Paid Vs Free virus protection......

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Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
If you're totally up to date on all programs, operating system, web browser, flash, java etc., the likelihood of getting infected by just browsing is extremely minimal. Like almost non existent. Email attachments/scams are where most infections occur from user input.

I'd be curious who uses the machine that got infected???

That being said, Malwayebytes Anti-Exploit will stop nearly all zero day attacks on unpatched software while browsing, and you can get it free.



That machine is used by the wife....my thought is that she somehow had a infected email in yahoo (she runs a few clubs at my son's school) and is what caused it to happen.

Have yet to have any issue with mine, including the one I type on right now (with Windows Vista)


It was a lesson learned for her, normally catches stuff like that too....
 
Originally Posted By: 28oz
Absolutely spot on. It never ceases to amaze me what standard AV/patches/browser extensions, etc.. will allow or never detect. That is why I take a very multi-pronged approach to securing my network/devices. The attitude of "I never click on email links/pop ups, etc.." is very naive, IMO. If you were to actually see everything that comes in and out of your computer, I think most people would be absolutely shocked (regardless of what AV/Anti Malware they run).



Very true....think most folks have it figured by now...

expect them to only get trickier.....
 
Giving Webroot at least a try of a few of my machines, since I had to pay for it anyways
smirk.gif


But will stick with free ones on the other ones...


Wondering I should boot Avast from the rest and try something new....
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Giving Webroot at least a try of a few of my machines, since I had to pay for it anyways
smirk.gif


But will stick with free ones on the other ones...


Wondering I should boot Avast from the rest and try something new....


ESET Smart Security 3-user license



But it's not free.....

Though it is a good choice!
smile.gif


Could go paid with the rest too....
 
I check antivirus tests every 6 months and whichever is at the top, I use that. I have been through Avira, AVG. Currently, using Bitdefender.

IMO, no antivirus can avoid ransomware attacks, because each ransomware is different and the support is added only after there is a widespread attack. Best resolution IMO is backup every day or every weekend. Once ransomware gets in, just format the machine (and show them a finger). Restore your last backup.
 
Ransomeware is hard to detect because encryption is a normal part of a operating system. Tons of software is encrypted and even parts of Windows. It's just so hard for a A/V solution to know if it was a bad guy telling it to encrypt or a legitimate program.

Even your browser cache is encrypted. Encryption is a fundamental level of every operating system so it's hard for the system to know what is a legitimate request for encryption and a malicious request.

I would recommend a sandbox. The short story is a sandbox is essentially a virtual drive on the computer. The drive is created from scratch new each time a program is opened (that has been placed in the sandbox) and completely wipes the virtual drive on the programs exist. Very few and I mean very few types of malware can get past a sandbox.

It's a corporate solution to a common problem and is widely adopted for it's efficiency and effectiveness. You could go out download 50 random forms of malware run them all then exit the browser and every single byte of data in that browser is wiped clean instantly.

The programs in the sand box can not infect the operating system as it's limited to the virtual drive it was placed in. Even modern day advanced malware has a hard time getting out of the sandbox to infect the machine. All sandbox software is different so if one is designed to beat a sandbox it's only effecting on that one sandbox while all others are immune.

Realistically I'm over selling it but it's that effective. Many different companies to choose from. I prefer Sandboxie myself as it was the first one I used and I have experience with it but you can go online and watch people infect themselves with 100's of types of malware exit the sandbox and the system then be scanned and completely clean.
 
One of these days I'll try Bitdefender Free again. Two years ago I installed it for only one day, noticing multiple conflicts with my Mozilla Firefox browser.
 
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
This computer has both Avast and malwarebytes free on it, and it has been quite the good combo.

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Was hoping that malwarebytes would be the key to that.


Malwarebytes free does not do any real time protection, so it won't do anything to stop an attack in real time. To get real time protection, you'd need a paid license for the "Premium" version of Malwarebytes.
 
Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Ransomeware is hard to detect because encryption is a normal part of a operating system. Tons of software is encrypted and even parts of Windows. It's just so hard for a A/V solution to know if it was a bad guy telling it to encrypt or a legitimate program.

