Best antivirus 2016: 10 antivirus packages reviewed and rated

By: Mike Williams

Detect and remove threats before they can cause harm

Avast Free Antivirus

Price: Free

Browse the lengthy feature list of Avast Free Antivirus and it might sound complex: antivirus, password auditing, a secure browser, software updater, network vulnerability checker, and more.

Fortunately, the program bundles everything into its 'Smart Scan'. Launch this with one click and you'll soon get a report listing any malware it has uncovered, software patches you're missing, potentially risky browser add-ons, weak or duplicate passwords, and more.

The top testing labs give mixed results for Avast Free's antivirus protection, rating it anything from excellent to midrange. We've found it reliable, but a little more consistency in large-scale reviews would be welcome.

Where they do agree is on performance, with just about everyone saying the package has little impact on your PC's speed.

There are stronger products around, but if you're interested in its extra features, or want something that won't slow you down, give Avast Free Antivirus a try.

AVG AntiVirus Free

Price: Free

AVG has struggled to keep up with the competition in the past few years, but don't rule out the company entirely – its latest engine is showing real signs of improvement.

Independent lab AV-Comparatives has consistently rated AVG in the top 10 for its Real-World Protection test. AV-Test has recently found it offers above average protection rates, with few false positives.

The free edition only provides the core antivirus and web protection basics, but it does have builds for Android and Mac, as well as Windows. Even better, you can remotely manage all your devices from a web console.

There are some issues. In particular, AVG AntiVirus Free doesn't get priority real-time updates, leaving you a little more vulnerable to the latest threats. But you can fix this by spending £44.99 on the commercial release, and both products are solid, reliable, and the best AVG releases for a while.

Avira Free Antivirus

Price: Free

At first glance, Avira Free Antivirus doesn't look like the best security choice. The interface is dated and relatively complex, there's a distinct shortage of extras, and even basic web protection requires installing a separate browser add-on.

The package scores where it matters, though, with all the big testing labs – AV-Comparatives, AV-Test and Virus Bulletin – giving it stellar ratings, comparable to high-end competitors like Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

                          

Avira Free is easier to use than it looks, too. The program can take care of most threats all on its own, and if you do need any assistance then a capable local help file explains everything you need to know. 

You do get some bonus features, including a simplified interface to help you make use of the Windows firewall, and autorun blocking to reduce the risk from infected USB keys.

The package is also very lightweight. AV-Comparatives' April 2016 performance test placed Avira first out of 19 for having the least performance impact on a PC.

Overall, it's not flashy – there's no touch-friendly interface or HD icons here – but for value and pure desktop protection Avira Free Antivirus is hard to beat.

While Avira free antivirus does the job, its bigger brother, the Ultimate Edition Suite 2015, might be a better bet with support for up to three devices for three years. You also get Laplink PCMover Express, DriveLock Private, SuperEasy Driver Updater and Avira Antivirus Pro for Android thrown in for a grand total of £20 at Amazon.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016

Price: £29.95 (1 PC, 1 year)

In a world packed with free security software, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016'sannual £29.95 fee may look expensive. But there are discounts available – a 3-device, 3-year licence costs £89.95 – and you do get a lot for your money.

Bitdefender's engine is one of the most accurate and reliable around, for instance, loved by all the big independent testers.

Web filtering blocks access to malicious sites, a secure browser keeps your online financial transactions safe, and there's a password manager which auto-completes credit card details in web forms.

                            

An excellent antiphishing module alerts you to malicious links in your search engine results, and blocks access to dangerous sites.

There are one or two issues – the anti-ransomware module offers good all-round protection, but sometimes blocks legitimate programs – but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016 is still a likeable package which offers excellent detection rates, great performance, and more than enough bonus features to justify its premium price.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016 is available from Amazon for as little as £21 including delivery. Note that this is the one-year, three-user edition and that's the price for the boxed version. Alternatively, you can purchase the Total Security 2016 edition for around £25. It adds a firewall, parental control, antispam, file encryption and much more!

