What's the Best Anti-virus?

[pparks1]

I would say the best anti-virus prog. is the one that keeps your system clean by not allowing any viruses onto it.

Unfortunately it hasn't been invented yet.

Sandboxie just about does exactly what you are saying. It's been around awhile.

 

[Night Hawk]

Not connecting to the internet will curtail better then 99% of all viruses and malwares!

(gee no web surfing or FaceBook? :shock

 

[Dempy]

I was a long-time McAfee user until last year, when I started having a ton of problems. The first time my laptop was taken over by malware, I decided to give McAfee another chance. A few months later, the website redirects started happening again, so I enlisted the help of a technician. He replaced McAfee with MSE and also gave me the free version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. That combination has not failed me yet and is much more user friendly. MSE also has no noticeable effect on speed (MBAM does slow me down a good bit, but I only run it every now and then).

A few months ago, our desktop, which also had McAfee, had a bunch of infections (largely the fault of my nearly computer-illiterate brother). I downloaded MBAM and replaced McAfee with MSE. MBAM fixed the bulk of the infections, and MSE fixed a few more that it had missed. That computer, though nearly six years old, now runs very well.

For solid, no-cost security, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (free version) and Microsoft Security Essentials make a great team.

 

[Shadowjk]

I don't think Anti-Virus is all that needed as people say... If you stay on Legit sites and Download from Legit sites the chances of you getting Malware are minimal.... However Firewalls are a different story

 

[Night Hawk]

The problem is and can be at times knowing which sites are actually valid and not revoked or simply fast spring up sites. As far as free downloads many of those even when found available on the best rated sites can sometimes have a hidden bonus of adware or some other bug.

As far as McAfee someone was very fortunate not to have seen a list of malwares through the years since that receives about the worst rep of any. And yes Malwarebytes will miss things more often then people realize. I compared that to various other spyware/adware programs.

The main thing needed to prevent most infections besides clicking on offers for fake spyware removers that turn out to be I-Worms with a new look is IE protection with an effective web filtering. Web of Trust is another little free addon for your browser that rates privacy protection on each site. I found that one a useful addon when making comparisons as well as the free Crawler Toolbar when your main program lacks those protections.

One thing discovered with VIPRE over any other program looked into for a tetail or free program was actual discovery of trojans embedded in old XP downloads supposedly utilities never used on a separate storage drive still storing some of the old files. Besides the combined protections in VIPRE Home Premium the detection of bugs hidden in zip files came where Avast, AVG, the MS SE, Spyware Terminator, Malwarebytes, and others had missed them totally.

Even after all that however I can agree with the idea that there is no one program you can actually call the absolute best av program since new malwares are constanly being introduced some far more clever then others.

 

[richc46]

Gizmo's Guide to Securing Your PC
This is the aya to go

 

[Night Hawk]

Good one! But prevention is always far more effective then simply adding protection. I see the author also referred to the WOT addon which rates each site.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Search Engine Poisoning

I don't think Anti-Virus is all that needed as people say... If you stay on Legit sites and Download from Legit sites the chances of you getting Malware are minimal.... However Firewalls are a different story

Scumbags are constantly creating poisoned links.

Ed Bott has written articles recently about poisoned links in Google search results:
IE9 versus Chrome: which one blocks malware better? | ZDNet
Also poisoned ads:
Social engineering in action: how web ads can lead to malware | ZDNet

Most malware (in my Virus Vault) seems to appear after I have been surfing "legitimate" sites only! :shock:

On my PC, I only see malware occasionally (once every 3 or 4 months).
I haven't had any system-destroying malware during the last 5 years (since I swapped from IE6 to FF + No Script).

I have had my web mail "hijacked" a couple of times in that period.
Both times I think that I failed to delete my Internet cache.

IMO, the best defence is regular backups of:

• Your important files.
• Your OS.

It takes less time to re-image your system, than to reinstall your OS (or track down dodgy files).

Obviously you should check for malware, BEFORE creating your backups.

Additional
I forgot to say make sure that you have EXTERNAL backups (not just local ones).

 

[Hikeman]

Alright theog !!!
i am not asking which is best AV, i just ask what do yo use and also if you vere used ESET Smart Security and if yes then what do you think about that product ??? that's all I ask !

 

[Shadowjk]

I don't think Anti-Virus is all that needed as people say... If you stay on Legit sites and Download from Legit sites the chances of you getting Malware are minimal.... However Firewalls are a different story

Scumbags are constantly creating poisoned links.

Ed Bott has written articles recently about poisoned links in Google search results:
IE9 versus Chrome: which one blocks malware better? | ZDNet
Also poisoned ads:
Social engineering in action: how web ads can lead to malware | ZDNet

Most malware (in my Virus Vault) seems to appear after I have been surfing "legitimate" sites only! :shock:

On my PC, I only see malware occasionally (once every 3 or 4 months).
I haven't had any system-destroying malware during the last 5 years (since I swapped from IE6 to FF + No Script).

