Choosing the right anti-virus software can be difficult, partly because it’s very hard to compare them, partly because it depends on what is important to you, and partly because the landscape keeps changing.
Do you want the one that is the best at detecting viruses, or the one that is best is removing viruses, or the one that is least likely to harm your machine’s performance?
There are several very good options.
My current preference for home users is Microsoft Security Essentials, which scores well on detection tests, is mostly unobtrusive, and seems to have very little effect on system performance. It also happens to be free.
My current preference for networks is F-Protect/F-Secure, which also scores well, is easy to license and manage, and remains unobtrusive.
There is lots of detailed information comparing the various AV products at AV Comparatives, which is an independent tester of AV products.
Please remember that nothing is as important as practicing safe computing – don’t stick unknown USB drives into your computer, don’t install questionable or unknown software, don’t use pirated software, don’t open email attachments that raise even a hint of doubt, without first checking with the sender, and don’t respond to popups unless you are sure they are safe. When in doubt, don’t click, call a friend.
