Maybe this is beating a dead horse, but what are your recommendations for AV/security software for Windows 10 that is not only effective, but well customizable and controllable? Are there any other types of programs/suites you like setting up in addition to the standard AV packages?
Aside from the usual issue of which anti-malware/security software is actually more effective, and performance issues (if that's even still a thing with fast CPUs, SSDs, and practically unlimited RAM, never underestimate bloatware though)... there's also the issue of being able to easily set up exclusions and maintaining full control of the process that occurs once something has been "detected."
I have plenty of stuff that I'm maintaining in my data archives, and even use on a regular basis, which either will be considered a potential threat or a verified threat, and I have no intention of getting rid of these programs. I also don't want the AV software to take control of what I do with these programs away from me. I want to easily section off entire directories or even drives from any scans, or to maintain permanent exclusions that aren't just location based, but file based. So if the same dodgy program is located in different places, as long as it is the exact same file, I want it excluded automatically if the same file has already been excluded.
Finally, when something is detected, under no circumstances do I want the AV to make the decision for me as to what it does with the flagged file. Automatic cleaning, deletion, or moving is off the table. The fate of said file shall rest squarely in my hands
I tried a free trial of NOD32 and it seems like a pretty decent piece of software, except the exclusions are a pain in the *** to set up, and do not apply to all subdirectories underneath a directory, and if you copy an excluded file to a new location, you have to re-exclude it. I also don't like the config/interface much at all. I don't think I want to pay for a piece of software that makes me want to punch things, even if it can eventually be set up to work just fine.
I realize I'm going to get flamed for this but, here goes...
I've been using Norton for over 17 years and have never received a virus while it was installed on any of my rigs. Is it a resource hog? Yes. Is it more expensive than many? Yes. Is it reliable? You betcha. That's the only reason I still use it to be honest. Now you could say that I haven't gotten a virus because of safe browsing habits, and I'm sure that's a factor but it's not completely the reason. Norton has quarantined and/or removed dozens of intrusions in my rigs.
what is antivirus? i havent ran it since probably 2005 safe browsing habbits, i do an full scan with trendmicro housecall... maybe like once a year or two years if something is acting funky. but about the only thing it finds are suspicious cookies woop. i also drive around town without a seat belt so some might say im an idiot. (i even have defender disabled in win10)
if i were to suggest one with active protection id suggest defender from microsoft, its free and probably one of the lower resource hogging softwares i think.
oh yeah i guess i have pfblockerng on my router and it blocks thousands and thousands of malicious url's but ive only had that the last year or so.
Let's break it down.
Without even going into 2017 news headlines about Symantec in yet-another dodgy digital certificate revocation scandal...
Without even going into how Google will distrust all Symantec certificates starting with Chrome 66 (!!)
GOOGLE'S PROJECT ZERO security group has published details of what it describes as a series of critical vulnerabilities in Symantec's Norton Antivirus product that "are as bad as it gets".
"They don't require any user interaction, they affect the default configuration, and the software runs at the highest privilege levels possible. In certain cases on Windows, vulnerable code is even loaded into the kernel, resulting in remote kernel memory corruption," said Project Zero's Tavis Ormandy...
Frightened? You should be. Symantec uses the same core engine across all its antivirus products, including:
Norton Security, Norton 360, and other legacy Norton products (all platforms)
Symantec Endpoint Protection (all versions, all platforms)
Symantec Email Security (all platforms)
Symantec Protection Engine (all platforms)
Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers
Some of these products cannot be updated automatically, and administrators must take immediate action to protect their networks.
"Because Symantec uses a filter driver to intercept all system I/O, just emailing a file to a victim or sending them a link to an exploit is enough to trigger it. The victim does not need to open the file or interact with it in anyway," warned Ormandy.
"Because no interaction is necessary to exploit it, this is a wormable vulnerability with potentially devastating consequences to Norton and Symantec customers. An attacker could easily compromise an entire enterprise fleet using a vulnerability like this."
Maybe this is beating a dead horse, but what are your recommendations for AV/security software for Windows 10 that is not only effective, but well customizable and controllable?
