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Question

Which virus/internet security software for me needs? Newbie

Mar 29, 2018 11:13AM PDT

Ok so I just purchased a new computer and need antivirus software/internet security. Please help me choose a product to suit my needs.

First is does internet security labeling on these products come with antivirus? I'm am very confused here, or do I need to buy the antivirus product and internet security?

I have a an older Sony viao and it has some kind of virus on it now. I can't use firefox or internet explorer without a ton of new tabs and pop ups opening up to random web sites. My browsers are pretty much unusable due to this, it will not let me stay on a page without opening up another tab.

I do not want this to happen to my new computer!


Things that are important to me:

Antivirus with malware ect. Detection and removal

A firewall


Things that would be nice with it:


Something that isn't constantly eating up my CPU power and ram

A VPN that come with it. I'm not sure if these even offer a VPNs with these products but it would be a benefit and save me money every month not having to purchase a VPN service.

Something I can use on 3 devices

And I don't really care if its fast, I can wait longer for a scan or removal of viruses. I would rather wait longer and have something that is a better product. And at maybe a better price?

And lastly, this is not a deal breaker but something that I can use on android with would be my 3rd device.


I will be running windows 10 connected to my router with a ethernet cable. My computer will be on quite a bit as it will be used as my plex server and home server.

Again I am new at this and just want to be sure I gbuy the right stuff. Thank you very much on advance,

Shane

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Get a VPN they said. Now this is awful.
Mar 29, 2018 11:22AM PDT

Read https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/get-a-vpn-they-said-now-who-is-tracking-you/

So my question to you is how far down the rabbit hole do you need to go here?
Right now I use Opera's Browser and it's built in VPN when I need that. I did get VPN Unlimited and am absolutely chuffed that they log usage. Read the link to find out which VPN may be "the one."

As to antivirus, W10's Defender is OK. It's not terrible and what I've been using for years now. In fact which I scan with Grif's list at http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/how-to-remove-pup-option-603542/#post-f742c795-5881-433b-a29b-6d758efe5cd3 all I find is cookies which are no threat at all.

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Thank you for all of your help with everything
Mar 29, 2018 3:14PM PDT

Thank you very much I really appreciate your reply.

I don't want to do down the rabbit hole too far I don't think. Is the windows 10 software going to be enough? I do need something on my laptop that has windows 8, it is already infected with something I need to remove.

I want something that will give me a Antivirus/malware/Spyware ect. A firewall and some kind of Internet security where I do not have to worry about people hacking into my computer or network. I worry about people breaking in and corrupting my files or somehow melting my hard drive lol. My wife also has a apple time capsule thing that I want to keep safe for her. I have seen youtube videos of people hacking into others computers what looks like fairly easily.

I am new when it comes to this stuff and I don't know that much. I have read and read about this and all the different Antivirus and Internet security, I feel like I am no further than when I started. Especially on what software, one person say xyz is the best then the next person or reviews says other wise.

The main use of my pc is set up as a home network/server and a plex server that runs the majority of the time. I will use it to rip my own blu rays and I store them on a separate hard drive in an enclosure external to my pc.

I rarely check my email on my pc and never log into bank accounts, I do all of that on my phone.

Also I do not download torrents so I'm not sure of what level of vpn I would need. I do on occasion watch mobdro and terrarium on my phone.

Thank you again,
Shane

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Here's a thing.
Mar 29, 2018 3:21PM PDT

If you get an all in one, well, I haven't seen the need for over a decade. I went to free AV over a decade ago, never looked back. As to firewalls if you are behind a router, you are behind a firewall so when folk want one I have to ask, what is this firewall doing?

Since I have to eat my own dogfood I shared what I use. W10's Defender and then test with the list of tools Grif writes about. Result? Nothing infected. But then again I don't go to the dark web, Torrent or such.

The VPN I use 99% of the time is the one in Opera.

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Thanks again
Mar 29, 2018 4:08PM PDT

I appreciate your help. I think I will take your advice.
I do have avast and avg on my laptop and they can't seem to kick this virus or whatever. But I did download them after I got infected. I have read some other threads on here and think I have an idea to correct it, just need to find some time to do it.

Thank you again,
Shane

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2 AVs?
Mar 29, 2018 4:12PM PDT

You should only run one in realtime otherwise,
you can get conflicts.
Dafydd.

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Advice
Mar 30, 2018 12:31PM PDT

Hi Shane, I read through your posts and it sounds like what your computer is infected with may be something other than a destructive malware, ransomware, etc. and more "adware." You may want to check your browsers for any unwanted extensions (rather than a virus per se) that may be causing the popup issues.

Re: scanning -- When you're running a scan with Avast, make sure to run a "full scan" with heuristics set to "High" so it's as sensitive as possible. You may also want to run a boot-time scan, as even if detected, some of this type of adware can re-populate itself over the net.

Re: protection -- You are correct in that there are many options out there, all with different features. Specifically for Avast Free, we have CyberCapture (for detection of zero-day or unknown malware,) Behavior Shield (real-time process monitoring) and our data shields powered by 400 million endpoints, our Threat Labs, and Avast AI. You can click on any of those links to learn more about them Happy

Re: network security -- You'll want to ensure your router is locked down with a username/password other than the default and that your Wi-Fi network is encrypted. Avast has a tool to help you with some of the steps here in regards to your total network security, if you want to check it out.

Re: Protection against ransomware -- Avast is designed to protect you against malware/ransomware encrypting your files, even malware that hasn't been seen before. However, we offer an additional layer of protection in several options, Ransomware Shield, that prevents (at the write level) malware from changing your files without permission.

Re: running 2 AV's -- It's recommended that you run only one active scanning AV at one time.

Re: firewall -- Some versions of Avast contain the Avast Firewall, which is quite robust and really shines in terms of how you can tweak and configure it. If you don't want to jump in too deep, you may not "need" it but as you learn more, you may crave that customization ability Wink

Re: VPN -- Avast SecureLine VPN is our option, and it integrates nicely with Avast antivirus. The idea behind a VPN is to mask your original IP address from view and serve as an additional layer to help protect your online privacy. We do offer options that bundle SecureLine such as Avast Ultimate. Also, from our website: "Once you’re connected to our servers, we don’t track the apps you use, the websites you visit or the content you consume, period. If someone asks, we just can’t answer."

I hope all of this answers your questions and that this has been helpful for you! If you have any questions about Avast specifically, we're here to help.

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Answer
Don't Invite An Exploit Onto Your System
Mar 31, 2018 12:03AM PDT

Which security software is best will always be debated. But what we also need to keep in mind is that the number one cause of viruses and exploits getting installed on our machines is... ourselves! Meaning, we sometimes do not practice good everyday security measures. We may get complacent because we think our security software will take care of everything for us and we essentially invite the exploit onto our system. For example, it is unlikely that any security software will protect you against a zero-day threat if you click on an attachment in an email that contains a zero-day threat. Your security software doesn't know about it yet. Eventually, it will be updated to deal with that exploit, but if you've already invited it in by clicking on an executable attachment, it's too late.
Good everyday practices include among other things:
Keep your system updated with the latest security updates and patches. This includes your operating system and any security software that you might be using.
Do not open emails from unknown sources and definitely do not click on attachments contained in emails even if the email appears to have come from someone you know, unless you are expecting the email and know what the attachment is.
Be careful of what websites you visit and don't click on pop-ups or banner ads no matter what they say. (You are not the one-millionth visitor to their website and you haven't won a fabulous prize so don't click on it).
There are other practices to prevent infection but these are some of the main ones. Oh, and if you have kids and they are on your computer all the time? All bets are off!