Software Suggestions Needed

[Ad Orientem]

My Norton 360 subscription has expired and I was scandalized when they wanted almost $100 for a one year renewal. So I am exploring the Free-Ware options. Two suggestions I have gotten were AVG and Avast. I don't know enough about either of them or any other options though. Does anyone have any experience with them or any other suggestions for a reasonably reliable anti-virus or security program?

[Pointedstick]

I have had good experiences with AVG Free. That's what I install on my relatives' computers. 

[notsheigetz]

My Norton 360 subscription has expired and I was scandalized when they wanted almost $100 for a one year renewal. So I am exploring the Free-Ware options. Two suggestions I have gotten were AVG and Avast. I don't know enough about either of them or any other options though. Does anyone have any experience with them or any other suggestions for a reasonably reliable anti-virus or security program?

I used AVG for a long time until I read an article that rated Avast as the best free anti-virus program. So I tried it and ultimately discovered it was the culprit in pegging my CPU at 100% and bringing my computer to its knees. So now I'm back to AVG on all computers in my house.

[Reub]

I've used Avast free for years and it works great. I set it to scan once a week and it does all the rest automatically.

[l82start]

i use AVG, with no problems and no glitches, i also have hit-man pro as a "double check" back up anti virus, it is cloud based so no updates and no clogged up computer (its also a very fast scan)...

both of which have been made redundant by running my browser sand boxed (sandboxie)

and all three are free!! 

[steve]

I am a big fan of sandboxie,
http://www.sandboxie.com/
I also like clam antivirus
http://www.clamav.net/lang/en/

[Storm]

I highly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials.  It is free if you own a legitimate copy of windows, and is much better than any of the other pay or free products.  Seriously, Microsoft realized this was a problem with their OS and did what they could to resolve it...  The result is a free antivirus program that is better than any of the other pay options.

[MachineGhost]

My Norton 360 subscription has expired and I was scandalized when they wanted almost $100 for a one year renewal. So I am exploring the Free-Ware options. Two suggestions I have gotten were AVG and Avast. I don't know enough about either of them or any other options though. Does anyone have any experience with them or any other suggestions for a reasonably reliable anti-virus or security program?

Based on detection/protection ratings:

For Anti-Virus: Avira (free).
For Firewall/HIPS: COMODO Firewall (free, don't install antivirus).
For IP Blocking/Blocklists: PeerBlock (free).
Browser: AdBlock Plus (free) & NoScript (free).

In addition to the default spyware, advertising and P2P blocklists in PeerBlock, here are the secondary lists I use to prevent any incoming or outgoing connections:

       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=bt_dsh ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>dshield</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=bt_hij ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>hijacked</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=bt_tem ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>badpeers</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361738</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361738</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=cn&fil ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>China</Description>
           <Enabled>no</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347230133</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347230133</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=dcha_p ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Pedophiles</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=dufcxg ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Pedophiles</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=ficutx ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>forumspam</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=ghlzqt ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>webexploit</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=ijfqto ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Primary Threats</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361749</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361749</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=npkuuh ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Malicious</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=sh_dro ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>DROP</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=tbnuqf ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Hijacked</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/?list=tzmtqb ... at=gz</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Atma</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361739</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361739</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/lists/dchubad/faker</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Faker</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/lists/dchubad/hacker</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Hacker</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://list.iblocklist.com/lists/dchubad/spammer</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>Spammer</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361737</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361737</LastDownload>
       </List>
       <List>
           <Url>http://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/iplist.ph ... tro=0</Url>
           <Type>block</Type>
           <Description>hosts</Description>
           <Enabled>yes</Enabled>
           <FailedUpdate>no</FailedUpdate>
           <LastUpdate>1347361744</LastUpdate>
           <LastDownload>1347361744</LastDownload>
       </List>
   </Lists>

[Tortoise]

I use the free version of AVG and haven't had any problems with viruses.

I also run a scan every month or so with Spybot (also free) to clear out any spyware clutter.

Those two programs in combination get the job done for me.

[Ad Orientem]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. I think I have some ideas now that I can work with.

[kka]

+1 for Microsoft Security Essentials

[2thefuture]

Microsoft Security Essentials has asnwered all my needs. It runs without slowing your system and gets auto updates on a daily basis.