You've used key words there, well customizable and controllable. Avira is free and their definitions are better than most pay-for anti-virus software. No other free antivirus can compete with existing pay-for products on the market. Just Avira.
Yes, Comodo Firewall. Also freeware.
Neither of these products is for the computer illiterate. If you are posting on this forum however, it may be for you. Avira has a pay-for version, which you should use if you don't want to jump through hoops of disabling (the few) ads that free version comes with.
Click on Next, ignoring Avira's warnings to uninstall Comodo Firewall or similar programs which intercept phone-home attempts.
SELECT: Custom
UNCHECK: I want to improve my protection using Avira Protection Cloud
CHECK: I accept the End User License Agreement > Next > Next > STOP!!
!!! IMPORTANT !!! : UNCHECK: Windows Firewall
Otherwise Avira umbrella will integrate with Windows Firewall ON/OFF switch and will be closed even if you are using better third party Firewalls like Comodo Firewall instead of Windows Firewall.
In other words, if you don't UNCHECK: Windows Firewall, you will have to permanently keep Windows Firewall ON for Avira umbrella to be open, even if you use other, better firewalls.
After installation, C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\setup.exe controls adding/removing Avira options like Firewall.
Decide if Mail Protection and Web Protection is needed. The program will still auto detect any malware on the system even if Mail Protection and Web Protection are UNCHECKED, so these depend on where Avira is being installed.
CHECK: Confirm manually when sending suspicious files to Avira > Next > Next
Welcome to the Configuration Wizard > Next > Next > Next > Next >
Next > Next > STOP!!
Allow the configuration wizard to keep the default Extended Threat Categories options. [Do NOT Select All.]
Once again: *DO NOT SELECT ALL* here.
(LEAVE UNCHECKED: Application, Games, Jokes, Programs that violate the private domain) > Next >
UNCHECK: Performs a quick system scan after the installation > Next > Finish
Run program update, reboot if prompted. Wait for update to install.
Always keep this UNCHECKED: Follow symbolic links (on right)
> [under PC Protection] General > Security >
Disable being notified every time USB drive has an AUTORUN.INF file:
UNCHECK: Block autorun function
> General > Events > Select: Limit size to max. >
> General > Reports > Select: Limit number to max. >
> General > Warnings > UNCHECK Show notice if the virus definition file is out of date
> Apply > First click on OK then > Scheduler [on lower left] > UNCHECK everything.
> System Scanner > Scan > Action on detection >
Set for Automatic, Primary action: Ignore [if you want to just scan folders and get a scan report without deleting files or being prompted what to do if virii/malware are found.]
Set Avira Free Antivirus to Always show in Windows Taskbar.
Also block this Avira messaging popup nag file from accessing the internet, using Comodo Firewall or similar software:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\ipmgui.exe
or
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\ipmgui.exe
To disable Notifier nag screen: Control Panel > View by Category > System and Security first > Administrative Tools [fourth from bottom] > Security Configuration Management or Local Security Policy > Right click on Software Restriction Policies > New Software Restriction Policies SO THAT ADDITIONAL RULES SHOWS UP UNDERNEATH > Right click on Additional Rules > New Path Rule... > Browse... to the path of avnotify.exe default is
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\Antivirus\avnotify.exe
or
C:\Program Files\Avira\Antivirus\avnotify.exe
> OK > Set the security level to Disallowed > OK
For Windows Home or non-Professional versions, you must reboot into Safe Mode, log in as Administrator, then
go to
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe
and right click on it >
Properties > Security TAB >
[Under Group or usernames] SYSTEM > Edit button > CHECK: Deny for Read & execute > Apply > Yes > OK > OK
Make sure SYSTEM is set to Deny for Read & execute before rebooting.
[Security TAB will only show up on NTFS formatted drives, not FAT32 drives.]
To boot into Safe Mode: Start Menu > Run... > MSCONFIG > Boot TAB >
CHECK: Safe boot > OK
When you finish with Safe Mode, be sure to UNCHECK: Safe boot so you don't reboot into Safe Mode again.
You can scan multiple drives inside program options: Local Protection > Scanner > CHECK drives you wish to scan. The premium version also offers the option to scan multiple folders here. The free version does not.
