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Best AntiVirus and Why?

EvilSeph

Administrator
Here we have another one. What is the best antivirus and why?

If your answer is an antivirus you have to pay for, then answer this question too: What is the best FREE antivirus and why?

If your answer is an antivirus that is free, then answer this question too: What is the best COMMERCIAL antivirus and why?

I find that the common thing these days is to not run any antivirus at all. Does this describe the type of system you run? If so, why?

I find the answers to these questions tend to be quite interesting.

Once again, I will post my answers later.
 

ChurchedAtheist

Your resident psycho hobo
Paid: NOD32
got many, many recommendations of this.
free: avira antivir
lightweight, free, simple, unobtrusive. never caused a prob before
 

Pokemanz master

Lowering your IQ
free: McFee
Comes with window xp
Easy to use, block programs from using the Internet when it try to connects.*when virus try send info over the net*
simple for new computer owners*just like when I got my pc*
 

Slasher

Suck It
I get McAfee for free for the next 4 years for going to my university, so I have that running right now. Other than that, I don't bother with anti-virus protection. I'm just smart when browsing the web
 
Commercial: NOD32 - Fast, lightweight and a detection rate that rivals Kapersky or Norton
Free: AVG or Avast. They get the job done.
Another utility i would suggest is Sandboxie, which can constrict certain programs to their own sandbox, seperated files seperated registry entries everything. Useful for application you may suspect to be malware.

However, I find that when using Windows, I rarely encounter any form of malware. Common sense goes a long way on the web.

@Pokemanz Master: McAfee isn't free. Your version is just an OEM version supplied with your computer.
 

RoBz

sucker
Commercial: Kaspersky or NOD32
Free: AVG

And guys, McAfee is serious bloatware and was pretty bad at detecting viruses, at least the last time I tried it.
 

Mave Zero

New Member
All the antivirus that I've used through my life has been helpful at first, and then amazingly irritating with messages about add-ons and updates and how my computer sucks and needs to be scanned for another twenty hours only to end up being clean.

But recently I downloaded avast. It works extremely well and in the background. Hopefully it doesn't get too annoying. It's also free.

I haven't paid for one, though. :(
 

twelve

I'm not dead
I was using AVG for a long long time but I got fed up with it constantly failing to update and needing me to do it manually.

So I've switched to NOD32 and it's fantastic, but isn't free so requires finding a crack or serial generator.

I'd probably still recommend AVG as a free antivirus as it never let me down for protection, just the updates that annoyed me.
 

Seth

MD Party Room
The Best Antivirus - Common Sense v1.0 do I need to even say why?
 

Seth

MD Party Room
I havent had a virus in years....I went about 2 years then before I formatted I installed 3 different anti virus NOD32,Kaspersky,AVG...

They all came out at 0....Now I do agree we need a spyware and maleware scanner...

I still download crap and prite stuff from torrent including software...And remained spyware free...


All I did

The Best Antivirus - Common Sense v1.0
Therefore, I implement Common Sense as my antivirus. You can even peruse pornography or piracy (if you so wished) provided you implement *some* level of common sense. The basic rules for running common sense are:
- If you MUST pirate, use respected releases
- Update your operating system on a regular basis (especially Windows users)
- Avoid looking for porn if you can, if you can't, maybe you need to get out a bit more. Or pirate some ;-)
- Don't open unexpected attachments from people you don't know
- Don't run .exe files you're sent over messenger
- Make sure your router has a decent hardware firewall and you're behind the DMZ
- Avoid looking for cracks/serials on the internet
 

Moose

Meta Moose
Honestly... what harm does having an anti-virus do. Not having one and knowing you could have one for free is just stupid.

- If you MUST pirate, use respected releases - I don't need to be too careful when pirating things because I have a decent anti-virus program.
- Update your operating system on a regular basis (especially Windows users) - I don't need to. I use TinyXP and have a decent anti-virus program.
- Avoid looking for porn if you can, if you can't, maybe you need to get out a bit more. Or pirate some ;-) - I'll pass on answering this one, lol.
- Don't open unexpected attachments from people you don't know - I can if I want... because I have a decent anti-virus application.
- Don't run .exe files you're sent over messenger - Always have, always will. Why? Because I have a decent anti-virus program.
- Make sure your router has a decent hardware firewall and you're behind the DMZ - Don't need to make sure of these things, although I have, because I use a decent anti-virus program.
- Avoid looking for cracks/serials on the internet - Why? I have a decent anti-virus program so I can afford to.

You see why having an anti-virus will benefit you?

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be careful, because of course you should. But being too careful for the sake of it just seems pointless to me.
 

Adiuvo

Active Member
I'm currently using Avast!. Works perfect, and I forget it's there. Which honestly is the most important part in an antivirus. You shouldn't know it's doing it's job unless you actually download a virus.
 

EvilSeph

Administrator
uh, if you're behind a DMZ...your computer is completely exposed to the internet. It's like not having a router in the first place...who wrote this crap?
 

Seth

MD Party Room
Yea the arical does have some flaws in it...But sill makes valiant posts...
The Best Antivirus - Common Sense v1.0 - Software - Seopher.com

@Moose...That pointless there are tons of virus that are still unknown virus and malware and disable your dam antivirus but still make it look like it running... What are you going to do then...

It alsmost like saying it ok to shoot me I got a vest to protect me..
 

ChurchedAtheist

Your resident psycho hobo
common sense is the best AV, but only when used in conjunction w/ another av.
 

FrozenIpaq

Justin B / Supp. Editor
Enforcer Team
Common Sense is the worst anti-virus and anyone who says that it is any form of anti-virus needs to update themselves with the new world. Viruses are constantly evolving and changing. I'm one who rarely has any viruses on my computer, however I do get one now and then that I have to take care of (my antivirus being unable to get rid of it). I had no clue how I got infected and I'd call myself very knowledgable when it comes to computers and the internet.

I have great "common sense" when it comes to computers but that can't protect you at all. It can possibly decrease the chances of getting one but it cannot protect you.

However: Everyone should use common sense in conjunction with AV software since common sense can prevent a lot of potential attacks. We had a similar discussion over at QJ and I hope you all realize how important and crucial it is to have at least one form of AV on your system (Avast! being my current choice).
 
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