Tips for NOT using an antivirus?

[holo88]

hello all. it's me. me. me. me..

i'll get straight to the point, here. I've been using MSE as my antivirus, i was quit happy with it. but, as of late, i've been noticing A LOT of issues with it.
Being, that whenever i do pretty much anything, the program scans any file that opens, closes, pretty much any activity. this isnt really a bad thing, i understand that much. but when it comes to day to day things like installing a (trusted) program, or uninstalling for that matter. MSE fires up, and boggs my system down to a crawl. I've actually had to terminate the scanner, just to uninstall a game. but that made it worse. the scanner then restarts itself, runs it's "startup" scan, overloads, forcing me to hard shutdown (via 5 second pwr button). Not being a very patient person, i uninstalled MSE, and have been not useing any antivirus for about 2 days. I actually like how things have been running. application (any of them) start up times are cut in half, downloads of small files dont throw my PC into a state of panic. so on, so forth. This comes with pretty much every A/V I've used. I'm really just liking how much faster everything is without one. O.K., i guess that wasn't the point of this thread. so here it is...


Can anyone recommend anything to NOT do, when NOT using an A/V? I get the basics. no pr0n / warez sites, trusted apps, and such. But, anything else? like general use no-nos, and vulnerability issues, stuff like that. I have not, NOT used an A/V before, and would like any tips to keep my pc clean and clear. thanks in advance. :shock:

i have named the contraction of getting a computer virus "HePC" (get it?)

 

[Antman]

Disconnect from the internet.

Or, use a giant HOSTS file. Immunize with Spybot S&D and SpywareBlaster. Turn on UAC. Set firewall to really intrusive mode.

Any combination thereof.

You are your best defense against HePC.

On the other hand, you have a moral responsibility to not infect others. If something gets past your best efforts, you might become a propogation source.

 

[ten]

I haven't run anti virus since the first year I had Windows 95. Do as you say....stay away from cracks, keygens or run them in a VM or sandbox, stay away from shady porn sites and patch your OS and applications when a security vulnerability is discovered and you should be safe.

In all this time, I've had minor infections that did no real damage 2 or 3 times...non since W2K. One was a virus that added "support Greenpeace" or some other political statement to the end of every file and one was an IRC trojan before I new my way around IRC.

Don't listen to the fear mongers.

 

[fseal]

It's not really all that hard.

1) In IE (don't know exactly about FF but the procedure is the same and yes even in FF this is the #1 recomended "hardening" method) make the "internet zone" set to maximum safety (turns off all scripting etc). Then, as you encounter sites like amazon.com or whatever that you decide to trust, put those in your trusted sizes zone one by one as you need to.

1a) Stay away from warezy or prony sites :/

2) Turn off preview in any/all mail programs. DECIDE to open a piece of mail, don't let the app do it for you.

3) Don't accept programs or drivers from people ever. Always go to the source. Also don't just go installing every new gizmo that comes down the pike. After a while you develop a list of good trusted tools and generally stick with them.

4) Yes have the windows firewall on and your router/cablemodem firewall on. Punch holes only as necessary.

Not getting a virus is more of a mental attitude than anything. Mostly it's just don't do anything dumb. If a friend wants you to go to a dodgysite with a .ru address, just say no.

In almost 2 decades of following those simple rules I've never been infected.

Lastly, the big one: Outsiders... If you let friends come over with their machines and plug into your network, that's the biggest risk you will take. If you are going to allow this then you have to be more proactive with internal network security and that can get a little tricky. I rarely have to deal with this myself. If you don't your better off already.

 

[TGSoldier]

*Points so Sig*

 

[TheIgster]

Or...

Just get a faster machine with some more RAM and install Nod32 and relax.

I don't even know Nod is there.

 

[Dinesh]

The only thing i can recommend apart from this is dont open suspicious emails and attachments. I've seen people NOT using AV since years and has nothing happened to their pc because they use it for general purpose like emails, internet surfing(safe sites), and so on.

 

[holo88]

thanks all. i wasnt expecting much or a response, than people saying im a dumb**** for even trying such a thing (who'da thunk it?)

I actually have been "behaving" on the net, most of my apps come from the freebie list in the software section, and all of the games and stuff are all legit and/or store bought. so far, things look good. i think this may just be one of those "experiments" i put my machince, and me, through. but it's goin well. .... i seem to be missing a kidney, but other than that ....

thanks again, i'll have to print out all the "rules" and staple em to the side of my monitor, for quick reference

 

[Dinesh]

However, it costs nothing to keep an AV. There's always a risk factor involved in running Windows without an AV.

