Can free anti-virus and anti-spyware software adequately protect a computer, compared to commercial software?

My anti-virus and anti-spyware provider - Computer Associates - recently upped their prices, and I'm wondering - can I adequately protect my computer using freely available software like Ad-Aware and Spybot, or do I really need commercial protection software?

If I can adequately protect myself with free software, what all should I get?

Yes and no.

Even if you buy anti-virus and anti-spyware programs you aren't completely safe on the internet (not even if you also buy a firewall).

Malware can and does get on to computers via programs such as Flash player, Adobe Reader, Apple QuickTime, Java, etc. A good anti-virus / anti-spyware program should find and remove it when it's on but it can't be relied upon to keep ALL malware off your pc.

You can get pretty much the same level of security from free programs, *if you choose well*.

Yes, there are plenty of scam and malicious anti-spyware programs out there but there are also some very good freebies.

In some cases, e.g. AVG, etc, they are a (good) way of getting people to try their product in a market that is dominated by Norton & McAfee. And yes, in some cases altruism is the motivator. Might be hard to believe in a cynical world but, nevertheless, it's true. E.g. the MVPS Hosts file and SpywareBlaster.

Of the free AV programs, AVG is the most popular but probably the least effective. AntiVir has the best detection rates but also the most false alarms. Avast is a good, dependable program.

AVG AntiSpyware and SuperAntiSpyware are about the best of the free bunch, definitely better than Windows Defender, Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D. Generally, the free ones are re-active only, they will find and remove crap but won't stop it getting on. Use SpywareBlaster to do this.

Online Armor and Comodo are excellent free firewalls, better than most you could buy.

You could also use:
SiteAdvisor and SiteHound to help stop you going to known 'bad' sites.
A Hosts file to prevent your pc from connecting to known 'bad' sites.
Secunia PSI to help you keep *all* your programs up-to-date with the latest security patches.
Firefox with NoScript, the safest way to surf the internet.

Those free programs all do things that no anti-virus or anti-spyware program will do and therefore add to your protection.

Anti-malware test results:

Anti-virus tests (click on the 'Comparatives' link): http://www.av-comparatives.org

Trustworthy anti-spyware programs: http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti...
and: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/Home-Hom...

Firewall leak-tests: http://www.matousec.com/projects/windows...

Reputable free anti-malware software:

Avast free anti-virus: http://www.avast.com/eng/av4_version_com...
AVG free anti-virus: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/
Avira free anti-virus: http://www.free-av.com/

AVG free anti-spyware: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-fre...
SuperAntiSpyware free: http://www.superantispyware.com/
SpywareBlaster: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareb...

SiteHound: http://www.firetrust.com/products/siteho...
SiteAdvisor: http://www.siteadvisor.com/

MVPS Hosts file: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.ht...

Firefox: http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/product...

NoScript: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox...

Secunia PSI: https://psi.secunia.com/

I would have to say that the protection is definitely there if you use the right programs. What you lose is the support from the companies. Most free programs are supported by user communities, but then again, that's what Yahoo! Answers is =] If you're interested in free alternatives, check out my step by step guide with a full array of free programs I recommend, and their optimal settings: http://prometechus.blogspot.com/2007/09/...

Im going to have to say NO because the thing with FREE software is that it is often already loaded down with bugs and adware.
hope it helps

the free ones are not as effective as the commerical ones according to an article a few months ago in one of the leading PC magazines.(pc world)

google grisoft free anti virus, its one of the best ive seen and have been using it for 2 years with no problems... and its totally free. they also offer a payable version that gives u spyware and email protection etc.

Right now I'm using AVG ... it's protecting my computer just as good as any commercial protection software. I had Norton previously but it ate up so much memory and space on my hard drive, that it made my computer run way too slow. Since removing it and using AVG (which is what we use at work, and McAffee) my computer runs just as smoothly.

yeah for the most part they are fine. ad aware and avg is what i use. i do alot of downloading and if i get a virus it finds it immediately and removes it.

Some say you can. I'm dubious. These commercial companies spend a lot of money on dedicated, trained and competent staff who are charged with fighting the complex battle against the cowards that propagate viruses and malware and the businesses that use adware and spyware to watch what your're doing, regardless of the cost to the consumer. The free software is supported by part-timers who think they know what's going on. Clearly, some are bright but is that enough?

The free companies have no stake in the game. Are they in it for alturistic reasons? I doubt it. Many (far too many) are not protecting you at all but opening your system for attack. They do this in several ways. First, they delude customers to think they are protected. Some actually damage the OS that makes the system vulnerable to attack by other programs. Many slow the system down to the point you THINK you have a virus and do something rash. Others simply contain the malware you're trying to shield yourself from. Some pop up on your system promising to fix some undetected problem that's not really there. The solution? Their own brand of malware. The result is your system is compromised--sometime to the point of destruction.
I think you get what you pay for. A really good virus program is a necessary expense if you must draw on the resources on the web. More and more of these sites are being contaminated.

Actually, I have an alternative solution. I use a Virtual PC to host a version of XP that I use to access the web. If the VPC is contaminated, I don't care--I just throw away all changes at the end of the session. The host OS cannot be affected in any way. The cost is a one-time price of the VPC software and the slight loss of performance.

I run nothing but freeware and haven't had a malware infection since I was a newb.

Firewall: Comodo Firewall Pro:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Antivirus: Avast 4 Home Edition:


Real Time malware shield: Comodo BOClean:
http://www.comodo.com/boclean/boclean.ht...

Browser Immunization: SpywareBlaster *and* Spybot Search and Destroy.
> SpywareBlaster: http://www.download.com/SpywareBlaster/3...
> Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.h...

McAfee Site Advisor: http://www.siteadvisor.com/

On-demand antispyware: Superantispyware and A-Squared Free.
> Superantispyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
> A-Squared Free: http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free...

Keep your Windows updates current, empty your Java cache regularly and run the real-time protection as above and you'll be virtually untouchable.

Edit: Yahoo is 999-erroring my Avast link. It's simply www(dot)avast(dot)com

choosing the right free softwares would rival that of a bundled commercial one. Try these: AVG free edition, spywareblaster, spybot SD, comodo firewall pro and a-squared antimalware free. Try these combinations and see for yourself.

Ad Aware, Spy bot - search and destroy,Spy ware Doctor are some good spy ware removers. AVG Anti virus and McAfee virus scan are also supposed to help a lot.check out http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-sAFtLsc8e... for more details.

I have used AVG Anti Virus, Zone Alarm Firewall, Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware both spyware killers for years. They are all free for personal use and I have had no trouble with Viruses Trojans etc. AVG does not slow the system down as much as some other products and Zone Alarm allows a lot of personal configuration unlike the Windows Firewall. They can all be downloaded from the following linkhttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/. On the home page select downloads and then the appropriate category.I also use Windows Defender from the Microsoft site. It is safe to use two anti-spy products but never use more than one A/V as it can cause conflicts. You should run A/V and anti spy weekly. Hope this helps