Computer Virus Protection

[Breadburner]

List your favs....

[8timechamps]

Norton. I'm not a computer guru, but I had it installed on all of the computers in my office (on the advice of an IT consultant). It's all I've used for the past five years or so (also on my personal computer), and I've not a a single problem.

[soonerinabilene]

I've just been using Google chrome with no anti-virus programs for the last year and have not had a single problem. When I used to download music and movies all the time from limewire, I used AVG.

[Ton Loc]

Avast - cuz its something a pirate would say...Oh and its free, plus I run malwarebytes. Both free and no viruses since I've started exclusively using those two.

[yermom]

AVG started pissing me off with all of the upsell tries and toolbars and ****. performance on my Atom based netbooks also started to suffer, it seems. none of my computers are very fast at the moment...

i've gone mostly to Microsoft Security Essentials, without incident

i also use Adblock and Flashblock religiously and avoid Internet Explorer like the plague though.

also, Peerblock. it seems to be a must when using uTorrent.

[yermom]

Norton. I'm not a computer guru, but I had it installed on all of the computers in my office (on the advice of an IT consultant). It's all I've used for the past five years or so (also on my personal computer), and I've not a a single problem.

i'm generally not a fan of Norton/Symantec anything. anytime i've given Norton a chance, i have regretted it.

[pphilfran]

Norton

But it won't save you from stupidity...

I received this email...it looked fishy...shouldn't open it...I knew it would probably cause problems...so I opened it...

All hell broke loose...immediate computer shutdown...lost all personal folders...it took me a day to get it up and running half azz...

[sooneriniowa]

12 years of doing IT support and the best I've found are free. I recommend avast or avg. They update on their own without any need of user input. With avast if you screw up you know about it before you screw up the pc. Avast is also better on the pc, low memory and processor utilization.

[I Am Right]

Dont go on line without it. Remember you get what you pay for!

[swardboy]

I've used Lavasoft's Ad-Aware free anti-virus for about three years now with no issues.

[8timechamps]

i'm generally not a fan of Norton/Symantec anything. anytime i've given Norton a chance, i have regretted it.

When I first starting using it, some 8 or 9 years ago, it seemed that it never stopped anything. I went away from it (using SpySweeper), until I upgraded my office network. That's when I called in an IT guy (because I don't make mega cash, and can't afford to have one on staff). He said for my purposed, Norton would do the trick...and (this is what sold me), if I had any issues, there was always someone available to help me. Since I have to have access all day/every day, I needed the "sleep good at night" factor.

[8timechamps]

I've just been using Google chrome with no anti-virus programs for the last year and have not had a single problem. When I used to download music and movies all the time from limewire, I used AVG.

I went from IE to Firefox a few years back, and thought it was okay. Then about a year and a half ago I switched to Chrome. It is, by far, the best browser I've ever used. Can't imagine ever switching to anything else.

[texaspokieokie]

I know "next to nothing" about computers; but i use "google chrome". It's very good for map type stuff. I do that a lot.

[KantoSooner]

ESET
It's like having a mean older brother.

[yermom]

When I first starting using it, some 8 or 9 years ago, it seemed that it never stopped anything. I went away from it (using SpySweeper), until I upgraded my office network. That's when I called in an IT guy (because I don't make mega cash, and can't afford to have one on staff). He said for my purposed, Norton would do the trick...and (this is what sold me), if I had any issues, there was always someone available to help me. Since I have to have access all day/every day, I needed the "sleep good at night" factor.

my comments have nothing to do with the ability to catch threats and more with how it cripples performance when it's not just crippling functionality

[Fraggle145]

Any recommendations for Mac's? Or are they still an afterthought for virus makers?

[jumperstop]

Any recommendations for Mac's? Or are they still an afterthought for virus makers?

I've talked to many mac users who think their computers are invincible to viruses. Yes there are people who make viruses for any computer. Probably a lot les of a chance, but still one exist. I don't own a mac, but I would assume they have some sort of protection available.

[KantoSooner]

Fraggle, it depends on how critical your machine is to your daily life. Normal outlets make MacOS versions. If you want to, or have to, go a bit more couture, then the Apple help board is full of solutions at a range of prices, from free on up.

[pphilfran]

Piece of chit Norton...

New version was available..so I downloaded...not compatible with MS Essentials...crap crap crap...

[Mazeppa]

I know "next to nothing" about computers; but i use "google chrome". It's very good for map type stuff. I do that a lot.

I will not allow anything "google" on my computer.

[texaspokieokie]

I will not allow anything "google" on my computer.Why not ??

[Mazeppa]

cause google "is da debal"

[texaspokieokie]

OK

[yermom]

I will not allow anything "google" on my computer.

as much as i love Chrome, i am starting to think "don't be evil" was just a ruse

there is Iron, which is basically Chrome that doesn't phone home to Google

[Killerbees]

I use linux so i don't use anti virus or anti anything for that matter.

I do however uncluster several pcs for friends and family members. I used to do avg, ad-aware, and spybot. Now i do microsoft security essentials and spybot. Others got to bloated. Have even gotten some of them to switch to linux mint. Now their pc just works all the time.

I don't do google at all anymore either. Them and fb can go to hell. I use duckduckgo for search, bigstring for email (although i havent switched all of my stuff from gmail just yet). Occasionally i use google maps if i want to look at satellite imagery (rare) and i still use google image search. I also use froogle.

I think probably the most vulnerable people are is their phones.

Or when using open wifi. If you use open wifi all your info can be read regardless of https or not. The only way to protect is with a vpn setup on your home broadband ip or pay for vpn.

Side note, i used a newer program out that makes it stupid easy to hack any router that has a pass id pin, whether its deactivated or not, to penetrate my parents wifi router. IE sent everything through just fine and anything they punched in showed up on my laptop, passwords or w/e but firefox detected a problem and threw up a big warning. I did not have time to check it out fully but i believe that it had to do with an add-on i put on. Not sure why it complained, but it surprised me that it did.