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Free Antivirus for Corporate Commercial and Educational Use

Posted By Raymond In Category: Computer

Apr
7
2009
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Software piracy is not really strict in Malaysia but the government does random checks on companies to see if they are using unlicensed software. If found to be using pirated software, not only the company will get into trouble, even the IT person/company that installs for them could get a very heavy fine as well. So I as an IT person must understand the terms of usage for software. One of my client’s place which is an educational facility contains a few hundreds of Windows computers and they do not have the budget to buy antivirus software. Disabling AUTORUN managed to slow down the virus infection rate but they still do get infected sooner or later and ended up reinstalling Windows.

I know there are free antivirus software offered by AVG, Avira, avast!, Comodo, DriveSentry, Moon Secure AV, Rising and PC Tools but not all of them can be used for free. According to the terms of usage, some antivirus company mentions very clearly that their FREE product can ONLY be use for home and not commercial use. That means if you can’t use them in your work place and educational facilities. It is possible to get a fine by using a free antivirus on the wrong place.

For my and your convenience, I’ve compiled a list of free antivirus for commercial and education use. Other than that, I’ve also put those antivirus to a simple test to see how good are they in detecting virus and also its memory usage.


The free antivirus below is only for home use and CANNOT be use for commercial or educational use. The quotes are taken from their official website or help file.

AVG: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use.
Avira: Avira AntiVir Personal is FREE Antivirus is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use.
avast! Home Edition: This edition is FREE OF CHARGE for non-commercial & home use only. Both of these conditions should be met!
Rising: Rising Antivirus Free Edition 2009 is a solution with no cost to personal users. Can only be used for personal purpose and you shall not use this product for non-personal or commercial purpose unless a written authorization from Rising is obtained.
DriveSentry: FREE for non commercial use.

The only free antivirus that can be use for home, commercial and educational use is Comodo Internet Security, Spyware Terminator, Moon Secure AV and PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition.

1. Moon Secure AV
Moon Secure AV uses clamav engine and database. I’ve tried both v2.2.2.163 and v2.2.2.163(beta), both failed to even detect any virus from the 33 virus that I planted on the test computer. I’ve even made sure that the virus definition database are updated. Other than not able to detect virus, it takes up 98MB memory usage!

2. Spyware Terminator
This is actually an antispyware software but it is able to integrate ClamAV engine. Manage to detect 20 out of 33 virus and it only takes up 14MB memory usage. It cannot auto scan USB drive when inserted into computer.

3. PC Tools AntiVirus
PCTools corrupts LSP
Takes 5MB memory usage but only managed to detect 12 out of 33 virus. It also detect my email client The Bat as a threat! The current version is a little buggy because it wasn’t able to install properly in my test computer. Then I tried installing on my laptop, it kills the internet connection and corrupts the Windows’s LSP. Luckily Network Diagnostics in Windows XP is able to easily fix it.

4. Comodo Internet Security
free antivirus for corporate commercial
Comodo Internet Security includes both antivirus and firewall module. It detected 20 out of 33 virus. I always thought that Comodo products are bloated but I was shocked to find out that it only took 11MB memory usage. Other than that, when I inserted a USB flash drive into the computer, Comodo immediately scans the drive and will alert you if it found any threats. The first update took very long because it needs to download (21.3MB) a lot of updated files. Then all the .cav files will be combined into one bases.cav file.

There is no “FREE” antivirus for corporate commercial and education use that is really good but from the simple test above, I can see that Comodo Internet Security is a better choice. I will definitely be installing Comodo Internet Security on all the computers in the educational facility. Moreover, it has password protection to prevent the student from uninstalling it and making any changes on the antivirus settings.


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    • atterno

      Very well said Ray. I’ve been through the ordeal of suggesting Free antivirus solutions for corporate users and come to realize that there are no reliable free solutions that can be really suggested for enterprise usage.

    • shubh

      good dost

    • aBg_rOnGak

      We have a lot of jobless IT graduates (or with unsatisfactory job). Why the government did not hire them and make them create our own security products for use in commercial or government sector?

