Internet Security 2.0

Posted 02/07/2008 at 1:43pm | by Paul Lilly

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Out With the Old, In With the New?

We’ve seen what the best in generation 2.0 security software has to offer, but how do these new-school apps stack up against a pair of traditional favorites?

Today’s malware continues to evolve at an alarming rate, and only a handful of next-generation security applications have passed muster in our stringent Lab tests. But none of these applications is intended as a stand-alone security suite, making us wonder if we really need an additional layer of protection if we’re already surfing on a solid foundation. To find out, we challenged a couple of traditional favorites to see if new threats really call for new ways of fighting them.

Whoever said you have to pay for adequate protection never gave AVG a whirl. In this case, AVG detected a virus before we could even start the download.

Representing the bang-for-buck camp, we chose AVG (free, http://free.grisoft.com) for its excellent scanning ability and even sweeter price tag. It’s not that we’re unwilling to pay for anti-virus software, but when we last examined AVG, it earned a 9 verdict (March 2004), besting the two not-free programs it was pitted against. Fast forward to today and not much has changed. AVG kept our test system clean during our haphazard jaunts around the web, and the real-time protection stopped us from opening innocent-looking files with malicious code nestled inside, including email attachments. But far from being a do-everything solution, AVG left us vulnerable to spyware, and its free edition doesn’t come with a firewall. Windows Defender did a good job of picking up the slack, but some spyware still slipped by, and Windows XP’s built-in firewall shields only against inbound threats, not outbound.

To keep new strains of malware from sneaking onto your system, Kaspersky actively seeks out suspicious behavior and immediately notifies you of it.

Next, we turned our attention to Kaspersky’s Internet Security 7.0 ($80, www.kaspersky.com), a full-fledged security suite combining anti-virus scanning, spyware protection, and a firewall all rolled into one. Kaspersky also boasts hourly anti-malware updates, closing the window of opportunity for new threats to sneak by unobserved. And should that happen, the real-time monitoring and heuristic engine provides a formidable wall as a last resort. The laundry list of features, such as on-the-fly Internet traffic scanning, goes on and the vigilance paid dividends every time we tried to install a program with hidden malware. Kaspersky even detected bundled adware before it had a chance to finish installing.

If you routinely find your system infected by this many viruses, it’s time to look toward improving your computing habits rather than adding layers of protection.

But in the end, your computing habits ultimately play the biggest role in defending against malware. By avoiding high-risk scenarios, such as visiting illegal download sites, and staying behind a firewall, you greatly reduce your chances of getting an infection. And you needn’t ever pay for protection against online threats. We like how BufferZone kept us shielded behind a virtualized shell and DriveSentry left little room for malicious agents to slip through, but these paid programs are overkill even for power users, making ThreatFire the sole standout. Combine ThreatFire with AVG and Defender, and you’ll have a free bundle that keeps you one step ahead of the bad guys.