How to Select the Best Antivirus and Methods
The development of information technology is very rapid at this time to encourage significant levels of viral growth. Many viruses that roam make computer users uncomfortable. Moreover, anti-virus system is not one hundred percent able to protect the computer (this is written from an observer Antivirus,
A. What antivirus is it?
Before choosing antivirus is good that we know little about the antivirus. Antivirus software is befungsi to detect, remove and quarantine viruses from computer systems. Also called Virus Protection Software. This application can determine whether a computer system has been infected with a virus or not. Generally, this software runs in the background (background) and do a scan of all files that are accessed (opened, modified, or when stored).
With earlier explanation would arise the question how to choose the best antivirus? Here I am trying to wrap up a barometer of what is used in choosing antivirus products.
B. What are the priority in determining the quality of an antivirus product?
From the survey results, then get priority in choosing antivirus reference:
1. Detection Rate Test
It is a test of antivirus signature base of thousands and even millions of virus samples, and then compare Which most antivirus detects the virus samples.
2. Heuristic / Prospective / Generic Test
It is a test virus / new malware that does not exist in the database (signature file), but use it as a reference signature database to detect virus / malware new, if there are characteristics of the virus / malware then the heuristic function will detect it.
In this case such as DNA in humans, for example, Peter Parker is a virus and has existed in an anti-virus signature database, so it can detect that this is a virus, but when Peter Parker then transformed into Spiderman, then the basic anti-virus signature database not recognize that this virus / malware, but the heuristic function will see that the DNA of Peter Parker and Spiderman are the same, then the antivirus software will also detect
that this is a virus / malware.
So the heuristic function is very important after the Signature Database.
3. Performance Test
Use antivirus course will take a computer resource, such as CPU, Memory, our role here is to be smart in choosing antivirus products that have well-resourced settings, so as not to disturb the performance of the computer.
Currently, there are many antivirus software that uses multiple engines in their products, some use 2 (two) engines, or even a 7 (seven) engine, where it would interfere with the performance of computers, resources / resources will be widely used computers, compared with only 1 (one) engine, among others:
- Gdata: 2 Engines (Bitdefender engine hire & Avast)
- Trusport: 3 Engines (renting engines: AVG, Norman and Dr.Web)
It is a test of antivirus signature base of thousands and even millions of virus samples, and then compare Which most antivirus detects the virus samples.
2. Heuristic / Prospective / Generic Test
It is a test virus / new malware that does not exist in the database (signature file), but use it as a reference signature database to detect virus / malware new, if there are characteristics of the virus / malware then the heuristic function will detect it.
In this case such as DNA in humans, for example, Peter Parker is a virus and has existed in an anti-virus signature database, so it can detect that this is a virus, but when Peter Parker then transformed into Spiderman, then the basic anti-virus signature database not recognize that this virus / malware, but the heuristic function will see that the DNA of Peter Parker and Spiderman are the same, then the antivirus software will also detect
that this is a virus / malware.
So the heuristic function is very important after the Signature Database.
3. Performance Test
Use antivirus course will take a computer resource, such as CPU, Memory, our role here is to be smart in choosing antivirus products that have well-resourced settings, so as not to disturb the performance of the computer.
Currently, there are many antivirus software that uses multiple engines in their products, some use 2 (two) engines, or even a 7 (seven) engine, where it would interfere with the performance of computers, resources / resources will be widely used computers, compared with only 1 (one) engine, among others:
- Gdata: 2 Engines (Bitdefender engine hire & Avast)
- Trusport: 3 Engines (renting engines: AVG, Norman and Dr.Web)
C. Organization / independent body which is the reference in conducting comparative antivirus product?
Currently there are about 22 agencies / non-profit organization that discusses and perform comparative antivirus products, but there are only about 5 trusted organization / indenpenden based surveys, which can be ascertained there are no sponsored links in it, among others:
• AV-Comparatives
• Virus Bulletin / AV-Test
• ICSA Labs / West Coast Labs
AV-Comparatives has by far the highest rating as an independent entity conduct comparative antivirus product, and always get a very positive response from the public of any reviews that publish, VirusBulletin and AV-Test evaluated the same in the second, also ICSALabs and WestCoastLabs on third, this independent body requires minimum conditions and requirements of the antivirus vendors whose products will be on the test.
