Jump to content

What Anti-Virus do you Use/Recommend?


What Anti-Virus do you Use/Recommend?  

1,070 members have voted

  1. 1. What Anti-Virus do you Use/Recommend?

    • AntiVir
      53
    • Avast
      96
    • AVG
      97
    • BitDefender
      26
    • ClamAV
      15
    • eTrust
      12
    • F-Prot
      11
    • Kaspersky
      155
    • McAfee
      30
    • NOD32
      273
    • Norton
      28
    • Symantec
      60
    • Trend Micro
      20
    • Other - ?
      51
    • None!
      45


Recommended Posts

A couple of folks have said that Eset NOD32 is lousy, I am curious to know what versions they were running, how was it configured etc. If they are so crappy then why have they received numerous awards from Virus Bulletin (VB100)? I have been using Eset products for a number of years and imho it beats everything else by a mile!!! I tried Kaspersky once and that slowed my system down to a crawl so it got binned pronto!!! In 5 years I think I have had about 5 viruses (one of which was my own fault) so one a year on average is **** good going in today's world of malware. I am now hoping to reduce that down to zero with now having Agnitum installed.

My current setup has changed a little recently I am now using Eset Anti-virus v4.0.437.0 along with Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro v6.5.5 (latest build), add to this mix of MalwareBytes Anti-malware v1.39 (registered), Spyware Blaster v4.2 (awesome piece of software) and Spybot S&D (though realtime protection is disabled due to the amount of memory it uses).

I was using Eset Smart Security but I got fed up with not being able to control specific applications through my firewall which I can do with Outpost, the settings are all turned all the way up plus Outpost gives you HIPS protection (Host Intrusion Prevention System... or something along those lines).

Add to this I have now joined Boot Camp over at SWI to learn how to use things like HJT and such tools properly.

I'm sorry, but Outpost isn't as good as Online Armor or Comodo. http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive...nge/results.php

--

I guess the problem with NOD32 is that they're very selective about adding new malware signatures to their database, because for them performance comes first - they tend to ignore the rarer ones and prefer ones that could be tweaked into the heuristics. As a result, some malware does slip by and this is what causes some people to believe that NOD32 isn't good. But it's good because the signature updates aren't bloated (like McAfee), the performance isn't degraded with each update and more importantly, it means lesser false-positives (unlike Avira).

Another issue with NOD32 is that it's not that great at cleaning an already infected system/files. So if you have some infected documents, chances are NOD32 will either delete them altogether or not do a very good job at it. (Kaspersky and McAfee are quite good at disinfection). NOD32 especially has trouble with some variants of Vundo and similar malware - of course, there are other tools/methods to fix Vundo and such, but that's another reason why some people dislike NOD32.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I'm sorry, but Outpost isn't as good as Online Armor or Comodo. http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive...nge/results.php

That's not true. Considering that a majority of people will go for the freeware versions of firewalls, both Outpost and Comodo are better than OA. Outpost is better than Comodo because there's no garbage in the install, no toolbars in their installer.

I'm at the point where I'd pick Outpost over Comodo due to the issues that Comodo has been trying to downplay. Issuing security certificates to malicious websites for one. Another is the constant toolbars in their Firewall installer. Softpedia has removed Comodo completely due to legal threats by Comodo because Softpedia called Comodo's products adware. Their 100% Clean award means you should be able to click through an install without worry of toolbars, malware or any other garbage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry, but Outpost isn't as good as Online Armor or Comodo. http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive...nge/results.php

That's not true. Considering that a majority of people will go for the freeware versions of firewalls, both Outpost and Comodo are better than OA. Outpost is better than Comodo because there's no garbage in the install, no toolbars in their installer.

I'm at the point where I'd pick Outpost over Comodo due to the issues that Comodo has been trying to downplay. Issuing security certificates to malicious websites for one. Another is the constant toolbars in their Firewall installer. Softpedia has removed Comodo completely due to legal threats by Comodo because Softpedia called Comodo's products adware. Their 100% Clean award means you should be able to click through an install without worry of toolbars, malware or any other garbage.

