What is the best Anti-Virus/Internet Security Software?

[xCeased]

AVG or Avast, I use one of them on each computer in the house

 

[Alexander Lee]

Kaspersky. Great software and you can usually get it for cheap.

+1 for Kaspersky

 

[Brutos]

no one use Avira i have been using it for years and never had any issues. Avira+Comodo FW and common sense which i think i most important stay off doggy sites an you will be find

 

[jits h]

Im currently running AVG on my main rig, works well for me. I used to use mcafee but I didn't quite like it.

 

[Toxcity]

Linux on both my main and laptop so no need (or at least little need). When running WIndows I still use nothing, never ever had a virus without me aiming for one. Have performed some checkups to make sure and so far nothing.

On the girlfriends laptop I use Avast! Free as it's free, small and responisve. I may also have a crush on the voice.. "Your virus database has been updated" Mmmmm

If you believe you're savy and know what is right and wrong on the internet then all I can recommend is disable any Windows Services which you don't use. No point in having vulnerabilitys if you aren't using the service. For example, the "Server" service gets targetted alot, if you don't use your machine for file sharing or any of the other services "Server" provides disabie it.

While researching at college I set up a machine running a bog standard Windows XP SP2 I then attempted attacks on it and obviously in the controlled enviroment it caught a cold. But then I disabled all the services unneeded for the average user and suddenly it was impossible to infect UNLESS the user runs the malicious software themselves.

I believe the virus scare is nearly over and people are realising they aren't as bad as they once thought. Possibly, the scare was created by certain Anti-Virus companies to increase sales. Who knows.

 

[Jamesey162]

I used Kaspersky for awhile, can't really fault it, its good software but when it ran out i just started using MSE; doesn't annoy you with popups or anything and does its job.

 

[Brutos]

Im currently running AVG on my main rig, works well for me. I used to use mcafee but I didn't quite like it.

I used mcafee once i would never go there again it basically stopped all my connections out and in and no configuration would help uninstall it and all was fine....that was about 6 to 7 years ago and i never touched it since

 

[Excalabur50]

I was a big fan of Avast but since their update to 7 I have had problems with it stopping Windows 7 from booting so I have gone to AVG which seems to work just fine.

 

[equk]

For example, the "Server" service gets targetted alot, if you don't use your machine for file sharing or any of the other services "Server" provides disabie it.

Nothing external should ever be hitting the server service

While researching at college I set up a machine running a bog standard Windows XP SP2 I then attempted attacks on it and obviously in the controlled enviroment it caught a cold. But then I disabled all the services unneeded for the average user and suddenly it was impossible to infect UNLESS the user runs the malicious software themselves.

Users can become infected easily without knowledge as so much software has 0day vulnerabilities.

In recent times, the main cuases are office (activex) & adobe acrobat reader (embedded code in pdf). Both of these can be executed and pass under the radar of most antivirus.

Think of how many PDF's the average office user will open.

You also have browser vulnerabilities.

I believe the virus scare is nearly over and people are realising they aren't as bad as they once thought. Possibly, the scare was created by certain Anti-Virus companies to increase sales. Who knows.

I don't think there is a scare, also the possibility of being infected by a virus, unwanted software or spyware isn't going down. (if anything it's going up)

Look at the number of computers in recent times that serve as part of a botnet without the users knowledge.

The threat is always there and is real, the average person just doesn't know and the number of articles saying "don't use antivirus" is not really helping security.

The majority of home users computers I have to fix have problems that are virus related.

I've had a huge number of people bring pc's and laptops to me who have unknowingly been part of (auto-updating) botnets.

it was impossible to infect UNLESS the user runs the malicious software themselves.

all viruses are user initated as well so you can only get a virus if you click it, It is very easy to get away with no AV at all but when you can download one for free you might as well have it there just in case

what about javascript/xss/code injection etc?

 

[Toxcity]

I would never recommend the average user connect to the internet without some kind of protection/antivirus. I just believe the more computer savy of us don't particularly need it.

You wouldn't just open random PDF files from random sources now would you? This is what I mean by being savy. Most PDFs I open are from a good source such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, etc. I also personally don't like Adobe Reader... pile of poo.

It is doable to get to the server service if there's a lack of firewall. Possibly a bad example, just disable any services you don't use, easiest way to reduce risks. KISS - Keep it simple stupid, a phrase normally used in programming but can be applied to everything in computing.

So basically, for the average and below... stay protected!! For me and possibly others on this site... don't be afraid to experiment. Why waste precious computing power on an anti-virus if you are the anti-virus.

 

[equk]

You wouldn't just open random PDF files from random sources now would you?

People who have the default install of adobe reader will view embedded pdf's within websites automatically so the user wouldn't know about random sources.

