Antivirus Program Articles

10 Best Antivirus Programs- Best AntiVirus Program wrote this antivirus review for you to see what the top ten best antivirus programs are. We listed some of the features for each of the top ten best antivirus programs. 10 Best Antivirus Programs!

While there is not complete agreement among reviewers about which are the ten best antivirus programs, there is a set of products that shows up over and over in the various top-ten lists. Choose any product in this list, and you're sure to have a product that someone has rated as a top-ten!

There are two important things to note about these products right off. First, they are all 2010 editions. This is because currency is an essential attribute of an antivirus program. Second, they are all products for purchase, rather than free products: Given a completely open choice, not one single top product listed was a cost-free one.

Another important thing you should know is this. Given the opportunity to test and recommend as many antivirus programs as they like, some reviewing bodies don't even go beyond seven. Why? Because by the time you get to seven, the quality has fallen off so markedly that it's not worth going to ten.

Also worth noting is that products may have multiple versions. There may be versions called things like:

• antivirus

• antivirus + spyware

• antivirus plus

• Internet security suite

• Internet security Pro

Each of these will have different features, and the costs may vary a great deal.

With that in mind, here are the 10 top-rated antivirus programs in alphabetical order:

• AVG Anti-Virus 2010 stands between a free version and a fuller version called AVG Internet Security. It includes antispyware as well as antivirus protection, and checks both incoming and outgoing email, as well as IMs. An agreement with Identity Guard helps protect you from identity theft.

• BitDefender Antivirus 2010 provides three interfaces: one for a novice user, one for an intermediate user, and one for an expert. But for firewall protection, you need to upgrade to BitDefender Internet Security 2010. It is noted for quality real-time protection.

• F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010 has good antivirus protection, but for protection from phishing, hacking, and identity theft, you'd need to upgrade to F-Secure Internet Security.

• G-Data Antivirus 2010 combines the antivirus engines of Bitdefender and Avast to double your coverage for a great block rate. Its performance is less glowing when it comes to removing stealth malware, and it has been known to block harmless apps from creating Registry entries.

• Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 Providing better protection against new threats than known threats, Kaspersky nevertheless frequently shows up in the top 3 antivirus recommendations. It provides real-time protection and hourly updates, and performed well in rootkit detection.

• McAfee Antivirus Plus 2010 is a step below the McAfee Internet Security and McAfee Total Protection suites, and while it does well it identifying malware, it problematically spits out a high number of false positives. Real-time antivirus protection and a firewall that's built in are pluses. Not so good are a poor choice of default firewall settings, slow installation, and resource hogging.

• Norton AntiVirus 2010 is ahead of many competitors with updates coming in at every 3–15 minutes. While it did well with known threats, it was weak with new malware and doesn't have a firewall. Novices may find the number of settings and options in the user interface complicate use too much.

• Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 is one of the most variously ranked examples of antivirus software, ranging anywhere from number 4 to number 15 on reviewers' lists. While praised for its real-time protection and firewall, the updates are only provided on a daily basis (compare with others that may be hourly or even more frequently), and it did not do well with new malware.

• VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware somehow earns number 1 with one reviewer but comes in at 16 with another. The reviewer who favors it praises it as light-running, strong-performing antivirus and antispyware and points out that the absence of a firewall can be remedied with an upgrade. The reviewer who placed it low found it had a long install time; in short, given the review, the ranking seems unfounded.

• Webroot AntiVirus with Spysweeper is known better by some for its spyware than for its antivirus protection. It is innovative in offering remote file storage as an additional layer of protection, and in its "shield" approach that can be modified to suit your needs. Note that there is not much current expert reviewer information available as of the first quarter of 2010.

A strong anti-virus program, combined with Reputation Defender review monitoring is essential for protecting your computer.

TrendMicro

Comodo

Computer Assoc.