Security Software

[nexusone]

Wondering what others are doing re security software.

I was using a Norton internet security package, but when it came up for renewal I decided to go elsewhere (too much system resources and invasive and expensive).

I installed the following

Grisoft AVG Free Antivirus
Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free version Spyware
Glary Utilities

Still using Norton Save and Restore for backup.

So far so good. Any thoughts?

Steve

[les88]

I use Grisoft AVG Free Antivirus I have found it good and easy to use, like you I gave Norton's away,... years ago.:2tsup:
les

[Honorary Bloke]

Yep, Norton's is a tosser. I use McAfee for anti-virus and firewall and spyware. But if the freebie works for you, go for it. :)

[Cliff Rogers]

AVG Free for Anti Virus
Spybot S&D (free) for Spyware
Zonealarm Free for firewall.

All work well & cost nothing.

[TermiMonster]

ZoneAlarm, firewall,
AVG free, anti virus
Ad-Aware and CWShredder, spyware
all free and all good
TM

[Ashore]

All the above are free and work if you want the whole package CA Internet security suite was $50 after cashback and does it all verry well, the biggest problem you now have is getting all the norton stuff out of your computer, it doesn't just pack up and leave when you uninstall and can still cause conflict with other security systems :doh:

[TermiMonster]

.... the biggest problem you now have is getting all the norton stuff out of your computer, it doesn't just pack up and leave when you uninstall and can still cause conflict with other security systems :doh:
Yes, I had that problem too:(
TM

[K_S]

ZoneAlarm with AntiVirus
Spyware Blaster
SpyBot Search & Destroy
Lavasoft Adaware
Ccleaner to clean up after finishing on the net.

Good as most - better than some:)

[q9]

At home I sit behind a Smoothwall firewall, and run AVG on the computers.

Had a nasty problem at work last week with a computer infected with a worm that included a rootkit - very hard to get rid of. Spybot, AVG, Kaspersky, among others were unable to remove it. Did eventually get rid of it with AVG Anit-Rootkit + a few other tricks.

When it gets quite again, I will try and get Smoothwall running at work too.

[Cliff Rogers]

AVG Free for Anti Virus
Spybot S&D (free) for Spyware
Zonealarm Free for firewall.

All work well & cost nothing.


The latest Computer Choice just came in the mail, they must have read my post. :rolleyes:

[Buzza]

A paid for NOD32 and Windows Firewall.

NOD32 is claimed to be the Champion of all apparently. I used it for years and I've never had anything nasty slip through.

[bsrlee]

Until today I used Nortons Systemworks, ZoneAlarm, Ad Aware & Spybot S&D. I tried to install Nortons 360 to replace Systemworks - didn't happen. Nortons uninstall excreted in its pants and after manually removing all traces of Symantec applications, it still won't install.

Now using Zone Alarm with their anti virus, reinstalling Spybot & Ad Aware. Seeing if I can get a refund tomorrow on Nortons POS.

[munruben]

About the best free anti virus software available at the moment is Avast Free Home Edition. Excellent program and free for home use.
You can read about it and download it from here http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
I have used it for several years and it is the best one I have found for free.

[manoftalent]

anyone know how to get into "d"( recovery) drive and delete some software?....there is a ton of stuff in there I would never use and I can't defrag that drive until I free up some space...only 7% left and I need 15%....I too find norton a huge system dragger ....and forever updating itself ....

[Master Splinter]

The quick solution to your space problem is to get an external hard drive - from about $100 at Harris Tech/Hardly Normal/Officeworks et al.

This will also let you back up your important stuff (if it's important enough not to delete, it's important enough to back up).

As for your recovery drive - these are vendor specific (not related to Windows), so deleting stuff from it willy-nilly may render it useless. Some of these seem to be really keen that your re-install includes the Nortons trialware and all the other 'internet experience enhancing' useless cruft that the system comes bundled with.

