General Comments

 There are many, many resources on line for both anti-virus and other internet security products.  There are some excellent forums, but I'm not going to post links to those at this point, as there are too many potential issues for me to deal with.  The ability to download products, as well as run scans directly on-line, means that you can start dealing with the virus problem immediately, no transportation required.   Lastly, if there is a product, site or resource you think I should post, pelase let me know.  Also, if there is a term that needs clarifying, please let me know.

Things to think about

• In order for anti-virus programs to remain useful they need constant updates.
• Products that have multi-user bundles can provide savings if you have more than one computer on line.
• Whether or not to use an integrated security product or a separate anti-virus product.
• For more, see AntiVirus, especially the section on What to look for

Reviews

You should find the reviews on these sites useful.  However, do keep in mind that these sites make most of their money from selling the reviewed products (eg AntiSource) or by general ad revenues (eg PcWorld) or a combination.  That is one reason why looking at multiple sources is always a good idea.  The other is that even a site that tries to be impartial (and mostly they do, because they know that this is the key to credibility and sales) is run by humans, and mistakes do happen.  Besides human judgment is inherently fallible, so basing a decision on the opinion of one individual, when you have the option to easily check the opinion of other experts as well is not so smart.  If any site is otherwise supported, I will put it in the notes.  Also, look at how the reviews are conducted and comparative numbers.  User comments can be very useful, but do keep in mind that people sometimes put emphasis on the wrong thing.  No matter how nice a product looks, if you does not adequately protect your system, then it is NOT a "great product".  On the other hand, a product that makes it hard to accomplish anything is not "great" either, even if it does find all the viruses.  Use the reviews to help you find a product that does catch almost all of the viruses out there, without making you jump through impossible hoops to accomplish anything, and that works on your system.

Note: Some of the sites may have other contnet that is not what you want your children to be looking at.

Products

NOTE: This list is not exhaustive.  Some of the review sites have longer lists, and you should make use of them.

Please note that the prices are for the baseline product. Many of these publishers have a variety of products, with additional features or for multiple users.  You can downoad all of these products.  Many of them can also be purchased in stores that sell computer hardware and software. Unless otherwise noted all products are for Windows. Also, the line between anti-virus and general anti-malware is not always so clear, as many anti-virus products come with, or have higher priced version that have, other anti mal-ware capacity. Many of these vendors also have home and business lines. All prices and information I have here refers to the home versions, where there are two lines.

Note that all the free anti-virus products have versions that you need to pay for. In most cases the for pay verson have added features or make it easier to automate important tasks. All prices arerounded to the nearest dollar.

Note: "Older computer" generally refers to a computer that is running a version of WIndows prior to XP.

On-Line Scanners

On-line scanners are useful if you are working with a computer which does not have an anti-virus product installed, you need a second opinion or the scanner you already have is having problems. They should not be use as a primary anti-virus tool. Live anti-virus and disc based on demand scanning with an updated product is what should be the primary line of defense. This list is not exhaustive. If you know of another site that you think I should cover, let me know.

Other Resources

As with the anti-virus sites, advertising or the sale of products is a prime source of income for these sites.  That means that any given site may not be entirely appropriate for everyone inthe family. Look at Anti-spyware resources

for more sites and resources as many of these sites overlap. This list is actually secondary to that list.

Terms

•  On Demand Scanner A scanner that you start and run.  Many people run such a scanner on a regualr basis, in case their computer got infected in the time between the release of a new virus and the release of the update to the anti virus.  This should not be your promary anti-virus defense.
• Real Time Scanner A scanner that scans everything that happens as it happens.  This take more resources, but unless you have very old computer or don't do email and visit only very ferw, extremely secure sites, this should be your primary form of defense.
• On Line Scanner A scanner that you can run over the internet.  These scanners are usually free, and are definitely "on demand".  They are not a first line of defense, but can be extremely useful when you suspect that you have a virus and need to run a scan.