F-Secure Anti-Virus

Price: £19.95 (1 PC, 1 year)

If you're tired of the junk that weighs down some antivirus tools, F-Secure Anti-Virus will make a refreshing change. There are no unnecessary extras here, no bonus features you'll never use: you just get straightforward real-time browsing and antivirus protection.

Keeping things simple doesn't mean compromising your safety. The package typically receives maximum marks for protection from AV-Test, and generally scores highly with AV-Comparatives, too. They also say it can generate significantly more false positives than most of the competition, but how that affects you will vary depending on how you use your computer.

The interface is a major plus. It's extremely easy to use, lightweight, and for the most part you can just leave it alone to look after your PC. The program has minimal effect on your system performance, and if you do need to intervene then you can generally solve any issues in a couple of clicks.

Competitors like Bitdefender and Kaspersky offer better protection and more features, but F-Secure Anti-Virus remains a likeable package: fast, lightweight, and able to run alongside many other security tools without conflict. It's one of the better value commercial products, too.

F-Secure Antivirus is available from Amazon for £15.95 as a download for one user, for one year. Alternatively, the online code for three users (rather than one) is £19.95 from the same seller.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2016

Price: £29.99 (1 PC, 1 year)

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2016 is a stripped-back security package which focuses on the core security essentials: web filtering blocks dangerous URLs, an accurate antivirus engine detects and removes threats, smart monitoring technologies track and reverse malicious actions, and that's about it.

Fortunately, what you do get works well. Very, very well. We've consistently found Kaspersky to be amongst the best at blocking malware, and removing it from an infected system, and it's regularly top-rated at sites like AV-Comparatives.

The high price could be an issue. If you're looking for better value, check Kaspersky's Internet Security products. These are often discounted, and you could get a much more powerful suite for around £5 more.

But if you're just after accurate, reliable and consistent malware protection, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2016 will serve you well.

For better, more rounded protection, Kaspersky also has 2016 edition Total Security Multi Device product which covers three devices (PC, Android and Mac) for a full year. At £19 from Amazon, it offers privacy protection, secure storage and synchronisation of your passwords and files as well.

Norton Security Standard

Price: £29.99 (1 PC, 1 year)

Norton Security Standard is one of the most comprehensive packages here, combining antivirus, browsing protection, a firewall, password manager and more.

One of Norton's strongest areas is preventing you from getting infected in the first place. An excellent URL blocker does a good job of keeping you away from malicious websites, and the program won't allow you to run files it doesn't trust. This can be infuriating if you're always downloading and trying out the latest freeware, as it'll always be raising alerts, but if you're trying to protect a largely stable system – your kids' laptop, say – then it can be very effective.

The product isn't widely tested by the main labs, but AV-Test scores Norton highly for its reliable and effective protection.

The price is also high, unfortunately – £29.99 for year one, £39.99 per year after that – but Norton Security Deluxe may offer better value: spend £10 more from year two and you're covered for up to 5 PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones.

Norton Security 3.0 (version 2016) costs only £34 at Amazon for the 5-device, 1-year subscription. For an extra £18, you can double the number of devices supported and you also get 25GB of online backup bundled with a 100% refund assurance.

Panda Free Antivirus 2016

Price: Free

Opting for free antivirus can mean you'll pay in some respects. Panda Free Antivirus will change your browser home and search pages unless you notice and clear a checkbox, it installs a browser toolbar for URL blocking, you must register with your email address, and the interface is always suggesting: 'Upgrade to PRO!'

                             

Still, once you're up and running there are plenty of compensations. The program looks good, is easy to use, and has reliable URL blocking to keep you away from malicious sites. AV-Test scores Panda highly for protection, and even if something does penetrate your defences, a bootable Rescue Kit environment will help you get rid of it.

Factor in other bonus extras, like the configurable interface (right click tiles to optionally remove them, Windows 8/10-style), and you'll see why Panda Free Antivirus 2016 is a likeable and effective tool.

Although Panda Antivirus Free is a superb deal, you can get the Global Protection (2016 edition) version (which includes Mac protection, VIP services, chat support as well as identity and family protection) for five computers for around £18 at Amazon.

Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security

Price: £19.95 (1 PC, 1 year)

Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security is a capable antivirus package that's easy to use with above average antispam and brand new ransomware protection.

How good is it? The top testing labs all rate it highly for protection, but after that there's little agreement. AV-Comparatives says it gives a high number of false positives, and slows down your PC more than just about anything else; AV-Test reports few false positives and excellent performance results.

Our experiences with the product are mostly favourable: protection levels appear similar to Bitdefender, false positives are only marginally higher, and it doesn't slow down our system noticeably more than anything else.

We'd recommending running the trial for its full 30 days before you buy, then, to see if you notice any problems. But if you're unaffected, its high levels of detection and excellent bonus features make Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security a good choice.

Trend Micro Maximum Security 10 (2016 edition) costs a mere £3.29 for the 1-year, 3-device version (you only get the product key) or you could get a better deal from Amazon with Internet Security 2016 which is a one-year subscription for three devices for only £23.99.

Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus

Price: £22.49 (1 PC, 1 year)

Just about every antivirus tool claims to be lightweight, but Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is the only one to really deliver on this front. Installation takes seconds, the program files barely grab 2MB of your hard drive, RAM footprint is tiny, and there are no bulky signature updates to tie up your bandwidth.

There's no compromise on features, though. Along with the core antivirus protection, there's smart behaviour monitoring, accurate real-time antiphishing, a firewall and network connection monitor, enhanced anti-ransomware, and other interesting extras.

It's not easy to compare Webroot's accuracy with the competition, as the big testing labs rarely test the company's products. But when they are reviewed, they generally score well, and our own tests show solid and reliable protection.

There's a lot to like about SecureAnywhere AntiVirus, and Webroot's 70-day 100% money-back guarantee suggests it's confident in the product, too. If you're tired of bloated antivirus engines, Webroot must be on your shortlist.

Webroot SecurityAnywhere Antivirus can be purchased from eBay for £35.49. It comes with a money-back guarantee as well as 25GB of online backup. This is the 3-device pack that contains a card only (you will have to download the actual product, either for Windows or for Mac, and activate it).

"IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANTIVIRUS, GET SOME. IF YOU HAVE SOME, ENSURE IT'S UP TO DATE AND CLEAN UP YOUR COMPUTER."

~ Carole Theriault

Read about the 5 deadliest computer viruses which haunted computer users

By: http://www.techworm.net/

Computer viruses can be dreadful that might cause extensive damage to your innocent device. It can significantly disrupt your system’s performance and has the potential to wipe out everything on your hard disk.

So, what is a computer virus? A computer virus is a malware program that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into other computer programs, data files, or the boot sector of the hard drive. When this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be “infected”, making your device helpless and sick.

Also, ever since people could write code there have been individuals known as hackers who have sought to make that code malicious in nature. While some pranksters created virus-like programs for large computer systems, it was really the introduction of the personal computer that brought computer viruses to the public’s attention.

Computer viruses have inundated the computer user for a long time now. Here are five most dangerous computer viruses of all time:

1. ILOVEYOU

                           

This was perhaps the most dangerous computer virus ever created that in the form of a worm — it was a standalone program capable of replicating itself. Known as ILOVEYOU, this virus initially traveled the Internet by e-mail and managed to crash PCs all across the world. To make it even more alluring, the subject of the e-mail said that the message was a love letter from a secret admirer. An attachment in the e-mail was what caused all the trouble. The original worm had the file name of LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs. The moment someone opened the file, the virus emailed itself to the first 50 contacts available in the PC’s Windows address book. The virus caused a total damage of around $10 billion affecting almost 10% of the world’s PCs connected to the Internet.

2. Melissa

                         

Melissa was the first mass-mailing macro virus for the new age of e-mailing which became the breaking news across the world on March 26, 1999. Based on a Microsoft Word macro and built by David L, Melissa was spread in the form of an email attachment by the name “list.doc.” When the attachment was clicked upon, the virus replicates itself and seeks for the Microsoft Outlook address book to e-mail itself to the first 50 names on the list with a message, “Here is that document you asked for…don’t show anyone else. ;-)” Later on, FBI arrested David L and slapped him with a fine of $5000 for unleashing the fastest virus of its time.

