Oddly I don't have issues with my free McAfee, never pops up doesn't seem to affect performance at all unless it's running a scan.

Would I pay for it?

No. I'd get ESET.

 

Also to clarify what Osborn has written, he's right to say you shouldn't rely on only one thing BUT you can't have more than one antivirus on a computer. Malwarebytes and antispam aren't antivirus.

 

If you have two or more AV on one machine they start to look at each other as viruses and fight.

 

If you've a home server it can be a good idea to run a different AV on that than the desktop machines. That means that if there is a vulnerability in one hopefully the other will be unaffected.

 

You cant have more than one ACTIVE AV program running; you can keep a second updated but inactive and run it only when you suspect an infection.

I run AVAST on all our PCs, although it is getting a bit of bloat itself, and slowing down this ancient netbook (Asus EEPC901)

You cant have more than one ACTIVE AV program running; you can keep a second updated but inactive and run it only when you suspect an infection.

I run AVAST on all our PCs, although it is getting a bit of bloat itself, and slowing down this ancient netbook (Asus EEPC901)

Actually you can but it really doesn't end well.

Well you could with Windows xp.

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Edited 4 April, 201610 yr by trundlenut

You don't seem to be able to have both the windows firewall and an antivirus suite under Windows 10

You don't seem to be able to have both the windows firewall and an antivirus suite under Windows 10

 

Does the AV suite contain its own firewall?

That's fairly common these days.

 

The MS one will normally switch off it it detects another one running.

Bitdefender Free, install and forget about it:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/anti-virus-software/bitdefender-antivirus-free-edition-2016-review-3626897/

AVG Free was great a few years ago but gradually evolved into an awful adware mess. Avast Free slows up your PC. You won't even notice that Bitdefender is running.

Edited 5 April, 201610 yr by swedishskoda

BitDefender is also very good. However, I prefer the ability to scan any file I choose at the time I want, which the free version doesn't allow. It's a very good free product though.

Typical AV is next to useless nowadays because it doesnt know what has happened to the system since/before the infection was noticed, you need to go to a HIPS or program that sandboxes background actions and asks you what to do, Comodo Free Firewall gets my vote, packaged with a free AV Tool like MSSE, or just buy the Comodo AV also.

 

I would also advise you use some form of blacklist blocking like using the ETOpen Rules on your home router/firewall or create a DNS SinkHole , and point all your clients DNS to it, and keep it updated daily with malicious URL domain names, these would greatly reduce the risk of a successful infection or if you were infected, the botnet IP subnets would probably be on the blacklists.

ESET includes Host based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) as standard.

I set my Father in laws machine up with mse and malware bytes a while back but he managed to get an infection regardless. Instead of asking me about it he 'took it in' and someone took them off andcput Avast on it for him... The result? He now can't access the internet on it and it is effectively bricked...

I've tried removing avast etc but no joy so it probably needs wiping and a clean install...

I use Avast for my AV and Comodo for my firewall...... Both free.

Avast doesnt mess with your internet connections; more likely the virus/malware did, and the guy he went to didnt fix it properly.

 

Some malware redirects your internet connection through a server run by the criminals, so they can control what you do and harvest information,

 

Removing the infection may have removed the redirection, but failed to restore the correct DNS and IP settings.

Avast doesnt mess with your internet connections; more likely the virus/malware did, and the guy he went to didnt fix it properly.

 

Some malware redirects your internet connection through a server run by the criminals, so they can control what you do and harvest information,

 

Removing the infection may have removed the redirection, but failed to restore the correct DNS and IP settings.

 

Agreed but I've manually reset them...   and even trying to get rid of Avast using the removal tools it still seems to be clinging on in there...

 

I'm just annoyed with him that he did something stupid in the first place given it was all set up to auto-update and scan etc and was probably a relatively easy fix if he'd just let me know...

 

Anyway he's now bought a laptop and uses the desktop as a paperweight

Edited 6 April, 201610 yr by skomaz

Never had an issue removing Avast, has the guy installed it under "Admin" privileges while the main account is only a "User" account??

Can't remember off hand but shouldn't have as it was never set up with separate user accounts - just the one admin account...   and I can't check just now as it's in Belfast and I'm not...

