Every computer needs antivirus protection, period. If cost is an issue, try one of these nine free AV apps.
PCMag.Com - If your computer ever connects to the Internet, it's potentially exposed to viruses and other malicious software. As last year's Stuxnet worm demonstrated, even a computer that never connects can be compromised through an infected USB drive.Given the quality of free antivirus software available, there's no excuse for failing to install protection. The question is, which is the best free antivirus?
Publishers of free AV software don't always put out a new release every year. None as yet have jumped on the 2012-edition bandwagon: but that's OK: It's still 2011. Here's the low-down on recent free antivirus releases. Here's the low-down on the most recent releases to help you choose the best free antivirus software.
Blocking Malware Attack
When you get a brand-new computer the very first thing you should install is a good antivirus. Not sure which one to choose? Install a free one to stay protected while you're researching your decision.
Ad-Aware FREE Internet Security 9.0 (Free, 4.5 stars) scored well across the board in my hands-on malware protection tests. It detected 91 percent of the threats and scored 9.0 points, the best score of any free product. Comodo Antivirus 5.0 (Free, 3.5 stars) actually detected more threats, 94 percent of them, but was just slightly less effective at blocking them, for a score of 8.9 points.
All of the free products did a decent job of protection, though avast! Free version 6.0 (Free, 3.5 stars) was less effective against scareware threats and AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 (Free, 3.5 stars) less effective against scareware. For an explanation of how I arrive at these scores, see How We Test Malware Blocking.
Fighting Existing MalwareYou can't always start with a clean system. A free antivirus can be very handy when you need to clean up an infestation of malicious software right now. Ad-Aware FREE proved very effective in my malware removal tests. Comodo, the other top scorer for malware blocking, didn't do nearly as well at cleanup.
Panda Cloud Anti-Virus 1.5 Free Edition (Free, 3.5 stars) is the only one of this group tested with my 2011 malware collection. It detected 91 percent of threats, the same as Ad-Aware, but scored much lower due to incomplete cleanup. According to Panda,an update with improved cleanup abilities is in the works. Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 (Free, 3 stars) doesn't shine either at blocking or cleanup. More
