Microsoft Security Essentials

[Odd]

Based on their corporate AV solution. No, I haven't installed it, I don't believe in AV

I'm strange that way, so passing this long for normal people.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/

[OfficerResource.com]

what is this for?

[Odd]

For people who want an Anti-virus

[OfficerResource.com]

Based on their corporate AV solution. No, I haven't installed it, I don't believe in AV

I'm strange that way, so passing this long for normal people.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/

out of curiosity why don't you believe in AV?

[MacLean]

Not believing in AV is pretty much like not believing in wearing body armor - the equivalent idea would be staying inside to avoid being shot at.

It isn't practical.

[Odd]

I've been using computers for...ack, 20 years now. Got 50 so more worms and virii in my email attachments, but have only been infected by a virus an AV package knew about after intentionally running a know bad .exe for fun. (that it or I know of)

Things I don't know about? Usually neither do scanners. AV is is like a vest. Nice last resort, but not what you want to count on as your primary defense.

Better defense is behavior. Don't do things that will get your system infected.

Why I don't have an AV scanner running? I'm not so interesting as I pretend. If I do get infected, I bore some virus writers. In the meantime my system runs free without the lag introduced by AV software which has more of a performance hit than the malware it's meant to prevent

K.I.S.S. is my motto for security. I don't allow java or flash to run without permission (NoScript) and don't believe in AV. No third party cookies (which many packages pounce on to announce their "protection") session cookies for trusted sites. Blah blah in 40 kilobyte plug-ins instead of 200 megabyte security systems.

But, for those who do want to have AV, here's a (reportedly) low performance impact, free, solution.

[Odd]

I disagree, Mac.

Do you let Java and Flash run on your system? I only allow them on trusted sites. Very few of those, even O/R doesn't get a pass thanks to the shared hosting setup. I don't play audio and videos in WMP. The buffer overrun problems in various programs I do use are available to hacks, but not exactly open to them.

Got a typical NAT router. Basic firewall, etc, text only email. What's my infection vector?

*Edit : sorry about the tone. Things like the Zone Alarm fiasco make me rather grumpy about "protective" software. There was a case where something started out small and useful, and I spread the word without reservation. Now that it's turned into a bloated piece of crap that may actually be an infection vector itself, here I am years later still trying to talk friends and family into taking it off their systems.

"But you said this was good!" they tell me. Yes, in 1998, when Windows didn't have a firewall, when you were exposing your machine directly instead of behind a router. Then there's Norton, a name that used to be gold and now is mudd for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the time Systemworks wiped out a NTFS partition while defragging. That was fun to explain/correct.

Didn't need to give this another bump, just wanted to explain why I'm saying "hey, here's this to use, even though I won't".

[MacLean]

I disagree, Mac.

Do you let Java and Flash run on your system? I only allow them on trusted sites. Very few of those, even O/R doesn't get a pass thanks to the shared hosting setup. I don't play audio and videos in WMP. The buffer overrun problems in various programs I do use are available to hacks, but not exactly open to them.

Got a typical NAT router. Basic firewall, etc, text only email. What's my infection vector?

I also have a NAT router, with a basic firewall.

I control when Flash or Java run.

I don't disagree with the outcome of your solution, only the practicality.

I'm not willing to deprive myself of content to the extreme required - so I live with an acceptable risk.

[TXCharlie]

Oh boy, I can see the lawsuits flying from Symantec and McAfee - Microsoft is trying to put them out of business now

We have to run Norton Internet Security at work, and I have to run it at home because I do work at home occasionally - too much risk without it. I hate the slowdown it causes too, especially when copying large files or visiting certain web sites, but it's a necessary evil.

One company I worked at that didn't want to spend money on AV wound up with over 50 PC's infected when one of our dumb traveling salesmen came into the office and plugged his laptop into our network to get to the Internet.

[Odd]

Finally got around to trying it out day before yesterday. Due to some issues with the laptop I put it on the main rig.

Normal scan - 15 min. Came up clean.

Full scan including all attached drives - 12 hours later it found the files I mentioned previously. Pleasantly surprised to see it didn't freak out over cookies or other nonsense like so many AV products do to pad their stats. Default settings had it delete a couple "severe" files (in old disk images for machines I fixed for others) and quarantine the rest.

Been running it in active mode these past couple days. Bit of slowdown noticeable. Noticeable if you're looking, but not crippling like other *cough Norton* products. With Kaspersky calling for internet IDs he's the biggest worm the internet has seen so that AV is out. Still plenty of good free solutions like AVG Free, Bitdefender *(typo, called it BitLocker, that's a MS encryption product), etc. This is just another one. Thought I'd follow up a bit.

