Best Anti-virus / INTERNET SECURITY!

[John]

Originally posted by: bX510
I think I am going to go with the Zone Alarm and Kapersky. Thanks everyone, I am open to any more opinions.

If that's the case then all you need to purchase is Zone Alarm Antivirus 2007 since it comes with the Kaspersky AV 6.0 engine and the Zone Alarm firewall.

 

[bX510]

Originally posted by: John

Originally posted by: bX510
I think I am going to go with the Zone Alarm and Kapersky. Thanks everyone, I am open to any more opinions.

If that's the case then all you need to purchase is Zone Alarm Antivirus 2007 since it comes with the Kaspersky AV 6.0 engine and the Zone Alarm firewall.

AHh Thank you! I was just about to ask if I buy it seperately because I didn't see any thing that siad Kapersky.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Kaspersky Internet Security Suite is now free after MiRs (again):

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=2016206&enterthread=y

 

[bX510]

Unfortunately this comes without the ZoneAlarm.

 

[Lemon law]

Remember those old cartoons about AOL from yesteryear---showing the skeleton sitting in a chair still waiting for AOL to log on---and that was true because AOL oversold its service faster than it could ramp up servers to meet the demand. While there is no doubt about it---Kaspersky and its off springs are genuinely about the best AV---in terms of detection rates and speed of update---the AOL variant of Kaspersky called active antivirus shield has fallen short of its promise---and perhaps for the same reason---they have oversold themselves and now don't have the servers to meet the demand is my working hypothesis.

But after beating my head against many walls---I finally got the product to install---and found that my computer still on dial up would start out at normal dial up speeds---and seemed unable to connect to AOL servers to update---and in a matter of 20 minutes my normally decent dial up connection would slow down and then totally grind to a complete halt---after troubleshooting the problem for a few days with no joy---I went back to my old AV----but if you can get AOL active virus shield to work for you---it would be wrong of me to bad mouth it because its a truly excellent AV. And I may try it again when it updates to vista compatibility---by then the problems may be resolved.

 

[bX510]

I am sorry, but I have a bit trouble understanding the way you write. So, your saying that Kapersky sucks because there was trouble getting it to install?

 

[Lemon law]

To bx510,

No you misunderstand----I was talking about the free variant of Kaspersky called active antivirus shield---which is a free product available from AOL. Which has two separate problems (1) Many people have trouble installing it. (2) It gets it updates from AOL servers by in large. And some people---me included have trouble getting those updates to come through properly. But AOl MAY get those updates problems corrected at some future date.

And what I am saying simply is that its worth trying AOL active antivirus shield on your computer---simply because its the only variant of the Kaspersky engine that I know of that is totally free of cost---if it works for you---all well and fine and by all means stick with it-----but if it causes trouble---as it did for me---you pretty well have to use some other paid or free alternative anti-virus product. And even then it may be a moving target----an upcoming new version of AOL active anti-virus shield that will also be vista compatible may solve the problem---or enough added servers on the part of AOL may do the same.

And if you decide to go a non-free AV--other variants of the Kaspersky engine---do not have those same update problems.
And that right now---at this point in time---the Kaspersky engine is quite arguably the #1 best AV.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I just wish Kaspersky would fix the Vista bug.

 

[TheenDer]

what vista bug?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

This one. I'm trying to find another AV program for Vista due to this....

 

[bX510]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
To bx510,

No you misunderstand----I was talking about the free variant of Kaspersky called active antivirus shield---which is a free product available from AOL. Which has two separate problems (1) Many people have trouble installing it. (2) It gets it updates from AOL servers by in large. And some people---me included have trouble getting those updates to come through properly. But AOl MAY get those updates problems corrected at some future date.

And what I am saying simply is that its worth trying AOL active antivirus shield on your computer---simply because its the only variant of the Kaspersky engine that I know of that is totally free of cost---if it works for you---all well and fine and by all means stick with it-----but if it causes trouble---as it did for me---you pretty well have to use some other paid or free alternative anti-virus product. And even then it may be a moving target----an upcoming new version of AOL active anti-virus shield that will also be vista compatible may solve the problem---or enough added servers on the part of AOL may do the same.

And if you decide to go a non-free AV--other variants of the Kaspersky engine---do not have those same update problems.
And that right now---at this point in time---the Kaspersky engine is quite arguably the #1 best AV.

O, I see. Thank you! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
This one. I'm trying to find another AV program for Vista due to this....

Have you tried build 6.0.2.621?

 

[Captante]

I believe if you want a complete Internet security program from Zonelabs you'll need to go with their Internet security suite ... be advised that it doesn't work in Vista at the moment either though.

 

[Lemon law]

I tend to frown on the concept of using a security suite from any company---even though a suite may be somewhat of a turn key solution for the non techie types and suites will tend to cover most of the basic security bases.

My main objection is that they are troubleshooting nightmares and if one part fails it all fails. Add that to the likely hood of resultant bloatware and I think one does far better mixing and matching various different products. And you are free to choose what amounts to the best available program(s) to populate your layered defense---and in the case of a suite you may get a very good AV and a lousy firewall or similar variants of the same type problems.

