Anti-virus Programs Talk.

I have been reading up on Anti Virus software lately.As it turns out AVG has be come one of the worst out there.They take your money and run basically they hide shit on your computer with out you knowing about it.

I have not used AVG my self in many of years after windows 7 came out be cause there program was be coming to bloated with crappy software.That installs stuff that you did not ask for.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/avg.html

There are all so a few other Anti-Virus programs out there like bitdefender that does the same thing.

 

Yeah, I'm not a fan of AVG. I like and use the free version of Avast.

 

Once upon a time... AVG was thee best free AV out there. Simply because there wasn't many other.
Like hitest, I use Avast, and it has not failed me.

 

Eldon i agree with you all of these so called Anti-Virus protection best in the world.Tend to be way over bloated and far to complicated.And probably steel more info about your system than Microsoft does with windows 10.

People tend to listen to sites like PC magazine which is basically a blog site.And that is how they get paid for there web site.

There are only a hand full of Anti-Virus software i do trust any more.

Don't get me wrong but i do like IObit's software better than system mechanic which i think total crap.

I have been using IObit since first beta launch and even help with bug's on there forums to make sure it runs properly.But i do not like the Malware Fighter.The Detection rate is bad.I hardly ever put a Anti-virus on my system any more be cause i know what to look for when it comes to unsafe files or emails.

Hell just for fun every once in a while i will download some thing just for fun to see if this stuff can mess up my system.Never does be cause i normally catch it in time be for any thing happens.This is all so to test to see if the service i pay for is still working.

 

I have been using the free Avast for years. Zero complaints, especially since it is free.

 

Avast is Good
Avira is Good
Mcafee is Good

These are light programs that scan fast and take up less resources.

 

On the page you link to - all av's mentioned have some negative reviews. How do you determine which you consider good?

 

Me by there Detection rate.

Some Detect more than others.

I mainly stick with malwarebytes be cause it has the highest detection rate.And it removes a lot of them with out a fuss.

It is all ways good to have a secondary back up for scanning that has low impact on resources.

 

ad aware antivirus is nasty bugger on resources.

And most people are complaining about there subs on that link.

 

Double post - don't know how that happened. Delete?

 

I feel MalwareBytes is good for everyone to have on their pc. Since it is advertised as an antimalware and not an antivirus it can be ran along side most antivirus without conflicts normally associated with having 2 antiviruses installed at the same time.

 

Along with Avast and Malwarebytes I also like Superantispyware. I also like CryptoPrevent.

 

I use 3 out of 4 you list. Also use WinPatrol. SAS and "Scotty" alert me to any home page or search page or startup and file associations being tried to change. Feels like "I'm in good hands with Alstate!"

 

Since 1997, I have actually paid for and still use ESET NOD 32 and (touches wood) I have never had any problems. When I originally tested everything available in 1997, it finally came down to Trend Micro, Kaspersky or NOD 32 even though at the time both Mcafee and Norton had good names and Norton AV was probably the market leader (even then it was a system hog). Over the years I have tested many other AV packages and I still come back to NOD 32 maybe because I am so familiar or maybe because it just does its job without any problems and without too much system overhead.
If any one asks me I usually suggest either NOD 32 if they want to pay or Avast if they want something for free. Avast is probably the best of the free ones although AVG was very good for a couple of years until they dropped the ball and now it is junk.
In conjunction with NOD 32 I also use Malwarebytes and Spybot Search & Destroy and every so often I will run CCleaner to clean out junk that clutters up the OS.

Over the years I have seen many AV packages come and go and some have been brilliant but over time when their sales start to go up they seem to stop spending as much effort on R & D and start spending more effort on marketing and then their product starts slipping. In the days when Peter Norton owned Norton Utilities and Norton Commander the products were good but when he sold out to Symantec the marketing people took over and things went downhill.

BTW prior to using NOD32 I used to use Mcafee and prior to Mcafee (circa 1990) I used to use Norton Utilities.
I have also at different times tried (in no particular order) Checkpoint AV, Panda Security, Norman, AVG, Trend Micro, Norton Utilities, Mcafee Viruscan, Zone Alarm, Symantec Norton AV Suite, Virusbuster, Avira, Kaspersky Labs, BitDefender, Pegasus, Comodo, Sophos, PC Safe, F-Secure and several others that I can't remember right now but I guess I could look them up in my records.

Many of the leading AV software packages have fairly similar performance so in the end it comes down to the package that best suits your needs and does the job you require with good tech support if needed and coming in at an affordable price. Of course not having too much system overhead is a bonus as are packages that don't come with adware or crapware or that install errr "features you don't want" such as popup reminders to upgrade to their paid for version.

 

I would all so like to add other things to this list not just Anti-Virus.

in conjunction with Malwarebytes i all so use the following.

EMCO Malware Destroyer 7 works but not as good as Malwarebytes.This program is pretty quick at scanning.About 10 seconds.I find Malwarebytes takes far to long to scan.That is really the only down side to that program.I am surprised that they still have not fixed that issue.

SUPERAntiSpyware Is a great tool it all so has a very fast scan rate.But on top of speed it has a very good detection rate as well.This is one of the main tools i use in every clients computers when they bring them to me to repair.It does not effect the system as fare as i can tell.

