Review and Recommendation List

These days, protecting your data is getting harder and harder. With more people using broadband connections, sharing files online, and sending/receiving emails, it is imperative to have a good AntiVirus application at your disposal. Each day a new virus is created and millions of computers around the world are infected by them.

Make sure that you protect your files and the integrity of your system. Here’s the list of Best Antivirus Software 2007, listed from consumer research .

Best antivirus software overall

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0

On balance, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 is the best all-around antivirus program. It excels at its primary task of preventing viruses. Reviews agree that Kaspersky is better than bestsellers Norton AntiVirus 2007 and McAfee VirusScan Plus 2007 in all aspects. Kaspersky is fast and light; it won’t slow your computer as much as the bestsellers. Although we still found some complaints about Kaspersky conflicting with some other software, program users express a much higher level of satisfaction than with Norton or McAfee.

Best antivirus software for experts

NOD32 2.7

Reviews unanimously agree that NOD32 is as good as or better than Kaspersky Anti-Virus in all but one area: Reviews say NOD32 has a very hard-to-use interface. Although computer experts say NOD32 offers great protection, no system drain and no software conflicts, most users will be confused by its unintuitive and confusing interface and controls. That puts NOD32 out of contention for anyone but sophisticated computer users.

Low-conflict antivirus software

Trend Micro Antivirus 2007

Many antivirus programs conflict with other security programs and software. Although no review rates Trend Micro Antivirus above others as a whole, it gets the best scores for low conflicts. The Kaspersky and NOD32 programs provide a better combination of protection and low use of system resources, but Trend Micro Antivirus is a viable alternative if you’re having a lot of trouble with software conflicts.

Free antivirus software

AOL Active Virus Shield

AOL now offers free security software to anyone with an e-mail address, whether or not they are AOL members. Active Virus Shield is actually a stripped-down version of the top-rated Kaspersky antivirus engine. While you’ll get the same virus protection, the catch is that you have to agree to accept occasional marketing e-mails from AOL and its partners (you can opt out after the first e-mail). You get far less user control than with a paid program, but if you don’t mind the marketing e-mails, Active Virus Shield is an easy-to-use, effective alternative. At the time of this report, it is not yet Vista-compatible. This is link for free download.

Best security suite

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7.0

Security suites bundle antivirus and anti-spyware software, a firewall and other components into a single program. ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite emerges as a clear favorite in reviews. A common complaint among owners is that ZoneAlarm causes an above-average number of software conflicts. The antivirus component in the latest version is licensed from Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Most popular antivirus software

Norton AntiVirus 2007

Norton continues to be the bestselling antivirus program, and reviews say it’s excellent at detecting viruses. However, users complain that Norton AntiVirus can slow your computer to a crawl, and that Norton conflicts with other software. Although reviewers say the 2007 version is improved, we still read many complaints about installation problems and crashes. No credible source ranks Norton AntiVirus as one of the top programs this year.