ANTIVIRUS & SECURITY PROGRAMS
updated 02/09/2009

[Note: this page will be updated with information about Microsoft Security Essentials, which will be the recommended solution for most home users and very small businesses when it is released in the fall of 2009. Click here for more information about Microsoft Security Essentials.]

SECURITY PROGRAMS - OVERVIEW

1. Antivirus protection

2. Adware/spyware protection

3. Installation of security-related updates

4. Backups

If those functions are performed, you can use a computer to accomplish wonderful creative things. If they are neglected, you will likely end up disgraced and humiliated, possibly bankrupt, maybe the tragic victim of a violent crime.

Some people would add other items to that list. Firewall protection - I consider the built-in firewall in Windows XP/Vista to be adequate. Spam filtering, defragging, parental controls - all potentially useful but you can keep a computer running without them.

There is no solution that fits everyone. There doesn't need to be. If you have any product from any major vendor in any of those categories and you give it whatever attention it needs, you are adequately covered in that category.

Each of you has acquired different levels of technical expertise and different abilities to maintain programs running on your computers. Each of you has a different tolerance for popup bubbles and update warnings. If there is any generalization, though, based on long experience I assume that most people do not want to pay attention to computer housekeeping chores.

My job is to help match my clients with products that will do those jobs reliably with the least need for me to intervene. Here are some thoughts about what that means for individuals and small businesses in the fall of 2009.

For the last few years, I’ve been recommending Microsoft Windows Live OneCare to anyone looking for direction. It takes over several important chores – antivirus and spyware protection, backups, installation of updates to Windows and Office, defragging the hard drive, cleaning up temporary files - and makes them relatively simple, with a minimum of fuss and a small impact on system performance.

Sadly, Windows Live OneCare is being taken off the market. If you’re not already using it, it’s not the right choice. If you are using it and your subscription is going to expire in the next few months, I’m uncertain about whether you should renew it.

Sometime this summer, Microsoft will release basic free antivirus and spyware protection for Windows. I’ve also seen a single mention of a possible free program from Microsoft to centralize the other maintenance chores but it will be a while before we have information about that.

The free Microsoft software will be designed to be easy and unobtrusive; one of its important goals is to provide protection for unsophisticated computer users in third world and developing countries. Perhaps it will be sufficient for almost everyone.

In particular, it may be well suited for Vista computers. Vista is far better than Windows XP at many things, so much so that OneCare’s maintenance routines are only mildly helpful.

• Vista has a simple utility to defrag the hard drive that runs automatically once a week. You don’t have to worry about it any more.
• Vista’s built-in backup program is almost identical to OneCare’s backup – setting it up once with an external hard drive is enough to have your important files backed up regularly.
• Vista requires only a couple of mouse clicks to get updates automatically for Office as well as Vista (go to Control Panel\System and Maintenance\Windows Update and look for “Get updates for more programs.” If you use OneCare, it’s already set up.) The update system then works smoothly and quietly. Well, as quietly as possible, given that it feels like new updates are released every six or seven hours.
• Vista’s built-in firewall is virtually identical to OneCare’s firewall protection.

So for Vista in particular, there’s really only a need for antivirus and spyware protection. More stuff is nice but many of the features of the big Internet suites are unnecessary fluff for almost everyone.

SECURITY PROGRAMS - HOME/SMALL BUSINESS

In 2009, almost every security suite has been slimmed down and simplified. The vendors finally responded to years of criticism and have made their programs more stable, light on system resources, easier to understand, and less intrusive.

Although you can easily find comparisons showing that one or another antivirus and spyware program is more effective than another, the reality is that all of them are more or less equally effective – and you must use common sense and not click OK on everything, regardless of what security software is running.

FREE PRODUCTS

AVG still has a free bare-bones antivirus/spyware program, as does Avast. Either will protect you at home if you are careful to also install Windows updates and do backups.

SECURITY SUITES

The products from all the vendors are reportedly much improved. Each will have its own quirks and glitches but I don’t have any reason to steer you toward one in particular.

Here’s a thorough comparison of the leading suites from PC Magazine. I have very little hands-on experience but I can add a couple of extra impressions gleaned from surfing around and reading reviews and feedback.