3. My Doom

My Doom explored its way to the malware world on 26th January 2004 and sent a shockwave around the world, as it scattered exponentially via e-mail through email with random addresses of senders and subject lines. My Doom destroyed the cyber world by activating a tremendous denial of service attack that infected close to about two million PCs. It transmitted itself in a particularly deceitful manner through e-mail as what receiver would first reckon to be a bounced error message as it reads “Mail Transaction Failed.” But, as soon as the message is clicked upon, the attachment is executed and the worm is transferred to email addresses found in the user’s address book. The damage caused by this fastest-spreading mass mailer worm was a whopping $38 billion.

4. Code Red

It debuted in late 2001 taking advantage of the Microsoft Internet Information Server’s flaw. The variations of the virus plagued the Internet for several months. The interesting thing about this deadly virus is, it did not require you to open an e-mail attachment or run a file; it just required an active Internet connection with which it ruined the Web page that you opened by displaying a text “Hacked by Chinese!” And in less than a week’s time, “Code Red” brought down more than 400,000 servers including the White House web server. This virus caused a total damage of approximately $2.6 billion dollars by hitting almost one million PCs.

5. Sasser

The 2004 worm virus affected Windows OS primarily, and was devastating to many critical infrastructures. It didn’t spread through e-mail unlike other viruses. Instead, once the virus infected a computer, it looked for other vulnerable systems. It contacted those systems and instructed them to download the virus. The virus would scan random IP addresses to find potential victims. The virus also altered the victim’s operating system in a way, making it even hard to reset without cutting the power. Sasser functioned by attacking the security controller Local Security Authority Subsystem Service, as it had a buffer overflow vulnerability. The worm affected hospitals, public transportation, airlines, news agencies and much more. After one million infections, there was an estimated 18 billion dollars in damage recorded.

                                                                      

ATTACKED WINDOWS 2000

                                    ATTACKED WINDOWS XP

"YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST AN ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM AND BE SECURE ANYMORE"

~ Bob Hansmann

TIPS: Virus Prevention

• Installing anti-virus software on your computer.

A good antivirus system will scan your machine regularly to clean it from any infected files.

• Update your anti-virus software regularly.

NOTE: It is advised NOT to connect to the Internet without AV protection

• WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!

Always use caution and do not open, download, or execute any suspicious files or email attachments.

Do not open any files attached to an email

- from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source. 

- ending with: .exe, .com, .src, .plf, .vbs 

- That you were not expecting to receive 

- Unless you know what is, even if appears to come from a friend or someone you know

• Delete chain emails and junk mail.

Do not forward or reply to any to them. These types of emails are considered spam, which is unsolicited, intrusive mail that clogs up the network.

• Use caution when downloading files from the Internet.

Ensure that the source is a legitimate and reputable one. Verify that an anti-virus program checks the files on the download site. If you are uncertain, do not download file at all.

Common Types of Computer Virus

• Trojan Horses

Trojan Horses are computer viruses that hide inside non-executable files such as compresses or documented files and executable files and try to avoid detection by anti-virus programs. Trojan horses usually appear to be useful computer files/programs such as a computer game or data library.

• Worms

A worm is a program very similar to a virus; It has the ability to self-replicate and can lead to negative effects on your system and most importantly they are detected and eliminated by anti viruses.

Worms are technically not viruses, though the difference is quite subtle and the media often confuses them. 

Worms live only to spread themselves through a network though – they will automatically transfer themselves to other computers. Because they are transferred automatically and not by the actions on human, they spread much faster than viruses.

• Logic Bombs

They are not considered viruses because they do not replicate. They are not even programs in their own right but rather camouflages segments of other programs. 

Their objective is to destroy data on the computer once certain conditions have been met. Logic bombs go undetected until launched, and the results can be destructive.

