Topic: Okay, another anti-virus app question

[jualdeaux]

I am in the market to get a new Internet Security application for my PC. I'm going to do a fresh install and this is a good time. The last time I read a thread on it here Panda was the one that was in the forefront. Is this still true or has something else eclipsed it recently?

Oh, I know Noton is bad so don't start a rant on that topic please. 

Thanks.

[Mr_Tricorder]

I use AVG and love it.  I know plenty of other people who use it and are very happy with it too.  I'm not sure how it stacks up against Panda, but it's definitely a good choice.

[Javora]

I haven't read any vast changes in this subject so Panda maybe the way to go.  If you want something out of the box I would suggest Trend Micro, I've been using it for over a year now and it's pretty good.  It's not nearly as noisy as it was a year or two ago and does the job well.

[C-Los]

I got Panda after reading about the invasiveness of Norton, it costs a little more but I'm extremely satisfied with the product   

[Dracho]

I use McAfee and it runs fine for me. 

[Bonk]

I use McAfee 6 (pre firewall and privacy filter version) on my main machine and AVG free elsewhere.

[Dracho]

I went with the online McAfee, and since I didn't pay for the firewall and privacy stuff, it never installed.   

[Bonk]

Also, I do not run the on-demand scanner at all, so the machine is not crippled by constantly scanning for viruses. I run monthly full scans of the system and only once in a long while does it turn up anything. (usually its just a java downloader virus... pretty harmless)

Note: most on-demand virus scnners will interfere with serial communications unpredictably as well, I learned this the hard way in a professional setting... it cost thousands of dollars in troubleshooting labour time, also why I steer well clear of on-demand virus scanners of any kind.

When it comes to viruses, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure:
- Do not run P2P apps of any kind (Kazaa, Skype, e-donkey)
- Stay off the pr0n, warez and mp3 sites
- Do not run instant messengers like MSN or ICQ
- If you must do any of these things do them on a "safe" machine which you are prepared to immediately repartition (and clearing the mbr) and full format after the nasty is done...

[Nemesis]

When it comes to viruses, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure:
- Do not run P2P apps of any kind (Kazaa, Skype, e-donkey)
- Stay off the pr0n, warez and mp3 sites
- Do not run instant messengers like MSN or ICQ
- If you must do any of these things do them on a "safe" machine which you are prepared to immediately repartition (and clearing the mbr) and full format after the nasty is done...

Good advice and I generally stick to it. 

It occurs to me that if you must do some of these you might be better using a LiveCD version of Linux for these usages.  Do so on a system that is otherwise Windows (or Mac) and the ability to cause infections should be limited (but not quite eliminated).

Of course limit any software downloads to known safe programs and sites or these and all other precautions will fail.  No security system can guard you from doing "stupid things". 

Before clicking on a new file look at the actual file type not what you were told from the site of origin that it was.  There have been several "viruses" that were disguised as another type by haveing a dual extension

Example 1:
Image.jpg.exe for example

Windows will (unless you tell it otherwise) helpfully not display the extension that identifies file types, the Image.jpg.exe in the prior example is seen as Image.jpg instead and if you don't look at the actual file type you might be decieved into clicking on it.

[The Bar-Abbas Anomaly]

 

The single best thing Windows users can do to avoid viruses is to keep your machine updated with all the latest Windows Updates.  I don't run any realtime A/V scanner on my home computer, either.

Also, if you do need a virus scanner, www.free-av.com has a very nice, tight free scanner that I like far better than either Norton or McAfee.