Oolite Bulletins

Hi, not sure it's a right place to post but anyway...Can anyone suggest me a good antivirus program please? Currently using Microsoft Security but seems not good enough. Thanks!

Not Oolite related, moving topic to Outworld.

Do NOT install any programs you have downloaded without scanning them for viruses first.
Do NOT open anything you have downloaded without scanning them for viruses first.
Do NOT open any attachments on suspicious e-mails.
Do NOT surf to any questionable websites.

If you follow these four simple rules then Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender will do the job just fine. The only recommended supplement to them would be the free version of MALEWAREBYTES. Do not use the free version of Malewarebytes as your primary antivirus software as only the paid version has all of the tools needed by primary antivirus software. The Microsoft software would be your primary antivirus software that is always running in the background. Malewarebytes would only be run to scan for viruses and then shut off. It is never a good thing to have two antivirus software programs running as your primary as they almost always cause major conflicts with one another. The Malewarebytes scan can be run either before or after you run a scan with Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender. Two scans are always better than one to be on the safer side of things.

Another good supplementary piece of software is WINDOWS 10 FIREWALL CONTROL. It is free and works in coordination with any version of Windows built in firewall. Windows built in firewall is a one way system that only blocks incoming traffic. Windows 10 Firewall Control allows Windows built in firewall to block both incoming and outgoing traffic so that you are not broadcasting information to those that may be looking for it. It also has a neat tray application that allows you to customize access for each program or service that may be looking for an internet connection. The learning curve on how to set this access is relatively easy once you understand what the program is trying to do.

Good Luck Commander - Safe Dockings and Happy Landings.

I second the advice about the Windows Defender and Malwarebytes combo.. that's all I use (and I'm an IT tech specialising in computer and network security).

If you absolutely must have some full-blown antivirus program, Panda (free version) is pretty lightweight and effective, but the number of news and other related pop-up messages quickly gets a bit annoying, even when turned down as much as possible.

Nite Owl wrote:

Do NOT surf to any questionable websites.

This is good advice, but it's worth noting that a study by noted networking and IT security hardware supplier Cisco Systems found that people are 182 times(!) more likely to get a virus from clicking on ads than from surfing pr0n sites.. which is yet another good argument for installing an ad-blocker, so far as I'm concerned.

Nite Owl wrote:

Another good supplementary piece of software is WINDOWS 10 FIREWALL CONTROL.

I wasn't aware of this particular program.. thanks for the heads-up.

Same here - Win7/Defender plus regular MWB scans. Most AV suites end up as resource hogs.

I see MS has backported its Defender ATP toolkit from WX to W7/8 - almost tempts me to update my vanilla OS install.

Cody wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 2:03 am

I see MS has backported its Defender ATP toolkit from WX to W7/8 - almost tempts me to update my vanilla OS install.

I wouldn't bother.. it's designed for Enterprise use, and it's not free. Given that M$ charge like a wounded bull for Office 365, I don't see ATP being any different.

Ha! I should've guessed!

Happyman wrote:

Can anyone suggest me a good antivirus program please?

Linux.
I don't run any anti-virus, I never scan anything I've downloaded from the web for viruses, I do run an ad blocker because ads are annoying but I really don't worry about that stuff. I have run linux mint this way for about five years now and I've never gotten a virus or any malware. If you don't believe me just ask these folks.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/

I use Avira free version. It gives one pop up per session. Bottom right of screen asking if I want the 'pro' version.
It has cought quite a few that MS misses.
Also have the free malwarebytes which I rarely remember to use, sometimes years.

I think it is advisable - though it does depend on browser security and browser and other habits - for those on Windows to run an anti-malware program. So the question becomes, which?

Windows defender on Windows 10 has has good reviews recently. So, if one has Windows 10, then Windows Defender may be all that one needs. Yet, if one needs (because one in on e.g. Windows 7) or *feels* the need for something else, then there are a fair few products that have received good reviews, though there is more than one thing to take into account. For, there's price, performance impact, detection, false positives, how much the program bugs the user, etc. And one has to decide whether one wants 'realtime' protection, or realtime protection and something one runs occasionally, or both. Good resources for investigating such things are: http://www.av-comparatives.org/; http://www.av-test.org/en/home/

Perhaps, though, Happyman, you want advice that is more directly to the point. So: if you think you need more than Windows Defender, then: BitDefender has been highly rated on most measurements recently, though the free version is a bit intrusive; Avast, Eset, Avira, Sophos (and I list these only in alphabetical order) are all at least decent (though perhaps not better than the Windows 10 version of Defender, and free versions of some of those might irritate).

Myself, on Windows, I run Windows Defender (in 'realitime', i.e. always on) and have a program called 'SuperAntiSpyware' that I run occasionally. Note that more important, probably, that anti-malware programs are security browser extensions; get Ublock Origin (or equivalent) and, perhaps, Privacy Badger, for your browser. Also, what you really want if you get infected by malware (which happened to me once, I think - I wasn't entirely sure) is really good *backups*. For then you can, so to speak, nuke your existing installation and replace it with a backup. I could advise on backup programs if you like.

[EDITED to fix a typo.]

COMODO CLOUD ANTIVIRUS in conjunction with COMODO DRAGON browser...
That's what I'm using on my PC.

Aha. Right.

Comodo - or one version of it - does alright according to this report, but isn't mentioned in the latest bulletin from the other tester that I mentioned.

As to that browser: I think I heard it often behind the browser (Firefox? Chrome? I can't remember) that it is based on, which means behind on security updates. Hence you might be better off on Firefox (or, if you don't mind about Google snooping, Chrome); but still, with a good addOn or two (or not, since the Comodo browser is built for security?) probably you'll be fine.

I'm using the Privoxy proxy server program as an ad and malware blocker. It works well and it blocks a LOT of stuff without much impact.

http://www.privoxy.org/

Looks interesting, ffutures. However, I myself use a proxy supplied by my VPN.