Best virus protection software out there - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: BocaDev
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2018, 11:38:33 pm
content: I am running Win-10 and have been relying on Windows Defender Security Center to protect my computer. I was wondering if that protection is about as good as the other protection on the market, against the evil folks who like to make other peoples lives miserable?If there are some better protection out there, what are your suggestions?Thanks

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 24, 2018, 11:48:23 pm
content: Windows Defender does a fine job. But if you're looking for alternatives, I strongly recommendESET. It does exactly what it's supposed to and it's non-intrusive.

author: ANTALIFE
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 12:02:04 am
content: Common Sense Internet Security 2018

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 12:20:10 am
content: Quote from: ANTALIFE on June 25, 2018, 12:02:04 amI know this is a joke, but even experts can get stung. Not running some even basic virus protection is just asking for trouble.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 01:22:00 am
content: ESET NOD32

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 01:25:38 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on June 25, 2018, 12:20:10 amRunning basic virus protection is asking for trouble.Oops, I turned on Bitdefender. Now Youtube stutters and I can't reach the security cameras over the VPN. Good stuff, it's really saving my bacon.A clue really is the best defense against most.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 01:42:44 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on June 25, 2018, 01:25:38 amThis is a particular thing I agree most. I run Server 2016 with Windows Defender, but ArchLinux and FreeBSD with nothing, not even a firewall (as I have an external firewall on my router. not saying this is a good thing, it's just not enough of a bad thing for me to be arsed to deal with a full firewall). In the entire history of my use of Server 2016 and Linux I have never once, that I know of, had any serious virus infection. I have no evidence of one, and I have never downloaded anything that would be likely to have given me anything. Avoiding dodgy sites and downloading from trusted sources is really the golden egg rule, and Linux is even safer, due to vetted repos, small population of malicious code, and much more secure design.If you want something good, I use Avast where there is nothing else, and to have a small level of something. It tends to be really good at picking up stuff, and is free for desktop operating systems.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 01:45:51 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on June 25, 2018, 01:25:38 amSo... you have Bitdefender installed, but deactivated? That makes sense.I'm sorry but if your antivirus is causing you problems, you're doing it wrong. I'm not suggesting that all AV is equal, they're not. Some are just bloated pieces of crap (Symantec for example). But a good basic virus scanner, like ESET and others should cause you no noticeable performance hit. Mine is set to scaneveryfile in real time upon access and it does it quickly without any lag. I've never had an issue with streaming media by having antivirus installed. It has however saved me on a number of occasions despite being an expert and taking care on what I click on.Yes, you should have a clue when surfing, not disagreeing with that, but relying solely on your own ego is fraught with danger.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 02:08:58 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on June 25, 2018, 01:45:51 amWell, see, I had to turn it off so I could get on with using the computer. Now it's gone so it won't waste my time again.QuoteNo, they are. I didn't make it break my video stream.QuoteSure. So is relying solely on theirs.

author: BocaDev
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 06:35:46 pm
content: Thanks guys for all your inputs. Looks as if ESET NOD32 is the way to go.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 06:37:55 pm
content: The best is to just pull the plug. Some IT managers can also set up idiotic rules, that are effectively pulling the plug.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 07:41:34 pm
content: I ran Windows for about 14 years, with no memory resident antivirus protection and didn't have and problems. I periodically scanned with Malwarebytes, which never found anything. In the past I did try memory resident AV, but it created more problems, than it solved. AV is scareware!Now I no longer run Windows and use Linux.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 08:45:59 pm
content: Since 2012 all I've used on Windows 7 is Windows Defender and I haven't any problems. I am extremely cautious however, about nearly everything.

