Sohpos Anti-Virus For Mac Review - My Personal Experience

The full name is Sophos Anti-Virus For Mac Home Edition and this is an antivirus utility from Sophos who also supplies business strength solutions and represents that they are including the same function in this free version. This is a review of my personal experience installing and using the software so you can decide whether it may work well for you.

Anti-Virus For Mac?

Here are some reasons why you might want to consider installing antivirus software on the Mac. When Apple had the classic operating system, I always used antivirus just to be on the safe side. Even though I have always kept a complete backup and updated every day, an infection could be copied onto the backup all too easily. In those days it was Norton Antivirus, and even though I always updated the definitions there was never an issue.

With in the introduction of Mac OSX the character of the operating system changed because it was based on UNIX programming which is very stable and requires an administrator password to change core functions. For this reason it seemed unnecessary to use an antivirus program on modern Mac computers as long as one was careful not to open hoaxes in email or online.

Exploits That Circumvent Administrator Protection

Now that Apple has gained such huge size and recognition, new threats are beginning to appear. The Flashback exploit used a false Flash update installer and then evolved to exploit a flaw in the Java programming language. Apple released an update through the automatic software update to handle this but 600,000 machines had been infected. After the removal patch that number dropped very quickly. Still, it now could be possible to be at risk just by visiting a site online that is completely legitimate but has been compromised by hackers.

You can use a utility called Little Snitch that acts like a firewall for outgoing connections. The Flashback exploit checked and would not install on machines with LS already in place, because if the malicious program attempted to send passwords to a remote site it would be detected. Even so, it seemed wise to investigate using an antivirus program on the Mac, and CNET MacFixit which is very good at keeping users informed about the latest news, recommended installing such a program.

I had tried ESET Cybersecurity for Mac when it first came out and it put my computer in an endless loop and drove the processors up to maximum 100% as shown on the free utility Menu Meters, and the temperature began to climb so I uninstalled ESET. Newer versions may have improved, so you could use their free 30 day trial. ESET did find some Windows malware in suspicious emails that I had forwarded to authorities but neglected to delete from my SENT mail folder. Sophos ran the processors at 65-72 deg. C during a full scan, which is normal.

Sophos For Mac Results

So far Sophos antivirus for Mac has been perfect. It is easy to install, and even better, also easy to remove if needed. Before I installed ESET I read the forum posts for Sophos and there seemed to be some complaints, but a new version has now been released and the overall reports looked good.

I have found the processor use minimal and the scanning speed quick. The program automatically checks and downloads updated virus definitions hourly. A full disc scan of my 250GB hard drive took under two hours, for approximately 700,000 files. A menu bar icon shows status so you can instantly see your Mac is protected, and when definitions are being downloaded or a scan is in process. I'm glad to discover it has a fairly light footprint and generally stays out of the way while maintaining a live scan on all new files and programs.

Overall Sophos antivirus for Mac Home Edition has preformed flawlessly. I have no connection with the developer.

Daniel Dreifus has been using Mac computers daily since 1996. He began with the Performa 475 using a 25 MHz processor, 4MB RAM and a 40 MB hard drive. There was no connection to the Internet yet. To see what Daniel is doing online today, go to ThousandEveryDay.com to preview the world's largest private online training academy.

View the original article here

Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus 2012 Review

Trend Micro Titanium is an antivirus program that protects your PC from malware threats like viruses, spyware, worms and Trojans. It is equipped with tools to protect it from fake antivirus software and this includes protection on a Macintosh too.

Trend Micro is rich in features and they include tools to protect you on social network sites, in e-mail contacts, whilst chatting and your entire network. And their customer team is always on hand to help you customise and use the software effectively.

Some of the most prominent features in the software include:
anti-malware protectionanti-spyware protectionanti-Trojan protectionoutbound e-mail protectionand on demand scanning

Trend Micro Titanium is an average security product and the new 2012 version has been tested and approved by many of the leading test labs. AV-Test has certified Trend Micro and has scored it relatively well in protection and usability on Windows 7 and XP.

But it has also been left out of many tests and no scores are shown for Virus Bulletin, ICSA and West Coast Labs tests. This is disappointing and is one of the reasons the software has been lagging in rankings. At Top 10 Reviews, for example, it has taken 13th position out of 20 and has been beaten by other average performing programs like G-Data.

There are pros and cons associated with Trend Micro 2012 and we've included the major ones below:

Pros

1. It has an anti-phishing tool that protects you from phishing websites and e-mails sent by criminals looking to steal your money and personal details.

2. Trend Micro 2012 has a small code footprint because it leverages the cloud.

3. It is very easy to use and configure to your specific needs.

4. It uses traditional signature-based security and real-time protection to protect from new and harmful threats.

5. It has a good customer team always on hand to help you with your software

Cons

1. Trend Micro is missing some important features like a bootable rescue CD, a gaming mode and a laptop/net book mode.

2. It has performed below many other programs in the repair test on Windows 7.

Summary

Overall, Trend Micro is a half decent program and has many of the tools that you need to protect your PC. Its foray into cloud security is impressive and has some of the best features and is easy to use. For internet security protection, we recommend you download their full internet security software package which includes more protection features including a firewall.

At Best Buy Antivirus, we feature the best antivirus software programs to help you easily choose the best one for your PC. We have the full Trend Micro review that helps you learn more about its features.

View the original article here

Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus 2012 Review

Webroot Secure Anywhere is the latest security product for 2012, with a new name too. It is more than just antivirus software; it provides protection from all malware threats that are normally dealt with by full Internet security packages.

It protects your online world from threats like spyware that is surreptitiously installed on your PC and steals your personal information. It also blocks advertising companies that install adware programs on your PC which slow down its CPU and memory.

Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus 2012 has been tested and approved by the leading test labs like AV-Test, Virus Bulletin, ICSA and West Coast Labs. Not many antivirus programs have been tested and approved by all the leading test labs, and this is a good achievement by Webroot.

However, most of the test results are average and not really impressive. On the AV-Test for Windows 7 performance, it scored 67% for protection, 58% for repair and 67% for usability. These results are far below other programs like BitDefender and Kaspersky who have scored over 80% in all these areas.

The most important features in this version are:

the award-winning Spy Sweeper tool that finds and removes spies on your PC360° of protection from malware threats

There are benefits and drawbacks associated with Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus and we've included the major ones below to help you decide if it's the right antivirus program for you.

Pros

1. Webroot Secure Anywhere includes the spyware removal feature which happens to be the best anti-spyware program in the industry

2. It has a quick scan which sweeps your PC in a few minutes and removes all threats.

3. It leverages cloud technology so its antivirus code will not take up much room on your PC.

4. Webroot has been awarded 48 VB100 certifications by Virus Bulletin and this is an outstanding achievement and shows how effective it is against virus threats.

5. Webroot provides you support via e-mail, phone and live chat support

6. It uses behavioural scanning to remove zero-day threats that are unknown and not in its database of signature threats.

Cons

1. Webroot does not provide a bootable rescue CD.

2. The test results shown in AV-Test are not very impressive, and this is why it has failed to make the top ten list of antivirus products on Top 10 Reviews

Summary

Overall, Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus is an average product and there are better programs you can find in the antivirus market. It has the ability though to block and remove viruses that are new and unknown. And its signature and behavioural scanning combine to provide protection from zero-day threats.

At Best Buy Antivirus, we want to ensure you have the best antivirus software. And we do this by providing antivirus reviews including the Webroot antivirus review which includes more information about these antivirus programs.

View the original article here