A security suite also gives the malware writer a leg up---they can install a popular security on a test PC of their own and keep refining their malware until it get through. And someone with a custom set up is far more unpredictable.

 

[bX510]

Originally posted by: Captante
I believe if you want a complete Internet security program from Zonelabs you'll need to go with their Internet security suite ... be advised that it doesn't work in Vista at the moment either though.

You mislinked, would you mind re-linking please?

 

[gizbug]

Originally posted by: bX510
I am looking to buy an anti-virus software. I am looking for best anti-virus / internet security. I heard that trend micro's internet security is good, but I don't think their anti-virus is as good as bitdefender. Well, give me some suggestions.

First, try using the "SEARCH" button. Hundreds of topics on this, no need to be lazy.

Second, NOD32

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: John

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
This one. I'm trying to find another AV program for Vista due to this....

Have you tried build 6.0.2.621?

Yes. In the last e-mail I received from them, they stated that it was a known issue, and that they are currently working on the problem.

 

[bX510]

I am using ZoneAlarm Security suite, hopefully the one's on their site include Kaspersky.

Does anyone know how to make my computer scan for viruses everytime I shutdown? So, when I shutdown and go to sleep it just scans for viruses and when it's done it finishes shutting down.

 

[gizbug]

Originally posted by: bX510
I am looking to buy an anti-virus software. I am looking for best anti-virus / internet security. I heard that trend micro's internet security is good, but I don't think their anti-virus is as good as bitdefender. Well, give me some suggestions.

"Search" function of the board can be your friend, is you let it be.....

 

[spikespiegal]

There's no ned to search because there's only one legitimate anser to this question, and that's to pull the admin rights away from the user account in question.
You can load every single anti-spyware / malware / spyware filter in the world and it wouldn't be .1% as effective as stripping away admin priveledges.

Why some of you insist on paying money for nearly wortlesss software while a better solution remains free is beyond me. I guess this is why some people are paid to be network admins.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
There's no ned to search because there's only one legitimate anser to this question, and that's to pull the admin rights away from the user account in question.
You can load every single anti-spyware / malware / spyware filter in the world and it wouldn't be .1% as effective as stripping away admin priveledges.

Hear, hear :beer: and a Software Restriction Policy if possible, too. Too bad home-user versions of Windows don't offer it.

A few instances where SRP is nice:

1) the user is suckered into downloading & running a "spyware scanner" from the likes of MalwareWipe or WinFixer. Naturally, the "scanner" detects that OH NOES, UR SYSTEM HAS TEH SPYWAREZ!!!!1!!1!1 (riiiiiiiiight :roll: ) and makes IT staff look bad. SRP wouldn't let such things be executed even if the user saves them to her desktop. Guess how I know about this scenario, btw

2) the user brings in a CD or USB drive that's got an autoplay-enabled Trojan/backdoor on it. SRP would be "uhh... NO." and prevent execution.

3) the user is running portable apps from USB drives in violation of company policy, common sense, or both.

4) a zero-day exploit drops a file in the user's own profile and tries to execute it in order to _________ (steal documents or whatever).


/soapbox

 

[DJFuji]

I did a ton of research on this a few months ago and it looks like it depends on individual circumstance. For expert users and sysadmins, i found that Kaspersky (or better yet, NOD32) were the best products for AV. As for firewall, ZA and Kerio Personal Firewall got high marks for security but were described as 'overly complicated' to newbies. That said, i went with Nod32 and KPF until i upgraded to Vista. Nod32 works in Vista but ZA and KPF dont so i'm currently looking for a good firewall.

 

[gizbug]

Even with a software firewall, if a person wants into your system, they'll get in. IMO, Software firewall = a complete waste.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
Nod32 works in Vista but ZA and KPF dont so i'm currently looking for a good firewall.

Kaspersky Internet Security comes with an excellent firewall and is Vista ready. Another option would be to enable the Vista advanced firewall properties.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: gizbug
Even with a software firewall, if a person wants into your system, they'll get in. IMO, Software firewall = a complete waste.

How? Unless you're talking about a targeted attack directed at a particular computer by a particular person who happens to have first-hand knowledge of the targeted computer's security gap, I don't see how a machine could be breached that easily. Unless you're talking about a Trojan in an e-mail that a dumb user opens up or something.

AFAIK, most credible firewalls reject all attempts from the outside to allow communication (if they're configured properly), including foiling ping tests and port scans by "cloaking" the computer's non-essential ports and making it "invisible" on the Web (or so they claim). And there's no configuring to the Windows firewall -- it's just on and does its job, right? So what am I missing here? If anyone could get into anyone's computer that just had a software firewall, wouldn't millions of computers all over the globe be getting breached every day?

While we're on the subject of firewalls, my own experience has been that the Windows firewall in XP seems to keep the bad guys out without all the annoyances that come with third party firewalls like Zone Alarm or Norton (among others). For the average Joe or Joan, ZA and Norton, etc., are difficult to manage because of all the permission boxes that pop up everytime a program wants/needs to access the Internet. This is unnecessary unless malware has gotten into the user's computer and it wants to "phone home," and if you keep it out in the first place with an effective A-V and/or a Limited Account or SRP, you don't need outgoing program monitoring. It just drives people crazy unless they're sophisticated users (and most people aren't).