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Top 3 Free Anti-Virus Solutions Reviewed
The world is on the web and so
are malicious code writers. The threat you face today from computer viruses is
bigger than ever. But for the common PC user, spending a lot of money on
anti-virus software is an unfavorable option. If you represent the common PC
user and have felt the pinch of buying or paying for anti-virus subscription,
here are three free anti-virus programs reviewed for your convenience. Just
download the anti-virus and install. No money involved. Here are three such
programs. |
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
Touted as
the world's most downloaded free security software, AVG is a force to reckon
with. AVG LinkScanner provides users with real-time security. To meet the
anti-virus requirements spurred by the social networking boom, AVG has
incorporated AVG Social Networking Protection in the free edition too. Updates
that are issued by AVG come from the company itself as well as the AVG
community.
Many
changes have been made at the operational as well as user interface level. If we
start from the beginning, the number of installation screens has been reduced
from the previous 13 to 5. The user interface is more intuitive, with small
additions such as dedicated buttons for fixing and updating the virus database.
The scanning times have also been reduced through “smart scanning” which implies
AVG does not rescan safe files that are left unchanged since the last scan.
ClamWin
 This is an open-source antivirus program compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP/98 and Windows Server 2008/2003. It
has good virus detection capabilities, a scheduler for scanning at planned
times, automatic virus data base update and standalone file scanner. It has the
capability to seamlessly integrate with the context menu and MS Outlook. The
most recent version of Clamwin Free Antivirus is at 0.97. On the backend, the
central virus database is updated daily.
The only downside (although of negligible
importance), is that ClamWin does not scan a file just before you access it. If
you scan your PC once before you start accessing other files, you will not miss
the on-access scan.
Comodo Antivirus
Comodo
Antivirus is good by most standards, but not suitable for PCs that have already
been infected. The latest version is 5.3. It offers IPv6 support in the
firewall. A Rootkit Scanner in the antivirus can detect and scan hidden
registries and folders. Many people who like to have an eye-candy of a PC will
be delighted with the latest version being skinnable. The user interface is
friendly and intuitively designed.
Comoda
offers protection against trojans, worms, buffer overflows, spyware and hackers.
It is an ace-player when it comes to detecting zero-day attacks. The firewall is
enterprise class, with packet filtering, illegal host obstruction, application
management and anti-spyware capabilities.
In the
earlier versions of Comodo, one important component was missing. Comodo has
included cloud-based scanning and behavior analysis of unknown files. The good
part is that the common PC user does not need to dig in the deepest corner of
the options menu to find a setting that says “enable cloud scanning and
protection”. Under default settings, the option is active and protecting your
system. Another innovative method of preventing infection is the use of sandbox
simulation. The suspicious file is allowed to function in a virtualized
environment where it cannot change system parameters.
The
downside, which is again somewhat insignificant, is that the sandbox is not a
very refined and precise science. There is a slim chance that some harmless
programs may end up in the sandbox because of some strange activity. But then
again you can add exceptions. After all, there is a price to be paid pay for
security, even if the software is free!
Check out our Free Online Antivirus Scans article.
Clean Up Steps:
1. Quick PC Fixes
2. Eliminate Spyware
3. Anti-Virus Scan
4. Set-Up a Firewall
5. Update your Computer
6. Backup your Data
Protect your PC:
1. Protect your Privacy
2. Secure
your Wireless Network
3. Avoid Internet Phishing
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