Advanced Antivirus

Today’s vast threatscape of duplicitous Trojan horses, invisible exploits, and slithering worms make antivirus protection a must. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay top dollar for a security suite that may have features you don’t want or need.

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Top Protection: G Data AntiVirus 2010

Most security programs use a single antivirus engine, but the German-made G Data ($25 for a one-year, single-PC license, as of 11/20/09) uses two separate engines: BitDefender and Avast. That double coverage may have helped it rack up an impressive 99.95 percent block rate for traditional, signature-based detection of known malware, a rate better [...]

Trend Micro Antivirus + Antispyware

Trend Micro Antivirus + Antispyware ($40 for a one-year, single-PC license as of 11/17/2009) came in last in our roundup of stand-alone antivirus software, weighed down by comparatively poor malware detection, slow scan speed, and a seriously misguided habit of hiding what it does from the user.

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ESET NOD32

ESET NOD32 has some nice, techie-focused extras and it effectively ferrets out rootkits, but it can’t keep up with other antivirus apps when it comes to the essential task of blocking malware. It came in ninth place out of 11 in our current ranking of stand-alone antivirus software.

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Alwil Avast Professional Edition

Though Alwil Avast Professional Edition ($40 for a one-year, single-PC license, as of 11/23/09) has a speedy scan rate, that wasn’t enough to offset its unimpressive protection from malware infections and its truly annoying interface. With a last-place showing in our stand-alone antivirus rankings, it’s clearly a less than ideal choice for your paid protection. [...]