• Stealth Viruses

A stealth virus hides the modifications made to files and boot records by modifying and forging the results of calls to functions, therefore programs believe they are reading the original file and not the modified file. A good anti-virus software will probably detect a stealth virus due to the fact that a stealth virus attempts to hide itself in memory when an anti-virus software is launched.

• Slow Viruses

A Slow virus is a difficult virus to detect due to the fact it only modifies and infects files when they have been modified or copied. Therefore the original file will not be infected by the actual copied file. A good way to protect yourself against slow viruses is by using an integrity checker or shell.

• Retro Viruses

A Retro virus attacks the anti-virus software designed to delete it. The retro virus usually attempts to attack the anti-virus data files such as the virus signature store which disables the ability of the anti-virus software to detect and delete viruses. Otherwise the retro virus attempts to alter the operation of the anti-virus software.

• Multipartite Viruses

A Multipartite virus attempts to attack and infect both the boo sector and executable files at the same time.

• Armored Viruses

An armored virus attempts to protect itself from anti-virus software by trying to make anti-virus software believe it is located somewhere else. Therefore the Armored virus has made itself more difficult to trace, disassemble and understand.

• Companion Viruses

A Companion virus creates a companion file for each executable file the virus infects. Therefore a companion virus may save itself as scandisk.com and every time a user executes scandisk.exe, the computer will load scandisk.com and therefore infect the system.

• Phage Viruses

A Phage virus is a very destructive virus that re-writes an executable program with its own code, rather than just attaching itself to a file. Therefore a Phage virus will usually attempt to delete or destroy every program it infects.

• Revisiting Viruses

A revisiting virus is a worm virus and attempts to copy itself within the computer’s memory and then copy itself to another linked computer using TCP/IP protocols. The Morris Worm virus in the late 1980’s was the first major threat to hit the internet.

• Resident Virus

This type of virus is a permanent which dwells in the RAM memory. From there it can overcome and interrupt all of the operations executed by the system; corrupting files and programs that are opened, closed, copied, renamed etc.

• Direct Action Viruses

The main purpose of this virus is to replicate and take action when it is executed. When a specific condition is met, the virus will go into action and infect files in the directory or folder that it is in and in directories that are specified in the AUTOEXEC>BAT file PATH. This batch file is always located in the root directory of the hard disk and carries out certain operations when the computer is booted.

• Overwrite Viruses

Virus of this kind is characterized by the fact the it deletes the information contained in the files that it infects, rendering them partially or totally useless once they have been infected.

The only way to clean a file infected by an overwrite virus is to delete the file completely, thus losing the original content.

• Boot Virus

This type of virus affects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk. This is a crucial part of a disk, in which information on the disk itself is stored together with a program that makes it possible to boot (start) the computer from the disk.

The best wat if avoiding boot viruses is to ensure that floppy disks are write-protected and never start your computer with an unknown floppy disk in the disk drive.

• Macro Virus

Macro viruses infect files that are created using certain applications or programs that contain macros. These mini-programs make it possible to automate series of operations so that they are performed as a single action, thereby saving the user from having to carry them out one by one.

• Directory Virus

Directory viruses change the paths that indicate the location of a file. By executing a program (file with the extension.EXE or .COM) which has been infected by a virus, you are unknowingly running the virus program, while the original file and program have been previously moved by the virus.

Once infected it becomes impossible to locate the original files.

• Polymorphic Virus

Polymorphic viruses encrypt or encode themselves in a different way (using different algorithms and encryption keys) every time they infect a system, this makes it impossible for anti-viruses to find them using string or signature searches (because they are different in each encryption) and also enables them to create a large number of copies of themselves.

• Files Infectors

This type of virus infects programs or executable files (files with an .EXE or .COM extension). When one of these programs is run, directly or indirectly, the virus is activated, producing the damaging effects it is programmed to carry out. The majority of existing viruses belong to this category and can be classified depending on the actions that they carry out.