Also most companies would open PDF's sent via email in the form of CV's etc without questioning it.

It is doable to get to the server service if there's a lack of firewall.

Port 139 is blocked on most if not all ISP's so firewall or not it's not getting in.

So basically, for the average and below... stay protected!! For me and possibly others on this site... don't be afraid to experiment. Why waste precious computing power on an anti-virus if you are the anti-virus.

I think the small amount of resource it takes to run antivirus is worth it considering the spec of most systems.

The potential is too high to ignore it or to think you are safe.

 

[Toxcity]

I completely agree with you, equk.

It would not be professional of me or anyone else to connect to a buisnesses network/work network without any kind of protection.

All my comments are aimed at home users for machines based in the home.

I believe we are getting a little nit picky.

So to clear things up:

My home network - No antivirus is used on the machines I own, this does not include the girlfriends machine. Bare in mind my main OS is linux (still not 100% secure as nothing is, but a fair bit more secure than Windows). I only game on Windows and so the little time I spend on the OS I have no need for any security and have scans to back this up as I mentioned in my first post.

Company Network - This is a completely different matter and as you said connecting without any protection would be a huge security risk to the network. So, if anyone on here read my post and is now connecting to a companies network without any kind of anti-virus software please disconnect and install some, that includes you Mac users!

Does this clear things up?

I get very picky with resources, just personal taste. Got two well specced machines but still just run a basic Linux with Openbox as the windows manager. That gives me 8Gig of RAM to myself.

 

[equk]

All my comments are aimed at home users for machines based in the home.

I was also, if you run windows as your core OS you will probably make payments, browse the internet, play games etc etc (most of these things are the same as at work)

So why would you not use antivirus?

I agree with tweaking/disabling services (altho tbh that has little to do with security or antivirus)

I would never recommend the average user connect to the internet without some kind of protection/antivirus. I just believe the more computer savy of us don't particularly need it.

I think computer savvy is a bit general, most people who say they are savvy still have no idea on security implications or potential threats

 

[Toxcity]

If I have never had a virus/worm on a machine with no protection apart from a hardware firewall on the gateway why would I bother wasting time with an antivirus? The connections to the banks are encrypted and generally these it's very easy for the bank to sort out fraud, the risk is there but is much lower than it was.

Windows is a very chatty operating system so disabling services can not only increase performance of the machine and network but increase security. Milew0rm used to be a good site to get Windows exploits and it was scary how many attacked the Server service.

I agree with you, it is a little general but I was under the impression that we are just having some light convo.

I personally have very little threats to my systems due to the way they are setup and so quite happily run without an anti-virus.

 

[equk]

If I have never had a virus/worm on a machine with no protection apart from a hardware firewall on the gateway why would I bother wasting time with an antivirus? The connections to the banks are encrypted and generally these it's very easy for the bank to sort out fraud, the risk is there but is much lower than it was.

There are a lot of keyloggers & spyware that can easily get credit card numbers, lots of gangs sell credit cards and setup small monthly payments to see if they get noticed.

Also quite intriguing that you would say u use no antivirus and have had no virus/worms (how would you know?)

I agree with you, it is a little general but I was under the impression that we are just having some light convo.

I personally have very little threats to my systems due to the way they are setup and so quite happily run without an anti-virus.

It sounds like your own personal setup is very similar to my own (archlinux + openbox main OS with win7 for games)

So in general terms you are relatively safe.

I personally still run a heavily customized firewall and antivirus in windows as I have very little trust in applications and sometimes browse the web in windows. (also the inbuilt browsers which use IE API's I don't trust -- steam etc)

I also run a webbrowser with a lot of security addons for stopping stuff and use multiple encrypted proxies.

 

[Toxcity]

Ditto, Steam is a nightmare. Don't trust it all that much.

What browser are you on? I'm guessing Firefox. I'm the same, my firefox addons is filled to the rafters with privacy tools and anti-thisthatandtheother.

 

[malarky13]

I use AVG free and comodo firewall IMHO you dont need anything else. Comodo is a bit of an arse to set up though, as it keeps asking you if you want to allow this or allow that amazing how much stuff it actually blocks though.

 

[Metalboz]

I use MSE and not had any problems with it yet.

 

[Sheza]

I use Avast! it's free and manages to warn (and block) me if there's a virus on any web page or file without the sign of a slow down. Frankly I don't know how it works, but it does!

 

[ExclamationUK]

I use norton. Its great and doesn't bloat or have any slow down

On topic, AVG is what I have used to 4 - 5 years now (Free Edition) once it was recommended to me by the ICT Teacher, saved me from dodgy torrents and the likes... well worth it's megabytes in gold!