Nonfreeware Security Software Recommendations?

Because of various malware problems I've had over the years, I've finally decided to stop being a cheapskate by limiting myself to freeware for security. Does anybody have any recommendations for really powerful security software (and maybe also the cost thereof)?

 

It's up to your computing habits. If you check the logs over in malware removal, (Any where) you'll see just about all protection being breached.

I'd go with chaslang's, advice here.

Cheers..

 

You are misunderstanding the difference between freeware security and shareware security.
The engines and databases are almost always exactly the same.
Shareware gives a user more automated features such as scheduling scanning and updates etc but there is zero difference between the level of actual protection.
Security is also at least as much determined by user behaviour and irrelevant to the security software.

 

Hi my friend , all depends about user's use , if you don't beware about the sites you use the antivirus is helpless i think

 

I actually got infected by an email attachment - an image file made to look like the plaintext body of the message, so I didn't even realize I was clicking on an attachment.

 

You wont be protected from that any differently by paid software.
If it was from a sender you knew, and it looked like something you would normally expect from them, then it is just bad luck. But a decent free AV program should have caught that when you clicked on it. Having said that, plain text does not look or appear like a clickable file even in a spam email. It looks like a link unless there were image icons.

 

I suppose you're right, but I should mention that in my thread "Disk Encryption Could Thwart Ransomware?", I was referred to CryptoPrevent, which I intend to try.

It was forwarded to me by someone I know well, who was asking my opinion on whether or not it was a scam. I told her it clearly was. Too bad I didn't realize what kind of scam.

Yeah, I agree, I think I screwed up big time there. I was running Avast, but it wouldn't let me access Gmail, so I temporarily switched off its web protect, and in VERY short order I got hit. Yeah, it's my own fault, but I'll never do THAT again. On THIS computer, I'm running Avira, which doesn't have a Gmail problem.

No, I must disagree. In Gmail, with IE11 serving as the email client (at least with the settings that were in place on that computer at the time, which I actually don't know yet how to change, if indeed that is possible), it looked EXACTLY like plaintext, and there was no icon displayed.

In my thread "how to block Gmail attachments from being displayed inline" at the Gmail Help Forum, I was told by the moderator "...you can't change that behaviour, but Gmail is way ahead of you. Not only does it virus scan all attachments, but it stores linked images on a cache server so that you never actually open the remote image at all."

But evidently he's wrong about that.

Yes, the sender confirmed that they had really sent it to me. But your point is well taken; it would be best to always ask the sender if they really did send something that they forwarded to you.

 

CryptoPrevent is a separate issue and for only one type of malware, and not the subject of this thread.

It's a mistake for a friend or colleague to send anything suspicious to someone else, because they think it is suspicious, and I wouldn't accept anything like that even from my closest family member or friend. It just isn't common sense to do that.

I use Gmail on the web and never seen anything like that even in the spam folder. Yahoo, for example, disables all links in spam that I have seen. I can't remember what Gmail does. And plain text is plain text. If it is clickable it isn't plain text. I tend to think that Gmail person was actually correct because that has been my experience of using Gmail for its entire existence, before it was even on general release because initially it was invite only.
The person sent you something so everything may changed in that time.

 

Yes, I know, it's to block ransomeware. But that falls under the heading of "security software".

Agreed.

I don't know what to tell you; that's how Gmail behaved; I don't know if it was how IE11's email client settings were configured or what (and I don't know as of yet how they were configured on that computer).

I didn't KNOW it was clickable, because it looked exactly like plaintext. And because I thought it was plaintext, I clicked on it in an attempt to highlight it so I could copy it.

Perhaps my experience is different than yours because of how my IE11 email client settings were configured.

If you mean that the email client settings were changed, then I would say that in order for this image to be displayed inline, the email client settings would have had to be changed BEFORE I clicked on it.

