Consumer Reports And Security Software

Hi. I just got the Sept. 2007 edition of Consumer Reports in the mail today. They rate the best security suites, antivirus, antispyware, and antispam. In case anyone is interested, here is the results. Take it for what it's worth. I don't take much stock in any of their ratings for any product. Looks like they are on the Trend Micro band wagon this time around. Where is NOD32 or Avira?




Security Suites

1. Trend Micro IS 2007
2. Zone Alarm SS 7.0
3. McAfee Total Protection 2007
4. McAfee Security Suite 2007
5. Microsoft Live One Care
6. Bitdefender IS 10
7. F-Secure IS 2007
8. Symatec Norton 360
9. Symantec NIS 2007

Antivirus

1. Trend Micro Antivirus 2007
2. Zone Alarm Antivirus (Internet Security Suite 7.0)
3. Microsoft Windows Live One Care (Vista) 1.5
4. Bitdefender Antivirus (Internet Security Suite) 10
5. McAfee Virus Scan Plus 2007
6. Symantec NAV 2007
7. Kaspersky Labs Antivirus 6.0
8. Symantec NAV for Macintosh 10.1
9. F-Secure Antivirus 2007
10. CA/eTrust Antivirus 2007
11. Alwil Avast Home Edition 4.7
12. Grisoft AVG Antivirus Free 7.5

Antispyware

1. Trend Micro Antispyware (IS 2007)
2. Sunbelt Software CounterSpy2
3. F-Secure IS 2007
4. McAfee IS 2007
5. Bitdefender IS 10
6. Zone Alarm Antispyware (IS 7.0)
7. Microsoft Windows Defender
8. PCTools Spyware Doctor 5.0
9. Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.3
10. SpyBot S&D 1.4
11. Symantec NIS 2007
12. Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Plus

Antispam

1. Trend Micro IS 2007
2. Zone Alarm IS 2007
3. Cloudmark Desktop 3.0.2
4. Smith Micro Allume SpamCatcher 4.0
5. SPAMfighter Standard 5.3.7
6. Symantec NIS 2007 (ad on pack)
7. McAfee IS 2007
8. F-Secure IS 2007
9. PCTools Spam Monitor 3.0
10. Bitdefender IS 10
11. CA Antispam 2007

 

I think, that they should produce two statistics, one for companies, which applies to this one and one for common users.
Since common users are and will be only a small part of customers, the real usage of security software will remain the secret.
The real usage can be seen in polls, but I guess, that we will never get an accurate statistic unless security companies will reveal it.
But on the other hand, common people do not know "the best" security software, so they choose based on the name, so it might be true.

 

Looks like they really like their US companies

 

I feel like I am looking at a malware-test report.

 

Wow!

gonna replace Kaspersky for Trend Micro

 

oooH, not so fast there:
http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=41768
All three of the anti-malware products submitted by Trend Micro for Virus Bulletin's independent tests failed because they produced false positives.

 

Is this related only to VISTA 64bit or they failed also in XP?

Fax

 

If you want to see how they broke down the ratings have a look at the first post here
The part I really don't understand is how ZoneAlarm with the KAV engine had very good virus detection and KIS didn't. Also how did One Care beat Symantec, F-Secure and Kaspersky for detection when AV Comparatives didn't even rate it because of it's poor score.

 

Yes, absolutely right... I can't really understand how they manage to get those results. May be they used KIS with default settings (i.e. no detection for adware+riskware) while ZASS has extended database selected by default. But not sure it explain the difference…

And the OneCare results are, lets say, "surprising" to use an euphemism…

Cheers,
Fax

 

These results can't be true. I really don't believe it

 

Trend Micro at the top of every list and MS One Care is #3 av?
ROFL. Ya right!

 

OMG! This is worse then their car reviews & ratings.But I guess as long as people buy their publication they will continue this nonsense....


tD

 

Even I would have to say "Complete BS."

 

I've heard that ClamAV was within in the anti-virus part of this comparison and it won. Maybe that's why it was excluded from the test.

Best regards,
Firefighter!

 

Hi,folks: When I see this R-port rates Trend Micro as top 1 in all categories, I immediately smell something fishy. How could that be? Unless, there are some inside soul trading? To the shredder it goes.

 

Consumer reports suck. This is a load of bull

 

Wise words.

consumer reports =
.

 

I think you didn't noticed eggheads " " smily..

 

Time to jump onto the Trend Micro bandwagon.

 

Consumer Rpts obviously tested on the basis of factors OTHER than effectiveness of protection. They should stick to reviews of stuff like washing machines and flea collars.

 

Only the AV-Comparatives & AV-Test reports are the ones to focus in.

 

Hi, folks: The majority of wilders's readers may have a very strong reservation towards this raport, but the vast average pc users who never visit here may hold this report as tour guide for choosing such applications. It worries me. The author has intentionally left out firewall? Or he/she may think software suite is the SAME as firewall? I bet you he/she probably never has heard the word"firewall" before. What firewall? in the warehouse? he/she may ask.

 

Very true (but sad), Perman.

Otherwise my response to this is

PFFFFT!!!

 

Even their reviews of appliances is questionable as far as I'm concerned.

 

Well said...close enough to my thoughts just to quote it.