Anti-malware Programs

Last modified 07/04/08

Anti-malware Programs

Most security software reviews are superficial and misleading. The purpose of many is to sell the programs they are praising. Other reviews are based more on affinity or ease-of-use, not on how effective the programs are.
You will find the security software that I use for my own security setup. It's a proactive security strategy, which is bolder, and I think better than conventional thinking. :-)
There are descriptions of each anti-malware category on at Malware Defense Tools.
Security suites have become a reasonable alternative to separate, best-of-class security programs. They still don't deliver the superior protection that a full set of best-of-breed programs can provide though.

When I run across good reviews of security software I add them to my Security Software notebook. You might find what you're looking for there.
I rate some, but not all of the good programs here. It's too hard to keep up with all the changes. If you want to know what I think of specific programs, just ask me.

Antivirus programs

Mucho Importante: Uninstall all old antivirus program(s), including previous versions of the new one, before you install an antivirus program. That includes security suites and firewalls, such as ZoneAlarm + Antivirus.

[Rank: 1=Best, 2=Better, 3=Good]

NOD32: Stellar detection record, fast updates, easy to install. Includes advanced heuristic scanning for unknown viruses. NOD32 configuration (settings) may be confusing for novice users. This is the one that I used for several years before I eliminated virus scanning from my setup. [More about that later -- I don't recommend that you eliminate virus scanning unless you do all the other things that I do. I haven't written them up yet though. Write if you'd really like to know.] :-)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus: First rate detection, and quick response time to new threats.
AVG Anti-Virus consistently ranks high in independent tests.
F-Secure: an excellent program from a respected company that has strong, ongoing anti-malware research and development. If you get any complaints when you install F-Secure, don't let it uninstall another program. Cancel the installation, uninstall the other program yourself, and then restart F-Secure's installation.
Avast!: Good detection record, fast update, easy to install, easy to operate -- free for home use, with free signature updates too. They have professional versions too, with increased capability.

Many antivirus programs suffer from newly discovered and critical vulnerabilities.

Anti-spyware (anti-malware) programs

Watch out for bogus anti-spyware programs. They're as close as the next urgent, sincere popup or ad. [more]

[Rank: 1=Best, 2=Better, 3=Good]

CounterSpy from Sunbelt Software has the same roots as Microsoft's Windows Defender. Sunbelt was a partner with Microsoft in the anti-spyware business at one time. The Sunbelt product consistently comes out best in comparative tests.
Update: Sunbelt has just [March 2008] released VIPRE 3 (Beta), which is an advanced version of CounterSpy combined with an antivirus scanner. It's what I'm using currently. I expect it to be my long term choice too. Even though it's a beta version, I think it is seasoned enough for day-to-day use.
Spy Sweeper: Detection rate is consistently higher than that of Windows Defender. A little prone to false alarms, so not as good for beginning users.
Spyware Doctor is a newer anti-malware program from a well respected supplier. Produces very few false positives.
Microsoft's free Windows Defender is not as good as you'd expect.

The tutorials at bleepingcomputer.com are a good place to learn about installing and using anti-malware programs. They'll give you a good idea of what's involved.

Intrusion prevention software

The best way to keep your computer free of malware is to not let it in. ;-) Think of intrusion blocking as a bullet-proof vest. It's not "full-body" armor, but it is a very good extra defense layer. Intrusion prevention doesn't replace other anti-malware protection. It may not be able to remove infections that are already present either.
Note: Intrusion prevention programs are powerful, but not suitable for casual computer users. Their powerful protection is similar to running with a "Limited" Windows account or other reduced-rights methods. You need to know what you're doing to use them effectively.

[Rank: 1=Best, 2=Better, 3=Good]

I'm now using Online Armor Personal Firewall to run most of my internet-facing programs with reduced rights. It's particularly handy because you can easily run the same program at full rights directly from Online Armor.
ProcessGuard protects your system and other anti-malware programs by blocking unwanted changes. In their own description, "ProcessGuard also stops applications from executing without the users consent, stops malicious worms and trojans from being executed silently in the background, as well as a variety of other attacks. ProcessGuard even stops most keyloggers and leaktests, and is recognized by many to be the most comprehensive anti-rootkit solution available."
Prevx1 keeps an eagle eye on sensitive areas of your system. I gave it a rank of 1 in this category on the basis of my experience and the stature of the company.
WinPatrol Plus has the advantage that it's much more user friendly than Process Guard or Prevx1. I have successfully used WinPatrol together with Process Guard.

Anti-Trojan programs

[Rank: 1=Best, 2=Better, 3=Good]

TrojanHunter: Uses special techniques to detect and root out well-hidden Trojans. It's the one I use. [anti-trojan ratings]
AVG Anti-Spy: (was Ewido Security Suite) A newcomer to Trojan defense, with impressive performance. There are free and commercial versions. Both worked well when I tried them, and they continue to get good reviews.