 

This is too long-winded.
I have no idea why anyone, let alone someone with some knowledge, would attempt to click on something that appears to be plain text in a believed-to-be spam email. In your thread on the Gmail help forum you called it an image 'that looked like plain text'. You were taking a risk and lost.
There isn't any reason for doing that accept curiosity that killed the cat and you fell into a well-known trap.
It is as simple as that - even if it had been sent directly to you and not to someone else who was asking you to check it for authenticity. That in itself should have guarded you against doing anything but look at it.
So it is not a Gmail issue or a security software issue and you should resist trying to find others as responsible.
You made two misjudgements - accepting the email in the first place, then clicking on it, end of story.

 

And I never did.

 

You have suggested here and on Gmail Help Forum that they should have protected you. You still don't seem to get it, so we'll leave it at that.

 

Only in your mind - read it again - let's leave it at THAT.

 

You gave a link to your posts on Gmail Help so they are easy for anyone to read.
I sincerely hope you don't get any more malware.
Happy safe computing practice.

 

Let me tell you my experience. I tend to err on the side of caution. If something doesn't feel right, I throw it in the trash.

My husband's nephew sent us an email but did not address it to Uncle and Aunt. It may have even said No subject! The email said "here is a picture of Mary".
Mary was his grandmother and I thought it strange he did not say either Grandma Mary or "your Mom". It included an attachment. I threw everything in the trash.

About a week later, he asked what I thought about the picture. I told him what I did. Now he is angry with me.

Generally, if I am sending someone something that they have to open as an attachment, I send an email ahead of time, tell them the file name and alert them what to look for. I also include something meaningful in the subject line.

By the way, this nephew must have had his computer infected at different times because I have gotten those malware type emails (as I have from other people) with something like "thought you'd enjoy this" and a link to some unknown thing.

 

I need real-time anti-malware protection, not just a scanner to detect malware already residing on my computer.

I'm running CryptoPrevent Free Edition, which does provide real-time protection. I understand that, in addition to ransomware, it also protects against other forms of malware as well. But I'm not sure how well it protects against these other forms, as compared to other products. And CryptoPrevent works only proactively to prevent malware infections; it makes no attempt to remove existing ones.

I'm also running Avira Free Antivirus and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free. Neither provides real-time protection. I could upgrade to Avira Antivirus Pro or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium. Both provide real-time protection. Neither is free.

So in these two cases, at least, it seems that there actually IS a difference between the free and paid versions of security software. But real-time protection is important, and I don't mind paying for it.

But PC Magazine says Malwarebytes Premium’s real-time protection is “lackluster”. And I have read complaints about Avira Pro’s real-time protection.

Another thing I don't like about either option is that both products require a subscription. Avira Pro costs $45.49 for 3 years, one device, and Malwarebytes Premium is $24.99 per year, one device.

So both are inexpensive. But I'd prefer a "set it and forget it" option. So can anyone recommend a good anti-malware program with real-time protection that doesn't require a subscription?

[Incidentally, CryptoPrevent Premium Edition ($15), which features automatic updates, currently does NOT require a subscription, but that will change with the upcoming release of version 8.]

BTW, in the interest of “full disclosure”, I'm also running SpywareBlaster. It blocks cookies and known malicious websites, as well as prevents the installation of Active-X based code; it neither detects nor removes malware per se. It’s free.

 

AVIRA Free AV does provide Real Time Protection. ALL the popular free versions (Avast!, BitDefender, Comodo, AVG, 360 Total Security, Kaspersky Free) provide real time protection.

CryptoPrevent provides protection against ransom-ware and nothing else.
SpywareBlaster and Spybot Search and Destroy FREE versions both provide kill-bit protection within the web browsers they support.

MajorGeeks Guide:
How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

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Avira Free offers the same realtime AV protection it's paid versions offer, as do the others who offer free versions of their paid AV suites.

All of them are on a subscription basis. I got Malwarebytes Pro back in the day before they went to subscription.

I use Thunderbird for my e-mail. By default, it blocks remote images. That would have provided you protection from the scam e-mail in addition to preventing spammers from knowing you've opened one of their e-mails.