And now I'll take it off. I don't have kids, don't let anyone else have physical access to my system, period. I'm not normal though, I'm Odd.

[OfficerResource.com]

I have been looking around for a good AV and kaspersky and bitdefender seem to be ranking the highest.

what do you know about the two?

[Odd]

BitDefender has been my go to for years as an online scanner. Even ran the lite version for awhile years ago, no complaints. Kaspersky bothers me, with their aggressive politics and marketing. What used to be small and light is now bundleware clogging up perfectly good new computers. Strangely enough, even though MS has their own AV now, they include - no doubt through some sponsorship arrangement - Kaspersky AV trial certificates in the Windows 7 Party Packs.

Two AV sponsors in those packs, forget who the other was. Very strange all the same.

[OfficerResource.com]

does Bit Defender support windows 7?

[Xiphos]

I'm running AVG Free and Comodo firewall. Both free, easy to set up and use. Comodo has been having some issues with false positives in the new release but I ignore them because I know what I'm installing. I haven't noticed any significant lags.

Odd, I went for several years running nothing and never got anything on the computer. You are right, if you are careful you can avoid it. You have to have some knowledge though and it isn't practical for everyone. I eventually got sick of being paranoid and missing out on some content so I installed the above two programs a few months ago. Like Mac, I decided to take some more risk and mitigate it with the software.

I've been pleased with Comodo and AVG, and the price was right.

[CTR man]

I run AVG free as well. Never a problem. Not sure on the firewall.

[MacLean]

AVG or Avast are my two favorites at the moment.

[TXCharlie]

I used to run AVG free, and never had a problem with it. It caught a virus or two that was attached to some email I received - of course, I wouldn't have opened the attachments anyway.

If I remember right, the email was a spoof of a Microsoft "emergency update" email from a hotmail account, with Microsoft "Windows Update" logos and everything. Everyone knows Microsoft never sends updates via email - Well not everybody I guess.

[lewisipso]

I run Avast and have had excellent fortune with it.

[gopherpuckfan]

I run Avast and have had excellent fortune with it.

Same here. Have it on all 3 of the computers at home and have put it on relatives' and friends' systems for them.

Very happy with it.

[Odd]

I haven't noticed any significant lags.

Odd, I went for several years running nothing and never got anything on the computer. You are right, if you are careful you can avoid it. You have to have some knowledge though and it isn't practical for everyone. I eventually got sick of being paranoid and missing out on some content so I installed the above two programs a few months ago. Like Mac, I decided to take some more risk and mitigate it with the software.

This is what I don't get. Honestly, I don't. My biggest problem is having to temporarily allow java for Foxnews so I can see the celebrity plastic surgery galleries. (yeah, I know) Could make it a permanent exception, but I like disabling their java auto refresh. Lot of times I'll pull up a page and leave it open to read later - used to be when I came back the story I wanted to read was long gone. For my browsing style the upsides and downsides average out nicely. What am I missing out on?

I used to run AVG free, and never had a problem with it. It caught a virus or two that was attached to some email I received - of course, I wouldn't have opened the attachments anyway.

MS Security Essentials surprised me with a couple new finds today. I did a full system scan before and so when I saw two new alerts I was getting my crow eating spork ready. Seems it's doing deeper analysis when the computer is idle though. It found a couple malware entries in those old images I mentioned above that didn't get picked up on the initial full system scan. Put spork away and chuckled. One was pretty interesting though.

Not sure how AVG is, or Avast. I just installed this since I said I was going to on one system and didn't get to it. Slowdowns are minor, and anyone who isn't so familiar with their computer's timing wouldn't even notice.

Guess the overall point is there is good AV out there for free now. Here are a few solutions to choose from. I don't care so much if people run AV, even pay for it if there's a benefit to you in it, but most importantly don't get tied in to some crippleware. Norton and McAfee are persona non grata with me due to their offerings in this decade and Kaspersky's getting there. If your AV causes more problems and slowdowns than a real virus/malware it IS malware. Then there are the false positives that disable programs up to and including the OS which is why I gave MS a shot. They can't afford to disable the OS with a false positive.

Still, the main thing is behavior.

What's the AV on your most promiscuous internet facing appliance? Your cell phone that is, especially if you have it checking for WiFi. Always goes back to behavior first.

*Two other thoughts
- For some reason MSSE found fault with an old hosts file. It "corrected" it without detail. I didn't appreciate the lack of detail. That's one on an old install mirror which blocked every IP of DoubleClick known at the time. That ad blocking concept really did break things, just curious what the AV scanner found strange in it.
-Speaking of cell phones and wifi, I have this iTouch and haven't found a way to get the regular version of the O/R forum rather than the mobile version. Anyone got a tip?