I'm a wondering what everyone is using for AV software. I've been using Trend micro pc-cillin for a few years, but it seems the 2008 version is not great. My local pc hardware guy agrees and recommends Kaspersky 2008 Internet Security. Anyone heard of or used this one?
Get and read the latest issue of Consumer Reports. They did an extensive comparison and rated many antivirus suites both free and for sale. They liked BitDefender very much, were surprisingly down on Norton/Symantec (the suite I use) and also down on Trend PCCillin, the product I previously used but found way too slow and buggy.
Why do you say that? For many years, most folks have found much of their info pretty accurate...the magazine's knee-jerk liberal belief that government regulation is the answer to all marketplace problems notwithstanding...
On 8/12/2008 11:23 AM snipped-for-privacy@dog.com spake thus:
And why is that? Please explain. As I understand it, they actually
*test* the products that they compare, which is more than can be said for a lot of the idle speculators one hears from, oh, I don't know, in forums like this ...
What gives you that impression of them? If they had advertising, which they don't, I might have a tendency to agree but without the advertising I find them to be pretty "straight up" and reliable.
but Kaspersky would be my second choice. Check around for bargains on Kaspersky - IIRC, Best Buy (or was it Circuit City?) had it on sale for $40 this week.
a) As you say, check if you like the interface, b) make sure it doesn't grind your system to a halt, c) make sure there are no incompatibilities with software on your system.
As to how well (or if) it's working - you can start with an eicar test
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and GRC's leaktest
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There are more advanced tests you can try, too, though I don't have any bookmarks handy to cite.
I also suggest reading the av-comparatives web site:
It can be hard, I think, to find the free version on their website. One has to get past 2 or 3 screens that offer the paid version, and iirc one has to click on a link that isn't named "free version" but something else altogether. But it's there.
I use McAfee and a program called CyberScrub to get rid of those nasty cookies and other downloads that clog up the system. It also cleans out the history folder so no one can see where you have been. It can also wipe out your hard drive if your not careful. They have a free full version trial.
The Rexwain version of this (text snipped) was 70 bytes long, and when I had the AVG anti-virus program repair this file, it deleted all 70 bytes, because they are the string that the anti-virus programs alert on, and it left me with a 0 byte file.
Maybe I have the prefeerences set a little differently on this installation of AVG from what I used before.
I've used Avast (free for home use) for years.
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They sell corporate versions and advance personal versions, but the basic antvirus is free for home use. Their statement is that the only way to win against the bad guys, or at least keep up, is if every computer has good antivirus, and that's why they offer the basic version for free. I think that's an admirable position, and if it also gets them paying customers...well everyone's got to eat.
No one's ever heard of it, but it works well for me. Updates at least once a day, hasn't caused any compatibility problems, and doesn't bog my system. Hard to judge effectiveness, but after using it on three always on, always connected systems for years, no infections yet.
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