AVG Free Edition

I've used AVG Anti Virus free and commercial editions for over five years and can honestly say that they are some of the best programs in their class.

Unlike some other free anti virus programs AVG is based on solid business-grade software but has just had some of the more advanced features removed.

To the best of my knowledge AVG Free Edition has always got 100% rating from ICSA Labs, the security industry's central anti-virus product testing and certification facility, just like its more expensive brothers.

You should be aware though that AVG Free Anti Virus is only free for Home users and must not be used in a commercial environment. It will also not work on servers.

If you need AntiVirus for a business or network I would recommend AVG Professional Edition and for the ultimate in security why not go for AVG & Kerio - Personal Security Bundle with Antivirus and Firewall.

TIP– AVG uses a system called Heuristic Analysis where suspect files are "run" on a kind of "virtual computer" while isolated from your real machine's processor. AVG looks for any virus-like activity and quarantines the file if needed.

This significantly improves the chances of catching unknown or new viruses even if you haven't got the latest update.