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RESOLVED NOW THANKS
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Hardware & Technical Anti-Virus recommendations please...
- Thread starter Para Handy
- Start date
EDIT - Updated:
RESOLVED NOW THANKS
I've been using AVG free for years. It can (occasionally) get annoying, but it doesn't change anything you don't tell it to.
agreed..
AVG or Avast..other AV progs seemed to grab more resources..
Ive been using AVG for over 10years.. no issues.
Weekly scan with AVG and MalwareBytes.. good to go.
I use Avast.
Avast has acquired AVG and has incorporated some of its technology although they will stay separate products.
Avast will also release some kind of joint Avast/AVG av product in the future.
Avast is a good product, but do customize your installation. There is some kind of commercial browser pluging I recommend deselecting.
I also use some additional security products like Malwarebites and Super anti spyware for occasional scans.
And I have Winpatrol products installed.
I use Comodo Firewall with build-in HIPS, VirusScope and Websitefiltering. I have been using Comodo for more than 10 years and I love it.
Avast has acquired AVG and has incorporated some of its technology although they will stay separate products.
Avast will also release some kind of joint Avast/AVG av product in the future.
Avast is a good product, but do customize your installation. There is some kind of commercial browser pluging I recommend deselecting.
I also use some additional security products like Malwarebites and Super anti spyware for occasional scans.
And I have Winpatrol products installed.
I use Comodo Firewall with build-in HIPS, VirusScope and Websitefiltering. I have been using Comodo for more than 10 years and I love it.
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Update to a Windows version that's still in mainstream support and doesn't partially rely on administrative workarounds for some vulnerabilities, keep that Windows updated and let Defender do its thing. Pretty much all the 3rd party AV vendors had major screw-ups in their products discovered just this year (like, say, just executing virus payloads because what could go wrong, breaking certificate validation in their "web protection", not bothering to validate update information), and most are really just pushing ineffective snakeoil.
Don't use Microsoft browsers until they finally ditch Flash, never install Flash for any other browser, and keep your hands off Java. That takes care of most attack vectors all on its own.
If you really insist on an added sense of security, use some free product, don't pay extra.
Don't use Microsoft browsers until they finally ditch Flash, never install Flash for any other browser, and keep your hands off Java. That takes care of most attack vectors all on its own.
If you really insist on an added sense of security, use some free product, don't pay extra.
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With Avast, I never have a problem
Kaspersky for me
Way i see it is the Americans of Microsoft leave security holes for the CIA, so i want to even the score by letting the FSB get access from their side while blocking some of the american holes
Way i see it is the Americans of Microsoft leave security holes for the CIA, so i want to even the score by letting the FSB get access from their side while blocking some of the american holes
I've used Norton for getting on 20 years and never had any real issue with it, other than the occasional over-eager deleting of unknown .exe files from the web. I can live with that.
If you use online banking, then it's worth checking to see if your bank has any offers. In the UK, Barclays offer a free license of Kaspersky to anyone who uses their online-banking and you can use it on up to 2 devices.
If you use online banking, then it's worth checking to see if your bank has any offers. In the UK, Barclays offer a free license of Kaspersky to anyone who uses their online-banking and you can use it on up to 2 devices.
I can't remember if Microsoft Security Essentials is still available for W7. It's an early version of Windows Defender and worked ok, far better then Symantec Endpoint Protection or any of the horrors that Norton or Macaffee have squeezed out.
I'd really suggest upgrading to W10 though. You can still do so for no cost.
However, why not use virtual machines for any potentially risky online stuff? W7 can still run MS Virtual PC - which is one of the easiest and convenient VM managers - pity MS phased it out. You can isolate them pretty well, you don't lose anything if one messes up, they take seconds to spawn and you can have heaps of fun nesting them, you can keep a pet one on a USB stick that you can keep for years, and best of all - you have probably collected enough valid licenses over the years to install pretty much any MS OS you'll ever have a use for
I'd really suggest upgrading to W10 though. You can still do so for no cost.
However, why not use virtual machines for any potentially risky online stuff? W7 can still run MS Virtual PC - which is one of the easiest and convenient VM managers - pity MS phased it out. You can isolate them pretty well, you don't lose anything if one messes up, they take seconds to spawn and you can have heaps of fun nesting them, you can keep a pet one on a USB stick that you can keep for years, and best of all - you have probably collected enough valid licenses over the years to install pretty much any MS OS you'll ever have a use for
Personally I've never needed anything more than MSE - Microsoft Security Essentials (still available for Win7 I believe). Common sense + MSE is probably all you need. Yes, benchmarks say MSE sucks, but I am one who seldom ever trust benchmarks. Real world experience for me has been that MSE detects and isolates malicious code more effectively than 3rd party ones (although I've never used Bitdefender nor Kaspersky).
Also, MSE is so unintrusive, and so far has never ever interfered with anything. In my experience AVAST is the one that is the most "naggy" - everything is a popup asking you to click something. Avira is not too far behind in that. AVG used to be naggy but have gotten better recently.
So currently on Win10 I'm using the built-in Windows Defender (MSE for Win10).
Also, MSE is so unintrusive, and so far has never ever interfered with anything. In my experience AVAST is the one that is the most "naggy" - everything is a popup asking you to click something. Avira is not too far behind in that. AVG used to be naggy but have gotten better recently.
So currently on Win10 I'm using the built-in Windows Defender (MSE for Win10).
Many thanks to all of the posters (rep all round).
I ended up restoring an image from a couple of months back to get my settings back to normal. Then stripping out Bitdefender (and it's orphans) and going through several options I decided in the end to opt for MSE and have changed to that on my secondary computer too (which finally can see my network properly and join the homegroup).
For all the glowing reviews of Bitdefender in the media, I am extremely annoyed at how intrusive it was.
Thanks again.
I ended up restoring an image from a couple of months back to get my settings back to normal. Then stripping out Bitdefender (and it's orphans) and going through several options I decided in the end to opt for MSE and have changed to that on my secondary computer too (which finally can see my network properly and join the homegroup).
For all the glowing reviews of Bitdefender in the media, I am extremely annoyed at how intrusive it was.
Thanks again.
We use https://www.eset.com/uk/ here, on a multi-user licence that covers all devices, about 10 all told including mobiles etc. I find it easy to use, it's my youngest that is the expert though, warns of dodgy sites very quickly and stops connection unless you tell it to ignore. Not many false alarms.
Yeah, Kaspersky might not be the best current choice:
'Russia reportedly stole NSA secrets with help of Kaspersky—what we know now':
https://arstechnica.co.uk/informati...ms-kaspersky-helped-steal-secret-nsa-secrets/
Now having said that, if you use an i-phone (or likely any smartphone) your data is being 'hacked' all the time (location, where you go and whom you meet etc), and if you use Windows 10 (or even updated 7&8) you are effectively giving your data away to third parties (and usa government etc). So 'most' of us are being screwed (by data theft) whichever way you go, for the most part.
'Russia reportedly stole NSA secrets with help of Kaspersky—what we know now':
https://arstechnica.co.uk/informati...ms-kaspersky-helped-steal-secret-nsa-secrets/
Now having said that, if you use an i-phone (or likely any smartphone) your data is being 'hacked' all the time (location, where you go and whom you meet etc), and if you use Windows 10 (or even updated 7&8) you are effectively giving your data away to third parties (and usa government etc). So 'most' of us are being screwed (by data theft) whichever way you go, for the most part.
Oh im aware of that.
However are you aware of JTRIG, Spring Bishop, Changeling, Gestator, Ernest voice, Minaret.
to name but a few.
My recommendation: Finally upgrade to Windows 10 and use the built-in antivirus.
Also, no antivirus program will protect you against, e.g., a script deleting all your files. You need to be careful instead of relying on something that can never be a perfect protection. If having an antivirus program makes you do anything you would otherwise not do, then you better stop doing exactly that and save the money for the program.
Ironically, antivirus programs have security vulnerabilities themselves, and some viruses abuse bugs in your antivirus software to run malware as administrator. You would never open an attachment to a weird e-mail, but your antivirus program maybe does exactly that and risks being abused by some 7z extraction exploits (happened).
Edit: Check this https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project...us+Priority+Milestone+Owner+Summary&cells=ids
...for a list of security critical bugs found by Google employees in Antivirus software. That alone should make you avoid these programs.
Also, no antivirus program will protect you against, e.g., a script deleting all your files. You need to be careful instead of relying on something that can never be a perfect protection. If having an antivirus program makes you do anything you would otherwise not do, then you better stop doing exactly that and save the money for the program.
Ironically, antivirus programs have security vulnerabilities themselves, and some viruses abuse bugs in your antivirus software to run malware as administrator. You would never open an attachment to a weird e-mail, but your antivirus program maybe does exactly that and risks being abused by some 7z extraction exploits (happened).
Edit: Check this https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project...us+Priority+Milestone+Owner+Summary&cells=ids
...for a list of security critical bugs found by Google employees in Antivirus software. That alone should make you avoid these programs.
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They didn't yell "we are protecting you" loud enough? ;P