Opinions on antivirus software?

[Matariki]

I've used ZoneAlarm Internet Suite for a number of years. A while back I got that annoying trojan that pops up antivirus messages until the computer became unusable. I was running ZoneAlarm, so I'm less than impressed with them now. Not to mention their customer service was 'you got a virus, tough luck.'

I'm looking for something that includes a Firewall, a licence for at least 3 PCs and doesn't make the computer crawl.

Any suggestions?

[struggle4progress]

1. Check through the security thread pinned atop this forum

[Matariki]

2. Thanks. I know what exists, was looking for opinions.

[struggle4progress]

5. Everything in the OP and in #30 is free; stuff was added to #30

largely based on DUers recommendations. That eliminates your question about "a licence for at least 3 PCs." There are also there links to various reviews

[lazarus]

3. I've been very happy with

Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free and invisible and doesn't hog resources.

[Matariki]

4. Thanks. I'll check that out.

It's been frustrating trying to find good comparisons and info AND something that has firewall, antivirus, anti-malware, and multi-computer liscense.

Trying to find test results on which programs caught highest number of viruses, then I look those programs up and reviews bash them as either memory hogs or bad interface.

[TrogL]

6. I use Trend. Pretty much fits the bill including the licensing

[Warpy]

7. I dumped Norton because it was slowing the computer to a crawl

at least four times a day, annoying as hell.

After reading all sorts of evaluation all over the net, I went with Kaspersky. It's stopped all the nasties, is unobtrusive, and does cover all three computers. It's pricey, so if you're strapped you'll want to go with something else.

I do recommend it, though.

[ohheckyeah]

8. I just ran a Shield's Up

probe of my computer and passed with flying colors. The comments made in the report were A Perfect True Stealth Rating. I don't run my Firewall in stealth mode either. Shield's Up said the level of my security was unusual on a Windows based networking PC.

I use McAfee and evidently it's doing a pretty good job.

[ConsAreLiars]

9. Are you completely chained to Windows OS or are you free to move?

For myself, I found moving to windows-user-friendly (but Linux is NOT windows) Linux Mint involved far less work than doing defensive tweaking to XP and earlier.

Although I enabled the default firewall in Mint, and later replaced it with another, even with firewall turned OFF, https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 (the Shields Up! site) Linux (Mint 10 now) returned this assessment while running No Firewall At All:

"Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice."

The license is free for all, although you can pay for support and tweakings, and you can add an AV scanner to scan for malevolent crap to mainly protect the gullibles still using Windows.


A few stumbles up the stairs, but a far better and much easier, friendlier and safer OS.

Edit to add: Anyone can try it out for themselves by simply burning and booting from a LiveCD/DVD. THe DLs are at http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1587 . If in doubt, choose 32-bit. Boot from it, don't enable the firewall using the Menu/Control Center, and see what grc says.