Antivirus programs

When working with a computer, as well as when working with any other device, you must observe certain security provisions. We will not tell mature people about elementary rules of behavior with electricity in any way. We will talk about other dangers, which every computer owner knows. The word will be about computer viruses, but more precisely about software tools to combat them.

Modern anti-virus programs are powerful complexes, in which several modules enter. Therefore, when choosing a program, care must be taken to the composition of the modules included in it.

Comfort of work with an antivirus is another important characteristic that you should pay attention to. Undoubted advantage is allowed to call Russian-speaking teams also the names of menu items. A small file size of the program is just one of its advantages. It is much more important to pay attention to the exactingness of the anti-virus to the resources of the computer. After all, the module "watchman" is permanently in the computer's memory, eating up a share of resources. It is important that the presence of the watchman is not felt by the user during everyday work. So why do you need an antivirus, which in a couple of times reduces the speed of work of other programs?

The ability to test a product in labor is very important when choosing software. As the situation is possible, that on some computer also to the operating system the program behaves in an unexpected way.

Another important factor is the speed of the antivirus developer's reaction to the appearance of new viruses, but as a result - timely update of the anti-virus database.

Kaspersky Lab

Developer: Kaspersky Lab
Developer's site: www.kaspersky.com
The cost of the annual license: 69 US dollars (for the version of Personal Pro)
Distribution size: 14.1 MB

One of the leaders of the antivirus software market, last year introduced a new version of its product Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0. According to the developers themselves, one of the first drawbacks of previous versions of this antivirus was the low speed of operation. A new version of the program demonstrates high speed of work with reduced consumption of resources.

When checking the disks, the antivirus compiles a database with information about already checked files, and in the future, if the attributes of these files did not change in any way, they are not checked in any way, however the program scans only new files. Previously, scanned files will be scanned again only at the user's request. This innovation also allowed to increase the speed of the program.

One of the important features of the program is an intuitive interface. All the work tools with the program are conveniently divided into three blocks, which are placed on the three tabs of the program window, these are "Protection", "Settings" also "Support". Access to control tools is realized with the context menu of the program icon located in the system tray. From here it is allowed to enable or disable the full protection of the computer, run a disk check.

One of the first pluses of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is also users, also the developers themselves call the ability to scan archives, even nested. It should be noted that this possibility is approximately unique - from the programs considered by us only one more has such capabilities.

The latest version of the program can check the contents of ZIP, ARJ, RAR, CAB archives. When checking password-protected archives, the program requests this password from the user. The program supports automatic updates of virus databases. All suspicious files (then those that can not be detected by the program in any way, whether it is infected or not) are placed in a special section "Quarantine", in the backup storage the program writes down objects created during the anti-virus scan.

The program can be password protected. It looks like the program perfectly copes with the control of mail traffic, controlling all sent also received mail.

The appearance of anti-virus database updates of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is one of the more rapid, sometimes download them is allowed every few hours. All this, along with a high level of virus detection, operates the program one of the best in its category.

Manufacturers of Kaspersky Anti-Virus deliver their product to users in three types of configuration. The version of Lite does not automatically update the virus databases, it does not have an e-mail checker, a scripts checker, and macros. Personal version does not check macros in any way. The variation of the Personal Pro delivery includes all the modules.

Plus: the ability to verify the archives, the ability to protect the program with a password, an adapted interface.

Disadvantages: there is a certain slowness in work when using Kaspersky Anti-Virus; Require additional "fine" settings, which it is difficult to handle an inexperienced user.



Ukrainian National Antivirus

Developer: Ukrainian National Antivirus Center
Website: www.unasoft.com.ua
Annual license fee: USD 22
Distribution size: 7.32 MB

Ukrainian national antivirus is a newcomer in the antivirus software market, the product has existed for just over 4 years. The program has a simple and intuitive multilingual interface. The package includes the UNA scanner, the resident display is also a scheduler. The main program module, the scanner window, consists of four tabs. Individual tabs exist to configure the startup options for the program to also view reports. In the special tab of the UNA window, the process manager is located.

Convenient solutions of the program include the ability to save settings and then download them. It is convenient to have a scheduler that allows you to create a schedule for anti-virus scanning. Resident module, UNA-monitor allows you to monitor the viral activity of applications being launched

The drawbacks of the program include the absence of modules designed to monitor network traffic and detect spyware, but in general the program showed itself very positively during testing. Other advantages of UNA are the small size occupied by the program in RAM, high speed of operation.

Plus: the program is one of the best test results for detecting viruses; Small memory capacity.

Disadvantages: some complexity in the configuration, no module to monitor network traffic.



Norton Antivirus

Developer: Symantec
Website: www.symantec.com
Annual license fee: US $ 50
Distribution size: 27.4 MB

Norton Antivirus - the product of the well-known corporation Symantec can not be called only an antivirus. The package Norton Antivirus Professional, which includes a "gentlemanly" set of modules (scanner, guard, auditor, work program with mail, scheduler) has some unique in comparison with other programs. For example, the Instant Messaging Scaner can scan for viruses files transmitted via Internet instant messengers (Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger). True, there is no support for viewing the traffic of the ICQ instant messenger.

The program successfully competes with Trojan horses, worm viruses, the speed of distribution of which sometimes outstrips the speed of updates of virus databases.

Another important advantage of Norton Antivirus is its ability to heal files in archives, including also those that are closed with passwords. In this case, the program can disarm the infected files without even asking the password to the archives. It is convenient to update the anti-virus database, which is performed almost without user intervention: the program itself communicates with the Symantec server, and if there are new databases, it also connects them to the database of the program.

Completion of Norton Antivirus Professional advises the user on the whole system of additional components, among them - the ability to create backup boot floppies, which will be allowed to use in the event of serious errors in the work of the system.

Only Norton Antivirus from the first days was able to withstand harmful viruses "I love you" also "Anna Kournikova". The drawbacks of the program are allowed to include the English-language interface and an impressive number of settings that can turn the program's pluses into flaws, especially for uninformed users.

Another useful feature of Norton Antivirus is the availability of spyware detection capabilities for spyware also adware. This along with a user-friendly interface, broad functionality and low consumption of system resources, the program is one of the best in its category.

Plus: the program includes a full set of anti-virus modules; The presence of a module to create a backup disk; The ability to determine spyware; The ability to verify archived files.

Disadvantages: there is no localized interface.