security setup

Hi, i am seeking some assistance with my security setup. At the moment I have windows security essentials and windows firewall enabled on my pc(windows defender disabled - probably overridden by WSE). I am not sure if i can or should add anything else. and if anything else is added, whether this will cause conflict with my current setup.
Freeware recommendations prefered but not essential.

Any guidance would be gratefully appreciated

Andyonline said:

Hi, i am seeking some assistance with my security setup. At the moment I have windows security essentials and windows firewall enabled on my pc(windows defender disabled - probably overridden by WSE). I am not sure if i can or should add anything else. and if anything else is added, whether this will cause conflict with my current setup.
Freeware recommendations prefered but not essential.

Any guidance would be gratefully appreciated

Andy Hi and welcome

You are going to get as many varied opinions as replies. The basics a firewall and AV are a god start. You may want to add a malware app. Personally I find the windows firewall just isnt convenient t for me. I use ESET smart ssecurity which is bot firewall and AV in one. It is so solid I even forget that it is there.


Ken J+

I'd like to see some hard-boiled advice here too.

I am using Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows 7 firewall, Spyware Blaster, and Spybot Search and Destroy. I occasionally use Malwarebytes. Windows is kept updated religiously.

I am particularly wondering if I still need Spyware Blaster and Spybot Search and Destroy. I'm sure "they can't hurt", but how can I determine if they are redundant and pointless, considering what else I use?

Thanks for that. Ken, you mention a malware app - do you mean something like malwarebytes?. I thought MSE was a malware program !
Ignatzatsonic - I am with you.

I just want to know exactly what I need to be secure. I thought that just MSE and a firewall covered everything but I really need some bullit points to iron this out.


Thanks

Andy

Same question here - I'm trying to maximize battery life (i leaver my charger at home) so I'd like to have a minimum of applications running, so I'm using MSE.

I have tried a great many security apps and they all have pros & cons and you will get a great deal of different answers as Ken says but probably an Essential for me is Malwarebytes free stand alone scanner as it has a high detection rate of polymorphic malware.
In my own experience it has succesfully removed a great deal of malware for me that has gone undetected by other apps

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

I sure am getting confused by all of these different anti this, anti that, block this and prevent all that !

I have given malwarebytes a run just now but dont know whether this is doing the same thing that MSE does ????

AND/OR whether I need something to protect from spyware and phishing and any other kind of virus which needs blocking.

Hope to hear back

Kind Regards


Andy

I'm with you Andy.

The idea is to reduce the number of apps, not add to them.

It does no good to just name another app. We all know there are dozens of them.

Is there no way to determine a minimum set accurately?

I realize the 23rd app installed may catch something the other 22 would not.

Is that the state of the art technique--just add more apps, the logic being "well, they might catch something and it can't hurt"?

Thats exactly right.

If i am not careful I will end up with a PC running anti virus programs and there wont be any ram left for the stuff I need to do!

Many people have posts saying that they have other anti virus programs as well as Microsoft Security Essentials but the MSE notes say that other anti virus software should be removed prior to installation. This is where I thought that MSE covered every eventuality but I still cant work out if this is right or not?