Suggestions Anti Virus Software

[BALLPARK]

If anyone would care to share their thoughts on a good Anti virus system that would be great. Our email was hacked and has caused many issues today.

We have changed all passwords and now looking into newer options for security on our computers. I hope that you have some good suggestions. Not look for the best free option... just looking for the best option to keep our emails and files clean.

Thanks!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

If anyone would care to share their thoughts on a good Anti virus system that would be great. Our email was hacked and has caused many issues today.

We have changed all passwords and now looking into newer options for security on our computers. I hope that you have some good suggestions. Not look for the best free option... just looking for the best option to keep our emails and files clean.

Thanks!

The free anti-viruses are just as good as the paid ones. AVG, Avira.. I like Malwarebytes.

Usually hacked e-mail is because of a phishing scam or old passwords... Usually local viruses on your computer wouldn't contribute to that. I have two-factor authentication setup on my e-mail and occasionally it will alert me when someone else tries to log into my email... Happens once or twice a year.

Who is your e-mail provider?

 

[TimToad]

If anyone would care to share their thoughts on a good Anti virus system that would be great. Our email was hacked and has caused many issues today.

We have changed all passwords and now looking into newer options for security on our computers. I hope that you have some good suggestions. Not look for the best free option... just looking for the best option to keep our emails and files clean.

Thanks!

Our offsite network overseer includes a robust set of protections, then we use Avast and PCMatic as an additional layer of protection. It seems to catch a few threats that our network folks don't, but we've had very few issues.

Being able to spot phishing type emails is pretty important. Scanning the websites before downloading fonts and clip art helps too.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I highly reccomend using a password manager for your passwords, I've been using keepass and it's been great, you can generate unique strong passwords for each site you use, and you only need to remember 1 password. there are a few other similar services that integrate with the cloud, but keepass is free and keeps all your info local.

 

[bannertime]

We used to use programs like Norton, AVG, Avast, and all that. One of the best ones right now is actually Windows Defender. Turn it on, set auto scans and updates, and you'll be fine. Read up on phishing scams and what not. Another thing is to use a program like Malwarebytes occasionally. Malwarebytes does things a little different than a typical virus program, but it's still good to have.

 

[Malkin]

We recently switched from Norton to Sophos and updated our sonicwall at the same time. Really hoping to avoid ransomware and the like. We have 5 networked workstations and just added a NAS.

I have also heard Windows Defender is good for general anti-virus.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Commercial anti-virus is snake oil and sometimes a virus itself. It's all a scam. I have been an IT guy in some capacity almost my entire life. I run the free Windows defender (formerly Windows Security Essentials) that comes with windows and run a scan with Malewarebytes once a week to clear any tracking cookies and malware. Windows Firewall also helps but I also have a Cisco hardware firewall between the modem and my network. I check the log once in a while and we constantly get port scanned for attacks. I can't remember even once having issues with a virus, ransomware, trojans, anything.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

PC Matic??

 

[netsol]

We used to use programs like Norton, AVG, Avast, and all that. One of the best ones right now is actually Windows Defender. Turn it on, set auto scans and updates, and you'll be fine. Read up on phishing scams and what not. Another thing is to use a program like Malwarebytes occasionally. Malwarebytes does things a little different than a typical virus program, but it's still good to have.

bannertime,

you are frightening me.
windows defender is a mechanism for license enforcement pretending to be an antivirus program
killing 2 birds with one stone, as they say
Microsoft got sued for not including antivirus protection.
they put in a useless add on, that targets the Microsoft toolkit and that sort of thing.

been in the consulting business for 30 + years.
windows defender protects you like closing the front door with a piece of scotch tape when you go out.

if you feel it protected you, you are mostly safe because there was no attack

(please don't take this as a personal attack, it was not meant that way, but windows defender makes me cringe)
it scares me that someone whose advice is normally spot on can miss the mark on this one

that being said, I would vote for trend micro. they have about the best ransomware protection in the business

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Really, the weakest link is always the human element. Even with any anti-malware whatever program you have on there, the human element can still get you.

Stuff like this is why I'm always about saying keep production stuff off the WAN. These types of "attacks" can be from mild to severe.

Always have backups and make sure those backups are secured somewhere that's easy to get to physically to re-install, but not to where it can still be subject to the same attack vector. Ransomware would not be anywhere near the headache if people just implemented backups properly (properly is the key word here) in order if an attack did happen, wipe and reload and forget about it.

How Windows handles "security" is really laughable and that's the price of having a "simple" to use system (by simple I mean not really worry about such things as elevated permissions etc, how many here hated UAC prompts during the Vista days (ironically that was a step in the right direction)).

 

[TimToad]

PC Matic??

Way to elevate the conversation.

