antivirus advice needed

The McAfee that came with my computer expires soon and I don't know enough about this subject to make a wise decision. I did notice that the email offers to renew my coverage is not my best price option, but...

I have Windows 8.1, surf the internet, send and receive emails. Do not do social media and don't really expect to in the future, but won't completely rule it out. This one desktop is all I need to protect, no smart phone or anything else. Have used AVG free in the past with good results and am willing to go that route if it is adequate coverage.

- is AVG free still a good option for me?
- if I decide to buy McAfee, is the McAfee 2015 Security a good fit for me? Seems to be a slight upgrade from the "lightest" version without purchasing more than I need.
- is there some other antivirus I should consider?

I need simple, not too expensive (or invasive) and I'm willing to purchase the coverage I need, but don't want to pay for a Cadillac version if a Volkswagen will be good enough. Thanks for ANY advice you can offer. Need to make a decision soon and am feeling overwhelmed.

Patti

 

Actually you have no need either for McAfee or a replacement. Windows 8.1 has Defender built-in. It's an effective antivirus that is completely unobtrusive and updates itself automatically. Aong with the built-in firewall it is ample protection for a safe surfer such as yourself. It's all I use and the same goes for quite a few others here.

 

I just read Earthling's post but I'll go ahead with what I was going to suggest. Personally, I use Avast! Free Edition. Another well known free one is Avira Free Antivirus.

I also have MalwareBytes Anti-malware and SUPERAntiSpyware installed.

 

WOW, lots of info here. I assume if I go with trusting Defender and then add an anti Spyware and Malware I need to select one of each!

Do I need to do anything to make sure Defender is installed? Hmmm, just checked (as best I could with my limited knowledge) and it appears Defender is turned off! Oh, found a website that explains that McAfee turns Defender off, but that I need to be sure to turn it back on when I no longer have McAfee. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I will look at Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, SuperAntispyware and Avast Free.

Thanks to all for the info and if anyone still has additional info that might help me with a decision AND getting all this downloaded and installed I would appreciate it. I've used a computer for many years but with job and family responsibilities, I have not been able to keep pace with all the new technology. I need to devote some serious time very soon to getting all this up to date.

Thanks again. I know I can always count on you guys to help when I get stuck.

Patti

 

Like DavidGP I use MalwareBytesAntiMalware free and SpywareBlaster free. Both have to be manually updated every week or so and you have to run MBAM manually too but it's no hassle. MBAM does malware and spyware. SpywareBlaster is passive - you don't have to run it, just update it.

 

Avast Free is a good program not many false positives and Avira is another good one too. Avg was good but that now has slipped down the pecking order false positives and resource hog.

On win 8.1 windows defender (Used to be Microsoft Essentials) has improved since win 7

But it's entirely your choice and user behaviour is the best policy

 

I will try to make this my last question as I suspect this is a topic that has many opinions...JoeRay12, If I decide to use Comodo Internet Security Premium FREE, that would be used INSTEAD of Windows Defender not in addition to, is that correct? I really appreciate the time you all have taken to help me through this, as some of this language is over my head as far as understanding all the ins and outs of "live", "killbits", etc. Thanks again for your time and understanding.

Patti

 

pattipat...

Not to add confusion, but I believe you could turn off the a-v HIPS in CIS and actually use CIS with Windows Defender if you prefer, or you could go with another a-v program in place of either.

CIS is both an a-v and firewall in one. The benefit of running this type of program is the more highly configurable firewall, and CIS is a good one to choose, because Comodo is consistently moving forward to make the program more and more a "hands off" option. This is very complicated to achieve without stripping the firewall of its teeth, but Comodo seems to have done a good job. The CIS firewall is the highest rated security program of its type, which is great.

If you go with CIS, I recommend searching the threads at a site that specializes in malware protection issues like MalwareTips.com. There are some really great threads that detail the various ways to use CIS.

Also, if you have any questions about what to expect from a firewall, you can post here or at MalwareTips.com, etc. for more information.

