Let's Talk Virus-Scan Software

My laptop came with a free trial of some virus scan software by Trend Micro. I suppose it's doing an alright job (the laptop is still virus free), but it will occasionally report that it didn't shut down correctly, or something.

So with the free trial almost over, I was ready to fork over some cash for my old friend Symantec, but I started talking about it at work and I heard a few things. One, if you're a smart user of the internet, there's really not much need for virus scan software. Two, the performance hit your computer takes isn't worth it if you're a smart user. Three, have you tried the free virus scan solution AVG?

Well the first point was a little ridiculous to my sensibilities. I'm just not the sort to take unnecessary risks. The second started me wondering about which virus software was the least intrusive on system performance. The third comment piqued my interest in free solutions. I'd always assumed free virus scan software couldn't be worth anything; I mean you get what you pay for right?

So I threw a few search terms into Google and saw a link to one of my more trusted sources, an article on Ars. It basically confirmed that there was a difference in performance across all the many solutions out there. It also pointed me to a company that routinely analyzes anti-virus software: AV Compartives. This company is amazing, and they make their reports available for free. I couldn't believe my luck.

I downloaded the reports and started looking at which virus scan solutions were getting the top marks across all the tests. AV Comparatives is pretty clear about not reproducing their results on other sites, but I can tell you what I looked at and the few that I feel really bubble up to the top.

The tests they provide cover detecting known hazards, correctly identifying new hazards (based on heuristic algorithms), drain to system performance, drain when running the full suite (as opposed to the minimal offering), removal of identified hazards, and identification and removal of potentially unwanted programs (sure some people want that packaged tool bar, but you probably don't).

My method of picking the best was to simply take the best performers of one test and then eliminate from that list solutions that didn't appear as best performers in the next test. The list narrowed very quickly, and at the end I was left with 4 brands.

Avast
ESET
F-Secure
Kaspersky

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the main names in virus-scan didn't make the cut. Symantec and McAfee dropped out of sight early on. Perhaps once you have large market share, the drive to innovate and tune your product doesn't scale with the mass of the company, like trying to build an SUV around a lawnmower engine.

Of these four, based on what I think is important, it looked like Kaspersky was the best, followed by F-Secure, and then ESET and Avast. All of them are the creme of the crop, and in my opinion based on these reports, better than the more well know options out there. If you poured them into a software centrifuge, though, I think that's how they would stratify. Of the four, only one of them has a freeware option: Avast.

I'll be installing the free for home use version of Avast in the next couple of days, and I'm not expecting any problems. The fact that a free solution ended up in the top four was astounding to me. As a bonus, if someone asks me what virus-scan software I'm using, I'll have an excuse to talk like a pirate; Avast!

A few people actually read mylesandbetsey.com or betseyandmyles.com either directly or via facebook now that Grace has arrived on the scene, and I thought, after doing all this research, that perhaps some of you might find it helpful.

I'll return to the regular baby update schedule shortly.