Anti-Virus, Malware and Spyware

[hal_edmonds]

I get scanned every day for 30 minutes by Webroot and I love it ...Staples installed it for me and have had no problems...

[akajohndoe]

I do not find that Anti-Virus software is all that important. Nor is Anti-SpyWare nor Anti-Malware software. Good old common sense will keep out most baddies. And NoScript with Firefox helps, too.

 

I do run a software firewall, as my machine is a notebook and therefore is not always behind my router.

[drfuzz3899]

Best response to Spyware, Malware, and Viruses?

 

A mac.

 

^_^

 

But when I used XP I used McAfee, but it was pricey; and not always 100%

 

Check out SpyBot too.

[ihasphotos]

when i was stuck with windows, I used avast. Its free, and has a neat voice announcement when it updates. Also if you use search and destroy, it will lock down your system so that adware, and malware cannot take control of your browser. Other wise, go mac or linux. I have been using linux for years, and only using windows for games, but I finally made the switch to mac, and I love it.

P's

[keith_tapscott]

AVG Internet Security works well, I back it up with Windows Defender and no problems so far.

AVG I.S has the basics of Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, two way Firewall and Anti-Sp@m.

[markd2]

"Take a look at some 2007 Mac -v- PC security hole stats - Mac now up to FIVE times as many security holes.:

 

Yep, I took a look. A huge number were technologies bundled with OS X, but not used, certainly not on by default - a ton of PHP

graphics library issues, for instance. Also several are for older systems. "Mac OS 10.4.4 through 10.4.10", when we're on 10.4.11 /

10.5.5.

 

Granted, there's a couple of real honkers there. And on the Windows side too. The counts show the difference between a (somewhat)

open system vs a (somewhat) closed system. I bet many of those problems were found by code inspection once one class of problem

was found. Many of these individual issues apply to Linux / Solaris / BSDs also, and I don't think you can make the claim that XP is

80% more secure than those systems.

 

No system is perfect, but looking at the actual track records in the number of active exploits and amount of malware on each platform,

not to mention how thriving the anit-malware market is on each platform, it's pretty obvious the Mac stacks up much better than just

naively looking at absolute counts.

[bgelfand]

I use several defenses.

 

First, our computers sit behind a NAT router. This stops outside attempts to access or ping the computers (networked printer). Even if I had but one computer, I would still run a router. It is an inexpensive "firewall". Checking my Zone Alarm logs, I can find no instances of external attempts to access my computer since I installed the router several years ago.

 

Next we use a firewall. I have Zone Alarm on my Windows 2000 computer - perforce an older version, but it works well. My Significant Other is running Vista and uses the built in firewall. Coupled with the hardware router, I feel quite secure.

 

We both run anti-virus programs. I run an older version of McAfee she runs Kaspersky Anti-Virus, not Internet Security Suite. When I upgrade my computer, I too shall run Kaspersky. Kaspersky updates the virus signature files automatically and several times a day.

 

I run a Spybot Search and Destroy scan once a week as new signature files are released. So far, they only thing it has found is "tracking cookies".

 

I read both the Kaspersky and the McAfee user forums. The vast majority of problems reported involve the respective "Internet Security Suites"; very few problems are reported with the Kaspersky Anti-Virus program by itself. The last time I checked, McAfee Anti-Virus came bundled with other security programs, hence the switch when my SO upgraded her computer last year.

[lennert]

If it wasn't for my girlfriend, I would not be using anti virus, anti spy ware or a firewall.

If you can leave nasty websites for what they are, don't open all those funny e-mails and have an offline back-up.

Don't bother the extra software running on your machine. I never had a virus or even an alert. My girlfriend however

makes me not take the risk

 

just my 2 cent

 

oh, Avast and Ad Aware protect my computer for free against my girlfriend ;-)

[GerrySiegel]

My biggest gripe with Lavasoft Spysweeper is the time it takes to load up all its files. McCafee slows things

down but not as much. I wonder if anyone uses one that was at one time supposed to be a great all around item,

namely PC Micro's "PC-Cillin". Haven't tried it but am considering it,sort of..anyone use that software? I am

seguing to a MAC but will keep a separate older PC too. Ambidextrous of a sort. Confused is more likely.

 

I bought the iMAC last year for reasons other than the virus threat, which I feel I have under restraint the way

I operate. I think it was the original Vista and some PC companies that got me peeved off when I looked to

replace an old WIN system....

 

All my e mail goes through a 'washing machine' at the ISP that sorts the scum from the cream. It is worth it for

me for 8 bucks a month.

 

What a bunch of cow patties in a grassy lawn this subject is to pester the artists and visual poets of the world,

like we-all. I suppose we are all ultimately vulnerable to some invasion of our lives,fortunes, or honor. Not

sanguine here thank you.... That is why I guess I have a home security system AND a huge intimidating doggie :-)

En garde!

[charlesheckel]

I've got McAfee. It downloads new upgrades all the time, and blocks popups all right, but was no good at all dealing with a very ordinary Trojan--put my PC into perpetual loop blocking its attacks, but didn't touch the bug itself. Went to McAfee for support, and they gave me a DOS scanner that did kill the bug, but left my PC clobbered worse than before. Went to Dell for support and they fixed it, no problem.

[bgelfand]

Hi Lennert,

 

I am sorry to have to tell you, you are very, very wrong. The latest attack vector is to hack supposedly safe web sites and inject a line or two of malicious code that redirects to a malicious server, which tests for unpatched vulnerabilities and then downloads malicious software. At that point, your machine becomes a zombie - part of a botnet.

