Think Windows's Built-In Antivirus Will Keep You Safe? You're Wrong

[Layback Bear]

No I haven't but I will just to see what happens.

Edit:

Not going to try because it wants a email address.
Why would a program that test security want or need my email address?

 

[Callender]

Re: Opswat. Tried it and it just flags up areas it considers are weak on security. It doesn't detect all installed security measures either. It's also tricky to remove and gets flagged up as a PUP by some scanners. It will give you a lower score if you don't use "Whole drive encryption"

 

[Layback Bear]

Thanks Callender for doing the testing.
I'm have more reasons now not to try it.

 

[ThrashZone]

Re: Opswat. Tried it and it just flags up areas it considers are weak on security. It doesn't detect all installed security measures either. It's also tricky to remove and gets flagged up as a PUP by some scanners. It will give you a lower score if you don't use "Whole drive encryption"

Good info

 

[Callender]

Opswat security score - it's an eye opener for people who only use a single AV as their protection but it doesn't offer anything much otherwise.

Installed it in 2013 after reading this: https://billmullins.wordpress.com/2...risk-factor-with-opswats-free-security-score/

Then removed it.

 

[NoelDP]

Somehow, I can't take seriously a company that has a security certificate issued by GoDaddy! - added to which I got a 404 error when I attempted to download the installer.

 

[whs]

I thought we had agreed a long time ago that no AV program can protect you 100%. I used to run NIS which I thought was pretty good but now I go with MSE/Defender.

However, I do most of my internet work from a virtual Linux machine. And any downloads I check with Virus Total first before I transfer it to the host machine. That may not be iron clad either, but it is a lot better than any of the other options. And if my virtual Linux gets messed up, I roll in a backup which fixes it in 5 minutes.

 

[Layback Bear]

You are correct Wolfgang.

Most of us have agreed from time to time that their is no perfect setup for protection.

The thread started out with another hate MSE article and we are now back to where we normally end up.

Use what you feel comfortable with and that suites your needs.

 

[whs]

Use what you feel comfortable with and that suites your needs.

I think you are right Jack. Maybe more members can share their own approach. There is always the possibility that we can learn something new.

 

[MadSupra354]

This is in stark contrast to what I learned from this video.



What's special about MBAM? Convince me to buy it when I think priced AV's haven't been a worthwhile investment and I use my common sense.

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm always open to new ideas.

I understand why you use your method. If the method I use now stops working as it should I will give your method a try.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Lady Fitzgerald nest time you get a nasty that keep starting up at boot try Safe Mode to remove it. It will probable won't start in Safe Mode and can be removed.

All those programs that didn't find the nasty probable will in a few days because of program updates.
It's hard to keep updates updated as fast as the bad guys put out their junk.

I use SAS several times on demand several times a day and seldom find anything. Some how MSE and Malwarebytes Premium keep bad cookies out.

If it was hidden the boot sector, like I suspected, safe mode wouldn't have helped me to get rid of it. I make frequent images of my boot drive and keep up to eight weeks worth on hand (plus the first one I made when I built the computer), so simply restoring to a clean, earlier image is a lot simpler. The only critical data on my boot drive is Favorites. I have FreeFileSync set to automatically back that up to my main data drive so I can easily recover any data that gets lost in an image restore.

I agree that my other security programs (or at least one) probably would have found my nasty a few days after I found it. But who know what kind of damage it might have done, other than the adware, had I waited so I dealt with it right away. Since I had recently made a couple of financial transactions online a day or two before, I also changed my passwords just to be on the safe side. Yes, I am a coward!

SAS rarely finds anything. The most frequent thing it finds is a log file for PayPal that is generated any time I use PayPal that SAS says might be harmful. I just let SAS delete it since I need that file like I need another hole in the head.

 

[marsmimar]

I thought we had agreed a long time ago that no AV program can protect you 100%.

I've said the same thing for years.

I've also said that if there was such a thing as a "best" AV program or anti-malware program, we'd all be using it.

Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping it's operating systems malware free. Maybe I'm just being naive but I really can't imagine MS putting out a shoddy product (MSE, Defender, or any other anti-whatever) in the hopes that somebody's computer will become infected. If anyone has proof to the contrary I'd be interested in seeing it. And I'm not talking about all those various comparison tests, either. Most of the time those comparison tests have different companies holding the #1 spot at different times of the year.

 

[whs]

Most of the time those comparison tests have different companies holding the #1 spot at different times of the year.

Probably those that pay the most backshish at the time.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Use what you feel comfortable with and that suites your needs.

I think you are right Jack. Maybe more members can share their own approach. There is always the possibility that we can learn something new.

I suspect that my setup is fairly common.

I run:

• Ad & Script blockers in my browsers (PM & FF)
• Avast on my real PC (AVG in my VMs)
• Malwarebytes (free) every couple of weeks

I use an additional step if I think a download might be dodgy, I use Linux Mint to download it.

I haven't encountered system-killing malware since I stopped using IE6 (XP in 2006).

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I thought we had agreed a long time ago that no AV program can protect you 100%.

I've said the same thing for years.

I've also said that if there was such a thing as a "best" AV program or anti-malware program, we'd all be using it.

Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping it's operating systems malware free. Maybe I'm just being naive but I really can't imagine MS putting out a shoddy product (MSE, Defender, or any other anti-whatever) in the hopes that somebody's computer will become infected. If anyone has proof to the contrary I'd be interested in seeing it. And I'm not talking about all those various comparison tests, either. Most of the time those comparison tests have different companies holding the #1 spot at different times of the year.

Granted, the #1 spot keeps changing but MSE is consistently at the bottom ranking.

 

[marsmimar]

I thought we had agreed a long time ago that no AV program can protect you 100%.

I've said the same thing for years.

I've also said that if there was such a thing as a "best" AV program or anti-malware program, we'd all be using it.

Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping it's operating systems malware free. Maybe I'm just being naive but I really can't imagine MS putting out a shoddy product (MSE, Defender, or any other anti-whatever) in the hopes that somebody's computer will become infected. If anyone has proof to the contrary I'd be interested in seeing it. And I'm not talking about all those various comparison tests, either. Most of the time those comparison tests have different companies holding the #1 spot at different times of the year.

Granted, the #1 spot keeps changing but MSE is consistently at the bottom ranking.

As I said, I'm not interested in these comparison tests. Show me where Microsoft is deliberately sabotaging its operating systems, and/or users' computers, by putting out shoddy AV products.

I've used MSE since it was released in September 2009. I added Malwarebytes 1.43 when it was released in December 2009. I haven't had any (that's zero, zilch, nada) malware infect my computers. Even when I've deliberately tried to infect my machines. For me, that's proof positive that MSE and MBAM work. If somebody else prefers a different security setup, more power to 'em. Using something is better than using nothing at all.

I've also said in the past that choosing a security product is like choosing a car or truck. Some people prefer Ford, while some prefer Chevy or Dodge. I'm not going to criticize someone for having a personal preference or knock their preference. If it works for them, more power to 'em.