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Thread: Virus Protection

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    Default Virus Protection

    My McAfee just ran out. Thinking I should be able to beat their $80 a year cost. Anything you recommend? Thanks in advance.
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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    I've recommended Avast! to all my friends and family because that's what I use as well (I'm an IT engineer and everyone is always asking me for help), and I haven't heard anyone complaining. The basic version is free and there's nothing wrong with it if you don't mind the occasional ads they show you about their premium version.

    In pretty much every test I've seen, free software like Avast! is right up there with the expensive "premium" applications, so I've never felt the need to pay for virus protection.

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    I used to use Norton consistently. About 10 years ago, I switched to Kaspersky and haven't looked back. It is constantly the highest rated virus protection in the world, but the biggest reason I love it so much, is that it isn't the resource hog that Norton and MacAffee are. The customizable options are great. I have my Kaspersky scan my PC every night at 2:00 am. It takes about 8 or 9 minutes to complete the full scan, which is good. Also, if I am using the computer when the scan starts, I usually don't even notice that a scan is happening in the background (you can make it so it doesn't scan when you are using it, but I don't). When I used Norton, my computer would grind to a halt and be virtually unusable while the scan was continuing because of lag. That doesn't happen with Kaspersky.

    Also, if you live in Canada, Kaspaersky is regularly on sale at Best Buy. Right now, until Sept 7, you can get Kaspersky Internet Security which is good for 3 PCs, for $17.99 instead of the regular $79.99.

    If you are anything more than just a "casual" PC user, I would highly recommend not using a free virus protection. Free virus protection never provides the same level of protection as the paid versions. The free virus protections out there, including Avast, are notoriously bad for not catching the latest viruses. Also, if your computer ever DOES get infected, free virus protection tends to do a woefully poor job of disinfecting, which usually means a full reformat.

    Rylant

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rylant View Post
    I used to use Norton consistently. About 10 years ago, I switched to Kaspersky and haven't looked back. It is constantly the highest rated virus protection in the world, but the biggest reason I love it so much, is that it isn't the resource hog that Norton and MacAffee are. The customizable options are great. I have my Kaspersky scan my PC every night at 2:00 am. It takes about 8 or 9 minutes to complete the full scan, which is good. Also, if I am using the computer when the scan starts, I usually don't even notice that a scan is happening in the background (you can make it so it doesn't scan when you are using it, but I don't). When I used Norton, my computer would grind to a halt and be virtually unusable while the scan was continuing because of lag. That doesn't happen with Kaspersky.

    Also, if you live in Canada, Kaspaersky is regularly on sale at Best Buy. Right now, until Sept 7, you can get Kaspersky Internet Security which is good for 3 PCs, for $17.99 instead of the regular $79.99.

    If you are anything more than just a "casual" PC user, I would highly recommend not using a free virus protection. Free virus protection never provides the same level of protection as the paid versions. The free virus protections out there, including Avast, are notoriously bad for not catching the latest viruses. Also, if your computer ever DOES get infected, free virus protection tends to do a woefully poor job of disinfecting, which usually means a full reformat.

    Rylant
    LOL. The system on Avast! Free is the same as on Avast! Pro, and none of the independent industry tests have said anything bad about Avast! in any of the reviews I've read (and I've read plenty). The free version is missing some features that the Pro version has but most users don't need them anyway.

    Kaspersky has received slightly better reviews from some tests but the difference is nowhere near the level you're indicating here. I recommend reading at least this review: http://uk.pcmag.com/avast-free-antiv...antivirus-2017

    Of the antivirus products I track, only Avast, AVG, ESET NOD32 Antivirus 10, and Kaspersky Anti-Virus appear in the results from all five labs. Avast's aggregate score of 8.7 points (from a possible 10) is quite good, even better than AVG's 8.4 points. Kaspersky leads the pack, with an aggregate score of 9.8 points, with Norton just a tenth of a point behind. Third place, at 9.5 points, belongs to Avira.
    Avast Free Antivirus 2017 offers antivirus protection that earns top scores in my hands-on tests and very good scores from the independent testing labs.
    So Kaspersky is better and for $18, it's definitely a good option despite the FBI trying to get companies to avoid using it... But the free options provide almost the same protection, so I can't recommend anyone burning $80 a year - especially when you can buy VPN separately for $40 if you need that.

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    AVG, Avira or Avast. Avira is my favorite of the 3.

    Screw paying for it.

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    I use Malwarebytes, Adaware and the built-in Windows Defender. All free. I've been running this setup for almost 3 years and the system is still in excellent condition. When I've had issues I've been able to deal with them very quickly.


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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    Quote Originally Posted by Jouko-Pouko View Post
    LOL. The system on Avast! Free is the same as on Avast! Pro, and none of the independent industry tests have said anything bad about Avast! in any of the reviews I've read (and I've read plenty). The free version is missing some features that the Pro version has but most users don't need them anyway.

