Protecting your computer from a virus is getting more difficult. Antivirus software is essential to a computer's ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops.

The programs reviewed below are the best from around the world. In the United States we are familiar primarily with the Norton and McAfee Antivirus programs, but there are many good programs out there that merit serious consideration.

Top 10 Recommended Antivirus Software Programs

Below are my ten top antivirus software programs for 2007.

For a much more detailed comparison chart on these products you can refer to http://www.zunio.com/comparisons/antivirus_review.html

1) Editor's Choice: BitDefender

Softwin, which owns BitDefender, has been around since 1990, and boasts an international team of technical experts who strive to continually improve software and respond to new threats.

2) Kaspersky

Founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, the Moscow-based company has had great success leading the industry in anti-virus protection

3) Norton Anti-Virus

Owned by global security giant Symantec, Norton Antivirus is by far the most popular and widely used security system in the United States. Norton offers a small range of products for the home user, small business owner and large corporation with 1000+ users.

4) McAfee

McAfee is another big name in Internet security and a large competitor for Norton Antivirus, although their prices are virtually the same.

5) F-Secure

Based in Helsinki, Finland, F-Secure has been in the computer protection business since 1988. The company offers protection for the family computer, to home office users all the way up to corporations with large numbers of telecommuters spread all over the map.

6) Shield Anti-Virus 2007

PCSecurityShield offers protection against viruses, hackers and privacy threats to help keep you and your family surfing safely.

7) Protector Plus

Proland Software offers virus protection with its Protector Plus package, compatible with Windows Vista, XP, Me, 2000 and Netware. Protector Proland is proud of its team of experienced engineers, who have been working on anti-virus software and computer protection programs since 1989.

8) DefendGate

Canada-based DefendGate offers everything from protection against viruses and identity theft to office productivity suites and desktop accelerators.

9) PC DoorGuard

This program is PC DoorGuard is designed for those looking to protect their email from spam, viruses, Trojans and worms.

10) CA Antivirus

On its website, CA Antivirus says it provides software to 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies and boasts that it was the first antivirus software to be awarded certification with Microsoft Vista in 2007.

Virus Prevention - Steps to take

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system. With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated.

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.

Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.

4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

(c) 2007 Zunio.com