McAfee Antivirus

·        

        Pros

Scored well in malware blocking tests. Network management adds intrusion detection. SiteAdvisor Plus protects from phishing and malicious sites. Very good spam filtering. Low impact on performance. Offers tune-up, secure deletion, encrypted file "vault".

·         Cons

Malware balked one installation in testing. Simplistic firewall. Rudimentary parental control is not browser-independent. In testing, did not remove all detected malware.

·         Bottom Line

Compared with McAfee's antivirus, the McAfee suite adds accurate spam filtering, ineffective parental control, an encrypted file "vault", and enhancements to several existing features. McAfee fans who want all of those additions may choose it; others will go for the feature-packed antivirus or for a suite like Norton that's consistently high-performing.

Avast Antivirus

Developed in the Czech Republic, Avast Antivirus Home Edition offers capable malware detection and faster-than-average scan speed, both of which helped propel the app to the number two spot in our rankings of free antivirus software. Its clunky interface badly needs updating, however.

In AV-Test.org malware-detection tests, the program blocked a respectable 98.2 percent of samples out of a malware "zoo" consisting of about a half-million files. That wasn't enough for Avast to top the best performers, Avira AntiVir Personal and the unranked Panda Cloud Antivirus, but it's still a good showing. Avast didn't do quite as well in proactive-detection tests, which simulate how well a program would fare against new and unknown malware: Its catch rates of 46.1 percent (two-week-old signatures) and 41 percent (four-week-old signatures) put it in fourth place.

The app was relatively nimble at on-demand scans (which you start manually) and on-access scans (which occur automatically when you save or use a file), placing second in each test (behind Avira in both cases). It issued just one false positive (labeling harmless software as malicious).

In disinfection, Avast nearly matched the top performers (Avira and Microsoft Security Essentials), detecting and disabling 90 percent of the rootkits used in our tests. All three apps, however, also left behind Registry entries and failed to reverse all of the changes that the malware had made.

While Avast does well as a malware blocker and remover, it fares poorly as a program that people have to interact with. Its outdated interface has sections that look entirely different depending on whether you're running a scan, checking status, or changing settings. The scanning interface mimics a music player, but you probably won't be singing its praises. Be sure to read the how-to guide that pops up the first time you use the program, unless you enjoy scratching your head and growling at your monitor.

The Avast product is the only free antivirus software in our test group that requires you to register within 60 days to receive a free license key. It's also the only app that scans Web traffic for malware (AVG 8.5 Free's LinkScanner scans Web traffic for the attacks that can presage malware, but not for the malware itself), and it scans e-mail traffic as well.

Avast Antivirus does a decent job protecting a PC from malware, but if you're willing to put up with a less-than-perfect interface (and some ads), you're better off going with Avira's top-notch blocking.

How to Compare Antivirus Software?

It is not an easy task to compare antivirus softwares. When we see any antivirus software, we tend to download them. This is not because we want to download them but this is not because we want to download them but this is because we want to be safe from all the different types of dangerous programs. So while choosing antiviral programs too, we should be very careful and we should try not to choose anyone that comes our way or else it could damage our computer.This means unnecessary antivirus can also disable the functioning of our computer. So be very careful while choosing antivirus. See that the company is well recognised and has the record of curing thousand of programs. If this is seen then oviously which ever program you choose it will give a good result.

Antivirus developers

Frankly speaking there are many and many hackers and virus developers in the world. However lie you tell anyone but you are always under a threat of somethig that you may be attacked by someone and your most valuable daa that is not to be known by others are stole away. This creates a huge problem since people are attacked by various unwanted programs which they dont want to bring in between their work. People are very much disturbed and this  is tried to be solved by antivirus developers. They try to bring solutions to the required user and try to earn from them. Now if all users problems are solved then antivirus programs will be of no use and their business will also ruin. So to increase their business, these antivirus developers themselves create viruses so that they can also create the solutions for their own made viruses. They do not publicize their making of viruses but they themselves publicize the making of antiviruses. This is how the business of antivirus developers are going on. Many sources are included for this research on antivirus developers.

Worms

The term 'worm' here does not mean the creature that is big and can be seen by our eyes like earthworm, tapeworm, etc. but these mean the computer programs that do not destroy data. So if a virus does not destroy data then why to be afraid of worms?


The work of worms is to slow down the operation of the computer. It also slows down the memory of the computer and also slows the operation of the programs whatever being done.

