Anyone Else Not Using Anti-Virus Software?
- Thread starter rpn453
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Always use protection.
P.B.
P.B.
There's probably enough server based AV controls out there now to catch most of the common stuff. Still, a decent local AV doesn't have to have a gigantic resource footprint and is a sensible option, especially against novel strains.
I agree that the bigger threats these days are from the spyware goons. There's some really nasty stuff out there that can sneak in even through mainstream browsing.
For the price and for its superior resource use to effectiveness ratio, it's hard to better NOD32 right now, which has unusually strong real-time malware performance in an AV app. A good OD spyware scanner or two is nice further insurance. Neither will take much space or slow systems all that much.
I agree that the bigger threats these days are from the spyware goons. There's some really nasty stuff out there that can sneak in even through mainstream browsing.
For the price and for its superior resource use to effectiveness ratio, it's hard to better NOD32 right now, which has unusually strong real-time malware performance in an AV app. A good OD spyware scanner or two is nice further insurance. Neither will take much space or slow systems all that much.
quote:
Originally posted by moribundman:
I've never used any anti-virus software, and none of my computers has ever caught a virus. Oh, Norton is evil.
A lot of ISPs have firewalls which block most major viruses, but if you are on a LAN that has little security, then whatever viruses make their way on there, will stay until removed. Microsoft constantly releases updates for most fixes, plus the monthly malicious removal tool, will help prevent some infections. However, I still stand by the other statements, it is crazy to not use a anti-virus program.
Agreed, Norton is very evil, especially when it gives fatal errors during the uninstallation. Then you use symantec's removal tool and BAM, registry is screwed. Next part there is to reformat or repair. But Norton is definitely superior to Mcafee.
Disagree. I do NOT use the home version, I'm only commenting on the "Enterprise" version here... McAfee really does a good job of staying out of the way and causing minimal headaches.
Version 8.0 has only 3 caveats that I've seen:
--A few seconds longer to shut down
--AUTORUN.INF files are disallowed during copy. Changing a setting in preferences takes this issue away
--Goofy issue they had a few months ago with removing, among other things, EXCEL.EXE. (Thank *** that was easy to fix with a simple script!!)
Norton is evil. Haven't used it on a network since version 5.0.
ToyotaNSaturn, the "beefier" Enterprise version of Mcafee may indeed be better, but all of my experience with Mcafee has been far from "minimal headaches." A lot of my customers despise how Mcafee operates, as it prompts for everything. Which I believe is good in theory, but a lot of people I help are not big into computers, so they have little to no idea of what is popping up. This is why I agree that Norton is evil, as the newer Norton's (mainly when Internet Security is built in) do the same thing, and block perfectly safe stuff for unknown reasons. Mcafee doesn't seem to be that stable either.
My choices for anti-virus programs are F-secure version 6 (but with Internet Security removed), pre-2004 Norton (as long as the Internet Security is not installed), Trend Micro, or AVG.
My choices for anti-virus programs are F-secure version 6 (but with Internet Security removed), pre-2004 Norton (as long as the Internet Security is not installed), Trend Micro, or AVG.
I disagree totally confederate. Norton Internet Security 2003 was one of the most flawed products I ever had; Mcafee when I had it, was so far superior it wasn't funny and it never messed my computer up. Mcafee is much higher rated for that reason. They both suck donkey dong compared to Kaspersky and Nod32!
Norton whoever he/she is should be shot at dawn!
as an aside, has Veritas' BackupExec quality gone down since they were purchased by Symantec?
Has the Symantec Corp left those guys alone in Lake Mary, FLA to keep producing a decent product? Or has BackupExec suffered the fate of most CA and Symantec product purchases: the ever-lasting skid into mediocrity?
Has the Symantec Corp left those guys alone in Lake Mary, FLA to keep producing a decent product? Or has BackupExec suffered the fate of most CA and Symantec product purchases: the ever-lasting skid into mediocrity?
