Off topic: Help with anti-virus

[Kilyin]

Viruses are long forgotten. Spyware is the issue today. Webroot, Spy Sweeper.

Yes, also a Mac is a great choice if you can afford it.

If you have a question about how to use Spy Sweeper, let me know.

But pay the $20 to this board. And consider the free computer advice free.

You can pretty much use the terms virus/spyware/malware interchangeably these days.

Spy Sweeper is a gigantic heap of bloatware. That program will cripple your PC as much or more than Norton Internet Security. If you install this piece of crap, make sure you disable it from running on startup, and use it on demand. And for the love of all that is holy, don't pay for it. If you want to pay for something, go with Nod32, trust me... and no I don't work for them.

And I wouldn't buy a mac, they're severely overpriced for the hardware they contain. If you want to go that route, install a distro of Linux, Ubuntu is good if you're a newbie.

 

[Pats Fan]

You can pretty much use the terms virus/spyware/malware interchangeably these days.

Spy Sweeper is a gigantic heap of bloatware. That program will cripple your PC as much or more than Norton Internet Security. If you install this piece of crap, make sure you disable it from running on startup, and use it on demand. And for the love of all that is holy, don't pay for it. If you want to pay for something, go with Nod32, trust me... and no I don't work for them.

And I wouldn't buy a mac, they're severely overpriced for the hardware they contain. If you want to go that route, install a distro of Linux, Ubuntu is good if you're a newbie.

I'm sorry, but you are wrong. Spyware and viruses are so very different. Spy Sweeper has been for the last two years the best product on the market. This year, #2, but they will recover and improve. I have never had a problem. And it runs lean and clean.

And yes, I agree with you about Norton. Maybe your problem is that you did not uninstall Norton properly before installing Spy Sweeper. I see it all the time. Norton makes it very hard to get rid of.

AVG, Spy Sweeper properly installed is all you need. Plus a firewall. Windows is OK for people that do not understand computers. And a MAC is fine.

 

[Pats Fan]

Like someone else mentioned: Avast and/or AVG. If you have the horsepower, you can run the two together as the co-exist fine (for people who SHOULD be purchasing Net Nanny). (AVG can run along with Norton/McAfee, while I don't believe that Avast can)

If you're typically logged in with admin rights, I would recommend a malware/spyware solution (SpyBot - free).

and finally....both AVG and Avast have freeware rootkit detectors. Download and run them prior to AV installation.


Email me $20 when you get the chance.

HC

Never, ever run two virus software programs at the same time. NEVER. Avast and AVG are two free programs that work just fine. Just pick ONE.

Spyware software is different. You can run more than one at a time, but why?? Run Spy Sweeper and be done with it. It runs it memory to catch problem when they come. The free programs run after the fact -- after your computer has been infected -- and none of them catch more than

 

[Pats Fan]

60% of the garbage.

Sorry, I have been in the business for more than 20 years and know what I am speaking about.

 

[Kilyin]

I'm sorry, but you are wrong. Spyware and viruses are so very different. Spy Sweeper has been for the last two years the best product on the market. This year, #2, but they will recover and improve. I have never had a problem. And it runs lean and clean.

And yes, I agree with you about Norton. Maybe your problem is that you did not uninstall Norton properly before installing Spy Sweeper. I see it all the time. Norton makes it very hard to get rid of.

AVG, Spy Sweeper properly installed is all you need. Plus a firewall. Windows is OK for people that do not understand computers. And a MAC is fine.

No, I'm not wrong. I work in the IT industry and have for many years, and I've cleaned literally hundreds upon hundreds of PCs loaded with nasties.

Most antivirus solutions detect spyware and malware now, and vice versa, that was all I meant. A virus today is a completely different animal than it was in the 80s or 90s. Most virus, trojans, malware, etc are created to make money with advertisements or turn your PC into a spam machine.

My problem has nothing to do with Norton, I have never installed that garbage on my computer, but I've had to remove it for lots of other people. You can pull out all the rankings you want, they mean nothing. Norton is still ranked in the top 5 last I checked and it flat out sucks.

Spy Sweeper doesn't run lean. Check the memory useage sometime, and all the resources being used by the program. It's effective, but at a huge sacrifice. If you have a monster PC, then you probably won't notice it. But Joe Blow doesn't have a monster PC.

Software firewalls are a joke and all of them can be compromised. The best firewall is a hardware firewall (a router). You're wasting your time and resources if you use a software firewall.

