Antivirus Software

[Ruse]

Microsoft Security Essentials - released yesterday, but I've been running the beta for a while. Very lightweight with almost daily updates.

Before that I was running Avira AntiVir, and before that Avast!

"Very lightweight with almost daily bugs"

[TykeMerc]

I use Avira, free, easy enough to install and tweak to lose the nag screens from the free version and has proven to be reliable.

[darmstadt]

Microsoft Security Essentials - released yesterday, but I've been running the beta for a while. Very lightweight with almost daily updates.

Before that I was running Avira AntiVir, and before that Avast!

Just downloaded, started install on Vista and guess what, failed to install with error code 0x80070643 which basically means:

(a) its crap
(b) it was never tested properly
(c) there seems to be no resolution but there is a generic error code for Windows Essential products like this. Reboot and attempt to install again, pretty much like the OS when you get a problem

[voodooflux]

Just downloaded, started install on Vista and guess what, failed to install with error code 0x80070643 which basically means:

(a) its crap
(b) it was never tested properly
(c) there seems to be no resolution but there is a generic error code for Windows Essential products like this. Reboot and attempt to install again, pretty much like the OS when you get a problem

Never had an issue with it myself - even thoughout the beta (a period of several months covering 3 updates to the software) the whole experience was pretty seemless. Unlucky.

[FarmerPalmer]

Grisoft AVG:

http://free.avg.com/

[BolshieBastard]

Hello Forum,

Which antivirus software (free downloads from the internet) would you recomend? A friend of mine mentioned Avast.

You advice will be very much appreciated.

For god's sake dont use AVG!

Been using Avira Premium paid for but very good.

Kaspersky shyte
Nod32, shyte
Bitdefender shyte

[Durbs]

Why would an IT professional need antivirus? I'm fully capable of not opening dodgy email attachments or running downloads from Warez sites so i just save myself the cash and processor usage.

Never had a problem. My PC that had OneCare on it never found a virus in all the time it was running and i (very) occasionally run one of the free housecall scans, again, nowt. Waste of time unless you habitually download loads of cracks or are a numpty.

[NickFitz]

Why would an IT professional need antivirus? I'm fully capable of not opening dodgy email attachments or running downloads from Warez sites so i just save myself the cash and processor usage.

Never had a problem. My PC that had OneCare on it never found a virus in all the time it was running and i (very) occasionally run one of the free housecall scans, again, nowt. Waste of time unless you habitually download loads of cracks or are a numpty.

Unfortunately, all systems (not just Windows) have the potential of being susceptible to an attack that doesn't involve any user interaction. Some random machine can ping your system with a carefully-crafted packet and Bingo! you're pwned

Such flaws are most commonly discovered and exploited on Windows because of the larger attack profile created by the massive installed base; but whatever you run, something like that can get you whether you're smart or not. Of course, such an attack is much more likely to get you if you run Windows - market forces in action, in a realm other than the economy.

This is the main reason that you should never expose a version of XP less than SP2 to t'Internet - the default firewall settings introduced in SP2 will help to take care of most such attacks for you. But still, all it takes is a new and more cunning exploit and all your common sense amounts to naught

EDIT: Oh, and of course you're much better off when you're NATted rather than directly-connected, and all the other various ameliorations. I wonder how long it will be before somebody crafts a malformed UDP packet that can get through most NAT setups to 192.168.0.1 - unless it's already been done.

[Platypus]

For god's sake dont use AVG!

I've been using it for a few years now (paid for), and so I recommend it to folks who are looking for solid, free AV.

Why do you say "don't" ?

I'm genuinely interested to know what's wrong with it.

[DimPrawn]

Unfortunately, all systems (not just Windows) have the potential of being susceptible to an attack that doesn't involve any user interaction. Some random machine can ping your system with a carefully-crafted packet and Bingo! you're pwned

Such flaws are most commonly discovered and exploited on Windows because of the larger attack profile created by the massive installed base; but whatever you run, something like that can get you whether you're smart or not. Of course, such an attack is much more likely to get you if you run Windows - market forces in action, in a realm other than the economy.

This is the main reason that you should never expose a version of XP less than SP2 to t'Internet - the default firewall settings introduced in SP2 will help to take care of most such attacks for you. But still, all it takes is a new and more cunning exploit and all your common sense amounts to naught

EDIT: Oh, and of course you're much better off when you're NATted rather than directly-connected, and all the other various ameliorations. I wonder how long it will be before somebody crafts a malformed UDP packet that can get through most NAT setups to 192.168.0.1 - unless it's already been done.

Firstly, Antivirus software won't pickup some new worm like that. Second, behind a hardware router with a hardware firewall so very unlikely.

Thirdly, antivirus is not going to stop a malformed UDP packet.

But go ahead and buy some bloat that will stunt your computers performance if it makes you feel safer.