System infectors

The system infector infects application program. These viruses may attach themselves to any executable file, with the extension .BIN, .COM, .EXE, .DRV (driver) and .SYS (device driver). These viruses take control after the initial use of the infected programs. Once the infected program is executed, the virus remains there in the RAM (Random Access Memory), even if the file is closed. When you execute another new file the virus attaches itself from the main memory in the new file. In this way all the files get infected. These types of viruses modify the content of the executable files or they may also overwrite, so it disturbs the file from executing. Some examples of system infectors are .Acid rain, Alien.298, Crazy A, etc.

Multipartite virus

Multipartite viruses have combination features of both boot sector virus and system infectors; they can infect both the application programs and the boot sector of a disk. They infect program files, and when the infected program is executed, these viruses also infect the boot record. When you boot the computer next time, the viruses load in the memory from the boot record and then start infecting other files or programs in the hard drive and the computer. The examples of multipartite viruses are Invader, Flip, Tequila, etc.

Message carrying virus

It does not infect the program and files but sometimes it produces unnecessary messages or pictures on the screen which disturb the computer. It also brings all types of unwanted data in the computer's memory. The message carrying virus is not considered the most powerful virus and thus it is one of the weak viruses known to the technological world. In one sense, this virus is a type of comedy virus.

Boot sector virus

It is developed to destroy or infect the boot sector of the disk where, Master Boot Record (MBR) is stored. MBR is a small program, which is responsible for booting the computer system. This boot sector virus's work is to modify the MBR that prevents anyone from being able to boot or 'start up' the computer from the system disk. By using the infected disk or CD during the booting, such type of viruses transmits automatically in the computer system. The examples of boot sector virus are Danish Boot, Devel 941, Disk Killer, etc.

Antivirus Download Sites

Antivirus softwares come in either paid or free versions. Both work well but with some differences in terms of features and options available to the user. If you are on a budget, then you can opt to download the free versions of the regular paid antivirus software. The free version might come with a little less features but it will work as well as the paid one. On the other hand, if you have the cash to spare then you should definitely go for the paid versions. Why? This is because you will be given to access to more features as well as the special options being offered. You can download antivirus software at the company website. It's usually the same company that developed the software; however, there are some antivirus software that are being distributed in other sites. Most of the time it's because that certain website is reviewing a free version of that software and offers direct links to their readers this is only commonly done on free softwares so never ever pay and download for an antivirus software if it's displayed on a non-company related website. Most likely it would turn out to be a scam.

So now that you know where you can get antivirus software, we should talk about what you must look for when deciding on which one to get. After all, there are numerous antivirus softwares available and they all have a unified claim of being the best. Basically, you wouldn't want to spend money on an outdated software that is absolutely useless against newer viruses. Remember, new viruses crop up on a weekly or perhaps even on a daily basis so it's recommended that you choose an antivirus software that will protect your PC against all old and new viruses. So when buying antivirus software, consider the following:

1. Does the antivirus software give you 2 levels of protection? Many of the available antivirus softwares would detect and the clean away all the viruses from your PC when you run a scan. So check if your software has the same kind of protection.

2. How effective has it been with cleaning up all the infected files on your PC? Does it quarantine or remove all the infected files efficiently? It's very important that your chosen antivirus is very effective in cleaning out all the infected files to put an end to the chance of it spreading to other files or worse, another PC.

3. Is it very easy to use? Of course, not all of us have backgrounds on IT and as such, we require something that is very simple in terms of user interface and doesn't require too much to be able to function well. You want it to clean up your PC not learn how it works.

4. Does your chosen antivirus software come with free updates from the website? Even free ones have regular free updates. So check if the company offers regular updates for free, remember that new viruses are always on the rise and as such you want to keep your antivirus software updated.

5. Does the company offer you with great online support for some of your technical difficulties? Are they fast and helpful with responding to even your most mundane questions? A company that provides total support towards their clientele is a great thing.

So there you have it, some ideas about antivirus download sites, what to watch out for and what to look for when choosing an antivirus for you computer.

Best Antivirus - What is the Best Antivirus Software to Protect Your PC?

We can call our computers our versatile best friends. In this modern world, everyone needs a computer. We can do a lot of things with our computers. We can prepare documents, make, edit and watch videos, listen to music, surf the Internet, send E-mails, chat with our friends, play games, or even make calls! Computers are very valuable, and when it comes to their prices, they are not cheap. These are the reasons why, just like what we do with our best friends, we need to protect our computers; and we do this with antivirus software. We store important files in our computers and we simply cannot afford to lose them to spywares, Trojans and other viruses.

