Article 2: Antivirus software selection

Article 2 is second part of series on computer viruses and anti-virus software. Since, we have already discussed the basics now we can move on to  antivirus software recommendation. We have installed, used or tested most of "rated"  antivirus software on the market and several that users outside of the computer  industry would never know about. The ratings come from multiple sources (software testing companies, technical magazines, etc.).  The best rated (typically ranked in one of top 4 positions on most charts) are Symantec, Mcafee, Microsoft and AVG (no particular order).

FREE vs. PAY SOFTWARE

We have watched the progress and changes in the market concerning free vs. pay software. The first thing most people do not understand is the free software has the same capability as the pay but has less features and or license restictions. Both software packages typically use the same antivirus database to fight viruses so you will not get better results from pay vs. free. You will receive extra software features and technical support from the pay version. Most of the pay features are mainly designed for business use and not needed by personal users. We have installed/upgraded free versions that found and removed viruses from PCs that contained a pay version of another package. So, it basically comes down to the software package which has the best/quickest detection rate.

RECOMMENDED SELECTION

Please understand that this recommendation is based on current testing and data in August 2010. Software is a very dynamic industry and there could be a better performing package available tomorrow. Understanding this concept will also explain why we change our recommendation periodically. Cross Computers, Inc. is doing constant research in hardware and software technology. We are looking for best option to recommend to our customers at all times. If you would have asked us 6 months ago about best antivirus package the answer would have been different than answer today (and probably will be a different answer 6 months from now). So, we consider Microsoft Security Essentials to be the best FREE package available right now. We are still very happy with AVG but have seen several instances where Microsoft has detected viruses that AVG did not catch. 

Here is the download link:

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Please remember to remove all other antivirus software packages first. Then download and install new software, update and run a full scan. We will be glad to help remotely or onsite if you need technical assistance.

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Virus and Anti-Virus Software

Article 1 - Basic Information and Questions

First, we would like to say that our thoughts and opinions are based on our 12 years experience servicing and repairing computers. We have a very diverse customer base and service all make and models of Windows based systems. However, this does not guarantee that we have serviced or used every available configuration on the market. Therefore, we are looking forward to working with our customers to provide free advice, answer questions related to articles and even learn from your experiences. So, we would like to thank everyone in advance for your valuable input and visiting our website. We would love to hear suggestions for future topics (free advice and instructions on your choice of topics).

Now on the issue that seems to draw the most complaints and anger from our customers: computer viruses. The same questions always come up --

• Why didn't the anti-virus software stop it?
• Why do people do this?
• How did I get a virus if I did not do anything wrong?

So, here are some basic answers. Antivirus software is only reactive not proactive. The computer companies develop a fix only after virus is found. The situation is very similar to real medicine, a flu vaccine is only developed after many people have been sick with the flu. There is NO software from ANY company that is guaranteed to stop 100% of viruses. We will discuss later what software we recommend.

The main goal of a computer virus many years ago was simply destruction. The object was to prove how good/smart I was by destroying millions of computers. The goals today have changed significantly, now they want private information. The viruses today are designed to install, hide and collection information such as credit card, emails, paypal logins, etc. for theft.

The older viruses used to require an action to install virus (open an email, open a file, download software, etc.) The new hybrid virus now install directly from webpage with no action needed. This obviously makes detection and avoiding these viruses very difficult. So, many people ask how to avoid new ones? Well, the easiest to do (but hardest to follow) is watching what web pages you open or visit. The more selective you become about the websites you visit will significantly lower your chances of getting a virus.

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