Check with your system doco and see if it gives you the option of creating just a Windows recovery CD (Windows install disc); I'd do that and then delete the partition entirely and reclaim its space. (GParted, the Gnome Partition Manager (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/)can help with that, and its free...backup your important stuff first!!).

Oh, and did I say 'do a backup'?

[horse]

Hi folks.

I have been using an Apple Mac now for more than 25 years and have only ever had one virus and it was almost harmless, and that was about 20 years ago. It was very easy to eradicate. I have never used any antivirus software.

There are over 114,000 pieces of malware written for Microsoft PCs.

I reckon all you PC guys will be using an Apple Mac within 5 years. Now that Macs can run both Mac OSX and Microsoft XP or Vista simultaneously , why wouldn’t you now that Macs have the world’s largest library of software?

I remember reading the following article about viruses etc sometime ago and thought you might be interested. Mossberg is one of the (if not THE) most respected IT commentator there is. The full article is here....

http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20060511/mac-virus-threat/

Here is an exert...

Reader's question: There's been a lot of press lately about increased virus activity on the Macintosh platform. Should Mac owners now be running the same kinds of security software that Windows owners use?

Mossberg's answer: There is no sudden security crisis on the Apple Macintosh platform. In fact, for average Mac users, there isn't a security threat of any significance, at least not yet. It is laughable to compare the real, massive and burdensome security problems on Windows with the largely theoretical security problem on the Mac... As of today, there have been exactly two documented, successful pieces of malicious software -- viruses, trojan horses, worms -- that affected users of the Mac OS X operating system, since it was released in 2001. And these two failed to spread much, affecting probably a few dozen people, and doing no harm. I expect there to be a small number of additional Mac viruses this year.

By contrast, there are over 100,000 reported viruses for Windows, some of which have affected millions of people and have done significant economic damage. As for spyware, I know of no documented cases on Mac OS X, while there are certainly thousands on Windows. These Windows viruses and spyware can't run on the Mac operating system, even on Macs powered by the same Intel processors used by Windows PCs... Security firms are saying that the discovery of these vulnerabilities in the Mac has increased sharply lately. They say that based on past patterns, this should yield a sharp increase in the number of Mac viruses in coming years. But even a 'sharp' increase could well mean under 50 viruses by 2008. So my advice to Mac users is that at the moment, I see no reason to buy and run security software, which is in itself costly and can degrade your computing experience... Just turn on Apple's built-in firewall and relax. There is one exception: If you are running Windows on one of the new Intel Macs, you are just like a Windows user, and you must run Windows security programs when using Windows.

Cheers

(a very smug) David

[Barry_White]

For those that want to remove Norton completely go here .

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Norton+removal+tool&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

This is the best piece of software Symantic have ever written.

Rant on:
And Horse we don't need another smug apple user here. We all have to put up with Bitingmidge with his smugness about apple computers.

My brother a school teacher was a smug apple user for about 20 years and he is now on his second PC because the apple wouldn't do some of the things he wanted to do.

And why would apple make their computers run PC operating systems maybe because they knew they didn't have the best.

I've used apple and they suck big time. The only good apple there is, is the one you can eat.

Maybe all you dyed in the wool apple users should buy a PC and see how good they are as well as save some money.

Rant off:

[munruben]

:whs:

[pawnhead]

For those that want to remove Norton completely go here .

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Norton+removal+tool&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

This is the best piece of software Symantic have ever written. Thanks for that. I'll use it when I've finished browsing for the day.
That Nortons is a PITA. It hasn't found any bugs, and it keeps asking to update. It locks up everything doing a scan on every file I want to open. If I want to look at a picture, or a document that I've got stored, then it has to do a scan on it first. :((

It'll be nice to get rid of it. :2tsup:

[OLDPHART]

for K S beware of crap cleaner if you have got all the boxes checked it will destroy some of your system files, so have agood look at what you have checked and unchecked:doh:

[ptc]

I love my new Imac.
But not real good at using it.
and i am waiting for the leopard.
to arrive in the post