Windows is ok for people that do not understand computers? That's about the dumbest statement I've heard all day. It's the opposite actually... people who don't understand computers shouldn't be running Windows, since it has so many security flaws and exploitable loopholes. But Windows in the hands of someone with the knowledge to run it properly and securely is a great tool, and that's why 90% of the corporate world uses it.

I didn't say a mac wasn't fine, I said they're WAY overpriced, and they are.

 

[Pats Fan]

No, I'm not wrong. I work in the IT industry and have for many years, and I've cleaned literally hundreds upon hundreds of PCs loaded with nasties.

Most antivirus solutions detect spyware and malware now, and vice versa, that was all I meant. A virus today is a completely different animal than it was in the 80s or 90s. Most virus, trojans, malware, etc are created to make money with advertisements or turn your PC into a spam machine.

My problem has nothing to do with Norton, I have never installed that garbage on my computer, but I've had to remove it for lots of other people. You can pull out all the rankings you want, they mean nothing. Norton is still ranked in the top 5 last I checked and it flat out sucks.

Spy Sweeper doesn't run lean. Check the memory useage sometime, and all the resources being used by the program. It's effective, but at a huge sacrifice. If you have a monster PC, then you probably won't notice it. But Joe Blow doesn't have a monster PC.

Software firewalls are a joke and all of them can be compromised. The best firewall is a hardware firewall (a router). You're wasting your time and resources if you use a software firewall.

Windows is ok for people that do not understand computers? That's about the dumbest statement I've heard all day. It's the opposite actually... people who don't understand computers shouldn't be running Windows, since it has so many security flaws and exploitable loopholes. But Windows in the hands of someone with the knowledge to run it properly and securely is a great tool, and that's why 90% of the corporate world uses it.

I didn't say a mac wasn't fine, I said they're WAY overpriced, and they are.

You may work in the IT industry, but I seen lots of people in the business that, well.

You should only run ONE anti-virus program at a time. AVG or Avast are good free programs that run memory resident. In other words, they catch the virus when it happens, rather than running a program after the fact and the damage has been done. Yes, the lines are blurred, but a virus and spyware are very, very different. But a very basic knowledge in IT, you ONLY run one virus program.

Spy Sweeper is a very, very good spyware software. Yes, you have to pay for it but it is worth it. And it as well runs memory resident. You HAVE to have this feature. I don't know how much RAM you have installed, but 1 Gig with XP is a minimum in my opinion. And SpySweeper runs just fine, I have plenty of memory on my PC, 2 gig. Spybot, Adware = worthless.

As far as a firewall, the average user does not have a clue. Zone Alarm is the best free program, but do you expect the average user to use it??? Nope. So the Windows firewall is better than nothing.

A Mac, if it a person can afford it is the best choice. Why, 5% of users versus 90+ Windows. Who do you think the hackers are going after???

 

[Kilyin]

You may work in the IT industry, but I seen lots of people in the business that, well.

You should only run ONE anti-virus program at a time. AVG or Avast are good free programs that run memory resident. In other words, they catch the virus when it happens, rather than running a program after the fact and the damage has been done. Yes, the lines are blurred, but a virus and spyware are very, very different. But a very basic knowledge in IT, you ONLY run one virus program.

Spy Sweeper is a very, very good spyware software. Yes, you have to pay for it but it is worth it. And it as well runs memory resident. You HAVE to have this feature. I don't know how much RAM you have installed, but 1 Gig with XP is a minimum in my opinion. And SpySweeper runs just fine, I have plenty of memory on my PC, 2 gig. Spybot, Adware = worthless.

As far as a firewall, the average user does not have a clue. Zone Alarm is the best free program, but do you expect the average user to use it??? Nope. So the Windows firewall is better than nothing.

A Mac, if it a person can afford it is the best choice. Why, 5% of users versus 90+ Windows. Who do you think the hackers are going after???

So now you're going to resort to insults? I can assure you, I'm not another paper cert engineer. Not to sound arrogant, but I'm the guy that people come to when they can't figure something out, before they break out the sledgehammer.

And I never said anything about running two antivirus programs, don't know who you're talking to pal but it wasn't me.

And if you want to sit here and argue about a virus or malware differences, there really isn't alot of difference anymore. They both inject themselves into a startup point, browser helper object, or a service, and without that, they're just a file on your hard drive. The days of MBR viruses and the like are over. As technology grows, the differences become more minute. You're bickering over semantics. To the average user, there really isn't alot of difference between the two. You don't want either one on your PC.

