Guide to the Ratings

Product shows the name of the stand-alone product and, in parentheses, the name of the security suite that contains the same product, if available. The stand-alone and suite versions of that component should be equally effective. Overall score is based mainly on detection, with features, ease of use, and scan speed also considered. Detection is how well the product detects current and new viruses without falsely identifying benign files as viruses. Our tests used both real viruses captured during testing and variants of real viruses we developed using the techniques that real virus writers use. Some scores differ from 2006 results due to changes in scoring and updates to the tested program. Features reflects the usefulness of the program's features. Ease of use indicates convenience. Scan speed is how quickly the product scans a typical hard drive. Scheduled scan means you can set up automatic scans. IM scan shows whether the product scans instant messages. Rootkit detection indicates protection against this especially insidious malware. Firewall indicates whether there are features to block hackers. Price is for the download version and includes the first year of service. Boxed versions are usually available for about $10 or $15 extra.