Suggestions Recommendations for all around virus/email/malware/ransomware etc. protection?

[White Haus]

Just wanted to see what you guys are using for virus etc. protection?

My email got hacked a couple of months ago and made me realize how exposed we are. Also reading the other thread about backups and ransomware threats got me a bit paranoid.

We've always gotten away with just having Avira (free version) on all our computers but I feel like we need to step things up.

I've looked at a bunch of options but it seems like you almost need a separate virus/malware etc. software and email protection, does that seem right?

I came across Baracuda email protection but judging by the fact that they don't have any pricing listed and I need to have a phone consultation first, it's probably overkill/over budget for what we need.

We have 5 computers in the shop, all networked/connected to the internet if that makes a difference.

 

[balstestrat]

And did you ever figure out the reason why it happened? By any chance your password was password or qwerty?

I use Microsoft Defender only.

Test antivirus software for Windows 10 - December 2021

The current tests of antivirus software for Windows 10 from December 2021 of AV-TEST, the leading international and independent service provider for antivirus software and malware.

www.av-test.org

 

[Stacey K]

Following...

Last week the bank called me and had to issue all new debit cards because something at the bank or a website was hacked. What a PITA. Then my online banking would not work. Finally got it working this morning with the help of the bank. I literally had no debit card and no access to my money electronically.

I almost had to physically GO to the bank in person to get a statement and withdraw money or write a check! The horror....

 

[White Haus]

And did you ever figure out the reason why it happened? By any chance your password was password or qwerty?

I use Microsoft Defender only.

Test antivirus software for Windows 10 - December 2021

The current tests of antivirus software for Windows 10 from December 2021 of AV-TEST, the leading international and independent service provider for antivirus software and malware.

www.av-test.org

Thanks for that, but my password was not something obvious and would be something that is considered "strong". No idea how it was leaked or cracked, although I wish I knew.

I'll check out MS Defender.

 

[GB2]

Are you a Canon customer by any chance? They have a partnership with a very formidable company that offers a very comprehensive cyber security plan. It seems to be primarily for large companies but they do have something they offer for small businesses too.

 

[econolinesigns]

Easet is the one out IT guy recommends. It seems to do a great job and will even open a secure browser if needed based on the type of information that must be entered. No problems since we installed it.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Use a secure password manager or at least change your password every 90 days. If you use an email application like Outlook or Thunderbird, it doesn't make you login every time you want to get your email. It does it for you. Too many people leave the same password on their email server for 10 years and it's been on a dark web list for 9.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Are you a Canon customer by any chance? They have a partnership with a very formidable company that offers a very comprehensive cyber security plan. It seems to be primarily for large companies but they do have something they offer for small businesses too.

You mean the same Canon that was hit with ransomware a couple yrs back and had believed to be 10TB of data taken?

As far as passwords go, ironically those that are the hardest for people to handle, tend to be the easiest for algorithms to handle. Rotating out passwords every so often seems to be the best. I'm not a fan of biometrics, which it seems to be people are pushing more for.

Email clients, one can actually have it setup in those clients to not remember passwords (same thing with browsers as well), but people tend to be lazy and have those both setup to auto complete. I would actually get a password manager and have it handled that way, but that's me. And please, don't have CC info saved in the browser.

Anything that does 2FA, use something like YubiKey and not your phone.

Bare in mind as well, even if one is protected locally (which the best one can be is not low hanging fruit enough for script kiddies), that doesn't mean that the other places that have your info are. Of course, this isn't even getting into all the vectors that could possibly be used. How many people run scans of those little devices that we all have that process incoming/outgoing traffic and keep everything up to date and protected on those? Probably not that many, even if we are able to keep them updated (hint the cheaper ones don't tend to have the support to match how long they are actually in service).

What people will find out that despite spending all of this money on "protection" and the bottom line is that it still depends on the people at the keyboard. Those are the ones that need to be more knowledgeable (or just care more) about what is going on. If they aren't being careful, no matter what services one uses, can still be a victim.

 

[GB2]

You mean the same Canon that was hit with ransomware a couple yrs back and had believed to be 10TB of data taken?

I guess that is why they now partnered with what appeared to me to be a very high quality cyber protection firm. Here is their link:

Home - Agile Cybersecurity Solutions LLC

End-to-End Cyber Security Services, Security & Risk Assessment, and more. That's Agile Cybersecurity: Think Quickly; Act Decisively.

agilecybersecurity.solutions

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I guess that is why they now partnered with what appeared to me to be a very high quality cyber protection firm. Here is their link:

I dunno about that. The brochure to Canon's cyber security business dates to 2019 (as far as the copyright on the brochure goes). Their breach, if I recall correctly, was 2020.

 

[GB2]

OK, I'm not trying to have a debate about this, I was just trying to offer a suggestion to the OP. I had a web meeting with them last week and they sounded impressive, that's all I know.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

OK, I'm not trying to have a debate about this, I was just trying to offer a suggestion to the OP. I had a web meeting with them last week and they sounded impressive, that's all I know.

