First Look: PC World: The new virus fighters

Editor’s Note: With Apple’s Boot Camp now making it possible for Intel-based Mac owners to install and run Windows XP, we’re teaming up with sister publication, PC World, to give Mac users access to information and resources that will help them navigate the world of cross-platform booting. The following excerpt lists antivirus programs that may come in handy for Mac users who boot into Windows XP.

We have both good and bad news about the ongoing war against computer viruses on the PC. The good news: All the antivirus products we tested for this article were 100 percent successful at identifying and blocking recognized security threats. The bad news: Such utilities still can’t completely protect you from new threats—and there are plenty of those around.

AV-Test, the German security firm with which PC World partnered for this story, says that 70 to 100 new threats are discovered each day. Though many of them are variants of existing threats, waiting even a few hours for your antivirus software vendor to release fixes for them exposes your computer and others to harmful infection. Plus, viruses aren’t the only problem. Virus writers are also sending worms—which don’t need a host file in order to spread—and other destructive programs such as Trojan horses to users as e-mail attachments.

Here’s a partial breakdown of the leading products for virus protection as reported by our colleagues at PC World . You can read the full report on the items mentioned here and see a more detailed version on the comparison table.