There are countless of antivirus software available in the market today. They will simply not do because we should want the best antivirus for our precious computers. So what makes the best antivirus for our computers? First, the best antivirus should get updates frequently. This way, it keeps itself well-equipped to deal with the latest menaces to our computers.

We create or download files. We also insert CDs and flash disks in our computers. All these have potential to cause danger to our computers. That is why the scanning capacity of the antivirus is also very important to protect our computers from threats. The best antivirus provides us with the best scanning capacity on a regular basis that depends on our choice.

Surfing the Internet is probably the most common activity we do with our computers. There are websites, however, that are filled with spywares and other threats that can easily damage our computers. The best antivirus will protect us even from threats coming from the websites we use as it can determine probable hazards to our computers. The best antivirus should also be able to defend our computers from new viruses that are not yet registered in the virus database.

Making the best choice is crucial. But you do not have to do it alone. There are people who can help you choose the best antivirus for your computer. There are companies and organizations that test antivirus softwares and publish the results in their websites. These testing laboratories ranked Trend Micro, TrustPort, Sophos, Norton, Kaspersky, Nod32, Microsoft, McAfee, Ikarus, ZoneAlarm, WebWasher-GW, Panda, F-Secure, F-Prot, eSscan, Bitdefender, AVK, AVG, Avast, and AntiVir as the best antivirus programs available in the market today. There are also websites that run user reviews of different antivirus programs.

You can also avail of the free trial of different antivirus softwares to test them yourself and find out what the best antivirus is. If you are convinced by the effectiveness of the software, then you can go on and purchase it. However, there are also antivirus softwares which can be downloaded for free. This has sprung a debate whether the best antivirus softwares are free or the ones which you can buy. There are antivirus programs which you can buy that have free versions. While there are free antivirus that are effective, those which you can buy obviously have advantages.

There is one Antivirus Software that stands out above the rest and for more details on why? and where to download it from? visit www.AntiVirusReviews.ws

Antivirus Program a Must Have For Every PC User

Basically, a computer virus is a program which has an ability of cloning itself. They have very similar characteristics with biological viruses. For instance, computer viruses can spread very fast but this time by taking advantage of unprotected PCs and unsecured networks.




Today, there are various antivirus programs developed to prevent computer systems from being compromised. Such programs work by scanning files and continuously monitoring the entire computer in case there are malicious pieces of code or suspicious activities. Antivirus software also eradicates viruses before causing further problems. Unfortunately, the number of new viruses tend to increase year by year. Some antivirus companies are even getting of hundreds of new samples a day. That means one of their problems is to keep their virus databases updated so their software can recognize files infected by the latest viruses. Of course, virus programmers will always be one step ahead in this war.



The problem did not stop there. Not only the number of viruses is increasing, but computer viruses also get smarter. New viruses are designed to be undetected by antivirus programs. Stealth and polymorphic viruses can make antivirus programs, especially the outdated ones, fail to detect. Furthermore, there are even viruses which can disable some antivirus programs. This will leave your PC unprotected. Although such viruses may not cause serious damage, your PC will be wide open to further attacks. However, although antivirus software can not work perfectly to protect your PC from all threats, their presence is still very important. For instance, with the increasing number of computer viruses created, some vendors have implemented technologies to detect and block unknown viruses. The advancement of antivirus software has to keep pace with current virus threats. Good antivirus vendors provide virus protection through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, such good vendors provide the solutions very quickly, often within hours.



New generations of viruses are able to attack through multiple entry points, from email, web browsers to file servers. That is why many popular antivirus programs are bundled with other security programs such as firewall and content filtering. A more comprehensive security system will help you protect all aspects of your PC. The main feature of an antivirus program is to detect the presence of viruses in a computer. Although some programs may not be able to disinfect an infected file, at least they are able to delete the file and prevent the contamination of the entire computer system. Clearly, although it has some limitations, an antivirus software is essential to protect your computer system from viruses and other malicious programs. While traditional antivirus programs might have become useless today, modern antivirus have a big role in securing computer systems from viruses and other threats.



An antivirus software may not be able to protect all aspects of your PC, but it still one of the most important software for every PC user. Just choose the one which is created by a reputable company. This will ensure that you will get ongoing supports and updates.

