Today the Internet is not a safe place, and every time you turn on your computer or go online, you are vulnerable to multiple threats that can damage your data or steal your confidential information. Programs such as viruses, Trojans, rootkits, spywares and keylogger attempt to steal your personal information and harm your data and your computer. So you need constant protection against these threats.
Selecting a good antivirus program can be difficult task. Bellow you will find a list of the top ten antivirus programs currently on the market.
1. Bit Defender Antivirus: Bit defender antivirus was developed by SOFTWIN, which is based in Bucharest, Romania. The first version of Bit Defender was released in 2001 year.
Bit Defender is one of the most reliable and efficient antivirus programs. It is powered by SOFTWIN's latest "B HAVE" technology which is based on a behavioral analysis of programs in a virtual environment. It is also loaded with further state of the art technology, the Active Virus Control.
Active Virus Control continuously monitors the running processes in an operating system and allocates scores to them, and upon reaching a specific threshold level the program is declared as harmful.
The home version of Bit Defender was awarded the 2007 PC Answers Editor's Choice Award. Bit Defender also passed the Virus Bulletin's test 14 times. It also secured an advance certification from AV Comparatives. In another test conducted by AV Comparatives in 2009 Bit Defender received the Advance+ certificate. PC MAG also conducted a test on Bit Defender in 2010, and it successfully detected 97% of all tests and completely blocked all of them. At $24.95, Bit Defender is also the most economical of all the top antivirus programs which makes it one of the most trustable and efficient of all.
2. Norton Antivirus: Norton Antivirus was developed by Symantec corporation which is the oldest and one of the most trusted computer security software developing companies. Norton Antivirus is powered by Symantec's SONAR and INSIGHT technologies. SONAR is the second version of advanced heuristics protection technology and INSIGHT technology lets Norton scan only suspected files, bypassing the trusted programs.
This makes Norton fast, efficient and robust without compromising on its prime goal: security. It is easy to use and pleases its users with its friendly GUI and stunning features. This trustworthy and efficient antivirus is available for only $39.99.
3. Kaspersky Antivirus: Kaspersky Antivirus was developed by Kaspersky Labs. It is also one of the most trustworthy and efficient antivirus programs. It offers complete protection from both known and unknown threats. Kaspersky Antivirus provides you with rock-solid protection with its latest technology and stunning features combined with a friendly and simple user interface.
Kaspersky Antivirus comes with a new feature called System watcher, which monitors the activity of all the processes running on a system and blocks or flag them depending upon their behavior. It also protects you from all types of keyloggers with its virtual keyboard technology. A new desktop gadget provides better access and protection. Kaspersky Antivirus performed exceptionally well in Virus Bulletin tests. It detected and blocked 100% of the threats. AV comparatives awarded it an A+ grade and it is also verified by West Coast labs as being one of the very best antivirus programs. The only shortcoming of this great antivirus program is its price, it is available for $59.95.
4. Webroot Antivirus: Webroot Antivirus is probably the best combination of antivirus and anti-spyware. This antivirus provides you realtime security from both known and unknown threats. With its multi-layered security approach it provides all the best features that you need for protection and security. It monitors, detects, blocks and removes all kinds of malicious files, viruses, spywares, keyloggers, dialers, cookies and rootkits.
The most notable feature of the webroot antivirus is its Spy Sweeper which is a stand alone program that protects you from all kinds of spyware. It is powerful enough to terminate running programs that exhibit suspicious behavior and remove registry entries. It has 13 protective shields that protect your network, start up items, web browsing, email operating system and much more.
Its web browser shield provides you realtime protection while surfing the web, and its email shield protects you from malicious programs while downloading attachments and viewing mails. Webroot Antivirus is ICSA-certified and also has received awards from West Coast Labs. It provides you with an impressive level of protection for just $29.95.
5. ESET NOD32 Antivirus: ESET NOD32 Antivirus was developed by ESET. It is available in two versions, the business version and the home version. The business version comes with additional features like Remote Administrator which allows deployment on servers and mirroring of threat signatures. It is especially useful for home users due to its simple and sleek interface and easy deployment.
