What is the best antivirus software?

[Marx Chaotix]

So, my BitDefender software is going to expire pretty soon and I'd like to know and see what everyone's thoughts are on just what exactly is the "best" anti-virus software. Putting prices aside what would be the best recommended anti-virus software out there? I would like to hear everyone's thoughts. I have been browsing around on the net and it's very hard to tell just exactly what is or isn't the best since all the sights bash each other & everyone on what is or isn't great. I keep hearing one called "NOD32" is perhaps one of the best but I am not so sure. Thoughts?

I want one that has excellent performance especially since I enjoy downloading tons of programs (emulators and roms) in particular.


NOTE:
I don't exactly know what forum this topic would fit into so I just put it in this "general/ off topic section".

[dandymcgee]

So, my BitDefender software is going to expire pretty soon and I'd like to know and see what everyone's thoughts are on just what exactly is the "best" anti-virus software. Putting prices aside what would be the best recommended anti-virus software out there? I would like to hear everyone's thoughts. I have been browsing around on the net and it's very hard to tell just exactly what is or isn't the best since all the sights bash each other & everyone on what is or isn't great. I keep hearing one called "NOD32" is perhaps one of the best but I am not so sure. Thoughts?

I want one that has excellent performance especially since I enjoy downloading tons of programs (emulators and roms) in particular.


NOTE:
I don't exactly know what forum this topic would fit into so I just put it in this "general/ off topic section".

AVG Free, Avast, and Avira seem to be today's top three contenders as far as free anti-virus. As I've never considered paying for anti-virus software before I can't say anything on behalf of the commercial products available.

[thbp]

read above for short answere

my .02
from past experience i love AVG love it (my uncle dircetor of IT at a hospitol recommends it)

but i've heard of avast also but i'm not sure tomuch on it never used it (though i've heard a great deal about it)

both can be free but AVG has paid subscriptions (never used them) but my choice is probably AVG

ok i know that i'm only recomending two but really all i know other than nortan (yuck i got my computer so infected with them it's pathetic (to myself i can't believe i did it))


(i'm also taking recomendations)

[Bakkon]

I've been using Avast for awhile now and it's been working well.

[dandymcgee]

I prefer avast over AVG for the simple reason that it scans a BILLION times faster. I have no idea why, perhaps it's less protection (it does have on-access protection though which again I have no idea whether or not it helps or just slows things down). AVG's interface it much sleeker, but the last time I used the free version it had a big ass ad that was annoying as can be.

[kamokow]

Best AntiVirus: Linux

Seriously though, I use AVG on my Windows computer, I dont really like it, but it gets the job done.

[aamesxdavid]

I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a good antivirus program. In my experience, it causes more problems than it solves. First of all, they're all finding these huge "problems" because they want you to believe in their product, and ideally pay for it. The majority of them either aren't problems or are so trivial that you would never even notice them. When was the last time you ran an antivirus scan, and it told you everything was fine? Do you really think you have that many viruses, at all times?

Secondly, anything that these viruses wanted to exploit are much more easily exploited when they know what they're attacking. It's like instead of hiding valuable possessions, you lock them up, and let a burglar know what type of lock it is. It's that much easier to just learn the weaknesses of an antivirus program, and use that to wreak havoc on a computer. And the better an antivirus program gets, the more popular it gets. The more popular it gets, the more incentive people have to hack it. It's a lose/lose situation.

Personally, I almost never have problems with viruses to begin with. In the rare event that I do, I either remove it manually, or in extreme cases, format the computer. I format about twice a year anyway, so it's never really a big deal. Again, this is all just my personal experience.

[Milch]

aamesxdavid is right!
The problem with antivirus software is, that the companies cant keep up with the virus programmers.
So they invented some sort of heuristic detection.
But heuristic is soo useless - in most of the cases its just annoying and detects harmless programs.

In some cases, antivirus software helps the virus programmers.
Image the following:
You have a dangerous bot on your pc.
But the bot manipulated the antivirus software, and added the bot to somekind of whitelist.
You as a normal user have no idea whats going on and you think everything is great and virus free.

Just my oppinion.

