading user comments, talking with IT Techs and half a dozen popular forums, I haven't read a single positive thing about Symantec. Not even once. I'm not being biased, but absolutely truthful.

Well, consider this your first then . It does quite well against most viruses, and Symantec is pretty quick about getting def updates out to corp customers. I've not had it crash or otherwise mangle a machine in over 4 years and 3 versions, so I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'd still prefer eTrust, but some people have had bad luck with CA in the past and get gunshy (basically anyone who's ever tried Unicenter/Unipig).

[Gantlett]

Trend Micro rules!

Best Anti-Malware I've ever seen. Includes every kind of protection known to man and not too heavy on resources at all.

I would recommend NOT using any Zone Labs security products - the Anti-Virus / Anti-Spyware engines miss many viruses and the software generally screws up your system!

Norton is THE worst Anti-Virus out there. I used the Server Edition with 50 PC's at work for a full year and by the end of the year I discovered that MOST of our PC's were infected by viruses Norton could not remove! The server program became paralyzed and we were all in total panic.

We purchased Trend Micro's Office Scan (their own server / client solution) and it eradicated EVERYTHING !!!

AVG is about the WORST Anti-Virus ever - hardly detects any virus at all, and even when it does it fails to remove it.

Avast is great, but Trend Micro PC-cillin detects many more viruses. Use Avast if you don't want to pay a Cent (but be aware of the consequences... ).

PC-cillin is the best security suite out there! Costs 25$ and you can use it on three computers!

Edited January 26, 2007 by Gantlett

[Thunderbolt 2864]

I'm using AVG Internet Security 7.5 suite at the moment, haven't had any problems with it, yet.

BitDefender was alright, later it showed problems like killing off my internet connection, slowed down my computer or made certain background problems hanging which I don't know why. And certain pages takes forever to load.

ZoneAlarm was terrible. Had stability problems, took forever to boot up.

Norton is crap too. Huge resource eater, takes at least 4 minutes to load all the services at startup, stupid firewall keeps asking me to allow or block this process all over again. And it takes forever to load which I hate.

Kaspersky is the worst. After 5 minutes it lags my computer like hell, firewall is annoying, too many security prompts and won't remember the action permanently. Worser than Norton.

I hate Trend Micro Internet Security. All it did was make my computer slow, and I hated the fact that it blocked off my internet access when it first boots into Windows. I have to disconnect my modem and reconnect it again to work. Piece of s*** program ever.

All internet security suites suck, all they do is block off everything, buggy and a huge resource eater.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Thunderbolt 2864