Subscription to new virus definitions for this program is renewed automatically when you right click on Avira icon in the task bar > Start update
and either copy it to
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop
and restart or go to Help > License management > click on the blue License file link > browse to the new downloaded hbedv.key > Open.
Using two Antivirus programs at the same time:
It is *not* a good idea to use two Antivirus programs at the same time, they will conflict with each other and most likely cause problems, unless you disable one of them from being active on the system.
Default log file location is
%PROGRAMDATA%\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\LOGFILES
Double click on Setup.exe to install the program > I agree > UNCHECK everything > Next > > UNCHECK everything again > STOP!!
** CLICK ON COMPONENTS here. ** BEFORE CLICKING ON Next
UNCHECK: COMODO GeekBuddy
UNCHECK: COMODO Browser
> Back > Next > Install > Close
Most of version 8 instructions still apply:
Comodo Firewall will immediately start behaving crazy-restrictive, immediately import any saved configurations if you have them:
Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Open... > Tasks [upper right] > Advanced Tasks > Open Advanced Settings [lower right] > Configuration > Right click on empty white window > Import > Browse to previously saved configuration settings file > Open and wait and allow for it to be imported, then right click on the imported configuration > Activate > Yes > OK > OK
REBOOT.
Otherwise, ignore alerts and immediately start setting your custom configuration:
Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Open... > Tasks [upper right] > Advanced Tasks [lower left] > Open Advanced Settings [lower right] >
General Settings [upper left of the Advanced Settings window] > User Interface >
UNCHECK: Show messages from COMODO Message Center
UNCHECK:*Show welcome screen on startup
UNCHECK: Show desktop widget
UNCHECK: Play sound when an alert is shown
Updates > UNCHECK everything
> Security Settings > File Rating > File Rating Settings > UNCHECK everything
> Security Settings > Defense+ > Sandbox > Auto-Sandbox > UNCHECK: Enable file source tracking > OK
[otherwise each downloaded file will be labeled with Alternate Data Stream data]
Comodo 8 does not allow removal of Alternate Data Streams until it is uninstalled.
Comodo 7 does not have this problem.
> OK > REBOOT
To temporarily block ALL internet access: Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Advanced View,
Now you can right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Firewall > Block All
To see the list of blocked programs:
Tasks > Advanced tasks > Open Advanced Settings > Security Settings > Firewall > Application Rules
Disabling Comodo right-click menu entries such as "Run in COMODO Sandbox":
Enter the following into Start Menu > Run... or Open DOS command box as Administrator and type the following:
regsvr32 /u "%ProgramFiles%\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavshell.dll"
To restore it back into right-click menu, type the following:
regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavshell.dll"
To temporarily allow everything to go through:
Tasks > Firewall Tasks > Open Advanced Settings > Application Rules >
Right click on empty gray area > Add > Browse > File Group > All Applications >
Copy From > Ruleset > Trusted Application > OK
Make sure the just crated All Applications rule is at the top and
*must* click on OK and have the Application Rules window disappear for this to actually take effect.
Completely remove this rule when finished.
===================================
But I prefer Comodo Firewall version 8 instead of Comodo 10.
Version 8 works great on Windows 7 and Windows 8 but I don't know if latest WIndows 10 builds are still compatible with Comodo Firewall 8.
I do have Comodo 8 installed under my Windows 10 though.
Comodo Firewall 8.4.0.5165
Double click on Setup.exe to install the program > OK > UNCHECK everything > STOP!!
** CLICK ON CUSTOMIZE INSTALLATION here. ** BEFORE CLICKING ON Next
UNCHECK: COMODO GeekBuddy
UNCHECK: COMODO Browser
> Back > Agree and Install > Close
Comodo Firewall will immediately start behaving crazy-restrictive, immediately import any saved configurations if you have them:
Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Open... > Tasks [upper right] > Advanced Tasks > Open Advanced Settings [lower right] > Configuration > Right click on empty white window > Import > Browse to previously saved configuration settings file > Open and wait and allow for it to be imported, then right click on the imported configuration > Activate > Yes > OK > OK
REBOOT.
