Re: Which A/V to use?

From: Trafton (traftonofjj2SPAM_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 10/16/04

  • Next message: Robert Moir: "Re: Which A/V to use?" 
    Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:04:49 -0700

    Hi Charles,

    I don't generally answer questions like this with an exact answer, and I
    will not this time, either. Although I hold my own personal opinions, the
    fact is that there isn't really a "best" antivirus program out there. Some
    are better than others, but most will be adequate to protect the average
    user. Most home users have a similar set-up, which is why in many cases it
    is easier to choose an antivirus program for them. Since you gave no
    scenario, I will assume that you are among the home users group. If not,
    this information does not apply to you.

    There is an old saying that says 10% of viruses cause 80% of infections;
    this has been around for ages, and remains more or less true. An industry
    standard list of what viruses are currently spreading called the WildList
    has about 1,000 listed. Other viruses not listed also cause infections, but
    most infections are caused by viruses on this list. Most antivirus programs
    can detect almost all, if not all, of the entries on the WildList. Virus
    Bulletin, an industry magazine, periodically holds tests to see how certain
    antivirus programs can detect entries on the WildList. You can find the
    results here:

    http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/about/index.xml

    If you are looking for temporary protection before getting an antivirus
    program, you could try Grisoft's AVG (http://www.grisoft.com/). It's
    probably the most commonly used free antivirus program, and generally scores
    well on VB's tests.

    I'd recommend looking through VB's site, plus reviews in magazines like PC
    Magazine, before making a decision. However, most antivirus programs detect
    the most common threats out there. Whatever product fits your needs and
    price range is probably the best product for you, although it never hurts to
    check sources like VB's 100% test.

    Hope this helps!

    Sincerely,
    Benjamin "Trafton" Johnstone-Anderson
    Microsoft MVP, Windows Security
    Security Manifest: www.msmvps.com/trafton/

    "Charles" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    news:0b2f01c4b20a$d602a090$a401280a@phx.gbl...
    > Which Antivirus software is most accurate? Was there ever
    > a comparison which one had better results?
    >
    > I do use Nortons 2005 and find that it doesn't catch the
    > same ones Mcafee may catch and vice versa. I have had also
    > some false positives in the past with mcafee so I stopped
    > using it.
    >
    > Does anyone know of any marketing research results or
    > websites with side by side comparisons?

  • Next message: Robert Moir: "Re: Which A/V to use?"

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