I have had my web mail "hijacked" a couple of times in that period.
Both times I think that I failed to delete my Internet cache.

IMO, the best defence is regular backups of:

• Your important files.
• Your OS.

It takes less time to re-image your system, than to reinstall your OS (or track down dodgy files).

Obviously you should check for malware, BEFORE creating your backups.

I am not saying do not have an AV but only mentioning that the AV is not the biggest security problem you should think about

 

[Night Hawk]

I can agree with that something since many malwares will slip right past any av program that lacks other protections. Antivirus usually means protection against viruses not trojans, trojan droppers, rootkits, keyloggers, browser hijackers, and a lengthy list of other malware types.

Web filtering plays a more important role in detection of bad sites and detection of malicious coding on any site where a site can be blocked entirely. That's when you have an effective layer of protection inplace.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I should have been more specific

I am not saying do not have an AV but only mentioning that the AV is not the biggest security problem you should think about

Actually I was referring to this (I should have trimmed your statement to make it more obvious):

... If you stay on Legit sites and Download from Legit sites the chances of you getting Malware are minimal....

There was another article recently (possibly by ED Bott) pointing out that "legitimate sites" is a myth.
It has been mentioned by other writers also.

It's obvious when you think about it.
You are more likely to harvest victims by poisoning Google search results, rather than "BustyBimbos.com".

This is the problem with software repositories.
If there is a software repository for an OS and you can infect it, you might be able to infect ALL users of that OS.
This is something that the Linux fanatics deny/ignore.
Even if you point out the incidents when it has occurred (Google Codeplex) they say, "not my distro."

Even if they can't infect it, they can certainly DDOS it.

 

[Shadowjk]

I am not saying do not have an AV but only mentioning that the AV is not the biggest security problem you should think about

Actually I was referring to this (I should have trimmed your statement to make it more obvious):

... If you stay on Legit sites and Download from Legit sites the chances of you getting Malware are minimal....

There was another article recently (possibly by ED Bott) pointing out that "legitimate sites" is a myth.
It has been mentioned by other writers also.

It's obvious when you think about it.
You are more likely to harvest victims by poisoning Google search results, rather than "BustyBimbos.com".

This is the problem with software repositories.
If there is a software repository for an OS and you can infect it, you might be able to infect ALL users of that OS.
This is something that the Linux fanatics deny/ignore.
Even if you point out the incidents when it has occurred (Google Codeplex) they say, "not my distro."

Even if they can't infect it, they can certainly DDOS it.

I did say Malware to the minimal meaning there is still a risk of getting it

 

[lehnerus2000]

I did say Malware to the minimal meaning there is still a risk of getting it

Agreed.
You can only minimise your risks, not eliminate them (Zero Day, poisoned search results, etc.).
A multi-layer defence is the best overall strategy:

• Avoid "Dark Alleys".
• Keep your OS patched.
• Run an AV program.
• Make lots of backups.

I hope you didn't think that I was attacking you.
If you did, I apologise.

 

[Shadowjk]

Most certainly not my friend And I honour your contribution

 

[Wishmaster]

I think we all pretty well agree on a few things.

Best protections is certainly finding a AV you are comfortable with, and that suits your habits.

Also, a good secondary line defense.
I think many here would agree Malwarebytes fits that bill nicely. Or even SpywareBlaster or Super Anti-Spyware.


At any count, my point is ...
Regardless what your preference is, there is still one line of defense I think everyone should have. And anymore .. a necessity I think.

And that is a proper imaging program. Acronis, Macrium, Paragon .. whatever you like.



I see AVs a bit differently.
I focus more on prevention, and not so much removal.

The reason is, as we all know, once infected with some viruses, you are just better off doing a clean install. Sometimes its not worth cleaning up, or impossible to do so effeciently.
In which case, a good Imaging program will save you lots of trouble.




For example, I like Norton Internet Security + Spywareblaster.
These 2 together do a outstanding job from preventing any infections from ever happening. (At least for me)

However, in the event something does get past, I find it much easier, and many times faster ... to format my HD, fire up Acronis and say, go back to Yesterday .. or last week.


So it may sound odd, but I consider a imaging program (Acronis in my case) an essential part of my security.
Granted many may see this the same way I do, but there are many who probably never considered it.

Instead, trying to an AV that will protect them from everything.
There is no such thing.

 

[Night Hawk]

I make full backups here with both the full system image option already included in Windows as well as a second with Acronis. Often Acronis is simply used to unpack an image on a second drive used for temporary testing purposes since the image option in 7 has proven itself quite reliable.

As far as poisoned search results I learned that one fast prior to even knowing about VIPRE when still running AVG and the MS SE but temporarily disabling the IE security toolbar option for IE when Bing was first available. The first link on a search proven to have a nice little surprize waiting! It was already on the system when MS SE spotted it! I went with VIPRE later since that will keep the same thing from even getting on.