For the money, we've found PCMatic to be as good of a defrag, system cleaner, anti-malware program for our PC's as anything else. The bigger point is we've never been infected so obviously something is working, but proceed with proving what kind of a person you are.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Really, the weakest link is always the human element. Even with any anti-malware whatever program you have on there, the human element can still get you.

Stuff like this is why I'm always about saying keep production stuff off the WAN. These types of "attacks" can be from mild to severe.

Always have backups and make sure those backups are secured somewhere that's easy to get to physically to re-install, but not to where it can still be subject to the same attack vector. Ransomware would not be anywhere near the headache if people just implemented backups properly (properly is the key word here) in order if an attack did happen, wipe and reload and forget about it.

How Windows handles "security" is really laughable and that's the price of having a "simple" to use system (by simple I mean not really worry about such things as elevated permissions etc, how many here hated UAC prompts during the Vista days (ironically that was a step in the right direction)).

This is the answer. People are the problem. You don't need to be Fort Knox if your employees and you are properly trained on how to spot a phishing attack, how not to click on scam ad links and proper backup practices.

On another note, Colorado Timberline, a large print shop here in Colorado, just went out of business because of ransomware or at least that is the excuse they gave. How a large company like that didn't have offsite backups is beyond me.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

How a large company like that didn't have offsite backups is beyond me.

What I find far more disturbing is the hospitals that were crippled by Ransomware. As tech becomes more embedded into our medical devices (and other devices as well) and with network connectivity, allowing that to be an issue is unacceptable.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

 

[bannertime]

(please don't take this as a personal attack, it was not meant that way, but windows defender makes me cringe)
it scares me that someone whose advice is normally spot on can miss the mark on this one

I don't, and appreciate that last bit.

However, I disagree. I've been a big fan of the WD and Malwarebytes for the last few years. I had canceled AVG back in 2014 I think? Then Avast shortly after that. Been on WD/MB since then. I'm pretty cautious and fancy myself a safe browser. I even do md5 checks on certain downloads. Maybe this is why I've not had any issues.

Like it's already been mentioned, safe browsing and strong security habits will do more for protection than most software will.

So is it the best setup? Probably not. A quick search reveals that this setup is pretty popular, and scores better than some paid software. According to AV-test.org, WD has improved over the years and is fine for most use cases. I haven't bothered looking into a paid setup, so I'm sure there is a better option. The problem is, the top dog changes every year and I got tired of keeping up with it. WD/MB has been good enough and I haven't had to do a thing since I've switched.

I get the whole "beware Microsoft licensing," but on my work machines, that's just not a concern.

 

[unclebun]

We use Norton Security Premium. You get 10 devices protected for $50 a year (buy it at Amazon and don't renew online--buy it again the next year). We don't get viruses (haven't had anything in 13 years in business and more than 25 years at home), and we also get warnings on attack websites that keep you from going there and other active protection on browsing and email.

That said, "email hacked" doesn't usually happen because of a virus. It either happens because of a problem at the provider level (Yahoo or gmail accounts, for example, get passwords stolen at the provider level frequently) or because of a personnel mistake, falling for phishing emails.

 

[SignsSupport]

I've sworn by Kaspersky Internet Security and Malwarebytes Pro combo for the past several years and haven't had any issues for the duration. I'll be upgrading to Kaspersky Total Security after my KIS license expires in a couple weeks. Search eBay for the best/reduced pricing.

HTH,

SignsSupport

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I don't, and appreciate that last bit.

However, I disagree. I've been a big fan of the WD and Malwarebytes for the last few years. I had canceled AVG back in 2014 I think? Then Avast shortly after that. Been on WD/MB since then. I'm pretty cautious and fancy myself a safe browser. I even do md5 checks on certain downloads. Maybe this is why I've not had any issues.

Like it's already been mentioned, safe browsing and strong security habits will do more for protection than most software will.

So is it the best setup? Probably not. A quick search reveals that this setup is pretty popular, and scores better than some paid software. According to AV-test.org, WD has improved over the years and is fine for most use cases. I haven't bothered looking into a paid setup, so I'm sure there is a better option. The problem is, the top dog changes every year and I got tired of keeping up with it. WD/MB has been good enough and I haven't had to do a thing since I've switched.

I get the whole "beware Microsoft licensing," but on my work machines, that's just not a concern.

I agree with you. I was in IT for years and did virus removals day in and day out back in 2009-2015 when it was a HUGE problem. On my own PC (then and now) I run Malwarebytes and Security Essentials.

Is MSE the best? Probably not, but I'm not some niave client clicking on everything on the internet. I appreciate the light-resource nature of MSE vs it catching anything I can throw at it. It's there as a safety-net and is good enough. I don't like how resource heavy all the other anti-virus programs are...what with all their gimmicky add-ons.

 

[Johnny Best]

Avast on a Mac. Never had a problem.

 

[mfatty500]

I have 2 machines, a windows 8.1 system & a Windows 10 system that both came with McAfee already installed and have had no problems. Knock on wood