What's the Best Anti-virus?

All the independent reviews tend to place Bitdefender around the top with Eset KIS (if you do not have any political issues with it), and a few others including Avast

I use Bitdefender Full Suite, (Paid Version, and have just renewed for another year), my needs are a bit specialist and I also need protection for multiple platforms and devices

Bitdefender Free might be a good alternative no cost option


Free Antivirus Software - Download Bitdefender Antivirus Free

Alternate Free Antivirus Software - Download Bitdefender Free Edition

links are direct so should be clean from PUPs

Look I agree with Laith you need to be careful with some and it does also depend on whetehr or not yoy want apaid for or a free one.

Now I have used Kaspersky for many years on my Windows machines and it has never let me doen and the now do a free version which in all honesty has as mant features as the paid for at least the ones you acually need.

I am now using Eset on my Linux machines and it is really light weight and opens real quick an doesn hog the resources.

Just one thing about Kaspersky it can on occasions not play with Malwarebytes it depends if you are running a paid for real time MBAM

Now thsi is a good list of free AV Free Windows Desktop Software Security List | Gizmo's Freeware now I would steer clear of AVG MuckAfee Baidu Comodo because it can be a nagger and the ones I have tested that I found good are Sophos Panda but out of the lot the Kaspersky would be the one I would advise using.

I'm not getting into this again

A Guy

Yes Bill I wasn't if it wasn't for Kaspersky now having a freebie

Kasperske according to reports on T.V. has been outlawed on a government computer because of all the backdoor hacking the program does. Here is a couple of sites. There are many more sites.

Kaspersky Lab Antivirus Software Is Ordered Off U.S. Government Computers - The New York Times

https://www.usnews.com/news/national...deral-agencies

Jack

Jack,

I'm not sure if the hullabaloo over kaspersky in the US media is true or just based on the fact that Russia is generally on the "Naughty Step" at present in the US. and of course the Political nature of this puts it outside the scope of any Technical forum

All security applications have to have, and use deep layer access to the operating system, (and of course the therefor to the data on the system), in order to do the job they are designed to do.

At least with Security suites no one is forced to use a particular product and the differences between the top rated options are not great so everyone can make their own choice, which is a generally good thing :)

@ Nigel

I have no way of proving or disproving what has been said about Kaspersky.
I do know Kaspersky comes from Russia and their has been a lot of talk about Russia hacking.
All the talk could be caused by politics.
I just thought the information all over the news media was worth mentioning.

I personally haven't used Kaspersky in many years.
As you mentioned, we all can just choose the anti virus program we want to use and that is good.

Jack

Yep Jack I too think maybe the hype about Kaspersky and hacking might have some truth in in it but I am over worrying about it because if you include any AV that are produced in other countries just where do you stop??.

Frankly I am doing more stuff with Linux and a couple of my machines and even that they reckon Linux systems are so much safer but I disagree and have Eset on those for those who are interested there is a very good TC series called Mr Robot about a young fellow who does a lot of hacking and stuff on large companies and he used Linux based systems to hack those system and it drew a comment from Eugene Kaspersky to the effect that it was very close to what actually goes on with security hacking.

An article that I found interesting Where is Your Antivirus Made?

There lies the problem. Who to trust.

As a home user with only two computer and minimal knowledge, I'm unable to do a professional testing of any program. A anti virus program which gets into every part of your system checking for infection would be very hard to check.

So far I have put my trust in Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes Premium, and Super Anti Spyware. All three are on my systems and I use them daily.
I trust no program of any kind that tries to slip other things into my computer without my permission.
I'm also getting very leery of Ccleaner sense it was bought out by Avast.


Jack