I haven't bothered with AV programs (apart from MBAM) ever since uninstalling McAfee back in 2005 resulted in my old XP system being SLAMMED with dozens and dozens of malware and trojans and etc. immediately (and I mean DIRECTLY) after we did that (as in, uninstalling it CAUSED them). It just about killed it too. Had to be replaced, even after several factory restores it just wasn't the same. Excruciatingly slow and crippled (back then this was a $1,200 system!). Now I only use it to test downloads or to look simple things up on the internet when I'm gaming on it's replacement and can't do those things on there... and even those basic functions take it forever. That's what McAfee did, or rather daring to uninstall their AV software and stop paying them their fees! We could never prove it was them, however so we got burned on a relatively new system.
That's the reality of the AV world... at least as I've experienced it first hand. Perhaps McAfee has changed it's tune since then, but I will never ever again trust the big AV's that are in it only for your $$$$$. I was even reluctant to try the free MBAM. But I'm glad I did. I should really up to the full version, to support it because it actually works, doesn't install the things it is instead supposed to defend against and that's everything a good AV should be. And all for nothing, if you don't want the real-time protection etc.
I hope the MBAM team develops a firewall, I'd gladly use it - even if they did want a paid-license for it.
So anyway, just my $0.02 and it being to serve that there are worse goings-on in this realm of IT than simply fudging a few tests.