No worries. I had looked at their site(the one you linked) and things there were mentioned are things that most people don't think about and I'm far from an expert on this. I tend to not do better than knowing enough to cause damage. I just found the irony in the situation.

And to be fair, no matter what is done in protection, the normie human element of the client business is always the weak point. The larger that vector pool is, the odds of getting hammered with something. I think that is something that needs to be handled as well.

 

[FCD]

I worked I.T. for years, All you honestly need is windows defender, good passwords, good backups (local and off-site) and to not click on anything suspicious. That's about all that you need and all I've run for the past 10 years. Most viruses and hacked accounts are from downloading illegitimate software online or clicking on bad email links and not knowing what to look for.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I worked I.T. for years, All you honestly need is windows defender, good passwords, good backups (local and off-site) and to not click on anything suspicious. That's about all that you need and all I've run for the past 10 years. Most viruses and hacked accounts are from downloading illegitimate software online or clicking on bad email links and not knowing what to look for.

I wish SaaS hadn't taken off, to me, keep production files/programs/network off the WAN and those computers that have to be on the WAN, off the main production LAN. Not only would our hardware/software last longer, but it would also be more stable.

I have heard good things about Defender, but none of the usual software works on my rigs and the time that one of them would have been able to run Defender, it wasn't around. Only one that I am aware of is ClamAV.

I would also add in disabling JS as well. Sites that use 3rd party plugins are at the mercy of the security of those 3rd party plugins. Makes for a less fun internet, but just a little bit safer.

 

[netsol]

Thanks for that, but my password was not something obvious and would be something that is considered "strong". No idea how it was leaked or cracked, although I wish I knew.

I'll check out MS Defender.

And did you ever figure out the reason why it happened? By any chance your password was password or qwerty?

I use Microsoft Defender only.

Test antivirus software for Windows 10 - December 2021

The current tests of antivirus software for Windows 10 from December 2021 of AV-TEST, the leading international and independent service provider for antivirus software and malware.

www.av-test.org

I have said this before, whatever defender is, IT IS NOT ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE, and should not be confused with the real thing. It is a "one trick pony" that enforces microsoft license control ( it recognizes a handful of tricks for falsifying product keys, it satisfies one of "microsoft doesn't provide antivirus" lawsuits, and provides other private information to microsoft, that you probably wouldn't want to give them)

Buy trend micro, bit defender, or that horrid new norton product, NEVER KAPERSKY...

 

[Johnny Best]

Are you sure your government up there didn’t freeze your bank accounts and hacked your computers. You are Canadian.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

provides other private information to microsoft, that you probably wouldn't want to give them)

If one is worried about that. One really shouldn't be using MS products to begin with.

It's even going to be a little more invasive if a certain function in the canary channel makes it to stable release for Pro users.

Buy trend micro, bit defender, or that horrid new norton product, NEVER KAPERSKY...

Parents use Trend. I wouldn't suggest Norton at all. Unless of course, you want the crypto miner functionality, enabled by default if I recall.

 

[victor bogdanov]

common sense on the internet will keep you safe

 

[WildWestDesigns]

common sense on the internet will keep you safe

That will get you through a lot of things, but that won't get you through everything. Not everything targets client computers specifically, but peripherals attached to the LAN that have WAN access (sometimes the fact that the computer sees the peripheral is enough, it doesn't need actual internet access) that most people forget (or not able) to update and make sure they are current, patched and secure. And quite a bit of that stuff doesn't need direct user interaction to be effective. The nastier stuff tends to be, but even at that, not some don't require nearly the same level of interaction that people think that is needed.

 

[caribmike]

Just wanted to see what you guys are using for virus etc. protection?

My email got hacked a couple of months ago and made me realize how exposed we are. Also reading the other thread about backups and ransomware threats got me a bit paranoid.

We've always gotten away with just having Avira (free version) on all our computers but I feel like we need to step things up.

I've looked at a bunch of options but it seems like you almost need a separate virus/malware etc. software and email protection, does that seem right?

I came across Baracuda email protection but judging by the fact that they don't have any pricing listed and I need to have a phone consultation first, it's probably overkill/over budget for what we need.

We have 5 computers in the shop, all networked/connected to the internet if that makes a difference.

I've never had anti-virus software on any of my computers over the past 20 years except the Microsoft Defender that comes natively with the OS. Once in a blue moon, I'll download and run Malwarebytes free version just to see if I've contracted anything but it most often comes up with a clean bill of health. The key to not getting hacked or getting viruses is to be super careful to not click on links in phishing emails (I get about a dozen everyday on average), use a password management program like Keeper so you can have massive passwords, and to change them often. We also use off site backup and storage which updates four times a day just in case but we've never had an issue. None of my social media accounts has ever been hacked either.