Even your browser cache is encrypted. Encryption is a fundamental level of every operating system so it's hard for the system to know what is a legitimate request for encryption and a malicious request.

I would recommend a sandbox. The short story is a sandbox is essentially a virtual drive on the computer. The drive is created from scratch new each time a program is opened (that has been placed in the sandbox) and completely wipes the virtual drive on the programs exist. Very few and I mean very few types of malware can get past a sandbox.

It's a corporate solution to a common problem and is widely adopted for it's efficiency and effectiveness. You could go out download 50 random forms of malware run them all then exit the browser and every single byte of data in that browser is wiped clean instantly.

The programs in the sand box can not infect the operating system as it's limited to the virtual drive it was placed in. Even modern day advanced malware has a hard time getting out of the sandbox to infect the machine. All sandbox software is different so if one is designed to beat a sandbox it's only effecting on that one sandbox while all others are immune.

Realistically I'm over selling it but it's that effective. Many different companies to choose from. I prefer Sandboxie myself as it was the first one I used and I have experience with it but you can go online and watch people infect themselves with 100's of types of malware exit the sandbox and the system then be scanned and completely clean.


I was digging around on Sanboxie's website to get a better understanding of how it works in terms of user interface. I'm wondering once Sandboxie is downloaded how do you operate it so you are always in the sandbox, or is it all automatic? Does it get in the way of any other normal operations of the computer, like the antivirus and malware programs running and operating right in the background, etc.? I'd like to try out a sandbox since it seems like a super secure way to keep the computer safe.
 
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
One of these days I'll try Bitdefender Free again. Two years ago I installed it for only one day, noticing multiple conflicts with my Mozilla Firefox browser.



I never have any issues and all I use is Firefox. I think they fixed those issues long ago.
 
Been computing for over 2 decades on the internet, never paid for a virus program. Never will, heck, I remove free ones that come pre installed, over the years however (like when my kids were in their teen years) I have used free virus scans from companies like AVG and others mentioned in here.
Most cases I then remove them once the scan is complete, but throughout the years there have been some I let stay around for a while.
Although things have improved, to me, the biggest problem with antivirus programs are they screw up your computer just the same as a virus! Most computer problems of past years were do to the anti virus software not virus!

Anyway, on to Windows 10, I just use the Windows anti virus.
Bottom line, my feeling is, if you dont open emails from unknown sources you are safe.

If you go to an infected website/ransomware, simply ignore the ransomware warning, DO NOT CLICK on anything and immediately turn off your computer by forcing a shut down. (holding in the power switch for a few seconds will power it down) Ignore all the scary looking garbage and turn the computer off, once you click on one of their prompts, you are then drawn into it ans screwed.

I do run Windows 10 scans once in a while, also on my phones I run AVG or whatever, once completed I then delete them.

With all the above said, if you still have teenagers at home ... all bets are off, I suggest you let them have their own computer to mess up while you keep yours safe and secure (out of their hands) :eek:)

You may also want to use different browsers for different tasks. Chrome for one task, Windows for another, Opera with VPN turned on for another and if you have teenagers using your computer, hide one of the browsers from them for your own use. This will take care of any browser exploits as they are specific to one browser.

Ok, for the rest of you, Im not knocking anyone paying for antivirus but I think important to know what you are getting, since i never paid for one I can comment that its a bad thing, just something I never used and why.
 
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Originally Posted By: alarmguy


Anyway, on to Windows 10, I just use the Windows anti virus.
Bottom line, my feeling is, if you dont open emails from unknown sources you are safe.

If you go to an infected website/ransomware, simply ignore the ransomware warning, DO NOT CLICK on anything and immediately turn off your computer by forcing a shut down. (holding in the power switch for a few seconds will power it down) Ignore all the scary looking garbage and turn the computer off, once you click on one of their prompts, you are then drawn into it ans screwed.


Ouch. Sorry, man. I can pretty much guarantee your system is infected.
 
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