Need new Antivirus

Haast

Haast

Lord Nagafen Raider
3,281
1,636
I'll give the non-IT (read: "probably wrong") view of security.

On my machines, I use MS Security Essentials (free, part of windows, works as mediocre as the rest), with Malwarebytes (regular version, so manual scan) and Kaspersky TDSSKiller (a free anti-rootkit utility, manual scan). I run the manual scans about once a week. I run them immediately if I notice anything fishy.

More importantly, never use IE. Use Firefox or Chrome. If using Firefox, install the NoScript and AdBlockPlus extensions. Chrome has a nice extension called HTTP Switchboard which combines NS and ABP functionality and seems to have a reasonably smart whitelist/blacklist preset.

IT nerds, feel free to tell me why I'm dumb.
 
Frenzied Wombat

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
Haast_sl said:
I'll give the non-IT (read: "probably wrong") view of security.

On my machines, I use MS Security Essentials (free, part of windows, works as mediocre as the rest), with Malwarebytes (regular version, so manual scan) and Kaspersky TDSSKiller (a free anti-rootkit utility, manual scan). I run the manual scans about once a week. I run them immediately if I notice anything fishy.

More importantly, never use IE. Use Firefox or Chrome. If using Firefox, install the NoScript and AdBlockPlus extensions. Chrome has a nice extension called HTTP Switchboard which combines NS and ABP functionality and seems to have a reasonably smart whitelist/blacklist preset.

IT nerds, feel free to tell me why I'm dumb.
Click to expand...
Nah, that's a good home setup. If half my users were like you I'd probably be able to let half my helpdesk staff go. The only suggestion you make that wouldn't work in a corp environment is getting rid of IE, since a lot of apps/sites/plug-ins require it, and also letting your users use alternate browsers just creates a support/patching headache.
 
Gravel

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole
36,307
115,166
Ronne_sl said:
You seriously don't need AV software. Uninstall java, run adblock/noscript when browsing and create standard user accounts for any kids/technophobes that use the machine and you're far safer than any AV software will make you.

If you absolutely HAVE to have something ESET is the least offensive AV software I've ever seen.
Click to expand...
I was going to ask if people actually still got viruses anymore? I go to some pretty shady porn sites and I still don't get anything. Basically using a combo of Ghostery (although any ad blocker works) and Malwarebytes and I'm fine. I'll get something retarded like once a year that Malwarebytes has to clear, but never a virus or trojan.

Also, reading the responses to your post...who the fuck is using Java? Seriously, what's so god damn important that's using Java that anyone needs? I uninstalled it years ago when it had some major virus issues, with the intention of one day reinstalling. But I've never had to. There's literally nothing I've ever found that uses it anymore.
 
K

Krozman

N00b
99
-2
This thread is certainly eye opening and goes against what I've traditionally done. Sort of like the first time I built a computer without a 3.5" drive. It was a sad day.
 
Alkorin

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,029
5,915
Elurin_sl said:
Also, reading the responses to your post...who the fuck is using Java? Seriously, what's so god damn important that's using Java that anyone needs?
Click to expand...
A disturbingly large number of business apps use Java. At home, I rarely use it, if ever. At work, I use it daily, because I have no choice.
 
Frenzied Wombat

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
Yeah, the only thing I can think of that I use Java for at home are my home monitoring cameras, though every once and awhile I come across some applet based website that uses it..

My hate for Java has become so toxic that when I look for products/software for the firm, anything that uses Java gets immediately eliminated from the list of possible options. I basically banned every single IBM product from my network because they use Java for EVERYTHING.

I had some Oracle saleperson from India call me last week trying to sell me a module for our Oracle accounting system so we could do AD authentication against it (30K for the AD/LDAP auth module btw LOL) and told him I'd rather feed my nutsack through a wood chipper than have another Java based product on my network.
 
Alkorin

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,029
5,915
A Java module to do AD/LDAP? For $30K??

Who keeps these fuckers in business?
 
Void

Void

Experiencer
<Gold Donor>
9,413
11,079
Can't play Minecraft without Java, sadly. And if you've never played it, you won't realize how it would be impossible to say you're never playing it again.
 
Alkorin

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,029
5,915
Does Minecraft work with OpenJDK? I'd use that over Oracle's steaming pile of shit any day.
 
Frenzied Wombat

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
Alkorin_sl said:
A Java module to do AD/LDAP? For $30K??

