While I try and fight off my yearly bout with the flu I thought that this post would be kind of apropos – virus, flu, ya okay bad attempt at humor.
Anyway AV Test has released their results for their 2010 list of best anti-virus programs for Windows 7.
During the 2nd quarter of 2010 we have tested 19 security products in the areas protection, repair and usability. The “Protection” covers static and dynamic malware detection, including real-world 0-Day attack testing. In case of “Repair”, we check the system disinfection and rootkit removal in detail. The “Usability” testing includes the system slow-down caused by the tools and the number of false positives. A product has to reach at least 12 points total in order to receive a certification. 13 products have fulfilled our requirements and received an AV-Test certificate. The test reports can be found here:
The list of those that have received certification is rated from best to worst with the top four getting high marks for both anti-virus and malware protection.
- AVG : Internet Security 9
- G Data : Internet Security 2010/2011
- Panda : Internet Security 2010
- Symantec : Norton Internet Security 2010
- F-Secure : Internet Security 2010
- Kaspersky : Internet Security 2010
- PC Tools : Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 7.0
- BitDefender : Internet Security Suite 2010
- Avira : Premium Security Suite 10.0
- Microsoft : Security Essentials 1.0
- Avast : Internet Security 5.0
- Eset : Smart Security 4.0
- Webroot : Internet Security Essentials 6.1
My personal favorite is Microsoft Security Essentials in large part due to its small resource footprint and its ability to do its job without constantly bugging me with notifications.