XTreme

Ok everybody....there's been talk of different antivirus/spyware progs here in the past, and there's one going on in The Lab now.

I'm just going to give you my advice on what to use. You don't have to take my advice, you're free to do what you want.....but bear in mind I've worked in IT since 1984, and now I run an IT business here in Spain.
So I do this for a living, I'm not a hobbyist, and I'm going to give you the advice I give all my customers.

Firstly....antivirus programs! There's only one in the game.....NOD32.

My opinion? No....it's fact! These results are based on 9 years of independent testing by virusbulletin.com.



I think that says it all.

Secondly....spyware!

No product dominates this category like NOD32 does in the AV progs, but my personal recommendation is Webroot SpySweeper. It usually gets the best results in most independent tests.

One thing you need to be aware of though....some programs are not what they appear to be. There are fake and even malicious programs out there.
Read THIS and if you are running any of them, get rid of them asap.

Thirdly....firewalls!

Let's make one thing clear straight off.....Windows Firewall is a waste of space! Why? Cos it does not block unauthorised outbound transmissions, so if your system is infected with something, it will quite happily allow your PC to communicate information out.
If you're behind a router with a hardware firewall, you have a degree of safety, but in my experience most home installations don't have the router configured correctly for optimal security. So don't place all your trust in that.
Therefore my personal recommendation for a software firewall program is Zone Alarm.

And as a total all in one security suite my recommendation would be Kaspersky.

What more can you do to protect yourself?

1. Use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Exploder!
2. Don't use P2P software like Limewire. This isn't 1999.....you can get all the downloads you want from various blog sites which will have full safe links to file storage sites such as rapidshare.
3. If messages pop up saying "Download this you may have viruses".....DON'T DO IT! Cos it's probably an incoming Trojan that's going to be beaming it's way to you.
4. READ the dialogue messages from your AV or firewall prog! If it's saying something's suspect....don't accept it. If you choose to over rule your security programs then you've just opened the door for malware.
5. Don't take advice from every man and his dog. If you need advice, ask around other Brits for personal recommendations for qualified people. Don't presume that just because someone has a computer shop or presents themselves as an IT engineer, that they're the real deal. Do your research! Both in real life, and on the Net for independent product testing.

To summarise....use quality programs for your security....not freebies.
Use common sense when you're on the internet.
Update your security programs daily and do regular checks.
And lastly....the one everybody forgets....backup your data regularly!

Hope this is of some use to you guys.

Rosemary

Thanks for this info it is extremely useful. On your recommendation we have already downloaded NOD32 and will look into the rest today.

Rosemary

XTreme

Rosemary....before you install NOD, make sure you have uninstalled any previous AV programs and rebooted the machine!

SoJohn

Step 1...Install Linux..

Step 2...see step 1

XTreme

John....you know as well as I do that suggesting Linux as an alternative to using Windows is not a feasible option for the average home user!

SoJohn

I disagree, it is. In fact, before I left for Spain I installed it on my sisters and on my mothers computers.

It has all the applications you could need (although often "equivalents"). Yes, you might not be able to download every bit of crap you see, but isn't that part of the problem anyway.

Unless you play games, there is no reason to use Windows.

Rosemary

Have done. We followed the instructions on NOD and they emphasized the need for this to be done.

Thanks again.

Rosemary

XTreme

I'm not disputing any of that John. And I agree with you entirely....Linux is a more stable platform.
But ditching Windows and replacing with Linux is not an option for the average end user. So it's a completely moot point.
The end user here in Spain is generally not computer-savvy, they need compatibility with all programs and devices, they want to play games (the ladies do) and they don't want additional complication.....they want de-mystification.
In short, they need their existing hardware and software to provide them with the functionality they need.....without having to be continually getting their OS re-installed due to trojans etc.
And the advice I gave will enable them to achieve that goal.....simply and cost-effectively.

mikelincs

we use AVG and the webroot antispyware, have never had to reboot or reinstall because everything is scanned as it comes in, we do NOT open attachments, unless we are sure of them, and even then we scan them first, everything we send in e mails is scanned BEFORE sending.

XTreme

Look at the graph Mike.....AVG has missed 745 in the wild viruses in nine years. NOD32 has missed none.
As I've said numerous times....just because an AV prog scans and reports zero viruses....don't believe it's true. Especially in AVG's case.
You use what you want, it's your PC....all I can do is advise you on situations that I see day in and day out.
However I must add that the combination of people who won't take advice, and who insist on using cack software is the lifeblood of the independent IT specialist!
So you go for it....download some more AVG definitions my man!

rugbymatt

Is there any chance this thread could be moved to the Lab?

XTreme

The reason I posted it here was in case some of the people don't visit The Lab.
And I know people in here, so I've just taken the time to give some advice based on my day to day experiences of dealing with situations like this.

Rosemary

We do not visit other sites so would prefer not to have this moved.

I think that this information is important to all computer users so maybe duplicating it across the whole of BE would be better than a move to the lab.

Rosemary

Rosemary

Very valuable to have this information as far as we are concerned.

Thanks

Rosemary

XTreme

Anytime Rosemary!
My business is shown in my signature, so if you ever need help you can get my e-mail address from there. Same applies to anybody else too.