Lab

Anti-virus software

Viruses are a threat to your computer. More specifically, they are a threat to your files, your privacy and even your bank balance. Long gone are the days when vandals sent out programs simply to damage your PC. Now there is strong evidence that organised criminals are involved in creating viruses, attempting to steal valuable information or your internet connection for nefarious purposes.

Once upon a time, the worst-case virus scenario was a rude message on your monitor and a formatted hard disk. Now you may not even know that your PC has been infected with a virus until your bank account has been cleaned out. That is the bad news; however, there are a number of ways that you can protect yourself. One of the most useful things you can do is buy and install a good anti-virus program.

Every anti-virus company claims that its products will protect your PC, but who can you trust? This month we have tested all the leading anti-virus programs, plus a number of others that you may not have heard of. Unlike most computer magazines, we have actually tested these programs by throwing hundreds of recent viruses, Trojans and spyware files at each one over email and via the web.

The results are astounding, and we're willing to bet many of you will change the anti-virus software you are using after reading these reviews. If you subscribe to any of the world-leading packages, we'd advise you to read on carefully. We're almost certain you'll be as taken aback as we were by the results.

Testing times

Testing anti-virus software is a controversial subject. Some anti-virus companies have complained that, by handling live viruses, we are being 'unethical'. Some don't believe us when we say their products do not detect certain files and demand proof, which we are happy to provide. Others point out that the number of viruses used by computer magazines is so small as to generate meaningless results. Many magazines don't even bother testing with real viruses and instead rely on the veracity of the certificates awarded to products by the security industry.

There are many different ways to test anti-virus software and we believe that, at the very least, our method demonstrates that it is disingenuous for anti-virus companies to claim that their products provide 100 per cent protection.