The point being that quick disable of the internet protection was all it took to allow something in! It wasn't AVG at fault there but "the lack of" an effective web screening layer in that one quick moment. The more you focus on internet filtering the less worry you will have on what programs are installed once you have a working situation.

That first layer of defense unfortunately isn't looked at by many as being as important as which program is on and what leaves most vulnerable. Like I was mentioning earlier without any internet connection better then 99% of all bugs are eliminated. The other less then 1% is simply through file transfers between systems like the use of flash drives and removable media or an external hard drive being shared.

 

[Warlockz]

If your tired of getting virus's wile browsing the unknown get Sandboxie, then you can delete or wipe any threat that you may have recieved wile Browsing or testing out an unknown app ect inside the sandbox, because it is contained in the Sandbox away from your Original OS, you can also export bookmarks or anything else you have saved wile browsing, to the same folder in the original OS, like if you use Firefox you would export the bookmarks to your firefox profile folder when you select export to same folder, you can also Install software into an isolated sandbox so it remains isolated from the rest of your OS, so you eliminate the chance of a virus hitting your OS wile browsing ECT because if one hits it is contained in the sandbox.

I depend more on HIPS, Virtualization, and Sandbox software which have been proven to be more effective at stopping known and unknown malware before it even has a chance. But don't get me wrong, I still like to scan my machine once a week just in case something slipped through somehow.

Another way to block Malware is to use an alternative DNS server that blocks Malware sites. Like Comodo DNS, Open DNS or Norton DNS. ECT

A Combo I like to use is

• Comodo Internet Security, in Proactive mode with sandbox, antivirus, Defense +, and Firewall Enabled.
• MalwareBytes Pro Antimalware in Realtime.
• SpyBot SD Resident/TeaTimer, Immunized.
• SandBoxie for browsing the unknown ect.
• PeerBlock to block malicious servers/ip's.
• SuperAntiSpyware On Demand.
• Panda USB Vaccine.
• VMPlayer or VirtualBox for testing software ect in an Isolated Virtual Machine.
• Wondershare Time Freeze, for when others use my machine, or a quick way to test something before I install it ect without the hassle of starting a VM, It Creates a virtual OS and deletes it on demand, can also be password protected so a user cant tamper with or disable it.
• System Hardening, OS Tweaks, Disabled Autorun, and many more Unneeded Services.

I also Image my OS partition weekly so I have a backup on an external drive I can rely on, and backup Important/media files on an external drive, which is also synced to another Backup drive for peace of mind.

I'm not saying you do but for those who do, Also use your Brain and stay away from pirated software,things like Keygens, Patches, and Cracks because they may say its only a false positive but they are either ignorant or they are the ones who want you to let their virus install so they can exploit your machine. Their is more than enough Free Software to go around that does the same as paid software without having to worry about some nasty virus when you think your getting something for free! I have tested enouph keygens ect in a vm to know how dangerous they are!

I used to use Norton, and kaspersky but I always had something that slipped through somehow, I have never had a virus sense I have been using my combo! all scans with malwarebytes and Super antispyware always give clean results!

 

[Night Hawk]

Yes but you are still ending up using 10 programs over just one! Here I found one that won't even allow you onto the malware sites to start with due to a so far found quite effective web filtering.

As a general I haven't been seeing any viruses over several years unless opening one up interntionally found attached to a new strange email as seen in the old Outlook Express in order to test the protections inplace at the time.

 

[Warlockz]

Yes but you are still ending up using 10 programs over just one! Here I found one that won't even allow you onto the malware sites to start with due to a so far found quite effective web filtering.

What software or webfilter are you talking about, you just said I found 1, but didn't let me know what it is? Does web Filtering protect against a virus embedded in an ad on a legitimate website? I also use xxxxxxxxxx, no script and various anti tracking plugins for firefox. but sometimes it is too much and some sites wont load if um (I cant talk about AdBlock plugins par to Rules) sorry, or anti trackers are present, so I open the site in a sandboxed browser that doesn't have any of the security plugins just to get the site to work, but I know im protected because everything is sandboxed when I do so.

Yes I know it does sound a bit like Overkill, But each of them have their own Purpose, its defiantly not Overkill compared to some of the guys over at wilders security, and it barley has an impact on system performance, the first 7 listed (Excluding SAS because i only use it on demand) uses less resources than some single all in one ISS, so I hardly have any impact on performance.

I used to just use Kaspersky Internet Security, but I kept getting hit with viruses, I probably infected myself several times though because I used to play around with Pirated software when I was a noob but that has also changed after I found that their are so many OpenSource/Freeware softwares out their that is just as good if not better than paid software, then I always look on giveaway of the day where I have found some of the paid software I like to use.