What antivirus software do you use?

Forums › Desktop computing › What antivirus software do you use?

1 | 2 | 3

836 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#234032 11-Jul-2009 12:37

bcourtney:
Fraktul: None. I am very prudent in what I download and in keeping my software and OS up to date - have not has a virus in the 11 years since I stopped using an antivirus product.

LOL that there gave a good laugh.

"I am very prudent" and "11 years since I stopped using an antivirus product" - oxymoron anyone?

Not really, like I said common sense precautions. If you choose to be lazy about keeping your software up to date, keeping abreast of security issues, excercising common sense etc thats your prerogative.

Like I said I am not your typical computer user so I am by no means advocating jo bloggs take the same route.

mjb

996 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 67

Trusted

#234035 11-Jul-2009 12:52

Fraktul: [snip] .... Like I said I am not your typical computer user so I am by no means advocating jo bloggs take the same route.

Agree with you 100%, I don't run AV either, on any of my many PCs. I wouldn't recommend the same to anyone else though. I did try some free anti-malware software a few weeks back for a kick. it only found tracking cookies that I couldn't give a rats a** about.

Saves me a licensing fee - I have issues with paying for software for which its primary purpose is to protect you from malicious software.

This (somewhat controversial) issue has been raised before, but that seems to me to provide them incentive to create malicious software to indirectly sell their products.

contentsofsignaturemaysettleduringshipping

paulchinnz

Circumspice
796 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 223

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#234059 11-Jul-2009 13:41

corksta: I'm using Mac OS X 10.5.7 and it works brilliantly. I highly recommend it.

I'm using Ubuntu 9.04.

RickD

280 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 8

#234460 12-Jul-2009 21:59

No one else using ZoneAlarm Pro? I think my years sub is nearly up, undecided on renewing it or trying something else. It is a nice all-in-one app, and I like the outbound traffic alerts and other firewall features, but it does seem to be a bit of a resource hog and I've turned off the onaccess scanning as well.

SepticSceptic

2263 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 779

Trusted

#234614 13-Jul-2009 11:02

Opensource Clamwin anyone ? Been running it for a few months on a variety of MS OS's.
AVG is OK, but suffereing bloat.
Zonealarm seens to have bloated out from just being a firewall, to firewall + anti vir + malware scanning. Seems to take an age to load these days.

Zippity

683 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 132

#234616 13-Jul-2009 11:08

Avast Professional all the way

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

d3Xt3r

697 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 132

Trusted

#235337 14-Jul-2009 20:26

I agree with Fraktul and mjb.

But on that note, I still think the average user should use a decent AV along with a firewall. For AV I recommend Avira. Unfortunately, Avira can get annoying with false-positives. AV ratings keep changing all the time, so try pit some of the top AVs for yourself and see how it works for you. (system load, app compatibility, false positives, etc)

For firewall I recommend Comodo or Online Armor.

Last but not the least, it helps to follow atleast *basic* safe-computing practices, like not clicking on anything that sounds too good to be true, have strong passwords, running suspicious stuff in sandboxes, avoid IE (or atleast configure it properly if you want to use it) and use Opera/Firefox, etc.

The problem is that even the best AV/Firewall combo won't protect you from a zero-day threat, so it's really advisable to rely more on common sense and proactive security measures. There's plenty of stuff on the web on safe-computing practices, how to surf the web safely, living with a limited user account, ACLs, blacklists and whitelists etc, so if you have the time, do read about it.

Ragnor

8279 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 585

Trusted

#235427 14-Jul-2009 23:29

The performance impact of Avira is minimal, I can't see a strong reason for not using AV even if you're a "power user". Better safe than sorry...

d3Xt3r

697 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 132

Trusted

#235430 14-Jul-2009 23:35

Give me a strong reason for *using* one.

Ragnor

8279 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 585

Trusted

#235432 14-Jul-2009 23:51

Security is a matter of risk reduction. Not using an AV increases your risk at the expense of saving a few spare cpu cycles and disk i/o.

It's kind of like driving without a seatbelt or riding a bike without a helmet... just because you're a safe driver it doesn't mean accidents can't happen...

I guess if you always use a standard or limited user account (not an administrator account) and don't have a girlfriend/wife/kids that could potentially use your PC you can be excused!

d3Xt3r

697 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 132

Trusted

#235434 14-Jul-2009 23:53

+1 for the last part :)

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

rv

71 posts

Master Geek

#236352 17-Jul-2009 09:23

It probably seems repetition...but I have used Norton/Mcafee/and now trend....do not find it helpful...and now thinking of getting a free one. I have only 2 or 3 computers, dynalink-n router/modem and a physical sonicwall and traffic is being monitored . Can someone suggest a simple antivirus softwear? ?AVG/Avast?/or NOD 32
cheers

I fix people (or try to) not computers! (but trying to!)

Asmodeus

1015 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 39

#236367 17-Jul-2009 09:53

Avast free edition

d3Xt3r

697 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 132

Trusted

#236407 17-Jul-2009 11:12

rv: It probably seems repetition...but I have used Norton/Mcafee/and now trend....do not find it helpful...and now thinking of getting a free one. I have only 2 or 3 computers, dynalink-n router/modem and a physical sonicwall and traffic is being monitored . Can someone suggest a simple antivirus softwear? ?AVG/Avast?/or NOD 32

cheers

Avira AntiVir

magu

Professional yak shaver
1599 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7

Trusted

BitSignal

Lifetime subscriber

#236439 17-Jul-2009 13:23

I use and recommend to all friends/customers: ESET (previously known as NOD32). Very light on resources, even on slow computers.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

1 | 2 | 3