    Kaspersky has received slightly better reviews from some tests but the difference is nowhere near the level you're indicating here. I recommend reading at least this review: http://uk.pcmag.com/avast-free-antiv...antivirus-2017





    So Kaspersky is better and for $18, it's definitely a good option despite the FBI trying to get companies to avoid using it... But the free options provide almost the same protection, so I can't recommend anyone burning $80 a year - especially when you can buy VPN separately for $40 if you need that.
    I get it; you are set on Avast and that's cool. Most of the experts agree that the performance difference between free versions and paid versions when it comes to Virus Protection, is worth considering. Avast is considered one of the best, however, the negative things written about them, tend to be that they miss a substantial amount of malware, there is noticeable performance slowdown, and it changes your browser settings when you install. I would agree that IF you insist on using a free version of virus protection, Avast is probably the best out there. However, I would rather fork over the 20 dollars a year for the increased reliability, and performance.

    I have been using virus protection for probably 15 years or so. Over that time, Kaspersky is consistently ranked in the best or the top 2 in the world, while Norton, MacAffee and the others drift around. Kaspersky is always at the top, and they are known for probably being the best at adapting to new threats on an ongoing basis. Their customer support is second to none, which is also a huge plus.

    A couple of years ago, my mom started visiting gaming sites to download free games on a regular basis, and some of those sites, aren't super reputable. She is enjoying light silly games in her retirement. She used Avast Free. One day, she tells me that she is having issues with her computer. I go and have a look and her computer is affected with a virus so deep, that I had to reformat her hard drive. This was with Avast Free. She was good to go 10 hours later, and wouldn't you know it? Six months later, I had to reformat her computer again for the exact same reason. This time however, I purchased her a copy of Kaspersky, and she hasn't had a problem since.

    And the FBI asking people to not use Kaspersky is total bullshit. The FBI is not happy that one of the best anti virus companies in the world, is Russian based. The CEO of Kaspersky flat out offered their source code to the FBI so they could see that it was on the up and up, and the FBI denied the offer. Kaspersky has said that it is an ongoing standing offer...

    My mom is not the only person that I know who has had nightmares with Avast Free. Of course, make your own choice in the matter.

    Rylant

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rylant View Post
    I get it; you are set on Avast and that's cool. Most of the experts agree that the performance difference between free versions and paid versions when it comes to Virus Protection, is worth considering. Avast is considered one of the best, however, the negative things written about them, tend to be that they miss a substantial amount of malware, there is noticeable performance slowdown, and it changes your browser settings when you install. I would agree that IF you insist on using a free version of virus protection, Avast is probably the best out there. However, I would rather fork over the 20 dollars a year for the increased reliability, and performance.

    I have been using virus protection for probably 15 years or so. Over that time, Kaspersky is consistently ranked in the best or the top 2 in the world, while Norton, MacAffee and the others drift around. Kaspersky is always at the top, and they are known for probably being the best at adapting to new threats on an ongoing basis. Their customer support is second to none, which is also a huge plus.

    A couple of years ago, my mom started visiting gaming sites to download free games on a regular basis, and some of those sites, aren't super reputable. She is enjoying light silly games in her retirement. She used Avast Free. One day, she tells me that she is having issues with her computer. I go and have a look and her computer is affected with a virus so deep, that I had to reformat her hard drive. This was with Avast Free. She was good to go 10 hours later, and wouldn't you know it? Six months later, I had to reformat her computer again for the exact same reason. This time however, I purchased her a copy of Kaspersky, and she hasn't had a problem since.

    And the FBI asking people to not use Kaspersky is total bullshit. The FBI is not happy that one of the best anti virus companies in the world, is Russian based. The CEO of Kaspersky flat out offered their source code to the FBI so they could see that it was on the up and up, and the FBI denied the offer. Kaspersky has said that it is an ongoing standing offer...

    My mom is not the only person that I know who has had nightmares with Avast Free. Of course, make your own choice in the matter.

    Rylant
    How can there be a difference when Avast! Free and Avast! Pro use the same engine? That's the big reason why Avast! is so good even though it's free - it's the same system they're selling as well but with less features. As I said, Kaspersky is doing better than Avast! but the difference isn't big. And I would like to add that most of these "experts" work for big name AV companies, so of course they're saying their products are much better than the free options out there. Have you ever heard Microsoft executives saying Linux is just as good as Windows is?

    EDIT: Just to add, I totally agree that McAfee and Norton are horrible. If I was going to start using a paid service, it would be either Kaspersky or F-Secure. Even most free options are better than McAfee and Norton most likely, so that's why I don't like blanket statements basically saying that all paid services are better than the free options.

    When it comes to malware, well, this doesn't sound too bad.

    Like Norton, AVG AntiVirus Free, and several others, Avast detected 97 percent of my samples, almost all of them at the moment of execution. Its overall score of 9.7 points is quite good, and slightly better than AVG's 9.5 points. However, Comodo, PC Matic, and Webroot all earned a perfect 10 points in this test.
    But one thing you should notice when installing Avast! is this:

    I should point out one change I made to Avast's default configuration. My samples include a range of malware, from vicious ransomware to merely annoying Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs). By default, Avast doesn't scan for PUPs. I enabled PUP scanning before starting my tests, and I encourage all Avast users to do the same.
    Maybe that was the issue on your mom's PC - it didn't have PUP scanning enabled?