 

[holo88]

However, it costs nothing to keep an AV. There's always a risk factor involved in running Windows without an AV.

im aware. i keep a handy Anti-HePC boot disk for if i think im coming down with something

 

[Jacee]

I have a couple of things to say to this preposterous topic ... ARGGGGH! Don't ever connect to the Internet, put your machine in a box and get rid of all traces of it. :shock:

 

[Antman]

There are a certain number of people who drive without liability insurance. Of those, a certain percentage are excellent drivers. Of those, a certain number cause accidents. Of those accidents, a certain number involve fatalities. Of those, a certain number are persons other than the uninsured driver.

Freedom is a responsibility.

 

[Jacee]

<snip>

Freedom is a responsibility.

Some people's freedom affect the rest of us ... they don't understand, or ignore "responsibility" for their actions.

I don't/can't take this topic as serious!

 

[ten]

oh, noes!
the big bad internet is gonna get ya!
:roflmao:

 

[pparks1]

<snip>
Some people's freedom affect the rest of us ... they don't understand, or ignore "responsibility" for their actions.

I don't/can't take this topic as serious!

For the record, I do run antivirus software on my work computer and on my home computer. In the past 2-3 years, I don't recall a single instance where either virus software actually caught or identified anything. And I do run the occasionally malware,spyware scan with a couple of different apps and besides the typical cookie stuff and what not...absolutely nothing turns up here either.

So, in some respects, I guess that goes to show that the typically places that I surf and the typical things that I do aren't in a high risk category. I don't pirate software...so no warez, cracks, keygen sites or the like for me. I'm not really into the p2p apps and the torrents either, so safe on those fronts. And if for some reason I "had" to visit some website with questionable content, there is always a virtual machine installed at my house running some flavor of Linux which is going to pretty much float by without an incident.

So, while I don't usually advise most people to forego their antivirus applications, I think in the right persons hands, it might really not be the end of the world. Like in my case, many years without a single incident...but 100% of the time I have a background app running and checking to ensure that I am safe. Without that app using up cpu cycles and the like, I would end up with the same result that I am in today...clean as a whistle.

Of course, I will not get rid of my AV apps because I do remotely connect into a VPN to my office and I cannot take a chance that something might work it's way onto my work network.

 

[holo88]

<snip>
1)Some people's freedom affect the rest of us ... 2)they don't understand, or ignore "responsibility" for their actions.

3)I don't/can't take this topic as serious!

1. How's that?
2. life's more fun that way (sometimes)
3. and may i ask why?

-edit- -but seriously-
your reaction puzzles me. what does me not wearing a safety sock have to do with you? or anyone else for that matter? (pardon the pun) it's not logical that the "health" of my machine would concern, anyone beyond well .. myself. i don't spend all day downloading from nefarious sites. there's no real need for me to have the A/V running when for the past, WHO knows how long, haven't had a single detection... at least, that I can think of..

I thought it, a valid question, to ask the only brains on this world (that would be you nice folks) who's opinions are actually insightful to me. (no luck getting tech support on 4chan)

 

[Antman]

The network is the computer.

 

[holo88]

indeed (i think)
but... counter not to argument. everyone else (im guessing) within the 7-10 sites i frequent, im willing to bet, have A/V's, Firewalls, and possibly gun turrets guarding them. even if i was to be index 1, the chances of contaminating (the 7 sites) are very limited, if not impossible.

i think were going to far with this one. just a thought.

 

[Mercurial]

Or...

Just get a faster machine with some more RAM and install Nod32 and relax.

I don't even know Nod is there.

you dont need a faster machine.. hell Nod32 even runs on a 512mb PC + 2.0ghz celeron on a windows 7 pc lol! ;D

 

[mickey megabyte]

a lot depends on what data you have to lose.

if you can cope with the fact that one day you will turn your computer on in the morning, only to get a nasty surprise and find all your data has been hosed, then maybe you don't need av - a quick format, reinstall and hey-ho, back to normal. but if you've got extra partitions full of software, music, pictures, documents and the like, be prepared to lose them too.

in six months' time, you may really regret your decision.

and there's other internet users to consider too - you could also be infecting others...