author: Karel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 09:58:59 pm
content: I believe the value of av is much overrated. There's no av that detects all active viruses or malware that runs in the wild.Everyday, new malware is released which is not recognised by av, despite heuristic analysis.It takes at least a couple of days before the new malware has been reported, analyzed, added to the av-list and updated to the clients.In the meantime many pc's are already infected.One could argue that it's better to have just three pieces of malware installed on your pc instead of hundred, but in the end I don't think it makes much difference...Rootkit detection is difficult because a rootkit may be able to subvert thesoftware that is intended to find it. Detection methods include using analternative and trusted operating system, behavioral-based methods, signaturescanning, difference scanning, and memory dump analysis. Removal can becomplicated or practically impossible, especially in cases where the rootkitresides in the kernel; reinstallation of the operating system may be the onlyavailable solution to the problem.Operation "Red October" was able to stay under the radar for five years:https://securelist.com/blog/incidents/57647/the-red-october-campaign/Antivirus software is now so ineffective at detecting new malware threatsmost enterprises are probably wasting their money buying it, an analysisby security firm Imperva has concluded.http://www.cio.com/article/2390136/antivirus-software/antivirus-software-a-waste-of-money-for-businesses--report-suggests.htmlAntivirus tools are a useless box-ticking exercise says Google security chapAdvocates whitelists and other tools that 'genuinely help' securityhttp://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/17/google_hacker_pleads_try_whitelists_not_just_bunk_antivirus_ids/Several Symantec AV products allow an attacker to run arbitrary code under Linux, MacOS and WIndows. Yes, it's really bad. Affected products are Symantec Endpoint Protection Cloud Client, Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Enterprise Client, Norton Family, Norton Antivirus, Norton AntiVirus with Backup, Norton Security, Norton Security with Backup, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360.https://www.symantec.com/security_response/securityupdates/detail.jsp?fid=security_advisory&pvid=security_advisory&year=2016&suid=20161117_00#_SYM16-021_/_SymantecDoubleAgent: Taking Full Control Over Your Antivirushttp://cybellum.com/doubleagentzero-day-code-injection-and-persistence-technique/http://cybellum.com/doubleagent-taking-full-control-antivirus/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/31/ai_defeats_antivirus_software/https://www.welivesecurity.com/2017/08/30/eset-research-cyberespionage-gazer/

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 10:12:39 pm
content: Having a good hosts file is useful too.http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

author: Jr460
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 10:37:43 pm
content: Yes I know others have already made some jokes and suggestions about not using anything at all.Anymore the AV industry just tries to panic upper levels of management. "You must run this AV product on your UNIX systems to search for Windows malware. Because a bad file may be stored on the UNIX system." I've never seen such a bigger waste of resources, and in some cases it just brakes things in strange and wonderful ways. Well if you AV program is such crap that it can't detect just downloading a bad file from any system, then how is going to recognize it on the UNIX system start with?First, dump Flash, never ever install Flash. If a website says it needs flash, don't trust that company for anything. Run, run away very quickly. If you can get away with it, no Java plugins for a browser.Use a very simple PDF viewer, not Adobe's where they have added the ability to run scripts inside a PDF.My A number one suggestion: Do not login to your machine with an account that has or can get Admin privs. I know it makes it harder when you download something you don't want to have to logout, then login as an admin to install and then logout and back in as a normal user. This alone will stop just about everything bad. If you have an app that only runs with full admin privs, then bitch complain, tell them this is not Windows 3.1 and make them fix their crap.Run a version of UNIX, or Linux if you like, that is not on a X86 based CPU. Plenty of them around that perform very well. Or get real crazy and use some lesser known but very hardened OSes. Do not run as root, do not run as an account that can just sudo to do root commands. If it is Linux, make sure you run SELinux in enforcing mode. If a vendor says their stuff doesn't work with SELinux, then tell them they are idiots and run away.If you must use Windows, setup it up on more than one VM. Separate tasks across the VMs. VM #1 you do your online banking/finance and nothing else. VM #2 is you game play machine, etc. Make sure you VMs have snapshots before you install upgrade on download anything so you can undo any damage quickly. Again do not run as an admin.OK, that is my $.02