I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you all day though. Run your spysweeper. I have two gigs of RAM in all four of my PCs, but that doesn't mean I want Spysweeper using over 35% of that (and it does, check for yourself). I don't run any antivirus, antimalware, or software firewalls, but then again, I'm not dumb enough to go get my PC infected, and if I did, I'd know it immediately.

 

[Pats Fan]

So now you're going to resort to insults? I can assure you, I'm not another paper cert engineer. Not to sound arrogant, but I'm the guy that people come to when they can't figure something out, before they break out the sledgehammer.

And I never said anything about running two antivirus programs, don't know who you're talking to pal but it wasn't me.

And if you want to sit here and argue about a virus or malware differences, there really isn't alot of difference anymore. They both inject themselves into a startup point, browser helper object, or a service, and without that, they're just a file on your hard drive. The days of MBR viruses and the like are over. As technology grows, the differences become more minute. You're bickering over semantics. To the average user, there really isn't alot of difference between the two. You don't want either one on your PC.

I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you all day though. Run your spysweeper. I have two gigs of RAM in all four of my PCs, but that doesn't mean I want Spysweeper using over 35% of that (and it does, check for yourself). I don't run any antivirus, antimalware, or software firewalls, but then again, I'm not dumb enough to go get my PC infected, and if I did, I'd know it immediately.

OK, so we can be helpful to people.

1 virus program. AVG or Avast. OK.

You agree you need to run a Spyware program. I just checked my PC 2.0 Gig, 1.6 available with Spy Sweeper. That is their new program. And I have never had a problem. I don't think you would recommend a non-resident program.

Firewall for the average user = Windows firewall. Would you throw Zone Alarm at the average user??

And then we could go on and on about not opening emails that you do not know who they came from, or going to sites that are suspect.

OK, can we agree on these items for the help of others??

I am trying to be helpful to people here. The average user.

 

[trickblue]

But seriously, there is AVG and Avast! if you are looking for free alternatives. Really, it just depends on what kind of protection you are looking for.

Both of these are excellent... I use AVG...

 

[5Stars]

Thanks Kilyin and Pats Fan...that is some good info!

And what is up with this?!! AVG is McAfee?

Anyway, I'm good to go now with my puter...I appreciate it!

Download Boot Install :bang2: re-Boot :

Install re-Boot :bang2:

Thanks everyone!

( i owe the board $20.00 and so does bigbadleroy)

 

[the kid 05]

Both of these are excellent... I use AVG...

I just installed that on my brought pieeecaaacrap. im thinking about switching his pc over to a linux based computer. kid is smart enough to figure that stuff out lol

 

[GTaylor]

No offense to all that read this but if you ignore a software firewall (Windows firewall doesn't count), including a free one such as Zone Alarm then you deserve every infection you get. There are no more excuses out there for anyone not to have their PC fully patched, using a firewall and an anti-virus, I can forgive those that are inexperienced and need assistance but if you refuse to do the above then I have no sympathy for you. Zone Alarm too tough for you? Too bad, I'd fed up with reading about 75-95% of all e-mails being scams sent and hosted on bot accounts with rotating DNS, getting over 200 spams a day on my personal inbox, watching my favorite security sites/groups get shut/slowed down due to DOS attacks.

Spyware is bad, but I'll take 100 infections over one rootkit, especially the newer ones that do such a great job of disguising themselves that only unhookers are able to detect them. Storm worm is another nasty virus and was recently encrypted and broken into smaller units so regional hackers can control certain areas. here is a great article about the Storm worm and here is an article on the breakdown of it. Still recommend you use anti-Spyware but I prefer Spybot Search and Destroy, oldie but goodie and it's free

And never download security software from P2P sites! Here's why:

Day 1) I'm a hacker, I embed a certain virus code into NortonAntiVirus.exe and send it out via P2P. My virus will call home with your information, but it will not resend itself out, and once your information is sent it will shut itself down until you boot up. I'll rename my file windows.exe or something that sounds legit in case you load Zone Alarm and it alerts you...if you allow it to go through, I win.
Day 2) My software is installed on many PCs, Norton doesn't realize what's going on and it takes a week before security teams catch on
Day 10) A day later, they update their anti-virus definitions to now block my virus code, nevermind the fact that you were infected for 8 days unknowingly, unless it can catch my virus running or you do a full scan I'm still exploiting you.
Day 11) I update my virus code, introduce it back into NortonAntiVirus.exe and resend it out to P2P...how long would I be successful now?

And I just assumed it takes a week, sometimes people are infected for weeks, months before anti-virus companies catch on.