    • anon

      What about:
      http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/08/13/aol-active-virus-shield-is-replaced-with-mcafee-virus-scan-plus/

      You said:
      “I’ve searched everywhere on McAfee VirusScan Plus Special edition from AOL website and can’t find anything that state you can’t use it on corporate and commercial computers”

    • http://www.raymond.cc/ Raymond

      McAfee Virus Scan Plus is actually for AOL users on the Basic Dial-Up plan.

    • Dan

      Interesting article as always… I’ll take it into consideration when I help my friend setup his little office next week. Thanks!

    • Fernando Jorge

      Another great blog entry!!! :)

      By the way… from the free ones for personal use (AVG, Avira, avast!, Rising Antivirus Free Edition 2009 and DriveSentry) what is the one you feel like being the best?

      From what I’ve read, here and in the forum I feel like:
      * AVG is the most known free AV but could be better
      * DriveSentry I do not know anything about it
      * Avira and Rising and VERY GOOD
      * avast! I think of it being somewhere in between AVG and Avira+Rising

      What is opinion about them?
      If there’s a detailed blog entry or a forum post about these, may you please show me the link?

      Congratulations on the job you’re doing, it’s simply fantastic!!! :D

    • Raitokun

      You can also use windows steadystate to prevent the users from doing damage on the computer …

    • http://my-leaked-thoughts.spaces.live.com/ LaserWraith

      Comodo Internet Security is very light on resources.

      Plus, it has a setting which can be good for public or employee computers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM7biH8j_cU

    • LunarWolf

      @Fernando Jorge,
      Don’t bother about AVG. It sucks big time. Couldn’t detect 40+ trojans in my computer. I was using AVG for like 3 years. Is also a bloatware. Use Avira. Avast scan speed is slow.

    • Fernando Jorge

      Been digging a little more on the forum… nothing like refining the search query! ;)

      So… my first impression seems correct… the best free AVs are:
      * Avira
      * Rising

      I’ve been using Avira until now, because it was the first I’ve tried and seems to work really well. Rising seems to be a Ray’s favorite also.
      Maybe some day I’ll try Rising AV.

      For anyone that may be interested here’s forum thread about this subject is a little old (8 months) but seems the most recent one on the forum:
      http://www.raymond.cc/forum/spyware-viruses/7268-what-is-the-best-free-antivirus.html

      Maybe this will be useful for anybody! :)

    • Rich

      Hi Raymond, I’ve tried AVG, Avast, Norton & Kaspersky, of course the last two are not “free” & found that “Free” AV doesn’t block back door virus till they entered & stay in, than the AV trying to alert user.

    • Hipockets

      I know one is not supposed to have more than one antivirus program on one computer. [ because one program will recognize another program's definition files as a virus?? ]

      How about (1) loading them on different drives, and, during a scan, excluding the drive that the other progam is on; or (2) loading both progams (and nothing else) on one drive and excluding that drive; or (3) installing them on different USB drives?

    • doug

      Hi Raymond,

      I’m curious where you found this:

      >>>>
      Rising: Rising Antivirus Free Edition 2009 is a solution with no cost to personal users. Can only be used for personal purpose and you shall not use this product for non-personal or commercial purpose unless a written authorization from Rising is obtained.
      <<<>>>
      Rising Personal Firewall can only be used for personal purpose and you shall not use this product for non-personal or commercial purpose unless a written authorization from Rising is obtained.
      <<<<

      Not that I don’t doubt what you’ve indicated is true, I’m just trying to find it one their website.

      Can you help?

      Thanks,

      Doug

    • http://demonhellnoire.deviantart.com HellNoire

      Hey Raymond, are you going to test any of Comodo’s other lineup? They aren’t as bad as many people make them out to be, and when the firewall passes my tests, and works at around 3 mb just working, as much as 5 mb tops… I think Comodo’s at least worth a look. :)

      hellnoire

    • dag

      I have been using AVG Free for about 6 years, have never had a problem. When I had Norton for a trial period I disabled AVG and Norton did not find anything that AVG might have missed.
      I ‘ll stick with my AVG, I am happy with it. I also have it on 3 of my college aged kids computers, no problems with theirs either and they do a hell of lot of downloading.

      Nice blog Raymond

    • http://www.raymond.cc/ Raymond

      doug: You can find that Rising statement in Help file after installing.

      Hipockets: It is advised not to install more than 1 antivirus because they have real-time protection and they could interfere with each other.

