Need advice, new computer purchased

[Sallow]

Been running McAfee and am real happy with it.

 

[Sallow]

Still, it doesn't add more protection... That is kind of a fallacy. But if it makes you feel safer, cool...

Depends on what sort of firewall rules you are using in each case.

 

[Networker1100]

Well you can't set an ACL on a Integrated Service Router. And even if you have a dedicated server running a firewall, it would make no sense to set a partial ACL on there and another ACL on a different firewall. I have a BS in Networking and Information Security... It's not like it can't be done or will not work... sure it will.... It's just not efficient.

 

[Sallow]

Well you can't set an ACL on a Integrated Service Router. And even if you have a dedicated server running a firewall, it would make no sense to set a partial ACL on there and another ACL on a different firewall. I have a BS in Networking and Information Security... It's not like it can't be done or will not work... sure it will.... It's just not efficient.

People do all sorts of funky configurations with their servers and networks. That's why they are made that way..to be flexible and scalable. Are there latency issues to consider? Sure..but if you are not doing something like real time trading, where milliseconds count, then who cares?

 

[Foxfyre]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

 

[PeteEU]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

 

[hortysir]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

AVG started doing that so I switched to Avira until it started to literally sit on it's ass and let shit in.

No issues in 2 years with Avast.

 

[Swingline50022]

No big issues in many years of using AVG except that it's a big resource hog. On slower Windows computers I use Microsoft Security Essentials which seems to be less of a drag on speed, and no issues after about 2 years of using that either. On some old very slow XP computers I've been running nothing but Spybot Search & Destroy, which isn't really an antivirus program, but nevertheless haven't had a virus yet.

On Mac OS X and Debian I use no 3rd party anti-virus or anti-malware programs at all, and haven't seen any kinds of exploits on those machines yet.

I should probably mention however that I don't play any games on game sites so I have no experience with that.

 

[PeteEU]

No big issues in many years of using AVG except that it's a big resource hog. On slower Windows computers I use Microsoft Security Essentials which seems to be less of a drag on speed, and no issues after about 2 years of using that either. On some old very slow XP computers I've been running nothing but Spybot Search & Destroy, which isn't really an antivirus program, but nevertheless haven't had a virus yet.

AVG use to be nice and light weight, but joined the Nortons on the planet.. and is now a heavy program. Microsoft Security Essentials is very light weight, but sadly has fallen behind in prevention.. it can find and remove stuff with the best of them, but would rather have prevented it come in...

On Mac OS X and Debian I use no 3rd party anti-virus or anti-malware programs at all, and haven't seen any kinds of exploits on those machines yet.

That has more to do with the fact that virus programmers can not see any profit from making virus/malware for linux since there is a very limited number of users. Same was for OSX, but that has changed and considering the many holes in the OS and bundled software, then you should worry.

But saying that, it as always depends on the user. If the user is the happily click on every link you get in emails type and install fun little programs.. then you are asking for it regardless of what OS you use. If you the type that does not trust anything you have not requested, then chances of infection is rather low even on a Windows machine.

The biggest problem with Windows machines other than the user... that people still use Windows XP which was designed in a pre-Internet world basically.. and has been playing catch up every since. Windows 7 on the other hand is a whole different beast and is not so easily infected even without an anti-virus program.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I use the free version of AVG

AVG Free | Antivirus | Free Virus Protection

 

[Ringel05]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

Avast did that to me yesterday with a program I've used for years and had been using earlier that day. It did leave me with a window asking if I wanted to reopen the program in sandbox or normally.
One false reading in years......... not bad.

 

[PeteEU]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

Avast did that to me yesterday with a program I've used for years and had been using earlier that day. It did leave me with a window asking if I wanted to reopen the program in sandbox or normally.
One false reading in years......... not bad.

Yea no complaints, but just a bit odd that it out of the blue did it.. and was a tad annoying it did it when I was not around and it was a "non-PC" person who was using the program and who went into panic and had to call me on my day off to go "fix" something that was not broken

 

[Ringel05]

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

Avast did that to me yesterday with a program I've used for years and had been using earlier that day. It did leave me with a window asking if I wanted to reopen the program in sandbox or normally.
One false reading in years......... not bad.

Yea no complaints, but just a bit odd that it out of the blue did it.. and was a tad annoying it did it when I was not around and it was a "non-PC" person who was using the program and who went into panic and had to call me on my day off to go "fix" something that was not broken

It seems to have happened with the last update and the program it flagged is an XP program that wouldn't work in Vista but somehow works on my Win7. That's kind of a hit and miss there, some of my old programs work fine some won't work at all.

 

[namvet]

does it really work online??? find out. I did. download a fake virus

EICAR Test Virus

 

[Foxfyre]

Since we closed our biz, we no longer have super sensitive files and we find one decent firewall, and one anti virus/anti malware program to be sufficient. We now have the free version of Avast on all the computers that are used mostly for private research, creative projects, e-mail, and recreation. I did add an extra layer of the free version of Malwarebytes to snag the malware that Avast might miss, but so far Avast seems to be getting it all.

I cancelled all our paid subscriptions that at different times included McAfee and Norton and PCDoctor and have found Avast to be superior to all, automatically updates all day long, and, as Ringel said, doesn't interfere with other programs you have running.

I actually had Avast piss me off on Thursday. It actually blocked a legit program that had run before on the PC many many many times. Was not easy to allow the program again, but did eventually figure it out...

Avast is the best free program out there according to independent tests, but Kaspersky and Norton are at the moment (as of last month) the top dogs, with Kaspersky especially being good to prevent the new very advanced phishing.

Avast did that to me yesterday with a program I've used for years and had been using earlier that day. It did leave me with a window asking if I wanted to reopen the program in sandbox or normally.
One false reading in years......... not bad.

Yes, and I LOVE the Avast sandbox feature when you are not entirely 100% certain of a site but want to check it out. I have a computer game that I've played now and then for years. I discovered the sand box when I first tried to run it after installing Avast. Avast does not like that game one bit. But it was finally persuaded to accept it.

 

[hortysir]

does it really work online??? find out. I did. download a fake virus

EICAR Test Virus

Avast stopped all 3 downloads as Malware

 

[Ringel05]

does it really work online??? find out. I did. download a fake virus

EICAR Test Virus

Damn dude, that was last updated in 1999. In computer years that's ancient.

 

[namvet]

does it really work online??? find out. I did. download a fake virus

EICAR Test Virus

Damn dude, that was last updated in 1999. In computer years that's ancient.

fakes don't need updating

 

[Ringel05]

does it really work online??? find out. I did. download a fake virus

EICAR Test Virus

Damn dude, that was last updated in 1999. In computer years that's ancient.

fakes don't need updating

Threats change, fakes need to change to mirror the threat.

 

[namvet]

Damn dude, that was last updated in 1999. In computer years that's ancient.

fakes don't need updating

Threats change, fakes need to change to mirror the threat.

then don't use it