Otherwise, ignore alerts and immediately start setting your custom configuration:
Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Open... > Tasks [upper right] > Advanced Tasks [lower left] > Open Advanced Settings [lower right] >
General Settings [upper left of the Advanced Settings window] > User Interface >
UNCHECK: Show messages from COMODO Message Center
UNCHECK:*Show welcome screen on startup
UNCHECK: Show desktop widget
UNCHECK: Play sound when an alert is shown
Updates > UNCHECK everything
> Security Settings > File Rating > File Rating Settings > UNCHECK everything
> Security Settings > Defense+ > Sandbox > Auto-Sandbox > UNCHECK: Enable file source tracking > OK
[otherwise each downloaded file will be labeled with Alternate Data Stream data]
Comodo 8 does not allow removal of Alternate Data Streams until it is uninstalled.
Comodo 7 does not have this problem.
> OK > REBOOT
To temporarily block ALL internet access: Right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Advanced View,
Now you can right click on the Comodo icon in the task bar > Firewall > Block All
To see the list of blocked programs:
Tasks > Advanced tasks > Open Advanced Settings > Security Settings > Firewall > Application Rules
Disabling Comodo right-click menu entries such as "Run in COMODO Sandbox":
Enter the following into Start Menu > Run... or Open DOS command box as Administrator and type the following:
regsvr32 /u "%ProgramFiles%\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavshell.dll"
To restore it back into right-click menu, type the following:
regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavshell.dll"
To temporarily allow everything to go through:
Tasks > Firewall Tasks > Open Advanced Settings > Application Rules >
Right click on empty gray area > Add > Browse > File Group > All Applications >
Copy From > Ruleset > Trusted Application > OK
Make sure the just crated All Applications rule is at the top and
*must* click on OK and have the Application Rules window disappear for this to actually take effect.
That's a rather strong statement to make. After all, I'm almost positive every decent intelligence agency has stuff that is probably already crawling around our installations anyway. For me these programs are more of a way of drastically lowering probabilities of malware becoming a problem, more than anything else. Minor nitpick I suppose
I really liked Norton all the way up until about 2002-2003 or so, and then all of a sudden, I don't remember exactly what it was, but it changed, and I despised it after that. I don't have a technical understanding or even idea of what it was that changed, but something changed, drastically.
I love how c6 says he's not going to go into how Google distrusts Symantec and then writes a paragraph about exactly that. LMAO
Again, I knew I would catch some heat and I'm completely OK with it. The truth is it has not let me down. When that day comes I'll consider a different alternative, but until then I'll be loyal.
Because some malware may be hidden in web pages or ads, good browsing practices might not detect them. And because some malware might be recent, then some programs that rely only on signatures might not always be able to detect them as well.
Given that, it's probably a good idea to use combinations of software that can use virus signatures, detect unusual behavior and block if needed, put any program that's questionable or to be tested in a sandbox, etc.
In my case, I go over various sites that test security programs, and then select the free version of the ones that do well in terms of performance (doesn't slow down the system that much), usability (ability to remove malware), performance (detection rates), and others (minimal or no popup ads for upgrading, etc., privacy).
With that, I selected Bitdefender Free (antivirus, behavior blocking, might be able to deal with some ransomware), Comodo Firewall Free (firewall, sandboxing, etc.), some offline scanners (like MalwareBytes), and addons for Waterfox (like NoScript, uBlock Origin, Better Privacy, Cookie Controller, HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Settings, etc.). And then I added several backup schemes in case I have to recover files or the whole system, such as the built-in Windows backup and file history, Acronis Backup, and free accounts from Zoolz, MEGASync, etc., for online backups.
Only Acronis is not free. In place of that, one can probably use a free version of Macrium Reflect to make a full backup (I think there's a batch file that can be run on schedule to do a monthly or yearly system backup) with a rescue disk, and the CrashPlan desktop app to make scheduled file backups to an external HD.
I remember using Norton 2003. At some point thereafter a virus got into my system. I identified the virus file, saved it. Real virus - not a false positive.
Then the fun begun. One after the other I installed Antivirus programs, to see in real life with their most up to date definitions, which one would detect it and which would not.
That and only that is how and why I switched to Avira from Norton, loyalty has nothing to do with that. Companies are not family.