That still doesn't change the fact that Comodo can protect against more threats than Outpost.

Issuing security certificates to malicious websites for one.

Source?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I've been recommending AVG for the past 2 years, but I'm getting annoyed with the more recent versions that sneakily set Yahoo as the default search engine for browsers (or at least Firefox). I'd really like to turn people onto something open source like ClamWin, but I'm not sure how it compares to more popular freeware anti-virus software as far as monitoring for malicious activity and whatnot.

AVG has gone from being a decent product in 2006/2007 to a complete pile of garbage as it is now. The versions which used to work on Windows 98 even had a funky DOS file scanner which would scan the key DOS boot files on startup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I use Kaspersky antivirus 2010, and it great. Yeah I used AVG before, I feel that it slows my computer down. I used norton antivirus 2009 when I was using vista, and I was happy with it, but I couldn't find a 90 day trial for 2010 yet, so I went and got Kaspersky. (yes there is a 30 day trial, but I don't want to give out my credit card!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I dont use Anti-Virus - It is for people who don't know what a trustworthy file, site or email attachment looks like!

Also. .Since I hardly ever use Facebook or any of those other "social networking" virus/malware/trojan horse breeding grounds. . .I don't come into contact with that crap much.

I basically use my computer to play online gaming (FPS's and RTS games) and downwatching / recording T.V. and movies . . .and using Adobe In-Design / CS-4 for work

I build alot of computers for friends and co-workers though. . .and I almost always use or install AVG-Free Edition for them. First of all , IT IS FREE, and does a pretty good job of getting rid of nasty viruses and malware - I usually also set them up with "Spybot SD" to keep out alot of the stupid little information harvesters that are lurking out there.

I just think that the whole anti-virus business is a scam! Why doesn't the operating system have this stuff built in? I know that vista has "Defender" and it does O.K.. . .but an operating sytem that costs $150.00 or so (if you paid for yours) should have a ROBUST and EFFECTIVE anti-virus / anti-crapware program built into it automatically. Instead, people get to pay $50.00 A YEAR OR MORE to keep infectious programs out of their computers. I bet companies like Macafee and Norton pay people to create viruses and stuff. . .to make people buy their products. . .

"You better buy Norton. . .or the "SASSER WORM WITH GET YOU"!! hahahaha

It would be comical if it wasn't such a **** scam! :realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
I dont use Anti-Virus - It is for people who don't know what a trustworthy file, site or email attachment looks like!

Also. .Since I hardly ever use Facebook or any of those other "social networking" virus/malware/trojan horse breeding grounds. . .I don't come into contact with that crap much.

I basically use my computer to play online gaming (FPS's and RTS games) and downwatching / recording T.V. and movies . . .and using Adobe In-Design / CS-4 for work

I build alot of computers for friends and co-workers though. . .and I almost always use or install AVG-Free Edition for them. First of all , IT IS FREE, and does a pretty good job of getting rid of nasty viruses and malware - I usually also set them up with "Spybot SD" to keep out alot of the stupid little information harvesters that are lurking out there.

I just think that the whole anti-virus business is a scam! Why doesn't the operating system have this stuff built in? I know that vista has "Defender" and it does O.K.. . .but an operating sytem that costs $150.00 or so (if you paid for yours) should have a ROBUST and EFFECTIVE anti-virus / anti-crapware program built into it automatically. Instead, people get to pay $50.00 A YEAR OR MORE to keep infectious programs out of their computers. I bet companies like Macafee and Norton pay people to create viruses and stuff. . .to make people buy their products. . .

"You better buy Norton. . .or the "SASSER WORM WITH GET YOU"!! hahahaha

It would be comical if it wasn't such a **** scam! :realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad::realmad:

You can get a virus even if you don't visit "social networking" websites or download seedy stuff - for example, due to vulnerabilities in the OS (case in point: the Blaster Worm). And with Windows, you can bet there are always a couple of good undiscovered exploits..

