comp/net virus protection

[mbpark]

Radar,

http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/topic.php?tid=b220$1ba2cc09-52eb29d6$8979-a7f252c0

http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/product.php?tid=dfgdf$gdhkkjk-kkkk

http://www.av-comparatives.org/seite...se_2008_11.php

http://www.av-comparatives.org/seite...se_2008_08.php

http://www.av-comparatives.org/seite...se_2008_02.php

Both products are listed here. Both will work, and it's a trade-off depending on what reviews that you read. The reason I recommend AVG is because it does both and because I have seen it find and remove things that Symantec, Trend, and other products won't. Think very specific, targeted malware.

I also, when I find an infected machine, power it off and use Ultimate Boot CD with no networking on a USB stick to scan it so that I can get the machine in a state where I can scan it using a known good OS (I use a signed ISO downloaded from Microsoft's Volume Licensing Site), drivers, and anti-virus, and where I can scan and check for malware without using a compromised OS.

AVG actually publishes Plug-ins for their full version for the Ultimate Boot CD. Avast! only publishes a little "virus cleaner" like McAfee does for the Ultimate Boot CD/BartPE. Spybot Search & Destroy has a full version, as does SuperAntiSpyware. Their little "startup" tool works with BartPE/UBCD installations too.

Maybe if Avast! did what AVG does for those of us who scan infected machines that way, I'd be as bombastic in supporting them as you .

It's been quite obvious from the torrents of malware out there that Microsoft has had major issues with security over the past few years. I wouldn't trust an AV or AS product from them because it's not fixing the underlying issues causing the infections in the first place. Vista/Windows 7 and IE 7/8 are good first steps, but nowhere near where Linux or FreeBSD are at this point (Mac OS X has the same issues, too).