 

Some of the "safe" sites that have been hacked and had malicious code injected include the BBC, several NFL team sites and others that would normally be considered "safe".

 

Keep your systems patched and you Anti-Virus files up to date. By the way, the latest attack in the wild is via Adobe Reader version 8.1.2 and earlier. Be sure to patch to 8.1.3 or install version 9.

 

Oh, yes, thank your girlfriend. She is truly a friend.

[jesseplummer]

Lennert, I must warn you about Avast. I have used it for years and thought it was working. I installed Avira antivirus free edition and ran both at the same time. Turns out I had a virus all along and Avast missed it. Avira caught it and it also caught several attempts by a supposed safe web site trying to download malware on my system. Avast missed the boat there too.

[fabio_dangelo]

Our company (I'm a system builder and system administrator on several networks) usually install

Kaspersky Antivirus or Kaspersky Internet Security (personal or server controlled edition).

Norton is also a good choice... now it works fine.

 

Free antivirus?... Thank you... I need more customers!

 

Antispyware: Defender (Microsoft), SpybotSD, AD-Aware.

 

Bye!

[lorriman]

Macs are no more secure than PC's despite what amateurs claim: if you run Vista and make sure your day-to-day account is 'limited' rather than 'administrator' then you are as secure if not more secure than a Mac. However you are still more likely to get infected since organised crime botnet virus's are written against the systems with the larger market share, and no amount of anti-virus, spyware or other defenses can completely protect you (especially with instant messaging if you talk to dodgy people especially in their teens). It is for this reason that it is not unreasonable to wipe every six months.

 

AV Product X didn't catch what product Y did catch: this is rubbish as no AV product is 100% capable and some 'catch' spyware/malware which isn't technically a virus. You need to combine an AV product with anti-malware/spyware if the AV product doesn't do this, and do regular or automatic software updates, and make sure you configure your account to be 'limited'. Some AV products do catch a few more than the others, but its marginal. Decide on the basis of usability instead (ie. not Norton/MacFee which are monstors). Kapersky and Avast are good options; the latter has a free home edition and has a decent user interface unlike AVG.

 

For critical usage (banking, purchases etc) buy a cheap ($200) linux Eee Asus netbook and use Safari as your browser, and don't use it for any other purpose (non-critical websites, instant messaging etc). Also consider disabling javascript except for those sites that don't work without it: most infected sites work through javascript.

[robert lee]

If you're really paranoid, virtualize. It's a good thing to do anyways for bunch of reasons unrelated to security, but much more robust protection against malware of all sorts is one.

 

Go look at the vmware products. The virtualized browser appliance is free. For those more technically inclined, the vmware workstation product is excellent. Run Linux on the host machine and virtualize a Windows box for browsing. Reload from a clean snapshot whenever needed.

[dawn_kelly]

DON'T run without antivirus! Kaspersky and NOD are currently the best ones that you pay for you. As mentioned before, you no longer have to go to a questionable site to catch something. There is a well known home builder site that is infected with AntiVirus 2009 pest that installs itself. And just because you click No or the X doesn't mean that a crook programmer isn't going to install sliently anyways.

[mendel_leisk]

It's natural to reason that if a product has done well in the past it will continue to do so. But, it's also an unfortunate

fact of life that software developers can anticipate this mentality: it encourages the current leaders to rest-on-their-

laurels, while the also-rans try their hardest to improve, but are ignored.

 

Conversely, if you've had an issue with a program in the past, it's also a reasonable reaction to avoid it. But, often a

product's past shortcomings have long since been addressed, and it's worth revisitting.

[phule]

[[Free antivirus?... Thank you... I need more customers! ]]

 

More likely your company needs a better employee...

[fabio_dangelo]

Rob... you are very funny!

 

If you want you can buy antivirus or use free edition... it's up to you, this is not my business.

 

I fix at least 10 computers with virus or other kind of malware every week... at least 8 of those use

Avast, AVG, Avira, etc.etc...

 

Bye.

[scott_turner]

Another vote here for Kasperksy. Things change rapidly in this field, but Kaspersky has consistently been one of

the (if not THE) top performers in both effectiveness and efficiency in the last few years. Norton does appear

to be improving after falling to the depths in recent times, but I'm still sticking with Kaspersky - that, and a

solid (Sonicwall) hardware firewall.

 

No method will keep you completely safe, (including so-called "safe surfing", as some very reputable sites have

been victimized in recent times) but I've had good experiences so far with these tools.

 

Scott

[bgelfand]

Here is another reason to pick your Anti-Virus software wisely. It seems that AVG has a big problem.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/153661/article.html?tk=nl_dnxnws

 

I hope no AVG users have trashed their systems.

[fabio_dangelo]

http://www.avg.com/support

 

My phone is ringing!

[dmz17]

I think that whatever application one uses to fight external threats, no-one can be guaranteed 100% protection. Brainless use of the Internet and all its possibilities will lead to intrusion and infection. Sensible and knowledable users of connected machines will experience less problems.

First defense (tongue in cheek) would be to outlaw Windows machines being connected to anything.

[john_oconnell14]

I recommend ESET NOD32 or ESET Smart Security.

 

I currently use NOD32 antivirus and Agnitum Outpost Pro, previously on an old Pentium 3 600Mhz and now on a P4

1..8 Ghz, with no slowdown of either system and both products work brilliantly. They're also good value esp.

when buying a 3 year licence.

 

If Smart Security had been around when I was considering an AV/firewall product, I probably would've gone for

that if it's as good as NOD32

[cwphoto]

I 've been using Trend Micro PC-cillin since it came installed on my Dell 2 years ago. No complaints.