[hurstshifter]

I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a good antivirus program. In my experience, it causes more problems than it solves. First of all, they're all finding these huge "problems" because they want you to believe in their product, and ideally pay for it. The majority of them either aren't problems or are so trivial that you would never even notice them. When was the last time you ran an antivirus scan, and it told you everything was fine? Do you really think you have that many viruses, at all times?

Secondly, anything that these viruses wanted to exploit are much more easily exploited when they know what they're attacking. It's like instead of hiding valuable possessions, you lock them up, and let a burglar know what type of lock it is. It's that much easier to just learn the weaknesses of an antivirus program, and use that to wreak havoc on a computer. And the better an antivirus program gets, the more popular it gets. The more popular it gets, the more incentive people have to hack it. It's a lose/lose situation.

Personally, I almost never have problems with viruses to begin with. In the rare event that I do, I either remove it manually, or in extreme cases, format the computer. I format about twice a year anyway, so it's never really a big deal. Again, this is all just my personal experience.

There is a lot of truth in this rant. Many virusus (included some of the more recent large outbreaks such as Confickr) don't actually have any known malicious payload. And for the most part if you aren't a complete fool that will download anything an advertisement tells you to click on, or if you aren't sill using P2P filesharing applications you aren't going to get infected anyways. I actually work for one of the larger computer security companies so I can say for certain that the average home network does not have much to worry about.

[dandymcgee]

Personally, I almost never have problems with viruses to begin with. In the rare event that I do, I either remove it manually, or in extreme cases, format the computer. I format about twice a year anyway, so it's never really a big deal. Again, this is all just my personal experience.

Exactly. Pending some sort of technological competence.

And for the most part if you aren't a complete fool that will download anything an advertisement tells you to click on, or if you aren't sill using P2P filesharing applications you aren't going to get infected anyways. I actually work for one of the larger computer security companies so I can say for certain that the average home network does not have much to worry about.

I completely disagree. Maybe the average home user who is also a member of these forums, but certainly not the average home user. Why? Because almost every average home user I know either uses P2P, click advertisements that look interesting, or just does not care for their computer whatsoever and becomes crazily infected. Unfortunately, these people generally don't have the skill required to use anti-virus software.

I think I just contradicted myself... Stupid people need anti-virus, but don't know how to use anti-virus and, therefore, do not need anti-virus... interesting.

[hurstshifter]

And for the most part if you aren't a complete fool that will download anything an advertisement tells you to click on, or if you aren't sill using P2P filesharing applications you aren't going to get infected anyways. I actually work for one of the larger computer security companies so I can say for certain that the average home network does not have much to worry about.

I completely disagree. Maybe the average home user who is also a member of these forums, but certainly not the average home user. Why? Because almost every average home user I know either uses P2P, click advertisements that look interesting, or just does not care for their computer whatsoever and becomes crazily infected. Unfortunately, these people generally don't have the skill required to use anti-virus software.

I think I just contradicted myself... Stupid people need anti-virus, but don't know how to use anti-virus and, therefore, do not need anti-virus... interesting.

I had first mentioned that if you are not clicking on random advertisements, using p2p software, etc... If you are doing this you are not the average home user, you are the average idiot. And these are the people who will be prone to malware infection.

[dandymcgee]

If you are doing this you are not the average home user, you are the average idiot.

There's a difference?

Edit: For the sake of argument I knew exactly what you meant. I was just pointing out that it can be safely assumed that the average user is, in most cases, an idiot (doesn't know any better).

[hurstshifter]

Edit: For the sake of argument I knew exactly what you meant. I was just pointing out that it can be safely assumed that the average user is, in most cases, an idiot (doesn't know any better).

Agreed

[Marx Chaotix]

Thank you all. I'm sorry I haven't exactly responded or touched these forums the past couple of days. (bogged down in my studies for the final exams >_>) but I will take a look at that "Avast" program you all have mentioned. Right now I have "SpyWare Doctor" it's a mediocre fairly decent working program but, I might swap it out with one of these programs you guys listed. Thank you all!

[dandymcgee]

Right now I have "SpyWare Doctor"

Sounds like spyware.