Lab Testing Antivirus Software

[davidh]

Lab Testing Antivirus Software
03.26.10
When most people talk about antivirus software, they're really talking about an app that also blocks spyware, rootkits, keyloggers, scareware, Trojans, and more-not just viruses. We review 13 apps that do just that.
by Neil J. Rubenking
...
* Ad-Aware Pro 8.1
* avast! Free Antivirus 5.0
* AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
* Avira AntiVir Personal 10
* Double Anti-Spy Professional 1.4
* IObit Security 360
* McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2010
* Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0
* Norton AntiVirus 2010
* Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0
* Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010
* Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1
* VIPRE Antivirus 4.0
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358764,00.asp
More reviews.

[davidh]

I decided to give a try to the new Avast 5 free in place of my AVG 9 free, mainly because Avast 5 may have overall better detection rate.

Here's what I found out.

Avast has built in behavioral detection. So I uninstalled my PC TOOLS Threatfire (behavioral detection). Generally speaking I figure it's not so good to have more than one software "hooking" the same Windows API's, even when they don't complain and performance still seems 'normal'.

Unfortunately when I then tried to install the standalone AVG Link Scanner it would not install because of a conflict with Avast :(
I particularly like the concept of AVG Link Scanner (even tho' it slows network) because it checks out the page linked to by a hyperlink BEFORE you actually "land" there. Thus hopefully avoiding potential "drive by" attacks (esp. , at least some, "drive by" "zero day" attacks). Other softwares do this too, but right now, I don't know any free ones.

So I ended up uninstalling Avast and then installing Panda Cloud Antivirus (as my main anti malware software), and reinstalling AVG Link Scanner (standalone) and reinstalling PC TOOLS Threatfire (behavior based detection).

However, for the average user I still think it would be best to go with one of the Norton Symantec programs. The bloat problems they had a few years ago seem to be gone and they are at or near the top in ratings reviews over the past few years , I think.