Best Antivirus Tier List Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Discussion of antivirus programs based on 20 years of IT experience.
• Focus on personal experiences instead of marketing materials.

Important Themes

1. Skepticism of Tier Lists

   • Many lists are influenced by affiliate sales.
   • Avoid trusting security channels that promote products with affiliate links.
   • No links will be provided for any antivirus.

2. Avoid Free Antivirus

   • Generally not worth it; better alternatives exist.
   • Some exceptions, but they are rare.

3. Avoid Internet Security Suites

   • Often slow down systems without providing additional security.
   • Recommendation: Cancel subscriptions if currently paying for these.

Antivirus Reviews

1. A-Vira

• Previously good; no longer necessary due to Windows Defender's effectiveness.

2. AVG and Avast

• Owned by the same company; many security leaks reported.
• Annoying pop-ups; detection rates comparable to Windows Defender.
• No longer recommended.

3. McAfee and Norton

• Considered the worst antivirus options.
• High costs and system slowdown.
• Avoid vendor lock-in with bundled products.

4. F-Secure

• Just okay; not recommended.
• Poor detection rates compared to Windows Defender.

5. Bitdefender

• Rated as pretty good.
• Free model similar to Windows Defender.
• No major pros or cons.

6. ESET (NOD32)

• Established in the late 80s; good detection rates.
• Not significantly better than Windows Defender.

7. Kaspersky

• High detection rates; Russian company may raise concerns.
• Offers a free cloud-based antivirus that is lighter than Defender.

8. Malwarebytes

• Excellent for virus removal but not recommended for continuous use.
• Still effective for system cleaning.

9. Sophos

• Good in-depth scanning capabilities.
• Offers a quality free scanner.

10. WebRoot

• Lightweight and easy to manage.
• Decent detection rates; some concerns about exploits.

11. Trend Micro

• Used to be good; currently not recommended.

Conclusion

• Emphasis on Windows Defender for home users.
• Business users might consider WebRoot or Bitdefender for management needs.
• No antivirus can completely protect users; the main issue lies with user behavior.
• Final thoughts encourage skepticism regarding antivirus marketing.