Post by Yoon on Jun 23, 2008 19:12:51 GMT -5
Need security protection but don't want to pay money for the software? No problem! There are many available, free alternatives that work very well.
Anti-Virus:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* Avira AntiVirus Personal: Avira AntiVirus works well for home use. It has a very high virus detection rate, according to recent tests done by AV-Test.org. Scans can be scheduled as well. One downside is that pop-up ads for Avira appear from time-to-time, but this can be disabled via Security Policy in 2000/XP/Vista. This is the one I use on all of my computers.
* AVG AntiVirus Free-Edition
* Avast! 4 Home Edition
* ClamWin Free Antivirus: This is an open-source virus scanner. Compared to the other free antivirus software alternatives, ClamWin offers minimal protection and virus detection rates are lower than the others. The only benefit is that it is available for use to both personal and corporate users.
* PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition
Anti-Spyware:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* LavaSoft Ad-Aware Free: Ad-Aware is a very effective anti-spyware software, as it has high detection rates. It sometimes detects spyware that SpyBot doesn't catch. Spyware protection is the best when both Ad-Aware and SpyBot are used.
* SpyBot: Search & Destroy: SpyBot is a great alternative to Ad-Aware, as it also has high anti-spyware detection rates. It often finds spyware that Ad-Aware doesn't detect. Spyware protection is even better when both Ad-Aware and SpyBot are used.
* Windows Defender: Microsoft's own Windows Defender does a pretty good job at catching spyware and is updated quite frequently. Recommended for XP users; already built-in for Vista users.
Firewall:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* Comodo Firewall Pro: This firewall software from Comodo works very well, as it detects and stops unauthorized connections effectively. Highly recommended for XP users, as the built-in XP Firewall is extremely limited.
If you have suggestions on other freeware security software, feel free to post your suggestion in this thread!
Anti-Virus:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* Avira AntiVirus Personal: Avira AntiVirus works well for home use. It has a very high virus detection rate, according to recent tests done by AV-Test.org. Scans can be scheduled as well. One downside is that pop-up ads for Avira appear from time-to-time, but this can be disabled via Security Policy in 2000/XP/Vista. This is the one I use on all of my computers.
* AVG AntiVirus Free-Edition
* Avast! 4 Home Edition
* ClamWin Free Antivirus: This is an open-source virus scanner. Compared to the other free antivirus software alternatives, ClamWin offers minimal protection and virus detection rates are lower than the others. The only benefit is that it is available for use to both personal and corporate users.
* PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition
Anti-Spyware:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* LavaSoft Ad-Aware Free: Ad-Aware is a very effective anti-spyware software, as it has high detection rates. It sometimes detects spyware that SpyBot doesn't catch. Spyware protection is the best when both Ad-Aware and SpyBot are used.
* SpyBot: Search & Destroy: SpyBot is a great alternative to Ad-Aware, as it also has high anti-spyware detection rates. It often finds spyware that Ad-Aware doesn't detect. Spyware protection is even better when both Ad-Aware and SpyBot are used.
* Windows Defender: Microsoft's own Windows Defender does a pretty good job at catching spyware and is updated quite frequently. Recommended for XP users; already built-in for Vista users.
Firewall:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* Comodo Firewall Pro: This firewall software from Comodo works very well, as it detects and stops unauthorized connections effectively. Highly recommended for XP users, as the built-in XP Firewall is extremely limited.
If you have suggestions on other freeware security software, feel free to post your suggestion in this thread!