Virus-specific Anti-Virus Software
|
| Product Web Site |
on-access scanner |
Details |
| AntiVir® PE |
Yes |
free for personal use |
| avast! (Home Edition) |
Yes |
free home edition |
| BitDefender |
No (free version) |
free edition - v7 |
| Dr. Web |
Yes |
same virus database can be used across different platforms |
| F-Prot for DOS |
No |
free for personal use |
| F-Prot for Windows |
Yes |
low price - light on system resourses |
| F-Secure |
Yes |
combined antivirus and software firewall solution |
| Grisoft AVG |
Yes |
free for home users |
| Kaspersky Antivirus |
Yes |
exceptional detection rates - expensive |
| McAfee VirusScan |
Yes |
a few product options and bundles |
| NOD (Eset) |
Yes |
very good virus detection rates - light on system resourses |
| Norman Virus Control |
Yes |
includes Norman’s SandBox technology |
| Norton Antivirus |
Yes |
assortment of product options |
| Panda Software |
Yes |
assortment of product options |
| Sophos Antivirus |
Yes |
primarily a corporate anti-virus solution |
| Trend PC-cillin |
Yes |
assortment of product options |
Detailed independent (comparative) scanner reviews and test results (hardcore details)
Note: Please be careful how you interpret anti-virus software test results. You must really look at everything, understand what it is you're looking at and how it relates to your needs.
It isn't as simple as "scanner A is better than the rest because it scored 100% in this (whatever) test..."
It is also very important to understand the terminology. For example: ITW means In The Wild; which means malware actually reported to be "out there" in circulation... and even that does not necessarily mean what you might think it *should* mean(?!!)...
Confusing? It all basically boils down to choosing a good product that meets your specific needs. Consider this; if you need hand-holding with some of the more detailed computer related tasks, then responsive and helpful product support is most likely going to be a priority. Please don't be misled by a bunch of impressive looking numbers interpreted out of context.
It's important not to place too much emphasis on VB100% detection rates (linked below)
when making a purchasing decision.
For instance, the fact that a product is given VB 100% awards only means
that the particular product and platform
tested detected all of the viruses considered as being "In The Wild".
It does not mean that a product that did not detect 100% is useless, as it
may have, for instance,
only missed 1 virus embedded as an OLE object in a compressed file.
The award is a good indication that a vendor is keeping up-to-date against
the WildList
when products were submitted for testing, but as you will see on these
pages, it is not the only factor that
should be considered. You should also remember that the result posted on
the website is a summary, and
without seeing the full test results and reading the testing methods, does
not provide a comprehensive picture.
|
Online Anti-Virus Scanners
This option should be considered as a last resort.
Online scanning of entire drives usually requires the enabling of insecure browser
settings, and it is human nature to forget to restore safer settings afterward.
Additionally, it is unlikely that online scanners will be able to clean infected files that are in use.
However, some single file (upload) scanners do not require insecure
browser settings and can be very useful for "second opinion" scans of
downloaded or suspect files.
|
| Product Web Site |
scan type |
details |
| BitDefender |
drives |
|
| ClamAV |
files |
(Open source anti-virus toolkit for UNIX) |
| DrWeb on-line |
files |
|
| F-Secure |
drives |
(Requires IE, ActiveX and JavaScript) |
| Kaspersky Anti-Virus Services |
files |
(KAV Anti-Virus) |
| McAfee |
drives |
(subscription based) |
| McAfee - AVERT WebImmune |
files |
(requires scripting and subscription) |
| Panda Software |
drives |
|
| PcPitStop |
drives |
(based on Panda Software) |
| Symantec |
drives |
(security and anti-virus scans available) |
| TrendMicro |
drives |
|
| VirusTotal |
files |
(uses several anti-virus engines) |
Generic Defense Products
|
| Product Web Site |
details |
| eSafe (Aladdin) |
gateway-based, integrated proactive content security solution and service |
| Invircible (NetZ) |
generic virus protection system |
Malware / Trojan / Spyware Removers
When reviewing or evaluating Trojan specific products, please note the following:
1. There may be some Trojans
that Trojan specific scanners will detect that the best anti-virus
scanners do not. However, it is wise to base the choice of
product(s) to use on quality independent tests rather than on
computer magazine editor tests.
2. Some Trojan specific scanners will delete files they find as
infected. Considering the possibility of false alarms, users are
advised to change the initial setting made by the vendor and set
the scanner to log scan results at first.
|
| Product Web Site |
details |
| Ad-Aware |
protection from known Data-mining, aggressive advertising, etc. |
| BOClean |
protects against instant-connect and polymorphic trojans such as Netbus and Sub7 |
| The Cleaner |
Trojan Detection and
Removal System |
| SpyBot |
Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove spyware of different kinds |
| Spyware Terminator |
combination of real-time antispyware protection and alerts |
| Tauscan |
Trojan Horse detection and removal engine |
Firewalls / Filters
|
| Product Web Site |
hardware / software |
details |
| Kerio Personal Firewall |
Software |
fairly simple to use |
| Tiny Personal Firewall |
Software |
SNORT Compatibility |
| ZoneAlarm |
Software |
fairly simple to use - free version available |
Misc. Repair Utilities
|
| Product Web Site |
details |
| FIX-CIH (Gibson Research) |
CIH Recovery |
| IVINIT.EXE (NetZ) |
BSV Removal |
| ResQ Utilites (NetZ) |
HDD problems |
| SubSeven Removal (HackFix) |
Backdoor.G Removal |