Drew99GT, I agree that Internet Security is flawed, as I stated that any pre-2004 Norton was better, but ONLY if the Internet Security was not installed. At my job, we have many problems getting Norton Internet Security to behave with our network. But if using the stand alone anti-virus, it is great. Perhaps the older versions of Mcafee are better than the garbage version being shipped with the new computers now.
I agree Drew, Norton is one of the few I've seen completely clean an infected system effectively.
I have heard that Norton is far and away the best antivirus at cleaning and restoring an infected computer, as many products will mess a system up when trying to clean an infection.
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I have ATT Yahoo DSL and the CA(Computer Associates) Anti-Virus that comes with it is real nice. Much nicer than AOL's freebie. The CA works well and is moderately quick. Norton is just a cash grab. The anti-spy has a setting for removing tracking cookies and is REAL fast. I also use the Microsoft Defender Beta and Ad-Aware for spyware whick I feel is a much greater threat.
AOLs Active Virus Shield is essentially as good as Kaspersky 6. Why??? Because IT IS KAV 6!!! The only thing it lacks is the HTTP scanner and the proactive defense but among free antivirus products, it is so far and away the best it's not funny.
And because it is based on the Kaspersky engine, it will get the new and super duper improved heuristic engine when Kaspersky updates it later this year.
Thanks to the criminals who operate pert' near without any fear of apprehension due to law enforcement more concerned with your morality in regards to victimless crime some scum grabbed my e-mail address from eBay and regularly tries to infect my machine with a key logging trojan.
I do have the e-mail set to text only, no HTML allowed and the preview pane is deactivated in Outlook Express and I would never click on an executable but look at the exploit of a few months ago wherein the simple opening of a jpeg upon thine monitor could lead to hostile code flooding in.
Eeeeeeeek!!!!!
Anyway, who knows what the next intrusion method will be that bypasses the typical precautions?
That is why an A/V is vital.
Good ol' Nod32 detected the e-mail based trojans every time. The warning jumps out with the impact of a Japanese Long Lance torpedo against the side of a light cruiser. When that "shock and awe" warning appears I poke the "do thine thing, Nod32" button and, again, another trojan bites the dust.
Not saying that udder programs are ineffective. NAY!!!!!!
Just mumbling about how threats are out there and that yah' gotta' have protection.
As the sax ed teacher told the assembled high-testosterone sax addicted students, "wrap that rascal."
Let the mantra of the day be "Condoms for Computers"
or sumpthin' like that.
I do have the e-mail set to text only, no HTML allowed and the preview pane is deactivated in Outlook Express and I would never click on an executable but look at the exploit of a few months ago wherein the simple opening of a jpeg upon thine monitor could lead to hostile code flooding in.
Eeeeeeeek!!!!!
Anyway, who knows what the next intrusion method will be that bypasses the typical precautions?
That is why an A/V is vital.
Good ol' Nod32 detected the e-mail based trojans every time. The warning jumps out with the impact of a Japanese Long Lance torpedo against the side of a light cruiser. When that "shock and awe" warning appears I poke the "do thine thing, Nod32" button and, again, another trojan bites the dust.
Not saying that udder programs are ineffective. NAY!!!!!!
Just mumbling about how threats are out there and that yah' gotta' have protection.
As the sax ed teacher told the assembled high-testosterone sax addicted students, "wrap that rascal."
Let the mantra of the day be "Condoms for Computers"
or sumpthin' like that.
Windows abstinence is the best option to practice safe surfing. Running seven years on linux, no viruses, no reinstalls, no purchased or downloaded "fix my computer" software.
Not for everyone, but I would encourage others to give it a look. Time invested on it will pay back.
Not for everyone, but I would encourage others to give it a look. Time invested on it will pay back.
Avoiding the known application targets helps. I have never used Outlook for E-mail (using T-bird presently), and only use IE or Word when absolutely forced to (some site apps require the IE engine).
There's a reason it's called "security Tuesday" at Microsoft.
There's a reason it's called "security Tuesday" at Microsoft.
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