AntiVirus Update

One of the most crucial programs on anyone's computer is the antivirus program. When this is combined with a behavior that minimizes the chance of contracting a virus there is a good chance you won't have to reformat your hard drive and start all over again.

It's important to keep up with what antivirus software is out there. Last year's editor's choice may be outdated or passed by in a year or two. It wasn't that long ago Norton Antivirus was the best choice - now it's the worst solution out there. Other solutions are emerging, some of them freeware or open source.

There are independent sites that evaluate antivirus software, such as AV-Comparatives. Cnet.com does an annual review of antivirus software that can be useful. Lifehacker.com did a recent survey or poll of five popular antivirus packages - the comments were especially insightful.

There are also a number of factors to consider when choosing antivirus software. Cost is one factor - open source or freeware is always nice, but is it effective enough? Another big factor is performance. Does my email or browser run slower now? Does the antivirus software consume a lot of resources or does it have a small footprint?

I have used Norton and Trend Micro and will never go back. I recently used the open-source Clamwin with some success, but may have some performance issues. Based on the results and comments in the lifehacker post, I am going to give NOD32 a try.