Use Thunderbird and Firefox but have occassionally used Explorer and MSN stuff and was having a good trot until this recent period.
Use AVG and Spybot as protection. Occasionally run Ad-aware. Keep them all updated.

Post deleted at 07 Sep 2011 3:05pm by Kragus

Now what I am about to write may shock some folk but believe you me it is the gospel. My very much younger brother is a computer scientist, and he advised me 6 years ago that the Anti virus programmes are not required. I asked what about viruses getting into the hard drive. He said most viruses are hacked by the Anti virus companies themselves to sell there own programmes. With that in mind I got rid of the AGV free anti virus I had been using. I have been without Anti virus protection now for six years, and surprise, surprise. I have never had a virus since. I thought I would share this with you. Because it is sound advise from a computer scientist.

You are quite correct in what you say norman. I rely on my router to keep me invisible to anyone on the web looking in. I have no anti-virus/anti-malware/anti-rust blah blah running and haven't ever been infected. I was first put off them when I realised how much they slow your computer. These programs that are supposed to keep you "safe" I view very dubiously, and if you think about it, information is worth gold, and what better way to pry into every nook and cranny of our private lives than to SELL you a software program that scans every bit of information on your computer?

Well, good luck to both of you then. You will wonder what hit you if you ever do get a virus or backdoor trojan.
A word to the wise, nobody has to BUY an anti-virus program, so why would companies want to give you a free one? Microsoft certainly don't sell their one.

You want to go here sometime and have a read of the forums and see what real techs do for a living.

CB

Quite a few people whose computers I've rid of trogans and spyware run anti-malware, but they still manage to get infected and reinfected CB. No anti-malware can protect you from yourself if you haven't a clue what not to click on. If you connect to the web through a router, you are quite safe and invisible to anyone on the web. Most routers have a comprehensive firewall but hardly anyone who has problems with security knows how to set their router up, especially when using wireless.

I prefer my computer to run at full speed and I suppose you could say I work with a calculated risk, but over time nothing bad has happened (I used to run Malwarebytes often to reassure myself along with other scanners, but now do so only if my PC's behavior changes, so virtually never).

You may wish to believe all the nonsense perpetrated by those who have something to sell CB; even if it is a free security program they are still engaged in promoting something. In this day and age, cynicism is an ally as normal honesty is gone from the world. Some may disagree, but it's a good bet they are the ones whose computers are compromised.

On the whole your advice to people is fine; even if I don't agree, at least it is orthodox. You may also hold the view that only those who agree with you are "real" techs, but we both know that this is just silly.

Cheers

Hi Kragus,
Yes, I agree that many people who use anti malware and anti-virus programs do get problems and most often it is their own fault because they click things they really shouldn't. Ended up fixing someones system twice in the same week because they were silly enough to go to certain websites.
I also agree that running your computer behind the router firewall is best, but as you say some don't know how to even try to set it up that way.
I use a secured wireless network, the router's firewall, also have Microsoft Security Essentials on both my machines. (The laptop I have connected is a Mac, so no probs there.)
I hardly ever run Malwarebytes, only ocasionally and when I do it never finds anything anyway.

No, I don't think that only those who agree with me are real techs, and I don't always agree with them either.

I think it is best to be safe than sorry and I will continue to try and help people with their problems and advise the use of either MSSE (free), or Nod 32 (paid). Also to keep the OS updated.

Cheers, CB

Totally agree with the above CB, and you're right, it is best to be safe, or at least to feel that you are safe, especially if you are new to the game.

I also recommend Microsoft Security Essentials as it has the smallest footprint of nearly all the rest, allowing your Computer to run faster than if you used one of the others; Norton is one that springs to mind, and the worst at cramping your PC are the ones that combine anti virus, anti spyware, and firewall etc into one security package. Gosh, I'd fall asleep if my PC ran as slow as some I've dealt with.

One question you should ask yourself is, when was the last time any of you have been working away on your PC and your security software suddenly alerted you to an attack? If you're like me, you'd answer never, not once. Ask your friends. Bet they've never had an alert either. Doesn't that strike you as peculiar, if you've been under the impression that the web is a dangerous place?! I've even read that it takes on average twenty minutes for the average unprotected PC to become infected once going online. What nonsense.

Good on you for your good advice to GU users, and all the best.

K

Ah ha, funny you should mention this >> "One question you should ask yourself is, when was the last time any of you have been working away on your PC and your security software suddenly alerted you to an attack?" <<

Yesterday MSSE threw up an alert "Exploit in Java", Which it dealt with immediately. So yes, it does work.

CB

Aha! you say, but might I wonder what web site you were visiting to get this warning? Sorry to take so long in answering, but business is booming.

Most of the computers I deal with which are infected with spyware etc belong to people who visit porn web sites and other nefarious interest sites. Now, I sincerely doubt that you visit such sites CB, hence my interest as to which genre of website you encountered the warning?

I personally have never encountered a warning or even a precaution when using my web browser, however I'm open to discussion as to what types of web sites one should avoid.

Cheers,

K

P.S. Java is definitely implicated in many exploits in takeover's of PC's, which is why I run No-Scripts software on my Firefox web browser.

Hi Kragus,
I tried to post you a reply yesterday, but when I went to submit it, I got the message saying that all discussions were banned for the day due to the elections. What a ridiculous lot of nonsense!

Anyway, You are right, I do not visit nefarious sites and I have WOT installed to warn of any dangerous links. However, I was on my son's computer at the time doing a little maintenance, and the trojan was in one of his Games folders. MSSE found it and removed the infected file. Java was the culprit in that case. I have since updated Java and all is fine now.

I must explain that the main computer in my house is his gaming machine and I have a MacBook and another older computer with XP on it. Both of those are clean and I keep them that way. I am the one who looks after son's machine though, and I have no control over what he does or where he goes on his. Mainly music sites and gaming online. (Battlefield, COD, etc)

Cheers, CB

If you must pay for an Anti virus, then Nod 32 is said to be the best.

Experts have checked Norton and find it is not in the same street as Nod.