What Anti-Virus do you Use/Recommend?

[jcarle]

Jcarle, you're taking this a bit too far. I give free anti-virus to my soon to be in-laws and although they are not computer-savvy, they are not idiots. They did not grow up in the generation of rapid technology trends and simply don't know the ways of the Internet.

I'm no id***, but the way you're acting towards this Panda-fanatic is like saying I'm an id*** because I don't know much about biology, chemistry, history or geography. Just by reading Ben100014's posts, I can tell he hasn't read the research and comparisons done by others who strive to prove a point to those willing to look around instead of just sitting there saying "this thing rules cause I use it!"

I've personally tried over 20 products and the ones I like the most are Kaspersky, NOD32 and Avast. Not many people use Panda from what I read and what I do read about it, the memory usage is horrible, among other annoyances.

I think you perhaps also read too much into my reply.

You can't post "Yeah I guess panda sucks, if you're an id***." and expect to not get an answer like "True idiocy comes when you actually require an anti-virus.". Like I said in my last post, "Bold statements will only generate bold counterstatements. It's to be expected.".

That being said, I do believe, dispite what people may think of my point of view, that if you actually REQUIRE an anti-virus to operate a computer then you shouldn't be using a computer at all. What are you doing on the internet if you can't navigate the internet without an anti-virus? If you're going around the internet and constantly picking up viruses, then you either lack the education needed to understand what you're doing or you just completely disregard the necessary precautions of internet navigation.

You simply cannot blame so called security exploits as reasons to have an anti-virus. I have NEVER run an anti-virus on my personal computer since my first XT. Yes, I do have a much higher understanding then the average user, but my point is simply to illustrate that I've spent all my time on the internet unprotected, nor by anti-virus, nor by firewall and have never caught a virus through a so called security exploit. And trust me, I've navigated to some of the most renown places for virus infections.

Everyone knows that you shouldn't drink a liquid when you don't know what it is. If you found a cup in the middle of nowhere and didn't know what was in it, would you drink it? If you do, how can you be suprised if you get sick? If every time you found a liquid, which you couldn't identify, you drank it, you're bound to get sick. Where is the logic to say that every time you find a liquid, you NEED to give it to someone else to verify it before you drink it? Wouldn't it just make more sense to leave the liquid there because you don't know what it is and drink a glass of something which you know of it's contents?

The internet is the same way. If you don't know what you're downloading, why are you downloading it in the first place? Perhaps the problem is not that you need an anti-virus but instead you need to stop downloading things which you can't trust.

Edited April 16, 2007 by jcarle

[Jeremy]

I agree with what you say Jcarle, and I do not use an anti-virus myself. But don't think that because people use anti-virus products means they are idiots. Some of them lack some awareness, but others are ok.

[anonymous_user]

I like NOD32 but KAV is good too.

[techywiz2007]

i use Superantivirus,

very effective, fast efficient,

but you have to check your preferences to get it the way you want,

(the splash window pops up on startup)

and also can scan on startup

pretty cool,

finished a scan in 9 min, and fixed 487 errors like that *snap*

(left by spylocked)

highly recommended,

also recommend

*Superanti-spyware*

that's what helped me get rid of spylocked!

[Jeremy]

Techywiz, that is anti-spyware, not anti-virus. Most good anti-virus products such as NOD32 and Kaspersky recognise quite a bit of spyware as well.

[techywiz2007]

if superantiVIRUS is really anti spyware,

why did they name it that?

and why do superantispyware when superantivirus is anti-spyware?

now i'm confused

what about clam av? i heard of it but i haven't looked it up yet, it it good?

Edited May 16, 2007 by techywiz2007

[Jeremy]

Ah, I've heard of SuperAntiVirus as being a virus in itself. I've tried 20+ anti-virus products myself and the 4 best are:

AntiVir

Avast!

Kaspersky

NOD32

Or you could just take precautions and use common/computer sense and avoid infections in the first place and not need to bother with an anti-virus.

[ever]

Kaspersky,I like it very much.

[Woomera]

@Jeremy

i really dont get it why you guys like avast so much.its never in the top5 list of av's and yet its so important. B)

[dimas2000]

I am currently using AVG but it has become a royal pain. Autoupdate usually takes over the machine or it appears that it froze.

Others that I do not recommend:

1. Norton - Has never been good and became worst when it dissolved Central Point.

2. McAffee - Always asks if you want to continue working or restart after an update.

3. Karsperky - Too intrussive, even alerts you when MS Access runs a macro.

4. OneCare - As good as nothing.

5. Avira - Confussing interface, blocks internet access including e-mail by default (it appears to be this way). Only customer support available is by phone (toll call to Australia) and free forum after confirming your e-mail by a message that they will never sent you. Unable to contact moderators until accounts is validated via previous method. All moderators are german and have difficuty understanding the messages (no offense to anyone).

Not to sound like a heel but you may be better off trying a cracked version of what you like and then purchase the product. I deffinitely will stay away from Avira Premium.

[Jeremy]

I don't use anti-virus software anymore. No need.

[Macstorm]

I don't use anti-virus software anymore. No need.

What then?

[[deXter]]

I don't use anti-virus software anymore. No need.

What then?

I dunno about Jeremy, but I don't need any because I just follow safe computing habits

[Jeremy]

What then?

Hardware firewall for starters. It's not the best, but it's better than nothing. I'm on a wired connection, not wireless, so no wise-a** is going to crack through some "open access point". I have just my OS and Program Files on mY C: drive and everything else on D:. I use Opera and Ad Muncher so no ActiveX, Java, JavaScript or other scripting features are enabled and all the ads and banners are removed, not that I'd click on them if they did show up.

I don't open unknown e-mails or attachments. I question file transfers from those on my MSN and if someone adds me and immediately tries to send me something, its kind of obvious what the intention is.

I image my HDD and can easily restore if anything bad happened. But if I ever noticed someone who managed to hack through a router, I'd simply pull the ethernet cable out of the router. Give my setup, I'd love to see someone hack through air.

The problem is most people feel that if they don't have loads of security suites installed that they will be infected. This is not the case. If you want to get infected, go out and get yourself infected. Accept those transfers, open those downloaded EXEs and ZIPs off LimeWire, open that attachment and click on that bouncing "you're our 999,999th customer, click here for your free laptop!" button.

Hell, anyone ever heard of DeepFreeze and a ThawSpace? Reboot and everything's fine!

[[deXter]]

^ Pretty much the way I have set up things.

I also take additional precautions such as using Sandboxes and Virtual Machines to execute suspicious or potentially unsafe files, reducing the privileges of entry point programs such as browsers and chat programs, using Windows only in a Limited User Account and finally, keeping the OS and all its software up-to-date