virus software

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Andmondson

Member
Got my new pc from Pc specialist and first I want to say that I am super pleased with it. My first question, is the 30 day free trial of the virus software pre installed? and also I was wondering what software you all use? any recommendations?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Andmondson said:
Got my new pc from Pc specialist and first I want to say that I am super pleased with it. My first question, is the 30 day free trial of the virus software pre installed? and also I was wondering what software you all use? any recommendations?
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If you specified the free trial, then yes, it should be installed. I haven't tried Bullguard myself, but had Norton for years which is bulky, but thorough. It can sometimes cause issues though but they're usually easy to iron out.

I now use Kaspersky which in recent years has come out top for both virus detection and lower bloatware so takes up less resources. I'm very happy with it.

Whatever anti virus I use, I always run a manual scan of malwarebytes free edition alongside once a week or so as it can detect things virus scanners miss. You can get it from www.malwarebytes.org and make sure you choose the free version and skip the trial of the full version, otherwise it will conflict with your installed anti virus and slow the system down.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
What online security you need largely depends on what you do with your computer. If you don't visit suspicious websites, you don't download iffy files/programs, you're not a thoughtless link-clicker, and you don't open email attachments unless you're certain where they came from, you probably don't need any online security at all. Most average users will be perfectly well protected by the standard Windows firewall and by Windows Defender (as shipped in Windows 8/8.1). The only time you'll need anything more thorough or stronger is if (like me) you do lots of experimenting with software. I use Comodo Internet Security free, from http://download.comodo.com/cis/down...5sk1=b1b384ae9c0ff04ee28034327bb0e01f2046ec1a, but it's massively configurable and it's easy to shoot yourself in the foot with it, so I don't recommend it for anyone who doesn't have a fair understanding of how Windows and the Internet works.
 
A

Andmondson

Member
I use my new pc for my games (steam) and occasionally checking PC spec and facebook. I never open links in emails and won't be downloading onto it. The only thing I'll be downloading is games from steam. I use my chrome book for browsing.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Andmondson said:
I use my new pc for my games (steam) and occasionally checking PC spec and facebook. I never open links in emails and won't be downloading onto it. The only thing I'll be downloading is games from steam. I use my chrome book for browsing.
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In that case I would stick with the built-in Windows firewall, it's quite configurable once you get into it, and Windows Defender as built-in to Windows 8/8.1. They will be just fine for you.
 
A

Alir

Silver Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
If you specified the free trial, then yes, it should be installed. I haven't tried Bullguard myself, but had Norton for years which is bulky, but thorough. It can sometimes cause issues though but they're usually easy to iron out.

I now use Kaspersky which in recent years has come out top for both virus detection and lower bloatware so takes up less resources. I'm very happy with it.

Whatever anti virus I use, I always run a manual scan of malwarebytes free edition alongside once a week or so as it can detect things virus scanners miss. You can get it from www.malwarebytes.org and make sure you choose the free version and skip the trial of the full version, otherwise it will conflict with your installed anti virus and slow the system down.
Click to expand...

Not true. Sort of.

The full version of Malwarebytes is known to conflict with SOME AV software.

Not with mine.

I have a lifetime version of malwarebytes on my pc - running alongside ESET smart security without any problems.
 
A

Alir

Silver Level Poster
If someone wants an AV software solution with a low footprint on your ram and processor, go for ESET!

Plus its scans take only a few minutes - whereas something like Norton would take up to or more than an hour.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Spuff said:
I used to use ESET, but I didn't realise what a system hit it had until I switched to Kaspersky.
Click to expand...

"There is no such thing as a free lunch".

Any security system is going to slow your computer down, that's an absolute fact. So it's a trade-off between better security and performance. Of course the faster computers (big CPUs, masses of RAM, and SSDs) suffer much less, but the performance hit is still there.

This is one reason why I recommend that the OP sticks with the Windows firewall and Defender, they might not be bullet-proof secure but they are free, already installed, good enough for how the OP works, and they probably have a lower performance hit than most third-party products.

As with everything else to do with computers there is a huge degree of personal preference, but there really is little point in installing a massively secure product that sucks the life out of your computer when you don't need that level of security. IMO 90% of remaining secure online is in taking care what you do, what links you click, what sites you visit, what you download, never opening email attachments you aren't 100% certain of, etc. etc.

In any case, as far as anti-virus is concerned, technology is moving away from detection towards containment. A sandbox in which all unknown applications and your browsers run means that any malware coming in via those applications or browsers cannot get out of the sandbox to infect the real machine. A sandbox really can protect against all zero-day malware, something no anti-virus engine can do. See http://www.sandboxie.com/ or https://www.comodo.com/home/interne...5sk1=fe9f6627c090ddae177e63b6d67db4df6c96f517, the latter (Comodo Internet Security) is free.
 
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