Who keeps these fuckers in business?
Click to expand...
Yeah.. Our Oracle accounting system is the only product we use that has it's own account DB-- every other system we use gets access terminated when we disable the users AD account. This creates an exception in our termination process that auditors always want to check, so I obviously wanted to integrate Oracle with AD to simplify the process and documentation. Well, their "AD module" is only available as part of a larger SSO/federation type Oracle suite that requires its own dedicated server and costs 30K. I pointed out that pretty much every cheapo network based application supports AD auth out of the box these days, and Mr. India just chuckled. Oracle is so shitty they don't even bother to get English speaking people to sell you stuff. At least MS and the other big vendors will get English people to make the sale before they transition you to India hell for support.
 
Denamian

Denamian

Night Janitor
<Nazi Janitors>
7,182
18,956
krozman_sl said:
This thread is certainly eye opening and goes against what I've traditionally done. Sort of like the first time I built a computer without a 3.5" drive. It was a sad day.
Click to expand...
The most effective AV nowadays is a few browser extensions and having half a brain. I use ABP and Ghostery (and noscript when I use FF) with MSE and Malwarebytes. I only run scans when MSE prompts me to and run Malwarebytes every 6 months or so. Haven't had any real infections in over 10 years.

Unfortunately for me I'm the guy that family members and their friends come to whenever they have computer problems. Unfortunately ABP is the only extension I'm willing to put on their computers because I'm not willing to spend the time to teach them how to use anything more. I'll set them up with Avast and Malwarebytes (I usually have to show them how to run a damn scan) and then hope not to hear from them for at least 6 months.
 
ronne

ronne

Nǐ hǎo, yǒu jīn zi ma?
7,914
7,060
Modern browsers just aren't going to pick up random viruses from visiting a site. It takes a lot more than that to infect home systems these days, almost all of which is completely shut off by noscript.

Even if the computer isn't for you and is for family or whatever, making them a standard user account is still about the best thing you can possibly do for them. And dear fucking christ uninstall Java, because unless you have a very specific need for it there is just no reason to have that garbage on your computer.

And do not get me started on java8. Our entire fucking line of kvm/ipmi systems run on a java applet that simply will not launch in java 8. Add exception? NOPE NOT ALLOWED BECAUSE SECURITY.
 
O

Ortega

Vyemm Raider
1,146
2,517
Maybe I'm nuts, but I pretty much recommend never having an AV program. They fucking bog down your PC so much you might as well have a virus, and on the off chance you get some annoying piece of shit like cryptolocker you can just restore from a backup.
 
Alkorin

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,029
5,915
For the most part, no, you're not nuts. Some of them don't really bog you down. Some are much worse than others (e.g. SEP).

The only real problem in running with no AV is you won't know you're infected with something particularly nasty until it's likely too late, unless you actively watch for it.
 
Void

Void

Experiencer
<Gold Donor>
9,413
11,079
You're also assuming everyone keeps a current backup. Yeah, I should, but on a home computer who really does that anymore except people that are probably never going to get a virus so bad that they need it anyway?

I get the whole, "I'm an IT badass and I don't need antivirus", but does MSE (or an equivalent) and an occasional Malwarebytes scan *really* ruin your computing experience? Do you really need that extra .2% processing power that you gain by not having MSE installed? Is there some program you can't run with it installed? I mean, I suppose if you're Korean and are on a sponsored Starcraft II team and your APM dips by a couple percent due to it, or you're rendering the next Matrix movie, then sure, go without. But have you been playing a game and actually thought that if you just hadn't installed an antivirus, that 12 year old wouldn't have fragged you?

To me, the "Who uses antivirus?" crowd are being purposely obtuse. And come on, it is as bad as having an actual virus? That's some internet hipster level douchery right there.
 
Alkorin

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,029
5,915
Alright, valid points, but isn't it pretty much the same thing if you overclock to get that extra 5 fps that you really don't need anyway?
 
Void

Void

Experiencer
<Gold Donor>
9,413
11,079
Probably. I haven't ever overclocked a thing either, so at least I'm consistent on that front.
 
J

Jilariz_sl

shitlord
231
-3
It's been at least 5 years when I last used an antivirus software that felt detrimental to system performance. As for not running antivirus, that's rather absurd. What do you guys think malware does these days? Plenty of them are designed to capture what you do and steal your information. How is restoring from a backup going to mitigate your information already being stolen?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.