Best Antivirus Software

Which programs offer the best protection?

Though there are dozens of antivirus programs currently on the market, the products of only a few companies get broad, consistent support. These include programs by Kaspersky, ESET, Symantec and G Data.

Norton AntiVirus 2010 (*Est. $25) is the top-selling program overall. It's popular because it is effective at detecting and blocking viruses, spyware and worms. It's also aggressively marketed, and retailers frequently offer rebate promotions. Reviewers say Symantec (the company that publishes Norton software) has done a good job of streamlining its once bloated security programs.

Seth Rosenblatt at Download.com says Norton AntiVirus 2010 builds on the virtues of the 2009 edition, providing good detection without too much intrusion into system resources. However, Rosenblatt says it still isn't quite the leanest or the most effective antivirus program. Erik Larkin at PC World loves the user interface, but concurs that detection rates are better for G Data (see below). TopTenReviews.com ranks Norton fourth in their list of antivirus software, but is otherwise uncritical. AntiVirusWare.com names Norton AntiVirus 2010 best antivirus program of the year. Only the limited free telephone support and slightly larger memory requirements over the 2009 version are cited as downsides.

User opinions are more sharply divided. Many on Amazon.com and Newegg.com are very satisfied with their Norton software. Yet some on Amazon.com are dissatisfied with Symantec's customer support; one says users must pay Symantec $99 to remove a virus that Norton AntiVirus 2010 didn't catch. Others are upset that it's less expensive to buy a new version of Norton AntiVirus than to pay yearly subscription rates for upgrades --- when owners stop paying the fee, the older software disables itself according to user reports. These gripes are echoed by Download.com user comments, which all disparage Norton AntiVirus 2010.

G Data Antivirus 2010 (*Est. $25) is another well-regarded antivirus program. It uses two separate engines, those of BitDefender and Avast!, to offer what many feel to be superior protection. PC World's Erik Larkin reports that it finds more viruses and malware in AV-Test.org's comparisons than any other program tested. Reports from AV-Comparatives.org and Virus.gr back this up, where G Data catches about 99 percent of known viruses, topping both lists. G Data also has a lower rate of false positives.

But G Data Antivirus 2010 isn't perfect. Larkin admits that the program isn't as intuitive or hands-off as some might like, and that the less technically minded might have more luck with a simpler program such as Norton AntiVirus 2010. There are few user reviews available, as G Data Antivirus 2010 isn't carried by Amazon.com or Newegg.com. Those few who post at Download.com and PC World list software conflicts and very poor customer support as factors that negate some of the program's advantages.

For sheer effectiveness, both Norton and G Data antivirus programs are reviewer favorites, and, on balance, are liked by consumers too. The competing Kaspersky and ESET NOD32 provide worthy competition, but are not without their own quirks and drawbacks.

Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 (*Est. $40) scans all Internet traffic in real time to block viruses before they are saved to disk. It monitors all processes and registry changes, warning users about suspicious modifications. It also protects against keyloggers, phishing and malware sites, and it comes with free technical support, though this is mostly in the form of access to online databases.

Seth Rosenblatt reviews the Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 software for Download.com (owned by CNET). He says that Kaspersky 2010 is powerful, but suffers a bit in performance and user-friendliness. Rosenblatt is equally ambivalent in his evaluation of some of Kaspersky's unique features. He likes the so-called Urgent Detection System (whereby Kaspersky uses anonymous information from other users to find new viruses) and the program's settings for online gaming, but he finds the virtual keyboard no less safe against password thieves. Rosenblatt concludes that Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 is overpriced for what you get, and that Kaspersky Internet Security is "more robust."

Erik Larkin at PC World tends to agree. He says that Kaspersky "pairs competent proactive protection with below-average signature detection, and a strong feature set with an at-times annoying user experience." Reviews at Brighthub.com and TopTenReviews.com give Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 top scores, but they are too uncritical to be completely convincing in their praise.

User reviews for this program tend to be highly polarized. CNET readers and Amazon.com buyers give Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 either top marks or the lowest score possible. One user complains that the program is slow on Windows 7; another tells of licensing problems if it isn't bought directly from Kaspersky's website.

Kaspersky antivirus software produced very good results in independent lab tests, improving on the performance of its predecessor program, Kaspersky AntiVirus 2009. Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 successfully prevented 98.67 percent of viruses in a test by Virus.gr, a Greek antivirus-testing lab, and it also received certification after passing tests by Virus Bulletin and West Coast Labs.

Like Kaspersky AntiVirus, ESET NOD32 Anti-Virus 4 (*Est. $40) protects against viruses, spyware, adware and phishing attacks. NOD32 uses a single engine to scan for all malware. It blocks infected files from being opened. The company's claim that "it has the smallest footprint and fastest performance" may be exaggeration, but reviewers say that it does very well in those regards.

The latest version, NOD32 Anti-Virus 4, adds a number of usability enhancements. Information pop-ups are hidden when using full-screen applications like games or presentations, for example. There's also a battery mode that extends laptop battery life without reducing protection. On the security side, there's scanning of SSL-encrypted channels, such as HTTPS and support for additional email clients.

Professional reviews of NOD32 are quite favorable, ranging from ecstatic to merely enthused. Download.com's Seth Rosenblatt gives it 5 out of 5 stars, saying that "NOD32's speed, accuracy, and lack of impact on resources make it a must." TopTenReviews.com ranks it fifth out of all antivirus software, praising the user interface but saying that it isn't as "far reaching" in protection as ESET's Smart Security suite, which contains NOD32 as well as extras like a personal firewall and spam filter.

But PC World's Erik Larkin criticizes NOD32's virus detection rates against AVTest.org's database, saying that the bar has been raised by other antivirus programs. He is also disappointed that ESET admits that NOD32 "will conflict with firewall software available from Webroot and ZoneAlarm, unless you turn off HTTP filtering." That aside, NOD32 antivirus software is certified by all the major testing labs and ranks in the top results of many.

The user reports we've seen indicate that ESET NOD32 Anti-Virus 4 continues to be a top choice. Users on Download.com, Amazon.com and Newegg.com all give the program average scores of 80 percent or more. Many give NOD32 top marks, praising its speed, minimal resource usage and efficacy. There are still some dissatisfied users, though proportionally fewer than with Kaspersky programs.

Other antivirus software

Of course, there are many more antivirus programs to choose from. The following are some of the more noteworthy ones, which, either because their reviews are inconclusive or they simply have too few, don't measure up to the latest ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed antivirus software.

F-Secure Anti-Virus (*Est. $40) is one program that gets mixed reviews. While the 2009 version received some praise (testing site Virus.gr places it second behind G Data for detection rates) F-Secure 2010 gets less respect from reviewers and testers so far. PC World and TopTenReviews.com both declare that it's only an average performer; AntiVirusWare.com is less charitable, saying their look at F-Secure AntiVirus 2010 was "one of the most disappointing antivirus reviews we've done this year." Complaints include an out-of-date interface, middle-of-the-road detection and system drain. User reviews for F-Secure on Download.com average about 3 out of 5.

BitDefender Antivirus 2010 (*Est. $30) takes the top spot in a comparison by TopTenReviews.com, as its 2009 edition had before. However, users at Download.com report that the program hogs system resources, a fact that PCMag.com's tests of the similar BitDefender Total Security 2010 suite, which includes the antivirus software, tend to corroborate. AntiVirusWare.com finds that as far as performance goes, BitDefender 2010 scores in about the middle of the pack, and notes that it lost ICSA Labs certification this past year.