Norton Security Suite

what is the best free antivirus software for online banking?

I want to install a free antivirus software program. I do all of my banking/bill paying online and want to make sure I am protected. I'm considering Avast! Any suggestions?

Public Comments

1. I personally recommend Avast because it's caught the most problems and has the fewest bugs. You can go to download.com and look at some others. AVG was another popular one but I got rid of it because it is SO blasted slow, and it kept deleting legitimate files that it thought might be a virus.
2. I like AVAST for free It is the only one that has rootkit protection with the free program. AVG includes it with the purchased package. AVAST also has the boot time scanner which is handy for those difficult bugs. You turn it on, reboot and the scanner looks over all your files in DOShell before the operating system boots up. This prevents the bugs from waking up with the OS and makes getting rid of them easy. Let us know what you decide
3. Avast or Microsoft Security Essential have realtime/rootkit protection and still freebies. http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials still need to use common sense like never opening up an email attachment from someone you don't know and even if you know the sender, always keep an eye if it is an exe or bat file jpg, gif, bmp files are safe
4. kaspersky
5. You don't have anything now, is that right? (It may be a case of the closing the barn door after the horse left). Many opinions will be expressed about what's best, but the simple fact of the matter is: Windows can not be trusted for doing these extraordinarily delicate and confidential transactions. Despite being a diligent and informed Internet security EXPERT (which most home users are not), there is always lingering doubt about how secure Windows is, once it's exposed to any Internet connection. Take the advice of someone who knows what the H is going on: Banking Trojans or keyloggers, prolific & readily installed via several vectors, can and do clean out bank accounts. (see: Krebs on Security: http://www.krebsonsecurity.com/2010/01/money-mules-helped-to-rob-w-va-bank/ Also "Krebs on Security": eBanking Victim? Take a Number. http://www.krebsonsecurity.com/2010/03/ebanking-victim-take-a-number/ "...if your bank doesn’t offer multi-factor authentication or transaction confirmation that’s out-of-band, ►►use a locked-down, dedicated workstation [or Operating System] for nothing but accessing your bank website or use a live boot distro. Or acknowledge that you’re playing Russian roulette..." ("Out of band" means using a second, non-Internet based communication, like telephone, to verify the transaction). The single best strategy you can have is to use a solo partitioned Linux OS (like Ubuntu) for all Internet facing applications, like browsing & mail; not just banking. Then if you happen to pick up Windows targeted malware, it can't compromise your personal/sensitive data. Use Windows for all your "in-house" work, but do not have ANY personal/banking data saved to it. Ubuntu is an easy to use, pre-configured OS, with more secure applications, uses "point and click" OS, similar to Windows. This is far and away more secure than a Windows machine used on the Internet. Installs (next to Windows as a 'dual boot' choice) in 20-50 minutes, with Firefox, ready to go to the 'Net. No "line commands"; point and click, very similar to Windows. Be also aware that an "end user" compromise is only half the equation. Wherever you have used your bank numbers, credit cards, and so on, can also be hacked. One single break in the hugely complex chain of security, anywhere along the fabric of these interconnected systems, and you are toast.
6. In addition to whatever anti-virus you use, add KeyScrambler to your web browser. It protects you from keyloggers when you're typing in login data, credit card info, passwords, etc http://www.qfxsoftware.com/ks-windows/which-keyscrambler.htm
7. If you are doing on-line banking, an anti virus system alone will give you no protection. You must install a complete internet security system. many banks offer them free to their customers, check that out first, before you Buy one. .
8. Avast! is the best free antivirus software.
9. If your skilled enough to change the default setting I would use avira because it checks for root kits. But you have to change the default setting to make it run a full scan everyday. Download avira the free version here. http://download.cnet.com/Avira-AntiVir-Personal-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10322935.html If you don't think you are skilled enough to change to default setting I would use AVG free in combination with the hitman trial. Hitman will check for root kits avg will not. Download AVG here http://download.cnet.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition-2011/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?tag=mncol;2 Download hitman trail here. Note this is for the 32 bit version. Most computer are 32 bit but a few high end machine are 64 bit. If you have a 64 bit machine you should download the 64 bit hitman. http://download.cnet.com/Hitman-Pro-3-32-bit/3000-2239_4-10895604.html?tag=mncol;1 Also note you can combine hitman and other virus scanner on the same machine but do not combine avira and avg as they will conflict with each other
10. Avira because in can detect root kits and doesn't use much computer resources. Download here: http://download.cnet.com/Avira-AntiVir-Personal-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10322935.html