 

pattipat...

If you go with Comodo Internet Security, I recommend reading the information in this thread:

http://malwaretips.com/threads/regarding-comodo.32666/

Also, I recommend reading this review. This review really gets to some of the deeper more important issues with CIS:

http://malwaretips.com/threads/comodo-antivirus-8-pcmag-review.40379/#post-330527

Follow the "Full Article" link at the end of the first post to see more on CIS. There is some very good information in the review.

I would say CIS is very much a work in progress. Comodo is attempting to create a completely hands off security option that includes a firewall, but this is extremely difficult to do, as there are so many behaviors that must be monitored and decisions about each behavior must be made. In PrivateFirewall (what I use), 21 behaviors are monitored at all times for each process. This doesn't even touch the internet connection control that can be achieved using that portion of PF.

I like CIS, but it's a work in progress, and it's not a walk in the park to learn to run. As much as Comodo have been working hard to make the program usable, it is not an easy piece of software to understand or master. It's important and helpful to know what you are dealing with when it comes to security software, so this is a strike against the latest version of CIS.

That said, you can plug it in and run it out of the box and hopefully have no problems. It's a good solution. Is it great? I don't think so personally, but at least Comodo is taking the program in the right direction.

If you take a look at the settings recommended by user cruelsister in the MalwareTips thread above, you should be fine. She has a ton of experience with CIS, and I am sure she can help you if you have any questions.

 

pattipat...

Just encouraging you to take a look around and learn what you can about Comodo if you are going to choose it for your PC. I think the information in the linked posts is a good place to start, since I would say the most important elements of the information are still true, even after 2 years. All of the information is about CIS 8, which is the current version.

The review I linked isn't a bad review, but my experience with CIS is that it is buggy at the deeper levels and also not very user oriented. On the other hand, the program is improving at a fast rate in these areas, so there is some validity to the idea that it makes sense to use it now for some people at least. Versions are popping out a faster and faster and each one so far has been a solid improvement over the previous ones. Also, it is a good security program, already.

I feel that the advice at the end of the day is to use what you feel will best suit your needs and requirements. Go with your instincts, and if you don't feel good about your initial choice, take a look around and see if you can find a better one for you.

I give Comodo a thumbs up for trying. It's very difficult to write a security program that includes a firewall and that is easy to use. Not sure I understand fully why, but in general PC users seem to have convinced themselves that any pop-ups from their security program is a bad thing, and Comodo is attempting to limit the number of them by making as many of the choices as possible for users. I understand why this makes sense. However, the pop ups in, for example, PrivateFirewall, represent a choice, a choice I will have to live with, and, for now, I would rather make the choice myself. This is why I choose PrivateFirewall. I actually like the pop ups from the program, and I learn alot about securing a PC from studying them and alot about programs and developers, too.

Again, I like where Comodo is trying to go with CIS. They are trying to achieve a balance that works for the most users possible and which presents an optimized balance of user control and of intuitively automated decision making...and which delivers good security. In meeting these demands to date, CIS is a good program and delivers good security. I just wouldn't say great, yet.

 

pattipat, please take another look at posts #2 and #3. The products you are being advised to use are unsuitable for a basic user such as yourself and will offer you no advantage over Defender as you will not know how to use their advanced features. Keep it simple, continue your safe browsing, don't open links or attachments in emails unless you are sure about them and life will be easy - and safe.

 

Hey pattipat, I encourage you to read and do research on any program before you install it. I use Panda, Bitdefender, Avast and 360 Security, all free versions on different computers. But if you want a simple , easy, set it and forget it, just listen to Earthling and activate the already installed Windows Defender.

AtlBo and JoeRay12 had each made some great points and were very informative, but there's no need to look any further than what you have right under your nose.

 

I'm actually repeating what I advised in #2 rolleyes

 

Thank you all so much for the information. I will make a decision soon, get something installed and get on with life! LOL I do appreciate all the help.

Patti