BleepingComputer.com: OK..now that I have upgraded my protection

Thanks Red Dawn.....I ran the Eicar test and ESET NOD32 identified/quarantined them all, but a test with a virus that has not been updated since Sep 2006? Of course if you dont catch them all then you have REAL problems.

Anyone know of any NON MALICIOUS tests that can be run with more up to date code/attack variations?

Keep in mind that no single product is 100% foolproof and can detect and remove all threats at any given time. The security community is in a constant state of change as new infections appear. Each vendor has its own definition of what constitutes malware and scanning your computer using different criteria will yield different results. The fact that each program has its own definition files means that some malware may be picked up by one that could be missed by another. Thus, a multi-layered defense using several anti-spyware products (including an effective firewall) to supplement your anti-virus combined with common sense and safe surfing habits provides the most complete protection.

However, you can overkill your system with resource heavy security programs that will drain your resources and slow down performance. Sometimes you just have to experiment to get the right combo for your particular system as there is no universal solution that works for everyone.

Thanks Someones......good resource and thankfully it made me feel good about my decision to buy ESET. Do you know of another group that tests firewalls?

Thank you Orange Blossom.......ESET currently has TWO products in their home/home office line http://www.eset.com/products/index.php ESET Smart Security 4 and ESET NOD 32 ANTIVIRUS 4..... so if you have NOD 32 version 4 and think you also have firewall protection....OOOOPS!!!! Back to school for you. In your defense, I do not know about older versions of NOD 32 which may or may not also have firewall protection.........

P.S. I just looked up Version 3.0 of NOD 32......strike 2


But back to my most recent post regarding Comodo passing its own test with a score of 340/340. I installed it, set it to paranoid and it did terribly (200/340). You get in trouble when your advertising is false....besides it has been confirmed in places like this for quite a while, so the only explanation is I did not set it up properly.............(that was tough to admit!!! )


ESET NOD 32 V4, Superantispyware free, MBAM free, Zone Alarm Extreme Security (demo AV/AS disabled), Process Explorer

No its not but so that no one reading that statement gets the wrong impression...

Using more than one anti-virus program is not advisable. The primary concern with doing so is due to conflicts that can arise when they are running in real-time mode simultaneously. However, even when one of them is disabled for use as a stand-alone scanner, it can affect the other. Anti-virus software components insert themselves into the operating systems core and using more than one can cause instability, crash your computer, slow performance and waste system resources. When actively running in the background while connected to the Internet, they both may try to update their definition databases at the same time. As the programs compete for resources required to download the necessary files this often can result in sluggish system performance or unresponsive behavior.

Each anti-virus will often interpret the activity of the other as a virus and there is a greater chance of them alerting you to a "False Positive". If one finds a virus and then the other also finds the same virus, both programs will be competing over exclusive rights on dealing with that virus. Each anti-virus will attempt to remove the offending file and quarantine it. If one finds and quarantines the file before the other one does, then you encounter the problem of both wanting to scan each other's zipped or archived files and each reporting the other's quarantined contents. This can lead to a repetitive cycle of endless alerts that continually warn you that a virus has been found when that is not the case.

Anti-virus scanners use virus definitions to check for viruses and these can include a fragment of the virus code which may be recognized by other anti-virus programs as the virus itself. Because of this, most anti-virus programs encrypt their definitions so that they do not trigger a false alarm when scanned by other security programs. Other vendors do not encrypt their definitions and they can trigger false alarms when detected by the resident anti-virus.

Keep in mind that dual installation is not always possible because most of the newer anti-virus programs will detect the presence of others and may insist they be removed prior to download and installation of another. Nonetheless, to avoid these problems, use only one anti-virus solution. Deciding which one to remove is your choice. Be aware that you may lose your subscription to that anti-virus program's virus definitions once you uninstall that software.