What aspects of an antiviral are important?
The most important factor in judging an antiviral is accurate and complete detection of all possible viruses. Unfortunately, since it is proven that this is impossible, we are left with trying to determine which antiviral will detect, accurately, the most viruses that the user is likely to encounter. Complete and accurate detection, though, is the number one priority. It should never be superceded by *any* other factor in a trade-off. Also of very high importance in testing antiviral systems is the fact that the proportion of computer users who have a thorough understanding of viral operations, in comparison to the total user population, is so small that it is statistically insignificant. Therefore, it is vital that any antiviral program be judged on the basis of installation and use by “naive” users. A naive user in this case may be one with significant technical skills, but little background in regard to viral programs. It is critical, therefore, to judge the interaction of the progr
