NOD32 Anti-Virus Review

This program is available directly from the vendor.

Vendor's antivirus software homepage:
http://www.nod32.com.au

Pros - NOD32 Anti-Virus:

• Excellent detection of known viruses
• Cleans files that are locked for writing (e.g. DLLs being used)
• 99% of updates don't require a reboot
• Supports proxy servers (Basic and NTLM authentication).
• Creates updates to a floppy or CD for PCs which are not connected to the network
• DOS scanner included
• Extensive manual

• Is made up of several small programs instead of one program with all features integrated
• Places three different icons in the system tray
• Doesn't scan outgoing email messages
• Doesn't automatically delete viruses in email messages, you have to do it manually
• You have to manually configure NOD32 Anti-Virus if you use any email client other that Outlook or Outlook Express
• You have to manually configure NOD32 Anti-Virus if you use more than one email account
• While scanning speed is excellent, on-access monitoring does affect performance noticeable

• Limited support for email (clients), scans only incoming emails

• Not available

Overall, it is our opinion that NOD32 Anti-Virus is a very good program, having one of the better detection records as well as some features rarely found in other antivirus software, for instance network support and password protection of settings. Unfortunately NOD32 Anti-Virus also lacks several basic features. We are especially disappointed in several options having to be configured manually. e.g. you have to configure NOD32 Anti-Virus every time you add an email account. Also, NOD32 doesn't yet protect against viruses in all common formats for compressed files.

The user interface is a bit clumsy and this software may be preferred by users who likes to fiddle with settings.

The most important function of antivirus software is to detect and block viruses. NOD32 does this very well, and proves its reliability in the tests detailed above. It also has superior heuristic scanning abilities, making it very effective in detecting unknown viruses. NOD32 claims that not only did it detect and block big-gun viruses like CIH, Melissa, LoveLetter, etc. a long time before any competitor, but also the "gnomes" in the ESET virus lab are extremely fast and good in analyzing viruses and releasing blocks and fixes well before competitors do. This degree of protection makes NOD32 a clear winner in my book.

While the weak points mentioned above are mostly minor issues, enhancement requests, etc., fixing those would really put the cherry on the pie. Ease-of-use, easy setup and configuration is important for the user. Nowadays these attributes are almost a requirement. As sad as it might sound, good software can fail if it is tough to use, while bad software can succeed if it looks good and is easy to use.
http://www.pcnineoneone.com/reviews/sw/nod32.html

CNET
April /11/02
Editors rating: 6 out of 10
Users rating: 8 out of 10

NOD32 aspires to be an affordable, full-featured antivirus utility, and it succeeds to a certain degree. However, an overly complicated interface, some half-baked features, and its mixed results in our Labs' tests keep it from our recommended list.
http://www.cnet.com/software/ 0-806174-1205-9093349.html