 

Hi, Just Playin, thanks for responding.

Avira can call it "Real-Time Protection" or anything else they want, but what it REALLY is is a human-user-manually-launched file scanner, period. What more accurately could be called "Real-Time Protection" is what Avira Antivirus calls "Web Protection". It's enabled in Avira Antivirus Pro but disabled in Avira Free Antivirus. I've got Avira Free Antivirus screenshots of Avira Launcher, Avira Center > Status and Avira Center > Real-Time Protection that illustrate my point, but for some reason they're refusing to display in this post right now; I'm not sure what the problem is.

However, I just discovered free Avira browser protection may be had with Avira Browser Safety, available here. If anyone has any experience with this or thoughts on how it compares to SpywareBlaster, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

 

Real time protection in the free versions of full AV suites listed as 'free' here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/all_in_one_anti_virus_suites.html
is exactly the same as in the shareware/subscription versions.
Each of those AV software developers show a comparison chart of the features included in the 'free' and shareware/pro/premium versions and it is not about less real time protection as understood by malware experts.
If that were not the case, then the well-known AV software testing and review sites would be telling everyone lies. And they are not.

The 'bells and whistles' of so-called 'web protection' features costing money are just add ons for people who wont necessarily understand the lack of need for them, if they use SB and/or S&D, and carry out safe surfing.

 

I know 360 Total Security does protect real-time, as it has blocked files and websites numerous times on the PCs I have here.

I feel that right now the main point is that it's possible to build a strong security setup starting with a free a-v package. 360 TS offers a sandbox, as do some of the others, has anti-keylogging protection, online buying/banking protection, and access to a great network monitor in GlassWire. All the top a-vs offer very good protection for a solid foundation. Then you can tailor your security with addons of pro versions of anti-encryption software or pro versions of anti-keylogging software (key stroke encryption type protection) or a real-time malware/web/mail monitor like MBAM pro or anti-scripting with MBAE, etc.

There are numerous ways to look at things, but I like that there is a solid baseline of security being established with free a-v software by the various security providers. It makes buying the modules and add ons seem much more meaningful and satisfying.

Long term, I hope they will go for a system where you get the baseline free and then spend say $80-200 for add ons just the one time for the life of a PC. I want to pay for good software, but I don't like having to keep up with a bunch of bills and auto deducts, etc., so this is why I think I would like this system better...

 

Please let me know if you can see these screenshots. For some reason, in my browser, I suddenly can't see any images I post.

 

No, they are two different processes. Avira's Web Protection is a malicious IP blocker, separate from the 'Real Time Protection", which scans for and blocks viruses and such on your PC itself.

 

No, I can't see them. Where are you hosting these screenshots?

 

Just Playin...

This is true with 360 too. There is real time scanning of files and installation in general, but there the web scanner is not an anti-exploit feature, just a url blocker...

 

On the desktop. That was never a problem before, but I just tried it from somewhere else, but with the same results. I don't know what the problem is, but I think it could be due to my current need to repair Windows.

 

I notice that when I click on Image, to insert a picture into my reply to this thread, it's asking for a URL, but not a path and filename. So maybe when I insert a path and filename, that could be why it's not working. But I've inserted images that were resident on my computer into my posts before with no problem. (See post #9 in my thread 'Need To "clean House". What Do I Do?'.) What am I doing wrong?

 

Maybe it would be better to focus on the Malware Forum Staff Member Dr Moriarty's post #22 above and just follow that.

 

Well, I tried Upload a File, as well as just copying the screenshots to the clipboard and then pasting them into my reply. Both succeeded in having them show up onscreen in the "reply box" for this thread, but in Preview they showed up only as links, and when I clicked on any of the links, I got the error message "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action." If anybody knows what I'm doing wrong, I'd love to hear it.

 

Sorry, but links to these images were the best I could do right now for some reason. Anyway, I've got to go out now, so I'll comment on these when I get back.