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 10:53:31 pm
content: Linux and Unix without SELinux or a MAC implementation is only less of a target because less people are interested in targeting it. The security model is actually worse than windows. If you can inject code into a process it can quite happily drop syscalls and empty out your entire home directory and the insecure parts of your system config quite happily. At least they tried to sandbox IE and Edge with protected mode.Windows Defender however does something monumentally fucking stupid and that is it runs its sandbox as SYSTEM so anything due to NT privilege levels (UAC) being hopelessly non granular. Basically anything that breaks that sandbox owns the system. This happened recently. It happened so badly that simply receiving an email with an attachment, not even opening it, could root your system. Fortunately Google found it via Project Zero before anyone else did, or admitted to at least.And then there’s commercial AV which just deletes TCPIP.SYS one fine day. And on the other days it humps your leg persistently.Ergo it’s a minefield. The best bet is what I call good user hygiene. That means planning for failure before everything and trying to prevent failing yourself and making do with as little help as possible.

author: Jr460
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 11:12:18 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 25, 2018, 10:53:31 pmOn the first sentence, yes that is the point. Most of what people get in terms of a malware is not some very nasty cross CPU/OS package, but something that is just a class above the crap from script kiddies. If someone wants to own your system, they will figure out a way, they will learn what you have and attack it. If they want it bad enough and it is worth it money wise, they will get physical access, then all bets are off.On your second sentence. OK, maybe.I'm not a Windows lover or hater, I'm not a UNIX lover or hater.... repeat for you favorite OS/hardware. I tell people at work, "All OSes suck, it just matter of how badly they suck and at what tasks." Another way of putting it, is pick what flaws you can live with for the task at hand.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2018, 11:58:59 pm
content: I'm using Ubuntu without any antivirus. I know there are viruses on *nix systems also, they are not immune...but I keep patched and updated and backed up. Some people suggest using "rkhunter" and "chkrootkit" and other tools to check systems regularly. I worry more about being port-scanned by bots and getting infiltrated with something like Metasploit, so I try to lock my ports down.When I was using Windows machines, I tried AVG and Avast. Both of them took over my system, slowed it down until it was barely usable and caused all sort of weirdness. In the end, I made a virgin Windows VM with no AV and only the bare necessities that I couldn't run on Linux. I only run it when I absolutely have to (which is rare). If something ever happens to it, I can restore it from scratch using a clean original instance, and this way it seems to be sandboxed in VirtualBox so hopefully can't escape out somehow.The rest is just trying to be smart about what sites to visit, emails to open, what apps to install (in the case of Ubuntu, only from official repositories) and making sure you have good backups so in case you need to wipe your system and build it back from scratch it's possible without too much trouble (including any VM's).I will check out some *nix scanners, seems Trend Micro makes one. Does anyone have experience with it, or others?

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 12:42:11 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on June 26, 2018, 12:13:47 amAs I said, try outESET NOD32 Antivirus, no need to really bother with that internet security stuff. Just a basic antivirus will do. You can download a 31-day trial to see if you like it. As I type this, the ESET service is using up about 45MB RAM. It's very non-intrusive and only notifies you when you want it to. It has a heap of options so you can customise it to your liking. I've set it to scan every file in real time, regardless if it's an executable or not and it really makes no noticeable performance difference. Pattern file updates are released daily, if not multiple times per day.I also run the Android version on my phone, same thing, it just sits quietly in the background doing exactly what it needs to do. Nothing more, nothing less. You can also buy as few or are many licences you like (larger discounts if you buy more) instead of in blocks of 5 or 10 when you might not use that many.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 01:51:06 pm
content: I have been running ESET/Nod32 AV (only the AV, not the whole "Smart Security" package) since 2014 (IIRC) in multiple systems and it already does a very decent job in pointing out messed up downloaded files and webpages with very little interference. I used to have it also installed in an old netbook and it was very lightweight.Before that, I used the Windows Defender package for about two years without too much hassle, but I also saw it let a few things go unchecked and decided for a better package.My parents use AVG (paid version) and it is a very crappy package full of ad ware of itself - next iteration I will convince them to move away from this.