What happens when virus enters your system?

When virus enter your system then, nothing much happen. Only some specific files or folders will get damaged, but if those files and folders are very important to you, then it may cause a huge problem. So, better look at the points below:
· Sometimes the computer may not boot and hang instantly
· It takes a long time to load some programs
· It changes the size of executable files
· It corrupts (errors) the system data
· It can rename all the files with new filenames in your consciousness too
· It slows down the computer
· It increases the use of disk space and growth in file size
· It brings unwanted pictures, messages and figures on the screen
· Viruses may also show error messages on the screen
· It reduces the memory of the computer
· The computer may automatically restart in several intervals
Other symptoms can also be noticed but as there are many types of viruses , so the common symptoms among all types are enlisted above. So beware of VIRUSES

How many types of viruses are there?

Virus was created a long time ago for good purposes but later it was misused. Until the date viruses have been used for many wrong purposes. Till date more than fifty types of viruses have been created. Some types are enlisted below:
· Message carrying virus
· Boot sector virus
· System infector
· Multipartite virus
· Worms
· Polymorphic virus
· Stealth virus
· Bombs
· Macro virus
· Trojan Horse
These are the common types of viruses that spread from one computer to another as well as from the internet.

How do viruses spread?

There is not one way in which virus spreads. In thousands of ways, viruses can spread from one computer to another or from one network to another. The most common ways through which viruses can spread are:
· Booting of system with an infected media
· Opening a file infected with virus
· Downloading from unreliable source
· Opening unknown email attachments
· Executing an infected file
· Using floppy disk or any other media that are exchangeable
· Using shareware(software that is available free of charge and often distributed informally for evaluation)
· Using pirated software
· Extensive use of USB's without security system
Through other ways also, viruses can transfer or spread but these are the common ways in which it spreads.

Best way for safety: Using antiviral software

Those softwares which are especially designed to find and destroy computer viruses are antivirus softwares. Antivirus softwares look for special codes called virus signature which uniquely identifies a virus and also specifies its type. This way the antivirus works and helps all of us from being safe from viruses. This is one of the software security measures also.
Till date there are many companies that fight for viruses. Many companies have also invented antivirus. Some of the successful and useful antiviral softwares are:
· AVG
· Mac Afee
· Scan Utility
· Norton Antivirus
· PC-clinic
· Panda antivirus
· Dr. Solomon antivirus
· Avast antivirus
· Kaspersky antivirus
· NOD 32 antivirus
· Avira antivirus
· Smart Dog

. BitDefender
There are many more antiviruses that you can choose from. If you wish you can buy these antiviruses when you are online too.Note: There is a rumour that antivirus developers itself create viruses.

Be safe from viruses

There are many tips that can be followed so that you remain safe from viruses. The very common tips that every individual can follow are:
· Do not use pirated software
· Install and upgrade regular antivirus programs
· Write protect your floppy disk when using them on the computer
· Scan the mail and other unknown files of internet before opening in your computer
· Do not use computer unless the virus is totally removed from the infected computer
· Backup your system in regular basis
· Lock your computer when not in use
· Check the new software for virus before installing it
· Check the diskette of other person for virus before using it
· Use the user password system to avoid unauthorized use of the computer

Some common and simple ways have been given in the list above. You can follow other methods too, like stop working in the internet, etc. but the above ways will be the best.

Antivirus world – Introduction

Before knowing anything about the antivirus, knowing about virus is very important and that too computer virus, not the virus of related to our health. So, understanding the difference between virus and computer virus is necessary.
Virus: It is a living thing, too small to be seen without a microscope that causes infectious diseases in animals, humans and plants. For example- polio virus, rabies virus, etc.
Computer virus: They are instructions that are hidden within a computer program and are designed to cause faults or destroy data in a computer. The full form is Computer's Vital Information Resource Under Seized.
Thus, a vast difference can be seen between virus and computer virus and we are here referring virus as computer virus.
The term antivirus is usually referred as a computer term and thus it is a software or a set of programs that finds and destroys computer viruses.

Antivirus

The software that helps you to save your computer from different malicious softwares and files - Antivirus. This is a term that is there in each and every computer user's mind because of the dangerously spreading computer virus. This virus is a computer program which is purposedly created to destroy other user's work and documents. So for the solution of this virus, certain companies have created Antivirus.