Anti-Virus Software

Every year, computer viruses and trojans cost corporations and individuals billions of dollars in lost data and productivity; not to mention the headaches that follow. Something as simple as installing a good anti-virus software can protect users from the majority of the viruses. The advent of macro and application related viruses and the ease with which they are created and spread means that the odds of someone being hit by a deadly virus are great. While many viruses are simply a nuisance, most do a lot more damage than imagined. It is essential for teleworkers and all computer users to have an anti-virus software package with up to date virus signatures and updates.

Here we look at some of the more popular anti-virus packages and compare them against each other. The main criteria for the decision were functionaligy, ease of use, support and price. The preferred choices are McAfee.com VirusScan, Norton AntiVirus and PC-cillin Anti-Virus/Security Suite.

McAfee Anti-virus Review

McAfee.com VirusScan
Since most viruses spread on the Internet, McAfee.com has taken the logical step of creating an Internet based system to protect users against them. McAfee VirusScan Online combines machine-resident and Internet-based modules to provide comprehensive and all round anti-virus protection for your computer. The Internet based components ensure that you always have the most recent version of the application and the virus signatures. McAfee also provides a very intuitive user interface for users with all levels of expertise. Not to mention, McAfee was one of the pioneers in the field of virus protection having had over a decade's worth of experience. The cost is a reasonable $34.99 per year with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

PC-cillin Internet Security Review

PC-cillin Anti Virus/Internet Security Suite
PC-cillin combines comprehensive anti-virus protection with PDA virus scanning, spam filtering, spyware removal, parental controls, privacy and automatic virus signature updates. This security/anti-virus software from Trend Micro provides comprehensive and easy-to-use protection from viruses, hackers, and other Internet-based threats. Its new advanced features go far beyond standard antivirus and firewall protection, helping to safeguard your PC from new emerging threats like network viruses, spam email, inappropriate Web content, and Spyware programs that can compromise your privacy. The new Network Virus Emergency Center provides the most advanced protection from today’s fast spreading network viruses such as MSBLAST, SOBIG, and Code Red. It proactively warns users about new network virus outbreaks and scans for these viruses at the network firewall level where they attempt to penetrate your PC. If network virus activity is detected it can automatically invoke the Internet Lock feature stopping the virus from infecting the PC and spreading to other computers.

Norton AntiVirus Review

Norton Anti-Virus
Along with McAffe, Symantec's Norton Anti Virus has a long and distinguished history. This brand new edition looks to build on the solid pedigree with integrated updates, rescue disk management, a repair wizard and more. But, Symantec has really dropped the ball when it comes to an efficient application. NAV is larger than some operating systems, its virus scan is painfully slow and the installation is lenghty and complex. If you have a brand new system with lots of RAM and system resources to spare, go with NAV; or else stick with an anti-virus software that is more efficient. The professional version of NAV 2003 which includes updates for a year is regularly priced at $69.99 but, can be had for $64.99 during this current special offer!

Panda Anti-Virus Review

Panda Anti-Virus Platinum
Panda provides impressive protection packaged in one of the most intuitive user interface. It has a solid scanning engine, a very low performance overhead on the computer and automatic (even daily) updates of virus signature and program update files. The interface can be configured to run in an advanced or basic mode, making Panda suitable for a wide range of users in differnt languages. It sits in a higher price range and can be purchased for $69.95.