ESET NOD32 is loaded with all the necessary tools and technologies. It detected 94.4% of malware and detected and removed 94.7% of spyware, providing protection against all the known threats. It earned the A+ award in an AV test with a 97.2% detection rate. It is certified by ICSA Labs. PC PRO Magazine gave it a recommended award and awarded it five stars out of six. CNET gave it 3.5/5 and version 4.0 got 5/5. ESET NOD 32 also got 60 VB awards. It allows users to create a rescue disk. NOD 32 is also loaded with a self-protection module. ESET NOD32 is available for $39.99.
6. AVG Antivirus: AVG Antivirus was developed by AVG Technologies for Microsoft Windows. With its compelling features, simple user interface and light weight it offers the right technology to home users for protection and security. The latest version of AVG has some really innovative and efficient features like link scanner, social networking protection, proactive web protection, cloud antivirus, and security network.
AVG Antivirus protects you from viruses and spyware, hackers, phishing scams, malware, keyloggers, worms, Trojans, rootkits and spam. The detection rate is not as impressive as other antivirus software of its grade: problems have been reported with its link scanner feature and it doesn't stand a chance against the comprehensive antivirus solutions like Bit Defender or Kaspersky. It also has an annoyingly high level of false positives. The price tags also fails to provide attraction: it costs you $34.99 for average grade protection.
7. Avira Antivirus: Avira Antivirus is a personal antivirus solution program. Its free version is very popular among home users. It provides reliable protection against all threats like viruses, Trojans, spyware, rootkits, adware and bots. With its simple interface it is easy to use and deploy. Standard features include Email Scanning, WebGuard, Anti-Spam, Firewall, Back up system, AntiBot and parental controls. Although it is effective against malware, it is extremely resource hogging and slows down the computer considerably during scanning. Its price is $26.95.
8. G Data Antivirus: G DATA Antivirus provides comprehensive and reliable protection against viruses, rootkits, malware, Trojans, bots, adware, spyware and phishing scam by a using a combination of Avast and Bit defender antivirus engines. It is remarkably fast in scanning, monitoring, locating and blocking malicious programs. It has a very good detection and virus removal rate. Its price is $24.95. However, it lacks advance features like parental controls, Heuristics signatures, and behavioral analysis.
9. Trend Micro Titanium: Trend Micro Titanium formerly is another easy to install and simple to use antivirus software. With its simple and sleek user interface it can be the ideal antivirus solution for home users. Trend micro titanium has a very effective rate of scanning, locating, blocking and removing malicious software, viruses, Trojans, spyware, bots, adware and keyloggers. With its latest cloud-based security feature it guarantees your safety while you are online. This feature is specially designed to improve detection and resource utilization.
Most of the security processes run online which saves disk space and makes it more effective against known and unknown threats. West Coast Lab has certified it to be an effective solution against viruses, Trojans and spyware. Although some standard features are missing, that deficiency is leveraged by its speed of scanning and low use of resources. A bootable disk can not be created, the gamer mode is missing and there is no battery saving plan for laptops. Behavioral analysis features which are present in most of the advanced antivirus programs are also missing. Trend Micro Titanium is available for $39.95.
10. Zone Alarm Antivirus: Zone Alarm Antivirus was developed by checkpoint software technologies which is well known for its products for business and data security. The same technology was used in Zone Alarm Antivirus so you get a business class antivirus solution at the affordable price of a basic home version.
Tests have shown that this antivirus is remarkably fast and utilizes resources efficiently. Its unified scan engine provides protection against viruses, Trojans, spyware and keyloggers (What is Keylogger?). The two-way firewall monitors all the incoming and outgoing traffic. The Operating System firewall (What is Windows Firewall?) or OSFIREWALL monitors within the system files of your operating system. It has an advanced auto-learn feature that configures the antivirus in harmony with your working habits. This antivirus software is available for $29.95.
More security articles