There are so many security suite software packages out there and they all claim to keep your computer free from viruses, malware, and so much more. These security software companies advertise that they protect your personal computer from being compromised by blocking all known attacks.

But are they living up to their claims? Studies are now showing that most anti-virus firms miss almost a quarter of all known threats. When subtle changes are applied to exploits, more than 40% actually compromise the systems targeted.

These are according to the research of the independent firm, NSS Labs. They tested the efficiency of the ten best known corporate anti-virus software products and found that only about 70% of the attacks were blocked. When exploits were altered to use different modes of entry, those same corporate software were only able to detect almost two thirds of the threat.

Those results were quite alarming as the exploits used were listed in CERT and MITRE, which are open to the public. Security suites don’t seem to be enough to keep computers safe. The best option is still to keep your computer well updated and have your software always up to date with the latest security patches which sadly is not the case.

If you are using AVG, Norman, ESET, or Panda, it would be better if your computers were adequately patched. Panda did poorly by detecting only 29% of the exploits used. Looking at the other end of the spectrum, one of the better performing products was Symantec which was able to detect 88% of the original exploits. Although it did rather poorly once the exploits were modified. It identified only 53% of the lot.

The best antivirus product clearly doesn’t depend on the company’s size and popularity. It seems that anti-virus companies are not doing enough research and development when it comes to improving their software. Either that or they are being outpaced by malware developers. Hopefully the study conducted by NSS labs will contribute to improvement of security suite software. For now, keep your computer software updated with the latest security patches.

Receive the latest of SecPoint! Browse our Products, Press, and Resources.