Antivirus Software - What Separates the Good From the Bad

An antivirus software program detects, removes, and prevents the entry of computer viruses, trojan horses, and other malware. There are various types and brands of antivirus programs and all these use different strategies for the function. The malware detection pattern and removal methods differ from program to program. So it is always important to install the program suiting your operating system and browsing habits. Some antivirus programs have a drawback in a way that they lower the system performance. When buying an antivirus product, look for the price, the performance, and its ranking. It is good if you do a little bit of research before opting for one.

The most common methods used by antivirus programs to identify viruses and other malware are the Signature based detection, Heuristic-based detection, and File emulation. Signature based detection is the most popular amongst the three. In this method, the software program compares file contents to an in-built virus signature dictionary. However, the drawback is that due to the addition of new viruses every day, the dictionary needs to be updated very often. Heuristic-based detection and file emulation are similar in many aspects. There are more methods used by different programs. The different methods help identify the unwanted programs and malware by certain aspects in the codes and characteristics. For the antivirus programs to function there are certain minimum system requirements. Ensure that your system meets these requirements before you install a product.

Some of the very popular antivirus programs are AVG, Kaspersky, McAfee, ESET and Norton. Different websites rank and provide details on the new antivirus programs and the latest versions of the existing programs also. Some of the antivirus programs which are ranked as the best antivirus 2010 software programs are BitDefender, Kaspersky, Nod32, and McAfee. Few of the other recommended antivirus 2010 software programs are AVG, The Shield Deluxe, Trend Micro, F-Secure, and Panda Antivirus Pro 2010. These ratings and rankings are based on various antivirus test results conducted by the latest programs in the market. There are some websites which gives detailed information on the test results and the ratings given for each criterion used in the test. This can help you understand the program best suiting your requirements.

There are various professional companies and organizations who are only into the lab testing of antivirus programs and they work primarily for IT companies by testing the programs provided to them. So before an organization decides to implement particular antivirus software widely in the organization, they contact the lab and ask them to perform a test on the program. The lab will perform professional test cases with malware and adware programs on the antivirus and give the result to the organization.

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