Best Security Software

T-b0n3

I have a few problems on my comp and plan to format. Some of these problems are viruses and spyware and what-not. Just wondering whats the best software to use to keep protected after a fresh fromat. It doesnt have to be free software. Ive just really been using adaware and spybot search and destroy to get rid of anything I have but now I feel they aint doing enough. All links and help appreciated , cheers.

Adam

silverside

you need a firewall and a virus scanner.

AVG free edition is a good virus scanner.

I was using WinXP built in firewall and was happy with it; Recently switched over to Kerio personal firewall which is also free and seems even better.

I use opera rather than IE which might reduce my virus exposure a little. AVG also integrates well with Outlook 2003 and scans attachments as they arrive. I have no virus problems (touch wood) apart from a few tracking cookies which Ad-Aware picks up every now and again.

google should find all these easily.

T-b0n3

Now have ZoneAlarm Pro and also using Fire Fox. Will these along side adaware and spybot search & destroy be enough?

Cheers,
Adam

silverside

zonealarm is a firewall yeah? install a virus scanner as well, be careful loading dodgy programs, and you should be o.k.

T-b0n3

Aye zonealarm is a firewall and ill use avg or trend micro or something that I find good. Cheers for help.

Adam

liamo

In addition, keep your security patches up to date. It's easy to get complacent when protected by a firewall.

Regards,

Liam

richardo

I use AVG / ZoneAlarm / Spybot and have had no problems [all free ]

Word of caution - ZoneAlarm 5 is very flakey [just look at their forum!!] Use the slightly older 4.5.594 version

mneylon

Bear in mind that anti-virus software is only as good as the most recent update.

richardo

Bear in mind that anti-virus software is only as good as the most recent update.

And AVG have produced four updates in the last week alone.......

mneylon

Originally posted by richardo
And AVG have produced four updates in the last week alone.......

Not exactly my point.

If you use a 3rd party solution it checks for updates every hour. A lot of desktop users only update once a week if that!

The Dr00g

I was recommending ZoneAlarm until recently. Now it's getting too "bloated". Everyone's saying it's a resource hog... It is.

Try Sygate personal firewall. Does everything you want a firewall to do and it's ergonomic. http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

trixter

T-b0n3 wrote:

I have a few problems on my comp and plan to format. Some of these problems are viruses and spyware and what-not. Just wondering whats the best software to use to keep protected after a fresh fromat. It doesnt have to be free software. Ive just really been using adaware and spybot search and destroy to get rid of anything I have but now I feel they aint doing enough. All links and help appreciated , cheers.

Adam

While there have been multiple suggestions of various peices of software, I wanted to take a slightly different approach. Instead of just installing software and hoping that fixes the problems, you may want to try to secure your system. There is a paper Comparing Windows to BSD in a secure environment while the focus of the paper may not be relevant (there are often times you cant just switch operating system) the paper does point out the number of open ports a windows box has of a default install.

Additionally there are Security Guidelines which are written by NIST. These cover a variety of topics. You may wish to check them out.

And then you may want to 2600 Ireland Links Section which has links to various guides to secure XP (and others).

Firewalls and AV software are helpful, but they are not perfect, and actually securing the system is often a good thing to do in addition.

Bateman

I was using the McAfee package that came with my new Dell, free updates and all, then someone recommended AVG to be, and it immediately detected around 5 viruses. There's one fecker I still can't get rid of (Trojan Keenval.E), but other than that, I'm delighted with AVG and won't be switching. Although I still have McAfee running at the same time, which is probably draining resources, but in the short term that doesn't really bother me.

The Dr00g

I'll hazard a guess that AVG won't remove the keenval infection because it's picking up a McAfee quarantine file or an infected McAfee component. That's probably a bad guess but it's my way of suggesting that you remove McAfee. Due to the nature of "keenval" you should look at the other threads here that discuss tools like Adaware 6 and spybot etc... Then take further action.

Mods - Sorry for perpetuating yet another tech-support type thread.

/me thinks we need a seperate tech-support section on boards.ie... Or maybe not.

Creamy Goodness

been using the anti virus NOD32 now for a week and i tells ya it beats the hell outta norton.

i also use firefox, spybot 1.3 and adaware and it does me fine

Chalk

using avk pro antivirus
and sygate personal firewall pro (ironic naming at its best )
never have any problems

//edit
lmao
im not using sygate anymore (too many problems)
im using agnitum outpost firawall atm

G

I just use Norton's Internet Security firewall without the antivirus. Works well.