Anti- Virus Protection

  • brucea
    Maplewood,MN
    Posts: 431
    June 21, 2012 at 2:50 pm #1277793

    I bought a new computer. Which anti-virus protection should I install?

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25025
    June 21, 2012 at 2:53 pm #1077711

    If Xfinity is your provider, I’d just use their security suite. If not, I can’t help you.

    brucea
    Maplewood,MN
    Posts: 431
    June 21, 2012 at 2:54 pm #1077715

    Century Link is my provider

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    June 21, 2012 at 3:00 pm #1077719

    I’ve been using AVG for about 4 years now successfully. I was not happy with Norton and mcafee previously. of course, given stuxnet and flame, maybe kasperky’s the way to go!!

    brucea
    Maplewood,MN
    Posts: 431
    June 21, 2012 at 3:05 pm #1077721

    Stu,Is it the free version or the pay for version?

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    June 21, 2012 at 3:14 pm #1077722

    I’ve been using the free version. i probably get my files 24 hours later than the pay version, but it’s not been an issue so far. BUT, i am religious about not opening unsolicited attachments…

    lisak
    Red Wing, MN
    Posts: 36
    June 21, 2012 at 3:18 pm #1077723

    i have used the free version of avg for the last few years too and have been really happy with it.

    dfresh
    Fridley, MN
    Posts: 3053
    June 21, 2012 at 3:23 pm #1077725

    The Microsoft Security Essentials one is free and generally agreed upon to be very good. I used to run AVG, and some things slipped through.

    Whatever you do, do not run multiple virus protection programs at the same time as they can conflict with each other.

    mfreeman451
    Posts: 543
    June 21, 2012 at 3:26 pm #1077726

    Microsoft offers very good protection for free. I protect all of my computers with this, combined with Google Chrome for web browsing, you should be protected from most threats.

    Microsoft Security Essentials

    I would also recommend not using Adobe Acroread or Acrobat for reading PDFs, you can find a free alternative like SumatraPDF. Most viruses these days are going after Adobe Flash and Adobe PDF reading products.

    Sumatra PDF Reader

    trumar
    Rochester, Mn
    Posts: 5967
    June 21, 2012 at 3:27 pm #1077727

    Microsoft x3

    tomr
    cottage grove, mn
    Posts: 1253
    June 21, 2012 at 3:29 pm #1077728

    Microsoft x 4!

    mfreeman451
    Posts: 543
    June 21, 2012 at 3:33 pm #1077733

    Stuxnet and Flame were missed and not detected by the entire AV industry, they had been in the wild for over 5 years. Kaspersky didn’t notice it first either, it was some obscure russian/romanian outfit that came out of no where, and then the entire industry rushed to reverse engineer and disassemble it, including Kaspersky.

    Stop giving your money to any of these jokers, the entire industry is a joke and they’re only good at stopping very well-known threats. Your best defense against network-borne attacks is to limit the attack surface; Make sure your PC stays patched (every 2nd Tuesday of the month is Microsoft’s “Patch Tuesday”, run Windows update manually to get them right away), use an up to date web browser that implements proper sandboxing of extensions like Adobe Flash (chrome), don’t open attachments from people you don’t recognize, or even those that you do, etc. Follow some common sense rules and you’ll be fine..

    AVG has had several problems of its own, including problems where an attacker could attack AVG itself and get into your system. Why would you trust them with your PC security when they can’t even secure their own code?

    Quote:

    I’ve been using AVG for about 4 years now successfully. I was not happy with Norton and mcafee previously. of course, given stuxnet and flame, maybe kasperky’s the way to go!!

    brucea
    Maplewood,MN
    Posts: 431
    June 21, 2012 at 3:48 pm #1077740

    In the last year I had free AVG, got a virus, then used free Avast, got the same kind of virus. I then went with Security Essentials, Yesterday the computer went down again. I’m not sure if yesterdays problem was a virus, but sure acts like one! I was using XP. I now have a new computer with windows 7.

    It seems like once I get a virus, even if I reload it will come back to get me!!!

    mfreeman451
    Posts: 543
    June 21, 2012 at 4:02 pm #1077743

    You should try and replace that XP machine with a modern operating system ASAP. I forgot the timeline but MSFT is EOL/EOS’ing XP or already has, which means limited or no new security updates.

    Quote:

    In the last year I had free AVG, got a virus, then used free Avast, got the same kind of virus. I then went with Security Essentials, Yesterday the computer went down again. I’m not sure if yesterdays problem was a virus, but sure acts like one! I was using XP. I now have a new computer with windows 7.

    It seems like once I get a virus, even if I reload it will come back to get me!!!

    dave-barber
    St Francis, MN
    Posts: 2100
    June 21, 2012 at 4:43 pm #1077757

    I am an IT Analyst by trade. I know of all the free anti-virus out there as well as many of the paid services.

    I have been using Norton Internet Security, now Norton 360, for YEARS… and NEVER have had a virus. I have a wife and daughter that click on everything as well as a couple step kids that come over and use the internet. Only costs around $70 per year… but covers up to 3 computers. That being said… being a computer guy… my in-laws and parents are always calling me with issues. SO… I put 1 license on my home computer, and then installed/licensed my in-law’s computers as well. Saves me MANY hours of on-the-phone support to a 70 year old trying to fix their computer.

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    June 21, 2012 at 5:03 pm #1077761

    Quote:

    Saves me MANY hours of on-the-phone support to a 70 year old trying to fix their computer.

    WATCH IT!! I resemble that remark!! Well, nearly…

    broncosguy
    Blaine, MN
    Posts: 2106
    June 21, 2012 at 5:10 pm #1077764

    century link comes with norton and a few others to choose from. log into your account online and go to “security” and it will tell you all you need there. i think it is the Vault or something like that. all included and free and never have had a problem yet.

    millerman
    Red Wing, MN
    Posts: 627
    June 21, 2012 at 5:24 pm #1077770

    FREE AVG ROCKS! Used by many professional computer repair people! I’ve had it for years and like it a lot!

    mfreeman451
    Posts: 543
    June 21, 2012 at 7:19 pm #1077822

    There have been over 21 security problems with AVG that I could find in the OSVDB, and about 10 more just searching through google.
    OSVDB search for AVG

    Quote:

    FREE AVG ROCKS! Used by many professional computer repair people! I’ve had it for years and like it a lot!

    phigs
    Twin Cities, MN
    Posts: 1046
    June 21, 2012 at 8:42 pm #1077849

    Quote:

    There have been over 21 security problems with AVG that I could find in the OSVDB, and about 10 more just searching through google.
    OSVDB search for AVG

    Quote:

    FREE AVG ROCKS! Used by many professional computer repair people! I’ve had it for years and like it a lot!

    Noob…. Antivirus 2009 is by far the best one out there…

    sgt._rock
    Rochester, MN
    Posts: 2515
    June 21, 2012 at 10:13 pm #1077892

    I put an antivirus sticker on my PC. Stopped all those invasives.

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