antivirus

You want security software that’s as close to perfect as possible. After all, if just a single piece of malware slips through your defenses, it can wreak havoc on your PC. The question is, how close to perfect is free antivirus software?

Malwarebytes Antimalware Free 1.61 is a supplemental free product that can help bolster your existing security software. The makers of Malwarebytes Antimalware pitch it as a tool for detecting and removing brand-new "zero-day" malware, and it uses a number of different technologies to accomplish this task.

If you think setting up antivirus software should be as simple as possible, Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.5 is for you. Panda stops malware well, and its extremely easy-to-use interface is great for those people who don't want to tweak all sorts of settings.

It's no longer enough for antivirus software to scan files on your PC. You need someone looking over your shoulder and telling you whether it's safe to click that link; whether the popup for that software update is legitimate; and whether that download from your favorite social network is actually a tool created by organized criminals for stealing your personal information. You need an all-in-one Internet security suite capable of identifying, blocking, and cleaning up after a wide array of malware.

Eset Smart Security 4 ($60 for one year, one PC; $70 for one year, three PCs, as of 12/2/2010) came at or near the back of the pack in most of our malware detection, blocking, and disinfecting tests.

A solid solution, Symantec's venerable Norton Internet Security ($70 for a one-year, three-PC license, as of 12/2/2010) continues to incrementally update and advance both its interface and detection rates.

Let's start with the good news: Panda Internet Security 2011 ($60 for one year, one PC; $70 for one year, three PCs, as of 12/2/2010) has some of the best protection going. Its and 99.8 percent detection of samples of known malware was tops among the 13 applications we tested. It completely blocked 21 of 25 attacks in real-world malware blocking tests (that help determine how well it can block brand new malware), and partially blocked three more, which, while not a top score, is still a solid performance. It's also no slouch in fixing downed machines, removing 80 percent of active malware components.

Bargain hunters: Be patient and you'll often find McAfee on sale at a deep discount: The company's Internet Security 2011 (regularly $65 for one year, three PCs as of 12/2/2010) is often available for as little as $40, making it by far the cheapest way to secure the PCs you have at home.

Users looking for a free antimalware product to protect themselves have long enjoyed Avira, which is available in a no-cost version for personal use, but which subjects you to a single daily pop-up urging you to buy the full suite.

Depending on whom you ask, paying for antivirus software is either a good investment or a total ripoff. In reality, neither viewpoint is accurate. You can find plenty of good reasons to choose a paid antivirus product, and plenty of good reasons to go with a freebie.

The VirusTotal.com Web site offers a free but invaluable security service. It will scan any Web download, e-mail attachment or other file you send it with 40-odd different antivirus scanners to let you know whether it's safe for your computer. The free VirusTotal Uploader utility makes sending a file to the site a breeze by adding a new right-click option for any file.

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.