• Companion Viruses

Companion viruses can be considered file infector viruses like resident or direct action types. They are known as companion viruses because once they get into the system they “accompany” the other files that already exist. In other words, In order to carry out their infection routines, companion viruses can wait in memory until a program is run (resident viruses) or act immediately by making copies of themselves (direct action viruses).

• FAT Virus

The file allocation table or FAT is the part of a disk used to connect information and is a vital part of the normal functioning of the computer. This type of virus attack can be especially dangerous, by preventing access to certain sections of the disk where important files are stored. Damage caused can result in information losses from individual files or even entire directories.

COMPUTER VIRUS

• A short computer program, hidden within another, that makes copies of it and spreads them, disrupting the operation of a computer that receives one. 

• It usually does nasty things to the computer or programs which it infects. 

• Its effects could be just plain, annoying or extremely malicious.

Most common symptoms that indicates your computer has been infected:

1. Files and data is deleted 
2. The computer takes longer to load programs/applications 
3. Items and images on your screen are distorted and unusual images and text appears 
4. Unusual noises come from your keyboard, hard disk 
5. Hard disk operates excessively or is inaccessible 
6. Disk space and filenames change for no reason 
7. System tools such as Scandisk return incorrect values

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE

*Do's in Using a Computer

        1. Do run anti-virus 

It is a software that helps you to prevent viruses from infecting your computer. Simply having the anti-virus software isn't enough. People need to constantly update and use it as malicious software is being created everyday.

        2. Do routinely reinstall your operating system

The nature of the operating system is after 12 to 18 months. Windows is simply going to slow down and it's going to become less and less efficient. The solution? Reinstalling the operating system.

        3. Do use the cloud

The famous cloud is really just the Internet. Storing backup information or files on the Internet allows you to access them from anywhere. So if, worst case scenario, your house burns down, your digital photos will be safe even though your computer and external hard drive are fried.        

        4. Do get a solid state drive

If you want to invest in your computer, consider getting a solid state drive, an alternative to the traditional spinning hard drive. They are expensive but they will make your computer run about several times faster.

        5. Do backup

Make sure that you either save your files in an area that is backed up or that you back up (copy to some other PC/Media) your files regularly, so that if there is a crash, or theft, you have current copies of your documents.

        6. Do shut down properly

When you turn off your PC/Laptop please shut it down properly, try not to just turn the power off. This will ensure that everything is saved and closed properly.

*Don'ts in Using a Computer

        1. Don't click on short links

At least, don't click without doing proper research first. When it comes to bit links, the problem is that the final destination is unknown.

        2. Don't open attachments in email from unknown, suspicious, or untrustworthy                       sources

If it is an executable don't open it. Those executable e files often end in (.exe). In today's hacker-friendly world, getting a hold of someone's email address is relatively easy.

        3. Don't blindly click on links in browsers or emails

Just because the link reads www.facebook.com doesn't mean it's going to Facebook. It is recommended to hover over the link with their mouse and look at the bottom of their browser to see the exact destination address don't match up, don't click.

        4. Don't fill your hard drive to capacity

It is recommended to keep at least 20 percent of the hard drive free. If you are doing a gazillion things at once on your computer, chances are that you have used up your entire RAM. Once your RAM is used, your computer uses your hard drive as additional RAM. But if your hard drive is full to the brim, this will end up crashing your computer.

        5. Don't store anything on your desktop

The desktop is typically not backed up, so if the computer crashes then anything on the desktop is lost.

        6. Don't save passwords

It is better that you input it every time. If you get any SpyWare on your PC one of the two major things they do is look across your system for any saved passwords, also means that if someone else is working at your computer they won't have automatic access.

        7. Don't install anything

If you don't know exactly what you are installing, on your computer, then don't install it. It may be what it seems. Especially SpyWare cleaners, they are more likely to infect you than clean.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Disk Defragmentation - Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontigous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Defragmentation reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently.

"Computers are like Old Testament Gods; lots of rules and no mercy."

~by Joseph Campbell

/B-a-s-i-c/..

Hand - out: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwItUMyMc1Q8eXY3dlZ5TFdoRWs