Is Norton 360 2008 the 'best' Anti -Virus software available?

Norton 360 isn't simply an antivirus program, it's supposed to be an integrated suite providing antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and backup protection. However, while it has a good antivirus component and good backup component, the other two modules are sorely lacking.

If you look at the most current issue of Computer Shopper, they rated Bitdefender Security 2008 well above Norton 2008 (essentially the same product as 360), while other publications have consistently rated the current Kaspersky antivirus the best of the commercial packages, and the Kaspersky internet Security suite is probably the single best suite around, as it has an excellent firewall and good antispyware protection.

If you're interested in freeware options, here are some recommendations:

firewall:

Comodo (http://www.comodo.com), or

PC Tools (http://www.pctools.com/firewall)

Comodo recently released version 3.0 of its firewall, which adds an intrusion prevention component that's very effectively, though it does take time for it to learn your system, and requires some ongoing attention by the user to make sure programs don't get improperly block. Comodo is one of the strongest firewalls available, freeware or commercial, according to the independent testing site matousec.com.

antivirus: (listed in order of preference)

Avira (http://www.free-av.com)

AVAST! Home (http://www.avast.com)

AVG (http://free.grisoft.com)