BitDefender Antivirus 2009 Review
Get the inside scoop on how BitDefender Antivirus...
Kaspersky Antivirus 2009 Review
Get the inside scoop on how Kaspersky Antivirus...

Why Buy Antivirus Software?

An unprotected computer is a vulnerable computer, plain and simple. Every year there are hundreds of viruses, Trojans, worms and other malware, released into cyberspace designed to harm your computer. Most people don't realize that malware is everywhere and avoiding a malicious computer invader is very difficult. And usually, you won't even know you've become a victim.

Malware is an umbrella term for all malicious software. The most common are viruses and spyware. There are many different types of viruses floating through the Internet. Consider yourself lucky if you have never been the victim of a virus. There are a number of talented programmers out there with a lot of time on their hands writing software programs intended to harm your computer or your reputation. 

If you have ever come back to your computer and found it won't start or all your files erased and unrecoverable, you know exactly why you need to protect your computer. A typical virus will essentially wipe out the master boot record (MBR) of your computer, making it completely unusable. In some cases, the only thing left to do is to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your operating system losing all your pictures of the kids, work-related spreadsheets, email and more. The best Antivirus programs will stop viruses before they ever reach your hard drive and keep your computer safe, usually without you even noticing. 

A recent study found that more than 80% of home computers have spyware installed on them and the users don't even know it. Sypware, or sometimes called adware, is a small, seemingly innocent piece of software that embeds itself in your Internet browser. As you surf the internet, signing into email, social networks or bank accounts, the spyware program reports back to home base with all your personal information. Before long, your resources are drained, your computer slows down, and some stranger knows everything about you. 

Rootkits are also a type of spyware. In this case, a hacker takes control of your computer, without you knowing, and uses your hard drive and IP address to infect others. This type spyware is difficult to detect on your own, but top antivirus software will detect a dangerous download and immediately delete the file. 

Computers are expensive pieces of equipment. For the same reasons you lock your home and car (to keep others out), you need to have some type of antivirus protection on your computer. There is an arms race out there between malware producers and antivirus software producers. And it escalates daily. Remaining unprotected is a sure-fire way to become collateral damage in this war. The cost to prevent and protect yourself is much lower than the cost of replacing your computer and restoring your identity.

On this site, you'll find a side-by-side comparison of antivirus software products, Learning Center articles on computer virus topics, news stories and comprehensive antivirus software reviews that will help you make an informed decision on which antivirus program is right for you.

At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don't have to.™

What to Look for in Antivirus Software

All antivirus software is not created equal. Like any other category of consumer goods, it has its good, its bad and its mediocre. The choices are broad and wide. Software offerings from around the globe grace the reviews of antivirus software at TopTenReviews, but in your efforts to decide which best antivirus software to buy, remember that it really comes down to just two factors: user-friendliness and effectiveness.

Top antivirus software should be easy enough for a computer user to both install and install. The software should effectively seek out and identify virus threats, as well as clean or isolate infected files. There should be understandable reporting available for each scan and plenty of help support available, so you can be well-informed of the software’s activities and capabilities. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS uses to evaluate antivirus software.

If you would like more background on computer viruses, we encourage you to read these popular articles:

No matter how serious a computer virus is or how quickly it's passed around, with today’s antivirus software, you’ll always have a cure. To view our top choice, read our BitDefender Antivirus review and find out why we think it's the best antivirus software on the market.

 
 
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AntiVirus Software Review


You think the winter flu was bad...

Today’s computer viruses are more sophisticated and aggressive than ever. Thankfully, with antivirus software, you can confidently keep your data safe and your computer free of infection.

Rank #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
BitDefender Antivirus Kaspersky Anti-Virus Webroot Antivirus ESET Nod32 AVG Anti-Virus Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware F-Secure Anti-Virus Trend Micro McAfee VirusScan Norton AntiVirus
BitDefender Antivirus Kaspersky Anti-Virus Webroot Antivirus ESET Nod32 AVG Anti-Virus Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware F-Secure Anti-Virus Trend Micro McAfee VirusScan Norton AntiVirus
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Lowest Price Buy BitDefender Antivirus 2009
$24.95
Buy Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009
$39.95
Buy Webroot Antivirus 6
$39.95
Buy ESET Nod32 3
$39.99
Buy AVG Anti-Virus 8
$34.99
Buy Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware
$29.95
Buy F-Secure Anti-Virus 2009
$65.90
Buy Trend Micro AntiVirus with AntiSpyware 2009
$10.96
Buy McAfee VirusScan 2009
$10.49
Buy Norton AntiVirus 2009
$19.99
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good
Ratings
Ease of Use Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Effectiveness Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good
Updates Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good
Feature Set Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good
Ease of Installation Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good
Help/Support Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good
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View Screenshots View BitDefender Antivirus screenshots View Kaspersky Anti-Virus screenshots View Webroot Antivirus screenshots View ESET Nod32 screenshots View AVG Anti-Virus screenshots View Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware screenshots
View Trend Micro screenshots View McAfee VirusScan screenshots View Norton AntiVirus screenshots
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Upgraded Version BitDefender GameSafe Anti-Virus for File Server







Features
ICSA Certified Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark

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VB100% Certified Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark

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Virus Defintions Updated (Average) hourly hourly As needed As Needed Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily
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Email Protection Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
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Registry Startup Protection Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark

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WebMail Protection
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Detailed Virus Information Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Updates
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History/Report logging Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
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Technical Support
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Supported Configurations
Windows Vista (32 bit) 32 Bit Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Windows Vista (64 bit) Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark

Windows XP (32 bit) 32 Bit Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
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Windows 2000 Check Mark Check Mark
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Mac OS X









 
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