Those tests showed that TrendMicro is a good pay for anti-virus program too by the way. My time spent on this and other computer forums confirmed these two programs being superior. I would switch away from Avira, in a heart beat, if there was a better program. Loyalty is to family, not companies.
But absolutely protection is necessary, two things repeat in these threads.
One is the analogy of a person sleeping with different people and "not getting anything" because of use of safe browsing practices when "choosing" who to sleep with, without protection. Of course you can do that and not catch anything but that does not prove or disprove the validity of condom use.
And the other of course, my favorite one picture retort to safe browsing practices:
"Customers who follow safe browsing best practices are not likely to be compromised by any exploitation of the WMF vulnerability. Users should take care not to visit unfamiliar or un-trusted Web sites that could potentially host the malicious code." Microsoft Corporation
January 3, 2006
Geddit ↑ they hacked Microsoft - so anyone who went to Microsoft's own web site could have been infected. So much for safe browsing practices, right?
I remember using Norton 2003. At some point thereafter a virus got into my system. I identified the virus file, saved it. Real virus - not a false positive.
Then the fun begun. One after the other I installed Antivirus programs, to see in real life with their most up to date definitions, which one would detect it and which would not.
That and only that is how and why I switched to Avira from Norton, loyalty has nothing to do with that. Companies are not family.
Those tests showed that TrendMicro is a good pay for anti-virus program too by the way. My time spent on this and other computer forums confirmed these two programs being superior. I would switch away from Avira, in a heart beat, if there was a better program. Loyalty is to family, not companies.
But absolutely protection is necessary, two things repeat in these threads.
One is the analogy of a person sleeping with different people and "not getting anything" because of use of safe browsing practices when "choosing" who to sleep with, without protection. Of course you can do that and not catch anything but that does not prove or disprove the validity of condom use.
And the other of course, my favorite one picture retort to safe browsing practices:
"Customers who follow safe browsing best practices are not likely to be compromised by any exploitation of the WMF vulnerability. Users should take care not to visit unfamiliar or un-trusted Web sites that could potentially host the malicious code." Microsoft Corporation
January 3, 2006
none the less, just visiting a website cannot is so unlikely to give you a virus, most of the time there has to be some end user interaction, such as running and exe, allowing a script to run ect. its worked for me for what going on probably 10 years now i have yet to get a virus. i do scans periodically just to make sure.
i like your condom analogy. but if you are sterile like me and happily married... the chances of any ill effect of sleeping with your wife are nil, unless on the extremely unlikely off chance she was dancing with other guys its perfectly safe either way not worth the struggle of a condom, the risk doest outweigh the reward.
every active antivirus ive ever used has a noticeable effect on system performance, and IN MY CASE isnt worth the 1 in 1000000 chance i get a virus to have a noticeably slower system 100% chance 100% of the time. all i do on my pc's is game / browse so if by some miraculous reason i get a virus, all i have to do is reinstall windows and install chrome and a couple misc programs and drivers, all my other stuff (games) is on a separate disk. worst case i have to wipe both drives and let steam / origin download games for a couple days.
now like i mentioned before i do have malware blocking at a router level now with pfsense, it blocks lots of stuff like windows telemetry, malicious urls, ads, and what ever i manually add. but ive been running that for a year tops. all years previous its been "safe" browsing habits.
the gif you always post when this topic comes up seems to be the only evidence you have and that happened what in like 2005? i think browser security has made a couple advancements since then. also adding a gif to a website is a far cry from giving you a virus.
"The victim does not need to open the file or interact with it in anyway."
Google Security, 2017
On necessity of user interaction to get infected, I offer this 2017 counter argument, on a similar topic, courtesy of Google's top security guys:
"Because Symantec uses a filter driver to intercept all system I/O, just emailing a file to a victim or sending them a link to an exploit is enough to trigger it. The victim does not need to open the file or interact with it in anyway [...] Because no interaction is necessary to exploit it, this is a wormable vulnerability with potentially devastating consequences to Norton and Symantec customers. An attacker could easily compromise an entire enterprise fleet using a vulnerability like this..."
On .gif file being left on Microsoft's own web site instead of a more dangerous trap, all I have to say is if I never locked my car and if one day all I found inside my car was a note from a nefarious person - I would start locking my car!
