security setup

[Andyonline]

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

 

[zigzag3143]

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+

 

[ignatzatsonic]

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?

 

[Andyonline]

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

 

[FuturDreamz]

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.

 

[mitchell64]

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

 

[Creer]

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.

If battery life is important for you and you don't want to pay for security app - the best solution will be running your notebook/netbook without resident antivirus software but with enabled built-in Windows - SRP (Software Restriction Policy), and also turn ON - DEP for all programs and processes, plus UAC enabled.

If you don't want config all these things manually and you can spend some $$ I strongly recommend you DefenseWall SoftSphere Technologies, the official site of the DefenseWall HIPS - Host Intrusion Prevention System - sandbox your browser, e-mail, IM, IRC, P2P for secure Internet work. Anti-Spyware, Anti-Rootkit, Anti-Malware, Anti-Keylogger, Anti-Virus. Defence
It's extra light, stable and solid like a rock application with top notch support.

Please note all solution posted in this post are based on prevention - it's much more important and better than detection based on blaclist mechanisms (every AV, AS, AM has it).

PS. I don't use for almost a year AV in realtime (I do scan my system Dr.Web CureIt only once per few months, since detection rate is not important for me anymore because my first line of defense is prevention) and you know what? My system has never been so responsive, fast and secure as it is now.


HTH,

 

[Andyonline]

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

 

[ignatzatsonic]

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"?

 

[Andyonline]

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?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Andy:

The typical advice is that you should have only 1 "real time" "anti virus" program. MSE protects in real time, so it may not play nice with other "anti virus" apps like AVG, Avast, etc. But MSE doesn't seem to conflict with any of the applications I use (see my earlier post in this thread).

But that leaves aside the basic question--what is needed and what is superfluous?

I have heard it said that MSE is strong against viruses and maybe not as strong against malware, but of course I have no way of knowing.

And there is confusion over naming. Does an "anti virus" application have no effect on "malware"? Vice versa? Which apps are exclusively "anti malware" and which are exclusively "anti virus" or "anti spyware"?

 

[mitchell64]

I am sorry to everyone, I have not used MSE but i believe it is very good so i would stick with that if you use it fot your real time protection.
I use Avast for my realtime protection but this is only my preference.

Although i put my faith in Avast for virus protection it also has added anti malware scanning as a bonus which i believe MSE also has.

I find with Avast thier main purpose is virus protection and the antimalware/spyware is an added bonus & i have had things slip past it.

So this is where a standalone scanner (in my case Malwarebytes) comes in to play it doesnt use resources as it has no resident protection

Just update it before you use it and run a scan once or twice a week just in case a nasty has slipped past undected

I am sorry about the confusion i hope that this gives a bit of clarity