[murphy_p_t]

whenever i need software...or even if i don't know i need it...i check techsupportalert.com for thorough, unbiased reviews and recommendations

[MachineGhost]

For free passive scanning of really nefarious malware such as rootkits or remote access trojans, I would be remiss not to mention SuperAntiSpyware and Malware Antibytes.  Both have their detection strengths and complement each other's weaknesses.  Regular anti-virus software is usually not specialized enough, too unadvanced, or too slow in updating signature files for detecting these kinds of malwares.

Also, I would avoid the all-in-one security products from a single vendor.  They do not excel in all areas, so its a bit like security theatre.

[Reub]

I've also heard that ACE, Anti-Circumcision Essentials, is a very endearing product.

[Pointedstick]

I've also heard that ACE, Anti-Circumcision Essentials, is a very endearing product.

True! I hate it when I get circumcised by a virus. Always a bummer.

Looks like this was my 500th post. How amusing.

[Ad Orientem]

I've also heard that ACE, Anti-Circumcision Essentials, is a very endearing product.

Idk about that one. For some reason the name makes me cringe.

[MachineGhost]

Lots of different opinions here.  So, I checked out the latest test reports.  A lot has changed since the end of 2011.

The best antivirus is now non-free Kaspersky with a 97% overall protection rate and the best security suite is non-free BitDefender with a 99.6% overall protection rate. 

As far as free antivirus goes, Avast (87%), AVIRA (84%), AVG (83%) and MSE (77%).  These scores do not account for signature file updating, just pure heuristics and behavioral protection, i.e. offline.  Both Avast and AVG have a relative low heuristic detection rate at 77%, but the behavioral protection of +3% over AVIRA now ranks Avast higher.  MSE has no behavioral protection.

I will check out Avast to see if switching is warranted.  Avast has the advantage of faster scanning speed, but AVIRA has a better (low) system impact.

[Storm]

I will check out Avast to see if switching is warranted.  Avast has the advantage of faster scanning speed, but AVIRA has a better (low) system impact.

I put Avira on a friend's computer, but was quickly turned off due to the pop-up advertising trying to get me to buy their paid version.  It pops up every single time you reboot your computer.  If all you need is an AV that is free and doesn't pop up constantly interrupting your work and reminding you of how great of a job it's doing protecting your computer, and how you should really buy their paid version because it's even better, MSE is a pretty good bet.

Take normal precautions like surfing with Chrome (Chrome receives automatic updates, including Flash and PDF reader, and uses sandboxing, so I believe it to be the safest browser available), running Adblock, Flashblock, and Noscript plugins.  Use web-based email such as Gmail (again through Chrome) rather than using Outlook or Outlook Express, which all use IE's engine to render HTML email so are inherently insecure.  Don't download files or attachments from sites you don't trust, and if you do download a file (even from a site you trust), check it at virustotal.com to see if it has any signature matches.  Don't plug in USB drives from friends.  You never know what might be on it.

If you did everything above, you don't even need antivirus, but it is a good idea to have it anyway just in case you (or someone else using your computer) do something stupid like running IE and downloading a file from an unknown website.

[Pointedstick]

Take normal precautions like surfing with Chrome (Chrome receives automatic updates, including Flash and PDF reader, and uses sandboxing, so I believe it to be the safest browser available), running Adblock, Flashblock, and Noscript plugins.  Use web-based email such as Gmail (again through Chrome) rather than using Outlook or Outlook Express, which all use IE's engine to render HTML email so are inherently insecure.  Don't download files or attachments from sites you don't trust, and if you do download a file (even from a site you trust), check it at virustotal.com to see if it has any signature matches.  Don't plug in USB drives from friends.  You never know what might be on it.

That's the hard part. Using Chrome and ditching Outlook are things your neighborhood or family tech person can do once for you, but in my experience as that family tech person, getting people to stop downloading random files is darn near impossible. I think the problem is that older folks--especially those who never needed to use computers in their job--don't have a well-developed sense of what areas of the internet are the digital equivalent of the red-light district. Since everything seems sort of weird and foreign, their alarm bells don't go off when they find themselves at freelotterytickets.ru and get asked to download a .exe. OS warnings that appear when you open a downloaded file are no help because people have been trained to reflexively close pop-up windows and often have a hard time distinguishing between dialog boxes from the OS, pop-ups from web-pages, or even fake CSS masquerading as a pop-up.

The internet is plenty safe if you stay in the safe places, but that requires that you be able to recognize danger, and in the end no software can truly save you from yourself.

[MachineGhost]

HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox and Chrome extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.

https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere