MSE (or Defender in W8) is enough for me, personally. My browser is always locked down via numerous addons and I don't download any dodgy files. I did run without an AV at all for a long time, but MSE uses so little in terms of resources that it seems silly to disable it, even if all it offers is bare minimum baseline protection these days.
I find keeping both operating systems updated regularly and staying clear of dodgy websites, and files is the key. No more than 1 AntiVirus application is necessary. You can run a PC without it, that's if your fully updated!
MSE is great for well educated users, but anyone who isn't experienced or could easily be tricked really needs something a bit more beefy.
Bitdefender, Avira, Kaspersky and ESET all have some of the highest detection rates, and don't have too much of an impact on your system. For extra piece of mind or for inexperienced users I'd recommend one of them (but stay clear of Bitdefender free edition). You can check anti virus rankings and detection rates at AV Comparatives .
I don't use one other than Malwarebytes free. As long as you use your common sense (don't open email attachments from people you don't recognise etc) then you'll be fine. I don't download anything either.
That advice is very outdated now. It's no longer a case of "common sense" - some of the attack vectors are so complicated and, dare I say it, ingenious that more is needed.Originally Posted by MrRockliffe
One of the major angles is to exploit installed programs. Got VLC installed? There have been exploits that allow code execution through simply viewing a carefully crafted AVI file. Same with pretty much any web browser - you could simply be surfing the web and be hit with a zero day remote execution vulnerability.
If you're not connected to the web - Then the attack vectors become very limited (although keep in mind that USB has flaws too that can lead to infection without you knowing), otherwise it can literally take one hyperlink to the wrong place to get infected if you're unlucky
We've already seen this when Ad-servers get hacked, which hits thousands of people very quickly.
As I said, I don't download anything on my main PC OS for gaming. Windows 8.1 for media consumption and work has Avast free and Malwarebytes, but it's not an OS I often use at the moment.
As long as you're not an idiot on the internet, MSE will be more than sufficient.
As Agent said, you don't *need* to download anything, open attachments, or visit dodgy websites. Being cautious isn't always enough, especially when legitimate sites and/or external content like ads get hijacked, and have malicious code inserted.
Blaming all infections on human error is not valid, especially nowadays.
If you browse the internet on the PC, then you're at risk. Every.single.browser has had a remote execution vulnerability at some point.
Lots of websites get hacked daily. Many years ago, Hexus got hacked in a very nasty attack. That's all it takes and even though the website isn't 'dodgy'.
If you are connected to a public WAN your at risk. Simple as
If you walk across a road you are at risk. Simple as
Take precautions to reduce that risk.
"If at first you don't succeed; call it version 1.0" ||| "I'm not interrupting you, I'm putting our conversation in full-duplex mode" ||| "The problem with UDP joke: I don't get half of them"
"I’d tell you the one about the CIDR block, but you’re too classy" ||| "There’s no place like 127.0.0.1" ||| "I made an NTP joke once. The timing was perfect."
"In high society, TCP is more welcome than UDP. At least it knows a proper handshake."
I personally don't use any antivirus software, but just came accross this thread on another forum and thought I'd copy it over for those interested
The more detailed bits are in the pdf below:
http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-co...t_2014a_en.pdf
http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/secur...ers-and-losers
Original thread here:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1502811/a...#post_22588651
Linux
Not 100% safe, but I worry more about backups than getting a virus/worm/etc
There are lots of good anti-virus software you can use. AVG is really good. You should also take precautions when browsing the web to avoid risking your computer.
I switched from Kaspersky to Norton a few years ago when Kaspersky became bloated. I get the keys cheap off ebay - 3 user for around £20 or less..
Having said, I don't intend to renew with Norton after what their boss said earlier this year...
Looking at Eset if I go the paid route..
My nieces new laptop became infected with a trojan within a couple of weeks - it had McAfee pre-installed. My fault for giving it a second chance...
Avast and Malwarebytes free seem to work for me. Occasionally I might do on online scan with kaspersky and Eset.
Symantec (Nortons Corp.) user here and have been clean for about a decade!! Which is pretty impressive considering some of the dodgy sites and software I use to play with back in my script kiddie days! lol
But remember your AV is only as good as your def database so it's paramount that you edit it to do daily definition updates, also once you have confirmed that your system is clean and Defs are bang up-to-date then I always configure for 'Scan on create', that way I'm not wasting clock cycles / power scanning the same clean stuff over and over again.
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