    As I said, $18 is not much if you can get Kaspersky for that amount. But if it costs $80, I'd seriously consider if it's needed or not. I know at least 20 people who are using Avast!, and I haven't heard any of them having any issues with it. If they did have issues, they would be calling me and asking me to fix the issue (for free of course because IT work isn't work)...

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    malwarebytes and Ccleaner are nice free programs for malware.
    I usually download Avast or AVG every few months and you get a free month trial of the pro version to scan for viruses, then the decent free version for as long as you want.

    Is it the absolute best way to protect your PC? No.
    But its free.

    Like Jouko said, if you can get something like Kaspersky in store for $20, that seems like a good deal. But the $100 programs always seem like a ripoff to me.
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    Thanks guys.
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    G, A, PTS, PPP, PIM, BLKs, Hits, +/-, Shots, W, GAA, SV%, Saves
    C- JHughes, Trocheck, RThomas, Zegras, Norris, Bennett, PLD, Stephenson, Danualt
    RW- Raymond, Stone, TWilson, Toffoli, KJohnson, Nyqvist, Zary
    LW- Keller, Schmaltz, Bunting, Skinner, Barbashev, Duclair
    D- QHughes, McAvoy, Doughty, Heiskanen, LHughes, Mintyukov
    G- Shesterkin, Demko, Andersen, Kahkonen, Levi, Tarasov, Annunen

    Notable Prospects- Nikishin, Kulich, Leonard, Wood, Perreault, Lekkermaki, Ostlund, Othmman, REvans, L-Heureux, Ivanov, Murashov

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    I've used kaspersky for the past 6 or so years on all devices but wish I could have learned of that 17$ deal rylant came across instead of just auto renewing for alot more than that .I downloaded the free malwarebytes 30 day premium trial and my system came clean so kaspersky must have been doing a good job .

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    Quote Originally Posted by Jouko-Pouko View Post
    How can there be a difference when Avast! Free and Avast! Pro use the same engine? That's the big reason why Avast! is so good even though it's free - it's the same system they're selling as well but with less features. As I said, Kaspersky is doing better than Avast! but the difference isn't big. And I would like to add that most of these "experts" work for big name AV companies, so of course they're saying their products are much better than the free options out there. Have you ever heard Microsoft executives saying Linux is just as good as Windows is?

    EDIT: Just to add, I totally agree that McAfee and Norton are horrible. If I was going to start using a paid service, it would be either Kaspersky or F-Secure. Even most free options are better than McAfee and Norton most likely, so that's why I don't like blanket statements basically saying that all paid services are better than the free options.

    When it comes to malware, well, this doesn't sound too bad.



    But one thing you should notice when installing Avast! is this:



    Maybe that was the issue on your mom's PC - it didn't have PUP scanning enabled?

    As I said, $18 is not much if you can get Kaspersky for that amount. But if it costs $80, I'd seriously consider if it's needed or not. I know at least 20 people who are using Avast!, and I haven't heard any of them having any issues with it. If they did have issues, they would be calling me and asking me to fix the issue (for free of course because IT work isn't work)...
    Oh I am not giving Avast a hard time because of the engine. Like I said, if you are going to use a free one, Avast is one of the best. Avira would be my other choice for a free anti virus. Personally, I find Kaspersky better. Maybe it's persona choice; maybe it's because I do know a couple of people who have run into problems with Avast, one of them being my mom. If I had to say something negative about Kaspersky, it would be they tend to detect more false negatives than the others I have used.

    And the issue with my mom wasn't the settings with the PUP; I engaged it both times. The issue is that my mom doesn't know much about computers, and she puts her PC through the danger ringer on a regular basis. She visits shady sites and downloads things she shouldn't. She is also the first person to "Click this Link to fix your PC! We have detected 27 viruses!" When it pops up. She is somebody who REALLY needs the best; even then, I don't think her computer is completely safe, knowing what she puts it through.

    Rylant

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    Quote Originally Posted by butch View Post
    I've used kaspersky for the past 6 or so years on all devices but wish I could have learned of that 17$ deal rylant came across instead of just auto renewing for alot more than that .I downloaded the free malwarebytes 30 day premium trial and my system came clean so kaspersky must have been doing a good job .
    Best Buy has Kaspersky on sale 2 or 3 times a year. I have never paid more than 20 dollars for it, and I have used it for probably 10 years in a row. I just keep an eye on the sale, and pick it up when I see it (And a second copy for my mom over the last few years). It often sits on my shelf after I buy it on the cheap, while I have 100 days left or even more as I wait for my current subscription to expire.

    Rylant

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    Default Re: Virus Protection

    Quote Originally Posted by Jouko-Pouko View Post
    But one thing you should notice when installing Avast! is this:



    Maybe that was the issue on your mom's PC - it didn't have PUP scanning enabled?...
    @JP - how do you enable PUP scanning with Avast?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pit Bulls View Post
    @JP - how do you enable PUP scanning with Avast?
    Here's a video showing it. It's from 2016 version but it's not that different in 2017. https://youtu.be/9Znw1mUgcrI

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