What is the best anti-virus?

[Alphakennywun666]

Flemmes Felares

Not going to kid you.

Common sense and self discipline. Do not visit questionable sites, do not download and run questionable software, and do not open questionable emails and attachments, and you are pretty much guaranteed to be free from infections.

This. As well don't ever pay for a anti-virus (unless it's Malwarebytes or ESET) also Windows Security Essentials is relatively the same as say Norton, combined with Malwarebytes, and ESET Nod32. For firewalls Comodo is pretty good, also using Winpatrol helps, but both are quite useful together. VPNS to use such as OpenVPN (if you're the kind of person who doesn't like to spend money) or if you have money to spare, the BEST VPN would be Cryptostorm. (https://cryptostorm.is/)

But I've gone above and beyond for computer security, now haven't I? :^)

[Flemmes Felares]

Synapt

Flemmes Felares

I really do not see any situation where it would be impossible to change a software if it evidently can be a backdoor for viruses. Hangouts, for example, is free and arguably better than Skype in many ways.

I am not trying to convert people to stop using virus scanners if they feel that the really need that kind of software, but avoiding a gun fight is much better than walking into one with a vest any day.

Like I said, thrown into, which is basically what the internet is. You want utter absolute safety? Don't get online. Otherwise the posts you made kind of did come off as if you were saying anti-virus applications were useless and smart browsing some how magically keeps people completely free of any possible malware/exploit/etc. At least that's how I read it.

As for changing software's, I can only assume you've never been part of even a moderately sized company of any sort with a generic tech division, particularly one that's been relying on Skype as a support medium between divisions since before MS's acquisition.

It can be moderately difficult to suddenly shift everyone into a new model and expect them to get used to it quickly (and I speak from experience with this particular situation as one of my clients currently has this little conundrum with the crapton of people they have utilizing skype for a long time for different divisional groups and many are mull about moving to an alternative).

Anti-virus software only has a place for the average user who are not tech savvy and go to places they should not. Furthermore, they usually only detect simple infections and adware, and completely miss the more threatening infections that require manual or a more powerful software like combofix to produce results, both of which your average users do not know how or are too scared to run. Modern day browsers are pretty comprehensive in their security features, so for a person who knows how to browse smartly, anti-virus softwares are useless.

Yes, there is no such thing as 100% protection, but being well informed is the best anti-virus there is.

I would be amazed if a tech group cannot easily switch software, especially if said software has vulnerabilities that can compromise the company's security. I have not worked for very large companies like google. The company that I work for is only a few thousands strong, but we have switched video/instant messaging software a few times and even use multiple software as necessary without any problems at all. There is a difference between being unable to switch and people not wanting to switch because they are used to whatever.

[Synapt]

Flemmes Felares

Anti-virus software only has a place for the average user who are not tech savvy and go to places they should not. Furthermore, they usually only detect simple infections and adware, and completely miss the more threatening infections that require manual or a more powerful software like combofix to produce results, both of which your average users do not know how or are too scared to run. Modern day browsers are pretty comprehensive in their security features, so for a person who knows how to browse smartly, anti-virus softwares are useless.

Yes, there is no such thing as 100% protection, but being well informed is the best anti-virus there is.

I would be amazed if a tech group cannot easily switch software, especially if said software has vulnerabilities that can compromise the company's security. I have not worked for very large companies like google. The company that I work for is only a few thousands strong, but we have switched video/instant messaging software a few times and even use multiple software as necessary without any problems at all. There is a difference between being unable to switch and people not wanting to switch because they are used to whatever.

They hardly only detect simple infections and adware, perhaps if you actually made use of anti-virus applications (or well a good one) you would know this.

But I'm just going to let that all go, the fact you're claiming you've worked for Google yet you're stating all this s**t gives me an impression you're either attention whoring or trolling, and I'm not going to pander to your intent for attention anymore. At the most, if you did work for Google I can understand why you likely don't anymore given your interest to give disinformation to people.

Freebird4077

I am using McAfee right now, but it isn't being very reliable.

To get back onto the original topic (which I didn't even realize I never directly answered), despite what some might claim, an Anti-Virus lined up with some other software can and generally will prevent a majority of things, and a good one won't normally muck up your resources in the slightest either.

My personal combination of things tends to be a mix of Avast! and Comodo Firewall (just the firewall, not their full suite) installed at the system level tend to do wonders, Comodo Firewall can be slightly more technical but it's also a hands-on tool for safer control, in the off chance something might get past avast chances are Comodo would catch it, at the very least when it attempts to run and communicate externally as Comodo prompts any outbound or inbound connection requests that aren't otherwise manually white-listed or outbound from a pre-determined "safe" program, such as say your web browser of choice.

At the browser level, if you use something like Firefox or Chrome, I'd suggest looking into the Adblock Plus plug-in as well as the Privacy Badger plug-in, those help not just prevent potential points of attack at the browser level but also offer some level of privacy control in blocking tracking cookies and stuff with Privacy Badger.

[Flemmes Felares]

Synapt

They hardly only detect simple infections and adware, perhaps if you actually made use of anti-virus applications (or well a good one) you would know this.

But I'm just going to let that all go, the fact you're claiming you've worked for Google yet you're stating all this s**t gives me an impression you're either attention whoring or trolling, and I'm not going to pander to your intent for attention anymore. At the most, if you did work for Google I can understand why you likely don't anymore given your interest to give disinformation to people.

I have used antivirus in the past. That is how I know good practice is better than any antivirus you can find out there. However, it is hard to take YOU seriously when you clearly only glossed over my messages. I never said I worked for Google. Please read again.

[Synapt]

Flemmes Felares

I have used antivirus in the past. That is how I know good practice is better than any antivirus you can find out there. However, it is hard to take YOU seriously when you clearly only glossed over my messages. I never said I worked for Google. Please read again.

I did read, I didn't gloss over, sorry if I read it incorrectly but to me when used in the context you put it I kind of interpreted it in a colloquial usage, as in companies "like Google" as in using Google directly as an example of somewhere you have worked.

Anyways the only point I was trying to make (which I thought I more or less stated earlier) is it comes off to me as if you're telling people that using no anti-virus, anti-malware or firewall software are basically useless and purely safe browsing habits will keep people entirely safe, which is very misleading, at the very least a good software like Comodo's should be used by people on windows along with adblock plus.