The best of the free security software available
online didn't perform quite as well as the best
for-pay programs, which offer the greatest
margin of safety against any or all online
threats.
But no-cost programs are worth considering as
supplementary protection, or even as primary
protection providing you practice safe computing
(see
Best
ways to stay safe online) and fully use the
security tools built into your operating system.
A few caveats, though: Compared with for-pay
suites with a single interface, you'll need to
manage a myriad of programs even in the best
free anti malware applications. And some
freeware may become for-pay eventually.
Drawn mostly from our test results, here's a
miser's suite of security freeware, arranged by
type. See the relevant
Ratings
for more on how they performed and see
protection
software contact information, for Web
addresses from which you can download them.
Antivirus Alwil Avast Home Edition 4.7.
Antispyware/antiadware Install both
Microsoft Windows Defender and SpyBot Search and
Destroy 1.4.
Antispam SPAMfighter standard or
Microsoft's Outlook or Windows Mail with Junk
Mail Filter.
Browser security toolbar McAfee Site
Advisor. Not rated, but free anti malware worth
trying. See
tip
No. 4 in Best ways to stay safe online.
Software firewall ZoneAlarm 7.0 (Windows
XP, 2000) and 7.1 (Vista). See
tip
No. 1 in Best ways to stay safe online.
Rootkit detection AVG Anti-Rootkit. Not
tested, but worth trying because other free
programs don't claim to protect against this
insidious type of malware.