If someone using your thought process says, no need, I never lock my car and nothing's ever happened to me, besides, if they want to get in your car - they will.... I would respectfully disagree, but would continue locking my car.
Marriage is not a good analogy. Single "active" person is a good analogy. The web site you visit safely "sleeps around" with the entire world. If it is hacked - the only thing that stands between you and your trusted web site is an Antivirus program with definitions which are better than most others, and Avira or TrendMicro to name one free and one pay-for software is what I would choose when it comes to best definitions.
The irony of the screen shot is that Microsoft's official statement about "visit safe sites like ours and you will be OK" was released less than six months after their own web site was hacked (!). It is a priceless piece of evidence that is now of age, but there is nothing I can say to counter a belief that web sites cannot be hacked in 2017. All I can say is that it's simply not the case. They can be hacked in 2017.
Anyway, I just returned from a float trip in the Ozarks. They built some cabins inside a 1,000 year flood plane zone. That means the likelyhood of the river sweeping them away is once in a 1,000 years. Guess what, North Fork White River swept them away earlier this year.
I canoed in the river so shallow it was scraping the bottom of the canoe at some places. I looked up, high in the sky and saw entire trees stuck inside tops of other trees, which were high above on a cliff. It is *inconceivable* that the water got that high in a matter of hours. It is *inconceivable* that a cabin so far away from the water and so high up from the ground got hit and destroyed by the water.
A guy we rented canoes from drove us to the river. Biggest Tacoma truck they make, large ammo shells in the car doors, he's chewing tobacco, wearing a baseball hat. I said, yea well what are the odds it will happen next year too, I mean once in a 1,000 years and this was it, right? And he said, if the river can do that once, it means it can do it again. And then he said something that opened my eyes, he said, he asks himself what are the chances this will happen again in his lifetime?
And I thought, yea, that's the way to think, why tie yourself to a dangerous situation long term. If it happens just once in your life again, you stand to lose family and property.
We disagree on this wagex but for people who choose to install protection, this thread offers some good ideas on how to do that.
im just defending why i do what i do, people always get butthurt when me or anyone else posts that we use none.
yeah once in 1000 years. probably a little more odds of that happening than me getting a virus from loading up steam and talking to my friends on slack / facebook. lol
"The victim does not need to open the file or interact with it in anyway."
Google Security, 2017
ok. so lemme get this straight... if your browser hasnt been patched to deal with a certain malware that can just run itself from your browser visiting a page. what do you think the odds are that your antivirus has seen that before and is going to stop it. probably none as someone would have had to have reported it and they added it to their database then they add it to the definitions. it could be literally weeks after a new virus his the web before the AV even knows it exists.
also i had a jeep wrangler for 4 years sold it last year i left the keys in the ignition, with the top off almost every night in the summer. the likely hood of a vehicle getting stolen here is nil.
if we use your logic, everyone should wear body armor at all times because of the off chance they get shot, and everyone should wear tinfoil hats at the off chance that the govt is reading their mind / controlling their brains, and we should all be wearing gas masks at all times just in case they really are chem trails.
i mean there really are people who do that stuff all the time, what ever floats their boat.
About 15 years ago I clicked on a pdf for a schematic of my older dishwasher in order to solve a problem I was having with it. As I clicked I noticed that the site retaining the pdf was in a European country, former Eastern Bloc. And at that moment wished I was capable of writing code that would allow me to unclick. Got a nasty one. I flipped the power switch within seconds but it didn't matter. HDD was toast. Thank God for backups.
To get to the point, I'm a very cautious web user. Free wheeling clickers don't stand a chance, even with the the Double Dog Super Ultra NSA version of AV protection. As was said above, if a government wants to play around in your PC, it's a done deal. AV software, although relatively useful, can't mitigate for all possibilities, it's just an odds-of-infection reducer. Of which pretty much everyone on OCF is aware. My recommendation is to evaluate your habits first, your hardware second (want a Secure box - disconnect a separate build from the world), and your gubmit third. Nothing you can do about the Virus Authors Guild.
