ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5

ESET Smart Security 5 

The last time ESET updated its two security suites--the antivirus and anti-malware-only NOD32 and the more feature-heavy alternative Smart Security--it was a different computer security world. It was March 2009: Anonymous barely existed, Stuxnet hadn't gone public, and ransomware was the stuff of science fiction.

Version 5 of ESET NOD32 is a solid, creative attempt to create a suite that adapts to a rapidly changing threatscape, with an emphasis on generic detections and the now-commonplace reliance on both cloud and locally stored detections. Where NOD32's bigger brother Smart Security 5 left us wanting more in the ancillary features department, the area that many don't consider "core" security, NOD32 strikes a perfect pitch between features, price, and effectiveness.