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The suite of tests measured the products' real-time protection capabilities, scanning detection rates, cleaning and disinfection, and impact on the protected system. Each of three main categories earns products up to six points, with a total of 11 out of 18 required to earn a passing mark.
Here are the 17 products that passed (every single name is familiar to me, except for BullGuard):
- Avast: Free AntiVirus 5.0 and 6.0
- AVG: Internet Security 10.0
- Avira: Premium Security Suite 10.0
- BitDefender: Internet Security Suite 2011
- BullGuard: Internet Security 10.0
- Eset: Smart Security 4.2
- F-Secure: Internet Security 2011
- G Data: Internet Security 2011
- Kaspersky: Internet Security 2011
- Microsoft: Security Essentials 2.0
- MicroWorld: eScan Internet Security Suite 11.0
- Panda: Internet Security 2011
- Sophos: Endpoint Security and Control 9.5
- Sunbelt: Vipre Antivirus Premium 4.0
- Symantec: Norton Internet Security 2011
- Trend Micro: Titanium Internet Security 2011
- Webroot: Internet Security Complete 7.0
BitDefender, F-Secure, and Symantec led the pack, all scoring 15 or higher from a possible 18 points. G Data, Kaspersky, and Panda, grabbed 14 points, AVG managed 13.5, and Sophos had 13. ESET, Trend Micro, and Webroot all put in a decent showing with 12.5 points, and GFI (formerly Sunbelt) took 12. Avast, Avira, eScan, and Microsoft only managed 11.5 points, while BullGuard just scraped a pass with 11.
Here are the five products that failed (these are also big names):
- CA: Internet Security Suite 2011
- Comodo: Internet Security Premium 5.0 and 5.3
- McAfee: Total Protection 2011
- Norman: Security Suite Pro 8.0
- PC Tools: Internet Security 2011
The lowest scorers were Norman and McAfee, both with 8.5 points, and both had a large numbers of false positives. I'm happy to see that I have never recommended any of the five products above. Have you?
The next certification from AV Test, in Q2 2011, will focus on security products for Windows XP. We'll cover those results based on how this article is received by our readers.
User Comments: 40
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Staff
We did not run the tests, the site we linked did. (This is also clearly stated in the first paragraph of the article).
If you follow the link you will see it was Win7 x86 and that there you can also sort by the performance impact to get to see who are the resource hogs (and not)
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I was very surprised by the results of Avast vs AVG, in my mind they where reversed...I've used "AVG Free" for about 4 years. Never had a problem with it. In fact, not so much as a tender offer to to install malware for free.
I guess I must start considering going back to recommending AVG again then...
The industry, (and individual), darlings, "Avast" and "Avira", have both failed on me.
Avira in particular, caused me to reformat my interned computer.
With that said, one of our former "gurus", insisted that I should pull it, and reinstall Avira anyway. My necessity to do this was illustrated in various colors, italic, and very bold typeface. This former "guru", was particularly, strident, forceful, obsessive-compulsive, and omniscient on this topic.
My anti-virus software gets a lot of help from other programs: Spybot SD16, CCleaner, Advanced System Care, and my favorite, "NoScript" for FF. Snug as a bug in a rug, we are.
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matrix86 said:
p51d007 said:LOL...I thought McAfee WAS a virus
It is, lol. I tried removing it once...had to do a complete rentallation of my OS to completety remove everything. Turned out you had to download a McAfee removal tool...i now slap people when they tell me they just bought McAfee, lol.
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BitDefender Internet Security 2011 is also the only one of the top three AV solutions that passes Matousec's firewall test, making it even more desirable.
http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challeng
/results.php -
Regarding my previous post on BitDefender doing great in the Matousec Firewall tests, I would also like to mention that AV-Comparatives gives it an Advanced + rating with few false-positives.
http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/av
_od_feb2011.pdfF-Secure is also in that group.
I use and recommend MSE, but recently I've cleaned computers with Malwarebytes' Anti-malware and SuperAntiSpyware to get rid of rogue av programs which MSE failed to stop and detect.
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You guys dont think weird that the test compares the free version of Avast with the paid version of AVG? i think this test was not fair to Avast. It is obviously that the paid version will be better than the free...
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You guys dont think weird that the test compares the free version of Avast with the paid version of AVG? i think this test was not fair to Avast. It is obviously that the paid version will be better than the free...In reality, there's probably not much reason to buy a paid version of AVG Anti-virus product by itself, or for that matter any AV only "solution".
Most free AVs ostensibly perform up to the level of their paid counterparts with respect to their success with virus only issues.
Most companies that offer Free AV, are counting on "complete internet security packages" as their profit item.
It stands to reason, if the free product doesn't perform well it its niche, then they stand little chance of stepping you up to their paid product.
Speaking to my personal experience with Avast (free). I had it installed on my son's computer, and my daughter in law managed to have it rendered useless by malware from Facebook. Avira (free), is the only* product that allowed malware into my internet computer. So, I pulled that, and went right back to AVG Free.
(*) Well, there was the trial version of "Norton 2004", which was less than useless.
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Arris said:
Had to suffer both Sophos and now Kaspersky at work.
Kaspersky often quarantines our jabber based work chat system on some PCs and in the past has told me Lotus Notes was performing suspicious behaviour when launching IE from an emailed link. Sophos was the worst for hogging CPU and memory, causing machines to appear locked up if it launched a "background" scan.
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Arris said:Guest said:
You guys dont think weird that the test compares the free version of Avast with the paid version of AVG? i think this test was not fair to Avast. It is obviously that the paid version will be better than the free...
Avast recently published information that they had detected over 750,000 people using one license key.
[link]
In the original article I read (not the one linked above) Avast's makers also stated that the licensed "Pro" version only really differed by providing a sandbox feature to allow testing and troubleshooting virii/infected files. With that consideration I don't think it is particularly unfair to have tested Avast free version along with paid versions of other software.
LOL...I thought McAfee WAS a virus
Had that experience too, found it causing my gf's old laptop to run even slower than it should. Hogging resource, CPU cycles and being a royal pain to try and uninstall cleanly. Sounds very virus like to me
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What's an anti-virus program? Never used one before.
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I want to know who funded the study. I also would like more details on the study. I have a HUGE, sneaky suspicion that Symantec or another "vested" interest of Symantec funded the study and left out some data. Symantec SLEEPS on the job just as bad as McAfee and its always prone to attack.
Example: I would like to know all of the details of the study. I am betting bad data was left out... OH, like Symantec making sure viruses tested were ones that Symantec could remove already.
I do my own tests all the time.. KASPERSKY and BIT DEFENDER are always more robust. Symantec, Bulldog & McAfee all sleep on the job..
Also, malwarebytes, used with Bit Defender & Kaspersky... ROCKS!
-- I.T. Professional
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"AV Test, in Q2 2011, will focus on security products for Windows XP."
Why is anyone still running XP?
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"AV Test, in Q2 2011, will focus on security products for Windows XP."Well, because they're waiting for you to buy them a copy of Windows 7. Don't forget the hardware drivers, very important.
Why is anyone still running XP?
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Touchy subject again with AV who's the best and what works.
Layer 1
Rock soild Gig/N300 firewall router
Layer 2
All latest updates for OS + Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1 FW + MSE + DEP All products + UAC + HOST MVP with own stuff
Layer 3
Chrome + Adblock + Flash block + Personal Block + Vanilla + Click & Clean + disconnect + Select out
Layer 4
Auto - ADSC Pro + Manual MAM + Manual SAS
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From: Luiz L. Marins
http://luizmarins.wordpres.com
Free and Paid should be separate.
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