About 15 years ago I clicked on a pdf for a schematic of my older dishwasher in order to solve a problem I was having with it. As I clicked I noticed that the site retaining the pdf was in a European country, former Eastern Bloc. And at that moment wished I was capable of writing code that would allow me to unclick. Got a nasty one. I flipped the power switch within seconds but it didn't matter. HDD was toast. Thank God for backups.
To get to the point, I'm a very cautious web user. Free wheeling clickers don't stand a chance, even with the the Double Dog Super Ultra NSA version of AV protection. As was said above, if a government wants to play around in your PC, it's a done deal. AV software, although relatively useful, can't mitigate for all possibilities, it's just an odds-of-infection reducer. Of which pretty much everyone on OCF is aware. My recommendation is to evaluate your habits first, your hardware second (want a Secure box - disconnect a separate build from the world), and your gubmit third. Nothing you can do about the Virus Authors Guild.
yeah, im very cautious where i download stuff. i dont google for software and just click any link and pray for the best that i dont get herpes... i mean a virus. i look for a legit site like major geeks... or the software manuf actual website. i can promise you 99% of viruses are got by people freely clicking on the first google ad and downloading a downloader to download the file from this sketchy download place *cough cnet cough downloads.net* and their download software installs all kinds of other junk you dont need. then it inserts ads in your browser and popups that when you click on have super malicous crap like ransomeware and or crypto viruses... the guy in the office next to me got a crypto virus that locked up our entire network drives and his computer. he has virus protection.. how could that have happened :O lol he also had virus protection on his home pc and managed to get a ransomeware on it.
i spend 10 hours a day at work just browsing the web and stuff... nothing.
i started running trendmicro housecall this morning on this pc to see all the viruses i have.
like i said earlier... some people's needs are different than others.
kind of reminds me of the surge protector conversation we had a while back. think of AV as a surge protector, it might help against the little things (you accidentally downloaded), but no way in hell is it stopping a direct lightning strike(new/fancy virus).
i also got a bunch of false positives from AV such as programs ive written myself or stuff my cousin has written. IN MY CASE AV has always been more of a pain in the *** than useful.
Robert17's and wagex's posts above are an excellent illustration of the points about this topic we've had in the past 15 years on this forum. Why anyone should / shouldn't use protection should be their own choice.
We are here to help *if* your choice is to use protection. And we post what to use and why. The alternative is what, to say no one should use protection?
*If* they want to, they should read this thread. If not, then what's the point in posting here to tell people how *you* haven't gotten a virus, therefore what... other people shouldn't use protection either?
*If* they choose to use it - for their own personal reasons - then read the thread on what to use.
If you choose not to, then what's the point on making repeated posts on why _you_ don't want to.
Because going back to the original premise of this thread is what do you use and why. All input is valid. Even if this WAS a "what's the best", which it's not, that best title would be highly subjective as each program has it's pros and cons. Hell even using no protection obviously has pros to some people. You can not deny that, even if you'd wish to silence them. (Or at a minimum question their voicing their opinion and experience.)
Robert17's and wagex's posts above are an excellent illustration of the points about this topic we've had in the past 15 years on this forum. Why anyone should / shouldn't use protection should be their own choice.
We are here to help *if* your choice is to use protection. And we post what to use and why. The alternative is what, to say no one should use protection?
*If* they want to, they should read this thread. If not, then what's the point in posting here to tell people how *you* haven't gotten a virus, therefore what... other people shouldn't use protection either?
*If* they choose to use it - for their own personal reasons - then read the thread on what to use.
If you choose not to, then what's the point on making repeated posts on why _you_ don't want to.
whats the point in making repeated posts blasting anyone who says they dont use it anytime they post it with their reasoning why they dont and why they prefer not to use it, kind of hypocritical if you ask me.
all my "repeated" posts are in reply to all your posts basically saying anyone who doesnt use it is retarded.
keep your AV on i really dont give two ****s im not trying to convince you otherwise all ive posted is a rebuttal to your claims that is super unsafe to not use it.
*if* you are a potato and fumble around the internet and click on any download button, if you wear a foil hat, if you click on anything that pops up, if you like to click on email attachments from people you dont know, like run pdf.exe's, if you are over the age of 45, you should probably use AV.
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