 

Either way I've given up on it for the time being and my FIL is now on his own re IT - partly because he will not learn and seems to randomly buy incompatible stuff and upgrades (even though he hasn't got a clue and will never use them) - for example he currently has an ipad, a borked Windows desktop, a Windows 8 Laptop (he's wanting to upgrade to 10), a Windows smartphone he can't use, a top spec Honda he can only just get the smartphone to connect to, of and a wifi connected camera that he can connect to anything...

Most AV suites are given automatic admin rights at install otherwise they'd never be able to update or protect the system correctly.

As much as I've enjoyed using kaspersky over the last few years I cannot hand on heart recommend it any more. 

 

They have painted a big target on themselves by injecting a javascript ( for your protection ) into every page you visit, noticed today as using my new win10 box for some dev work. Nothing suggesting it's a risk today, but the potential is there!

 

I've stopped mine and looking at bitdefender which isn't that much for 3pcs over a year...

 

The greatest protection is still a bloody good sense of paranoia and backups.

As much as I've enjoyed using kaspersky over the last few years I cannot hand on heart recommend it any more.

They have painted a big target on themselves by injecting a javascript ( for your protection ) into every page you visit, noticed today as using my new win10 box for some dev work. Nothing suggesting it's a risk today, but the potential is there!

I've stopped mine and looking at bitdefender which isn't that much for 3pcs over a year...

The greatest protection is still a bloody good sense of paranoia and backups.

Did AVG do something similar and Google blocked AVG machines from running chrome

As much as I've enjoyed using kaspersky over the last few years I cannot hand on heart recommend it any more.

They have painted a big target on themselves by injecting a javascript ( for your protection ) into every page you visit, noticed today as using my new win10 box for some dev work. Nothing suggesting it's a risk today, but the potential is there!

I've stopped mine and looking at bitdefender which isn't that much for 3pcs over a year...

The greatest protection is still a bloody good sense of paranoia and backups.

That's helpful. And a shame, I've used kaspersky for several years now.

But this link would appear to offer a solution:

http://blog.oratronik.org/?p=457

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I'd not seen option #3, but that's a pita even for me as a dev on multiple browsers, I have 3 open sync'd to the same source which reloads on any changes. It's only a "urgh really" as it now gets in my way. For the last 100days I've not noticed, but now I have...

 

Generally though you get what you pay for, so I avoid free 'security' products, or use linux. I have a chromebook < £200 for online banking, that's it sole reason for existence.

I'd not seen option #3, but that's a pita even for me as a dev on multiple browsers, I have 3 open sync'd to the same source which reloads on any changes. It's only a "urgh really" as it now gets in my way. For the last 100days I've not noticed, but now I have...

Generally though you get what you pay for, so I avoid free 'security' products, or use linux. I have a chromebook < £200 for online banking, that's it sole reason for existence.

In the comments is a description of how to disable it from within kaspersky.

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.....The greatest protection is still a bloody good sense of paranoia and backups.

 

:clap:

Can't remember off hand but shouldn't have as it was never set up with separate user accounts - just the one admin account...   and I can't check just now as it's in Belfast and I'm not...

 

Either way I've given up on it for the time being and my FIL is now on his own re IT - partly because he will not learn and seems to randomly buy incompatible stuff and upgrades (even though he hasn't got a clue and will never use them) - for example he currently has an ipad, a borked Windows desktop, a Windows 8 Laptop (he's wanting to upgrade to 10), a Windows smartphone he can't use, a top spec Honda he can only just get the smartphone to connect to, of and a wifi connected camera that he can connect to anything...

I believe it is safer to set up and log in using a separate user account than your Admin account, and only log in with your Admin account as and when you need to, ie for necessary updates etc, but then go back to your original log in, and log out of Admin when Admin privileges are no longer required.

 

I believe it is so that if you get hacked whilst logged in under Admin, the hacker would then have access to Admin privileges.

 

Someone may tell me otherwise though. I am not particularly computer knowledgeable.

It's usually a good idea to rename the admin/root account to something innocuous.

 

It won't stop them getting hack if something gets on your network but it can drag things out longer.

 

On a home PC it's probably not worth worrying about to much. It's pretty trivial for a decent hacker to create a new admin level account on a home PC.

 

In reality you're very unlikely to be subjected to that sort of hack, home users get hit by scattergun automated attacks (ransomware etc). Unless you're an executive of a large company hackers are unlikely to give you any personal attention.

 

It's a business, hackers look for ROI as well.