What Security Software do you Recommend?

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I CURRENTLY USE AVAST FREE ANTIVIRUS + TC-SPY ANTISPY + COMODO FREE PERSONAL FIREWALL, and can honestly say my computer runs like a dream very quick,I use TC-spy for quick scans results are excellent, I can recomend these programs which are all free.

I have used CA for a year & had no problems, but when the renual date came up I didn't feel like the cost was worth it especially with all the good freebees you can get.But now I can't get it off my computer & it keeps popping up saying I need to renew, this has gone on for about three months now & no matter what I do I can't get it off my pc.

i had avg free and when i got my NOD32 it found two viruses that avg missed and one other thing i dont recall what. i have not had a single problem with NOD32 ever. great program and reasonable too.

I have used AVG Free Antivirus but many of the viruses go undectected despite performing all regular updates. So I don't use it now.

Commodo is good so, really very advanced with all sorts of Rules you may want to setup, shows active applications connecting to the internet and much more. The Antivirus seems good too. It also protects most vulnerable Windows Registry keys that are often modified by Malware. Plus the option of getting surveyed detailed data with what most users did (like they allowed / denied access) when they encountered the same Question from the Firewall.

But one Big drawback with it is the size of the software plus the size of the updates, it takes. A massive 250MB. If you have a 1 GB capped plan, you are doomed. One more problem is that the whole update needs to be downloaded as One-piece, Every single disconnect and you have to start the update all over again. Plus the website doesn't give Standalone Update Packs, that can be singly downloaded and installed on Multiple PCs.

Otherwise once installed and updated, Comodo is something which really guards you. I once used to have a combination of NAT router + ZoneAlarm + AVG Antivirus and did malware scanning manually. But once I installed Comodo, I was satisfied. Yes safe browsing habits do count.

Ravi.

Some virus scanners (eg avira) claim to protect against both viruses and spyware; could this conflict with let's say windows defender?

Yes, it could. But whether or not it will really depends on the specific program, how it works and what options are enabled.

07-Oct-2009

I would also recommend Winpatrol from http://www.winpatrol.com/ - it's like UAC in Vista but it doesn't complain everytime you move your mouse :-)

It only warns you if you startup options are being changed. I have XP but I tempted to tell Vista users to disable UAC and install Winpatrol instead.

http://hitanykey.webs.com/

To Claude: http://homeofficeforum.ca.com/homeofficeforum/showthread.php?t=46

To Rien: Nope!

I disgree. "Nope" is too simple. While many will not cause a conflict, many will. Two anti-spyware programs watching in real-time can easily come into conflict and cause various problems.

08-Oct-2009

There's a new kid on the block as of Tuesday, September 28, and that's Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). It include an anti-virus and an anti-spyware tool and has gotten a lot of positive feedback (including mine), and best of all, it's completely free.
I've been running it on 3 PCs while it was in beta test and have installed it on all my PC since it was officially released. Runs on XP, Vista and Win 7 (both 32 & 64 bit).

Please note that I do talk about Microsoft Security Essentials in the sidebar with the article. While it is an interesting tool, I do have some reservations about it that I'll covering in an upcoming article.

08-Oct-2009

WinXP SP3, IE7 both w/ latest updates. Listing what I use (all freeware).

-Comodo personal Firewall. Better than Norton or Zone Alarm!

-Dump AVI, go with AVAST!. No begging, updates constantly, fully configurable AV.

-Spybot S+D, Super Anti-Spyware, SpywareBlaster.
Those cover that prob.

-CCleaner for everyday temp etc. file deletion.
The included Registry scanner/cleaner is great for ridding the hd of left-overs after uninstalling programs.

-Comodo System Cleaner for monthly cleanup that CC might miss, or if things on pc get slow.

-I also have tools for checking/controlling- internet connection speed, running processes, running services, start-ups, system resources, sys. config, and emergency recovery tools, both on the pc and CDROM... You get the idea lol. The main thing is to find what works for YOU, and then stick with it! Paid or free, if it doesn't do what you need without confusion or work-arounds, then it's value is zer0.

John N.

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