Among existing desktop security software, Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2007 suite is the best at detecting and removing stealth rootkits, according to a study done by Thompson Cyber Security Labs.In the study, which was commissioned by Symantec [ ::)] and conducted by veteran anti-virus expert Roger Thompson, 20 randomly chosen pieces of rootkit-laden malware files were pitted against the major anti-virus and anti-spyware vendors to rate detection and removal capabilities.
In both categories, Symantec’s Norton came out tops, although the tool did not fully remove all 20 rootkits.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2051268,00.asp
Direct link to report (PDF):
http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/enterprise/collateral/tech_briefs/11310863_HTTST_tb.pdf