Taken from PC World Magazine, January 2011 Edition

Depending on whom you ask, paying for antivirus software is either a good (even necessary) investment, or a total rip-off.  But you can find plenty of reasons to choose a free program or a paid antivirus program.

#1 Paid Anitivirus Program – Norton Antivirus 2011 based on best detection of malware and a very good interface.
Price: $70 per year for 3 PCs or $40 per year for 1 pC

#2 Paid Antivirus Program – BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011 has a better interface but not as good at detection of malware.
Price: $40 per year for 3 PCs

#3 Paid Antivirus Program – Avast Pro Antivirus 5 finds most malware but does not have a great interface.
Price: $40 per year for 1 PC

#1 Free Antivirus Program – Avast Free Antivirus based on its speed and interface.

#2 Free Antivirus Program – Avira Antivir Personal has a better detection rate, but needs a makover of the interface.

#3 Free Antivirus Program – Microsoft Security Essentials is fast and has a nice interface, but sometimes needs help blocking all infections.

Essentially, all antivirus programs are only as good as their updates.  Keep your operating system, antivirus program, and all other applications up-to-date all the time… and run a full scan at least once a week. There is always a “window of opportunity” from the time when a new malware is identified and the software is patched to detect and remove it.  No software is better at protecting your system than smart surfing – don’t go to websites or open email attachments that you do no trust.