Best AntiVirus

[sevensix2x51]

Hell, I can't even figure out how to give myself root access in ubuntu. Stuck with sudo. But im not very good with it, yet. Haven't really needed to dig into the root for anything, though. 10.04 is just perfect as is..

[Rivers]

So, would you agree that the statement that mac is more secure than linux is not necessarily true?

What makes the mac more secure than linux? Not starting a debate, just curious.

I don't use Linux nor do I follow Linux developments. That said, I can't answer. I do know that a Unix user is very at home once he opens the Terminal application on the Mac. OS X is Unix with a pretty face, made accessible to the average user to accomplish everyday tasks. I also know, after a long conversation with a UCSD Mathematics professor, that a mathematician using Windows has as much credibility as a Formula One driver who drives a Yugo (since that seems to be a popular pile here). Win apparently has documented coding errors that render inaccurate high-end math calculations. Unix and Linux do not have that problem.

What I do know is that, regardless of Win/Mac/Linux, if the user is vigilant about responsible web surfing, downloads, security and keeping both the OS and the security current and operating correctly, that computer is going to be among the last standing.

My firsthand experience is from many PC users who are NOT braindead idiots yet consistently frustrated by their Win machines. Within a month of switching to a Mac, they call me to complain that I should have made them do the switch sooner. (I do and they know it. It's just how they express their satisfaction with the Mac.) They also say how nice it is to actually talk with someone in support who actually learned English as a native language. And that support immediately answered their questions. You do get what you pay for with Apple.

If you think your computer and network are secure, this is a really interesting read about Stuxnet, the virus attack against Iran's nuclear program:

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/26/secret-agent-crippled-irans-nuclear-ambitions/

[Nose Nuggets]

w have Symanted Endpoint Protection deployed for a few customers, sucks balls
went to SEP from Trend Micro because it couldn't find **** either. its still on a few customers environments until it expires.
just deployed Kaspersky to a new client and, same ****, cant find squat. had to remove malware and trojans manually.

they all suck.

i use MSE on my home and work computer and it finds and removes more stuff then all three of the others combined.

id deploy MSE to all my clients to if i could manage it from a server.

[qbi2001]

+1 for Eset NOD32

[Jimmy Deuce]

Here is my 2 cents

Paid: Prevx

http://www.prevx.com/

Free: Microsoft Security essentials

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/?WT.srch=1

[choprzrul]

We can all sit around talking about what is best, but real world testing is available here:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_od_aug2010.pdf

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report26.pdf

One is based on real time and one is based on manual scanning. NOTHING will catch everything. NOTHING will remove everything. I will typically remove a hard drive and attach it to a test computer for initial scanning. Then boot to safe mode and scan with Eset's online scanner, then reboot to Avast's BART cd and scan with it, then boot into windows and scan with whatever is installed by the customer. There are a lot of other steps, but you get the idea. Buy Malwarebytes. It is a perpetual license, so you only have to buy it once. Many times I have seen the pro version of Malwarebytes pop a warning window saying that a website is bad while the AV and antispyware both happilyl let it open. Yesterday I even encountered an infected news story from a direct link on MSN.com. Blew right through my Untangle box, Avast AV, Spybot, and was caught by malwarebytes.

Given the numbers of infected computers that I am seeing, I am really starting to think that every network needs UTM on the edge. This includes home environments. I am betting that over 75% of home users have some type of infection on their machines.

[orangeusa]

PcTools has saved my machine(s) for the last 4 years. Not expensive.

I used to buy the freaking Norton Tools/Anti-Virus when it first came out from - NORTON and for the next 10 years. Sold to Symantic and it sucked big wind since then. I still bought it, until I found PcTools.

TrendMicro is a huge expensive joke.

And yes linux is great if you want to have no apps, nobody is gonna hack a linux/unix/ubuntu machine - there is no userbase to speak of. Great if you want to make a bunch of low cost servers - i.e. the OS is free.

Mac - 1-2% of the userbase - not many hackers are motivated to attack them. Mac owners are more rabid about ownership than the Glock guys!!

My 6 cents.

[UBFRAGD]

The Norton that Comcast gives away works great.

I agree. Using that and MSE I have been able to keep my heavily attacked computer occasionally usable. Only 2000 reg errors on the last scan with my other registry program......

[AAShooter]

Mac hacked in under 10 seconds at PWN2OWN

Claiming a Mac is more secure than a PC. Is like claiming a Yugo is more secure than a Accord. It's Not, just no one wants to break into a Yugo. . .

[dad1]

From Consumer Reports

[PyroFox79]

a MAC

[TNP'R]

the best anti virus is yourself.dont be stupid and download everything around and don't visit shady websites.

[TURBOELKY]

the best anti virus is yourself.dont be stupid and download everything around and don't visit shady websites.

Amen!
Most people get viruses from phony email and "adult" sites

carry on.

[jonyg]

What OS are you running?

If it's earlier than windows7 get combofix.

It doesn't have live protection but quite frankly virtually every antivirus software will bloat up and eat your resources, and none work as well as combofix for every virus type out there.

[atto]

The best AV I have ever used, bar none, is ESET's NOD32.

Low memory usage, low CPU usage, and great at detections. But you have to pay.

For now I just use Avast.