A lot of the programs i am listing have no ad support .And that is what i like about some of these.I do not even use a Anti virus any more be cause of the bloat ware that comes with them.

 

Agreed. I started using CryptoPrevent after attending an anti-virus, security lecture given by an IT security expert. He demonstrated in real time how fast the Cryptlocker malware can render your PC unusable. He showed how a user visiting a legitimate site (which had been infected by Cryptlocker) could get held for ransom. Fascinating.

 

Hitest what i find about them type of attacks is it is self regenerating code from the net.So with out the net most of them can be scanned and removed easy.Just go into safe mode and it should be gone after the Malwarebytes scan.

 

It's painfully slow.

Yes, but how do you decrypt your files?
The only safeguard is regular backups.

Something else I use is VirusTotal Uploader from VirusTotal. Beware of the others...
https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/desktop-applications/

 

Indeed. The cryptlocker trojan works fast; I watched it lock-up the contents of a hard drive in about 2 minutes. I always make sure I have trusted back-ups for disaster recovery.

 

You can never, ever, have too many backups. I back up my computers often . . . always have two - i.e. an "old" backup and the one I just created. The next time I generate a back up I'll delete the oldest one.

I also save these images on two different drives . . . on a secondary drive all my PC's have, and on a network drive. Thus I have two attempts at a successful recovery, both stored on two different drives, for each computer. Overkill, probably, as I have never had an issue with restoring a computer from a back-up, but you know what Murphy says . . .

The only thing that varies is the frequency I create a back up . . . it can be a longer or shorter time, depending on the computer in question.

 

Forgot to add . . . I've used Avast for years, and prefer it over most others. Panda is a decent option, especially for PC's with limited resources. Our comm center currently uses Panda Endpoint and there have been no issues with the program or viral/malware infestation.

AVG is ok, but it seems to use more resources than most other options out there . . . but to be fair I have not used it or had contact with it in a good while.

I also suggest a good software firewall used in conjunction with antivirus.

 

I use Microsoft's way to encrypt and decrypt.

To encrypt a folder or file

1. Right-click the folder or file you want to encrypt, and then click Properties.
   
   
2. Click the General tab, and then click Advanced.
   
   
3. Select the Encrypt contents to secure data check box, click OK, and then click OK again.

To decrypt a folder or file

1. Right-click the folder or file you want to decrypt, and then click Properties.
   
   
2. Click the General tab, and then click Advanced.
   
   
3. Clear the Encrypt contents to secure data check box, click OK, and then click OK again.

 

AV-Comparatives is one of the best independent testers of Anti-Virus software.
http://www.av-comparatives.org/

Here's an easy to use chart with test results.
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php

 

For the new readers of MajorGeeks, I suggest you refer to the post in the Malware Removal forum by chaslang ...
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/index.php?threads/how-to-protect-yourself-from-malware.44525/
I say this because its been the best guideline thread for me on "I feel so confused" issues such as virus
and malware and continues to be so.

I too, have run most of the previous mentioned products over the past 15 years. The general reason I changed from
one to another was due to their marketing practice or system resource requirements. I was a gamer over most of those
years and didn't want to run anything, which would slow my throughput. The other thing important to me was if could I
get it for free. It seemed to me the protection engines were essentially the same for both free and paid versions.
What I got for money were features I didn't want or wouldn't use anyway.

Prior to 2006, I ran AVIRA and AVG, which seemed okay for the day, when I was still on WIN 98 II. About that time I
upgraded to XP. AVIRA and AVG joined the "bloat" club with extra features I didn't want while gaming, so I started to
rely on MS Security Essentials. This wasn't the best choice in those days for a realtimer, but at least it had
system compatibility. For awhile, I ran AVAST, PAndA, and BITDEFENDER. I recall each had running annoyances at the
time, which caused me to revert to MSE.

All that time I relied on MALWWAREBYTES to periodically scan the system. Its engine always seemed reliable, paid or
free. BITDEFENDER used to be great, when you were sure it was uptodate.

My recommendation is run DEFENDER (WIN 8 & 10), MSE (win 7) for realtime protection. Scan with free MALWAREBYTES,
as rqd. Its a cheap, yet sufficient for most. Add CryptoPrevent and MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit to your
system along with WOT (World of Trust) and Site Advisor on your browser.

Just remember, none are perfect and they will all change with time.

 

I've noticed this! It's always had this problem, but at some point the issue became more prevalent . . . mainly in what the program deems a PUP, it seems?

I use Super, in conjunction with Spyware Blaster and regular runs of Malwarebytes. I certainly recommend using Spyware Blaster and Malwarebytes . . . I update them weekly.

I also feel Super is an effective program, but the user needs to be savvy enough to filter through what the program reports as a problem (this is true of all such software, actually . . . did I mention regular backups are wise? )

 

Ah, antivirus programs. I find them less effective nowadays, due to drive by crytpo attacks. At my new employment we are doing POC's of "next gen av's". Namely Palo Alto Traps, Cisco FireAmp, CrowdStrike, Sentinel One, Cylance, and a few others. Most modern AV's proclaim that these upstarts are not the real deal. Sadly, these top tier AV programs are not for the common person. Also, they are subscription based.

My home computer I just use the built in AV from windows 10. Occasional scan with a 3rd party once a month shows nothing.