    • Mr. Nice Guy

      Others:
      COMODO not that good.

      I say:
      http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php

      ’nuff said

    • rusty

      Great post RAy. THANKS alot

      But 20 out of 30 d0es not sond very good. Doo they lack something the paid versions have

    • hyena

      Avast! home edition is by far the best Free AV available, plus support is second to none.

    • Mike C.

      I use spyware terminator. Comodo sounds good too. I’ll give it a try

    • Meshal

      Thanx a lot Raymond

      i know u heard this word over million times but My language doesn’t help me to thank u with other words..

    • Jeannie

      I have used my Sygate Firewall Pro the past several yrs. but lately for some reason (no spyware,etc.) every so often it doesn’t come on during startup. Then have had to fiddle, uninstall, reboot, reinstall, reboot. (snarl)

      Made the jump to Comodo Int.Sec. —-(thanks Raymond!) —-it’s a breeze, and only takes 11meg usage on my xp machine.

    • http://www.Akshay.tk Akshay Sharma

      Hey Raymond,
      I really like your blog!

      Can these antivirus remove Win32/Sality.aa virus?
      I was able to completely remove Sality througn KIS 2009.

    • http://www.Akshay.tk Akshay Sharma

      avast! can delete not disinfect the files…

      Which one of them can remove win32-sality.aa virus?

      Akshay

    • http://madhabspace.blogspot.com sunkumarspace

      i heard about this suit
      http://www.cyberdefender.com/

      but it is ad-supported (non-intrusive banners in interface)

      another is

      PCLive Security –
      http://www.pclive.com/products/pclive_security.php

      come from the open source ClamAV which still isn’t very good yet.

    • ken

      Can pls email me the window vista home premium product key pls .

    • syarif

      thanks, a good information. it helpfull

    • Fahad

      hi thanks for information.i m looking for this information because i want to run a internet club and need a free commercial antivirus.thanks

    • Tom (CompTIA A+ Certified Professional)

      During the 8 years that I have worked as a Computer and Network Technician, I have been able to test various anti-malware that are free for personal use only, therefore non-commercial use. I have found Avira AntiVir to be the best free anti-malware for Windows. It also scans for Rootkits, which are malware that hide from the system.

      Raymond, I would like to thank you sincerely for testing the anti-malware products that you mentioned in this article. I also want to add that I read the License for COMODO Internet Security and that it is the only anti-malware, with effective real-time scanning, that I have seen that is free for commercial use. The End User License and Subscriber Agreement states in article 1.2 that “Use of the Software within your commercial enterprise for internal purposes is expressly allowed.”

      If it hadn’t been for this article, I would have never found any anti-malware, with effective real-time scanning, explicitly licensed for commercial use. Thanks again, Raymond. Great Work!

    • deepak

      Is COMODO really free… It says 5 licenses only… please clarify…. thanks!

    • http://renew-antivirus.com Renew Antivirus Support

      I have work in online shopping company in my home town before. The interesting part is they do the opposite of what has been said here. They never comply with the government regulation to use original software and all are pirated. Including Windows OS, Anti-Virus, Video Editing Software, Adobe products.

      Now the my question is how the heck the company does it. I don’t know about this because i don’t handle IT part of it.

    • Bologna

      Clamwin is pretty good at antivirus but does little for malware.

    • Hawk

      Comodo “is not user friendly”.

    • Jimmi

      During the 5 years I have worked as a Network Technician, I’ve been able to test a lot of anti-virus that are free for personal use only, therefore non-commercial use. I have found ZenOK Free Antivirus to be the best free anti-malware for Windows. It also scans for Rootkits, which are malware that hide from the system.

    • John

      i uSe avg threat labs (http://www.avgthreatlabs.com) because i can track what i viSit on the net.

    • Bruce Fraser

      Microsoft Security Essentials is free for commercial use. It`s available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/security_essentials/default.aspx.

      See this note on that page: “Microsoft Security Essentials is available for small businesses with up to 10 PCs.”

    • lucian

      Spyware Terminator and Comodo Internet Security detected 20 out of 33 viruses in the test. did they detect the same viruses successfully or different ones, I was just thinking if they did detect different viruses installing both to give maximum protection.

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