In addition, here is excluded from the analysis of Gartner, Gartner analyzed considering the many products and not specific to the antivirus only. Independence of the AV-Comparatives can be seen from the assessment of 4 (four) years for the category of "Product of the Year":
• Year 2007: Eset NOD32
• Year 2008: Avira
• Year 2009: Kaspersky
• Year 2010: F-Secure
Where there is no one brand has ever ranked "Product Of the Year" in a row, so in this article that will be discussed is a test from AV-Comparatives.
D. Testing, testing by AV-Comparatives
Testing by AV-Comparatives conducted periodically by 3 (three) months that includes: Restropective / Proactive Test and On Demand Comparative, where we can not be guided only by one test, given the consistency of a product should be seen within a specified period. AV-Comparatives Test results can be viewed at:
http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/archive
• February 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report13.pdf
• May 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report14.pdf
• Aug 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report15.pdf
• November 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report16.pdf
• February 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report17.pdf
• May 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report18.pdf
• Aug 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report19.pdf
• November 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report20.pdf
http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/detection-test
• February 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report21.pdf
• May 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report22.pdf
• Aug 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report23.pdf
• November 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report24.pdf
• February 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report25.pdf
• May 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report26.pdf
• Aug 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_od_aug2010.pdf
• November 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_retro_nov2010.pdf
Detection Rate Each test result can be seen on the page: Summary Result
The following recapitulation of the AV-Comparatives results from February 2007 to November 2010, until this article made no new testing report (click image to see a more clear)
• AV-Comparatives
• Virus Bulletin / AV-Test
• ICSA Labs / West Coast Labs
AV-Comparatives has by far the highest rating as an independent entity conduct comparative antivirus product, and always get a very positive response from the public of any reviews that publish, VirusBulletin and AV-Test evaluated the same in the second, also ICSALabs and WestCoastLabs on third, this independent body requires minimum conditions and requirements of the antivirus vendors whose products will be on the test.
In addition, here is excluded from the analysis of Gartner, Gartner analyzed considering the many products and not specific to the antivirus only. Independence of the AV-Comparatives can be seen from the assessment of 4 (four) years for the category of "Product of the Year":
• Year 2007: Eset NOD32
• Year 2008: Avira
• Year 2009: Kaspersky
• Year 2010: F-Secure
Where there is no one brand has ever ranked "Product Of the Year" in a row, so in this article that will be discussed is a test from AV-Comparatives.
D. Testing, testing by AV-Comparatives
Testing by AV-Comparatives conducted periodically by 3 (three) months that includes: Restropective / Proactive Test and On Demand Comparative, where we can not be guided only by one test, given the consistency of a product should be seen within a specified period. AV-Comparatives Test results can be viewed at:
http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/archive
• February 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report13.pdf
• May 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report14.pdf
• Aug 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report15.pdf
• November 2007: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report16.pdf
• February 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report17.pdf
• May 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report18.pdf
• Aug 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report19.pdf
• November 2008: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/report20.pdf
http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/detection-test
• February 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report21.pdf
• May 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report22.pdf
• Aug 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report23.pdf
• November 2009: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report24.pdf
• February 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report25.pdf
• May 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report26.pdf
• Aug 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_od_aug2010.pdf
• November 2010: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_retro_nov2010.pdf
Detection Rate Each test result can be seen on the page: Summary Result
The following recapitulation of the AV-Comparatives results from February 2007 to November 2010, until this article made no new testing report (click image to see a more clear)
1. Detection Rate Test
2. Heuristic / proactive / Prospective Test
3. Performance Test