Anyways, Microsoft has finally come out with a decent FREE AntiVirus, that's even better than AVG (according to some test sites). I've used it personally and it managed to find and remove all the malware I could throw at it. (Not that it means anything, except that it works!). Of course, it's still no Kaspersky or NOD32 but hey it works and is a pretty decent and viable option for those who don't want to pay. Pair it up with a decent freeware firewall, make sure your OS is patched regularly, practice safe computing habits and one should be decently protected against such threats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get a virus even if you don't visit "social networking" websites or download seedy stuff - for example, due to vulnerabilities in the OS (case in point: the Blaster Worm). And with Windows, you can bet there are always a couple of good undiscovered exploits.
True, but since 2003 the only real self-propagating Windows exploit was Conficker, and that attacks netbios shares, mostly the ADMIN$ share. Folks running a firewall (assuming they aren't letting in random anonymous SMB requests) are safe from this, as would they have been against Blaster, NIMDA, Code Red, Sobig, and any of the other self-propagating worms out there. The fact that the Windows firewall in XPSP2 (August 2004) and up, in Vista, and in Windows 7 will prevent these sorts of attacks means the self-propagating network exploit is just not that much a security risk anymore, if at all. I know many people who run without antivirus software actively running (myself included), and it is true that a firewall (at least host-based) and safe computer use habits are enough to be safe. Also note that Symantec recently released information on vulnerability statistics (aka infected machines stats), and found that the bulk of infected machines were XPSP1 and XP RTM, meaning folks who have old software vulnerable to the exploit and haven't upgraded to patch levels are the ones being attacked. I know that there are other ways to get this (autoplay, infected files on network shares) but as an automated network / internet propagating virus, I don't need antivirus software to protect me here - I just need to use the built-in firewall that came with the product I paid for (or I can use a 3rd party one if I don't like this).

Again, it's true there could be a vulnerability out there that is unpatched that will leave us open until Microsoft patches it, but without direct network access to my machine it'll be hard to get a virus on it automatically. Which leaves us with social engineering, to which I'm not likely to fall for (but know plenty of family members who might, hence why they get MSE installed in all new builds as part of the first round of post-Windows-install software). If you feel safer running antivirus, by all means do so - this is not a post to try and sway anyone for or against. However, it is worth knowing that an ounce of prevention can be enough to not have to run it at all for a good number of folks (like most people here, who are security-conscious and knowledgeable enough to not be fooled by social exploits).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Sorry, too lazy to read all 19 pages!

I used AVG in the past and find it good. Now I am using Avira and find it good too! Avira sometimes tells me a site has problems so that I stop going there again. And it scans the whole computer quite fast.

(Why I always think what I am using is always better than the others?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

As much as I hate Norton products and I'm probably going to regret saying it, but I have been exposed to Norton Internet Security 2010 over the last few weeks and it has been impressive. It's nowhere near the program that it used to be, but the people that made it probably got fired. The latest Kapersky is lighter on resources than the earlier one, but NIS 2010 is lighter on resources than the latest Kapersky by far.

For a family that has 2 or 3 computers and no one in the house that is particularly tech savy, the 3 license version of NIS 2010 is a no brainer in my opinion and I never thought I would say it. Norton hasn't came out of my mouth since at least the late 90's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I USE AVAST BECAUSE BEST IN THE FREE SEGMENT AND USER FRIENDLY IT IS NOT THAT GOOD IN ON ACCES SCAN BUT GOOD IN BOOT TIME SCAN THIS FEATURE IS THE BEST NOW COMING TO ANTIVIR BEST ON ON ACCES GUARD BUT U HAVE TO FORMET YOUR PC ONCE IF YOUR PC HAS ANY FILE THAT IT CAN NOT READ IT WILL HANG YOUR PC THEN U HAVE TO PRESS THE POWER BUTTON AND MANUALLY SHUT DOWN YOUR SYSTEM AND IN MONEY SEGMENT ESET NOD 32 IS THE BEST VIRUS PROTECTION IN THIS WORLD GOOD SOFTWARE BETTER GRAPHICS AND ABSOLUTELY HASSLE FREE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...