Symantec claims that Norton Internet Security 2009 is completely rewritten, and the reviews agree that it has a very low impact on computer performance, as well as being less intrusive than earlier versions and easy to manage. That might be true. But Symantec has worked hard for more than ten years on its poor reputation and I think it deserves our skepticism and scorn for at least a while longer. You really have no idea how bad Symantec products have been! I want a lot more information before I tell you to trust a Norton product.

If you consider Norton, make sure you get Norton Internet Security 2009 and not the Norton 360 program, which is stinky.

McAfee continues to struggle and seems to be at the bottom of the barrel in 2009. There’s still a lot of negative feedback on the McAfee lineup.

If you want me to just pick one for you, then go buy Trend Micro Internet Security 2009. It appears to be a safe choice – stable, easy to install, easy to manage, effective, well supported.

You won’t go wrong choosing any of the others, though – Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, Panda Internet Security 2009, BitDefender Internet Security 2009, or the new (and reportedly impressive) Vipre Antivirus & Antispyware from Sunbelt Software, among others.

SHOPPING TIPS

Licenses will be enforced. If you buy a product that’s licensed for one computer, you will only install it on one computer! Watch the licensing terms and buy what you need. Many of the suites permit installation on three home computers but don’t assume that. Example Norton Antivirus 2009 has two different versions at different prices – one for a single computer, another box for three computers.

Each vendor has several different versions of their security suites. Trend Micro, for example, offers a basic product, “Antivirus & Antispyware 2009,” in addition to Trend Micro Internet Security and Trend Micro Internet Security Pro. Most of them treat the cheapest product as a bit of a stepchild and either attempt to divert attention from the low end product or actually leave out meaningful components – root kit detection, for example. The features added on the high end products, on the other hand, are often not very compelling. If you don’t want to study the details, then get the one in the middle.

If you’re not technically skilled, buy the program in a box instead of downloading it. You don’t want to have to call me because you can’t find the file you downloaded.

Uninstall any existing security program before installing a new one. This is crucially important. You never want to have two antivirus programs running simultaneously.

Become familiar with the icon in the notification area by the clock. You have to know when your program needs attention. Do not allow problems to go unresolved – keep your subscription current and do whatever is necessary to stay protected.

If you’re running Windows Live OneCare, keep it current. It’s not broken and you don’t have to replace it. It will be supported until December 2010. Personally, though, I think you should consider switching to a current product when your OneCare subscription expires.

Don’t use a computer without current antivirus and spyware protection.

SECURITY PROGRAMS - SMALL BUSINESS SERVER

Small businesses running Microsoft Small Business Server have not had an easy time finding antivirus software.  Security suites designed for large companies are frequently complex, difficult to install and configure, and all too often require an inordinate amount of handholding.

On the other hand, every small business discovers a shortcoming of security software that is managed individually by each user: there's always someone who doesn't pay attention.  As a consultant collecting an hourly fee, I’m reluctant to log onto each workstation in a client’s office individually every couple of weeks to check whether updates have been installed and whether virus definitions are up to date.  These days though, the consequences of falling behind can be dire indeed.

Small Business Server 2008 increases the desire for centrally managed security, because it does other management chores so well.  Windows Server Update Services, for example, takes over the task of downloading Windows updates, monitoring and installing the updates on each workstation, and reporting on results.  I had terrible experiences with WSUS when it was first released for Small Business Server 2003 R2, but the version integrated with Small Business Server 2008 is working flawlessly so far.

As I move around in the Small Business Server community online, I consistently see Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Advanced identified as the program of choice for Small Business Server networks. My experience installing it on my own SBS network has been beautiful so far - all the default choices were the right choices, installation on the workstations took only a moment, and no restart of the server or workstations was required. The program installed on the individual workstations is extremely light and unobtrusive.

The server-based security suites cost about $40.00 per user per year, more than the individual programs, and certainly more than OneCare and other antivirus programs in the last couple of years, which have sometimes cost almost nothing or been given away.  That cost will quickly be recovered, however, if I don't have to bill for checking the computers manually, and of course the cost is trivial compared to the cost of a computer or network brought down by out of date security software.

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