Antivirus options

[Grarea]

I am hoping that someone can 'shave' some time off my research into this?



Anyway, is anyone out there up to speed with this?

I have always had Norton antivirus.
I have now been offered Macafee free with BT.
Although some people have told me that the free ones are better. eg AGV

Do you get what you pay for or are they all much of a muchness?

 

[Merkurologist]

I stopped using Norton and Mcfee a long time ago.... both use huge amounts of computer resources which slow things down.
I use Avast on the three laptops that run Windows and it works fine..... at least the free version.... I'd guess the paid version works the same.

I also run Ubuntu OS on other system and I don't use antivirus there.

Your needs for security might be different to mine, your equipment for sure will be different so it's hard to say for sure this is the best. Your knowledge of how viruses, malweare, etc are passed on might be different too......

Good luck

 

[Chris]

I've used Avast and AVG in the past, although I just used Windows Defender for the last two or three years before ditching Windows and my PC stayed clean. Staying off dodgy websites and being careful what you download will go a long way too. In the end though, no matter how good your protection it's no substitute for an up to date backup.

 

[Merkurologist]

I've heard good things about windows defender too.

+1 what @chris.hale said

 

[JamieM]

I like windows defender and I also run CCleaner.

 

[Mr_Smartepants]

No antivirus software can defend against bad judgement. Stay away from areas where viruses proliferate.
Having said that, we use Symantec SEP (corporate A/V) in our house because we get it free from work.
If I had to pay for it, I'd use either Kasperskey or ESET.

 

[Quique]

I use free Avast in Windows and I'm very happy

 

[Gairdner]

Gerra Mac....

 

[jb7]

The freebie Microsoft package works well, just keep the virus definitions up to date. Combine it with a scan using Malwarebytes (free version) every 4-6 weeks and you should be good to go.

 

[Redd]

Although I am fully Mac'd up, I as Jamie, use CCleaner and Avira prior to making my backups to cut out the crap and ensure no nasty stuff gets backed up.

 

[Chris]

Gerra Mac....

Done that.

Malware is still out there for Macs, while UNIX is inherently more secure it still pays to be wise in your online habits.

 

[chrisbd]

No antivirus software can defend against bad judgement. Stay away from areas where viruses proliferate.
Having said that, we use Symantec SEP (corporate A/V) in our house because we get it free from work.
If I had to pay for it, I'd use either Kasperskey or ESET.

+1

I use ESET (subscription software) on our PC & laptop but Avast free antivirus has kept my late Father-in-law's laptop clean. I've also used CCleaner and Spybot S&D on all our PCs & laptops for years, lately with Windows Defender. The ICT lads at work tend to use AVG (free version) but in my experience Avast is more effective.

But the best advice is to steer clear of suspect sites.

Regards,
Chris

 

[johnus]

Agree with chris.hale's recommendations. For more questionable/blocked sites I always use a VPN.

( like the old days: "Something 'special' for the weekend?" Always use protection)

 

[bakerbarber]

Every once in a while Malwarebytes is a good scan tool to run.

CCleaner occasionally. Just be sure that you have it configured right.

Avast is good and AVG is too.

Microsoft Security Essentials does well enough without being too intensive.

Nothing else is as good as being diligent about the way you use your computer. The websites you visit and the emails you receive. Clicking on everything all willy nilly is never a good idea.

Social engineering is a huge threat. Not only online but the telephone as well. The elderly and naive are especially at risk to this. Con artists are particularly slimy and forceful in extracting information from people with scams and stories. They're willing to say anything. Nothing is off limits.

The bigger risks involve spoof emails that are from friends or colleagues who may have had their systems or emails compromised or simply appear to be from an actual acquaintance.

Something juicy or perhaps salacious that may have been sent to you by mistake for example.

This is a good flowchart to share;

 

[Grarea]

Thank you for this guys.
I am careful with sites I visits and incoming emails.

This is all good and helpful information, I appreciate it.