Avira Launcher
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/index....7/&temp_hash=7ed4ddc90465dae7147da44d6a894509

Avira Center > Status
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/index....8/&temp_hash=7ed4ddc90465dae7147da44d6a894509

Avira Center > Real-Time Protection
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/index....9/&temp_hash=7ed4ddc90465dae7147da44d6a894509

 

If you want free all round good protection then avira is a good choice but if you wanting a good paid protection then bitdefender is the best choice.

 

Click on Upload a File, navigate to the file, wait for it to upload, and then choose Thumbnail or Full Image.

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I did (uploading full images), with these results:

Avira Launcher


Avira Center > Status


Avira Center > Real-Time Protection

 

Well, that time it DID work, although not in Preview. Before when I tried it, it didn't work at all. I must have done SOMETHING different this time, but it wasn't anything that I noticed. Anyway, thanks Eldon, and I WILL comment on these when I get a little time.

 

Do you mean Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016, or Bitdefender Total Security 2016, or maybe Bitdefender Internet Security 2015? I see Antivirus Plus 2016 (up to 3 PCs, 1 year, $38.97) is available here , and Total Security 2016 (1 PC, 3 years, $34.99) is available here .

 

You want the Bitdefender Total Security 2016.

 

So it's really all-inclusive - I would just uninstall all of whatever security software I have now?

 

Avira Launcher

OK, this is Avira Free Antivirus, and what you see is what you get.

Avira Center > Status

Whatever real-time protection you get is associated with a file scanner.

Avira Center > Real-Time Protection

This screen doesn't appear until you click on Real-Time Protection on the previous screen. And when it DOES appear, it's not scanning; it just sits there for a little while until file names start appearing in the Last file scanned field.

Well, here's hoping that what's in the "reply box" shows up in the thread, because it's not showing in Preview...

 

Emsisoft.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/emsisoft_anti_malware.html

 

Well, we've got one recommendation for Bitdefender Total Security 2016 and one for Emsisoft Anti-Malware 11.0.0.6054. Both are well-reviewed by PC Magazine. I'll check them both out at AV-Comparatives in the morning. Since I see a lot of what I suspect are covertly-paid endorsements online by various "reviewers", I'll ask a more trustworthy source (that means here): any other recommendations?

 

Latest AV-Comparatives test results:

Best AV software in testing:

1. System Performance testing - Avira
2. File Detection Testing - Avira
3. Real-World Protection Test - Bitdefender & Avira highest detection and lowest false positives.
http://www.av-comparatives.org/

 

You cannot go wrong with AV-Comparatives, as posted by MaxTurner.

 

Avira Antivirus Pro, Avira System Speedup and Avira Internet Security Suite (which is the combination of the other two) are available at 50% off here. That's $22.49, $15.99 and $28.99, respectively, for one device, one year. It looks like this link is for Avira 2016 (described here), but it doesn't specifically say so. I guess I'll get Avira Internet Security Suite.

Avira System Speedup includes file encryption (but not disk encryption). I didn't find out what algorithm / method is used, but presumably it's unbreakable.

Avira Rescue System is available here. It's a free set of tools, including a utility to create a bootable CD (but no mention of a flash drive), which boots the machine into an antivirus program, which scans for and removes malware (including some rootkits), restoring normal boot and operation. I think I'll download this, too.

 

AVIRA Free is just fine. There are excellent free tools to do the rest. And day to day computer behaviour will be the actual determinant of safety, no matter free or shareware.

 

What would you recommend for the excellent free tools?

As for day-to-day behavior, I'm pretty sure I got the Cryptowall infection either by visiting the NASA website (which I doubt), or by accidentally clicking on an image email attachment with an embedded link because it was disguised to look exactly like the plaintext in the body of an email (which I'm pretty sure is what happened; I've since been told that Gmail can't be configured so as not to display image attachments inline, but I find that hard to believe).

 

Anything hosted on MajorGeeks.

As for spam emails - every piece of content inside one that has malware is disguised! lol
That's why the advice is never ever open it, let alone click on it.