Re: McAfee and Comcast
- From: "Vanguard" <vanguard.x@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:30:16 -0500
"Gregory" wrote in message news:20150337-EAA7-4B5A-9698-0C53B5B849FC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks Malke. Are these 3 antivirus programs better than AVG/Ewido? I read
that Windows Firewall only has incoming protection. Could that be a problem
down the road if I am posting in several forums?
I used the McAfee security suite provided free by Comcast for several months. It slowed the computer. I eventually uninstalled McAfee and went with AVG anti-virus and Comodo firewall. I trialed several but settled on these. I will say that McAfee antivirus was faster at scanning files downloaded through IE than is AVG but I only do downloads occasionally. I tried Avira's AV program but grew hostile of its bannerware during updates that interfere with other running programs. For comparison of anti-virus programs, see the on-demand Comparatives section at:
http://www.av-comparatives.org/
Notice that Microsoft's OneCare (whose anti-virus product is based on the RAV product they bought over a year ago) rates the WORST coverage. McAfee has gone downhill. The free AVG anti-virus only updates once per day. Doesn't sound like often enough but that depends on how active you are in downloading files from unknown or untrusted sources, leaving ActiveX enabled in your browser, or other unsafe Net practices. Only during an outbreak, and usually after a couple days later when signatures became available, did I see Norton or McAfee have more often updates than once per day. Of course, you could manually update AVG before using it to scan a downloaded file.
Regarding anti-malware products, the free version of Grisoft's AVG AntiSpyware (used to be ewido) is a good product. I use it only using its on-demand scanner (i.e., for manual scans). Although not terrific, I use Windows Defender. The problem with WD, AVG AS, WinPatrol, or programs like this is that they are reactive and tell you sometime afterward that something changed but can't tell you what made the change because that process is already gone (i.e., WD and WinPatrol poll for changes which gives you *late* detection with the ability to undo the detected changes). They are not true IPS (intrusion protection system) programs but rather they are IDS (intrusion detection system) programs. PrevX is an IPS that is proactive in that it will pend any request for a change so the change is not committed until you allow them (or have allowed them before and selected to remember that choice). Alas, the PrevX research version isn't free anymore.
To regulate what can and cannot load into memory, try using DiamondCS ProcessGuard. They have a free version which isn't as secure (or restrictive to programs) as their paid version but it still provides a good layer of security. If a program cannot load into memory, it cannot run.
For some other free anti-malware (used for on-demand scanning), look at:
SuperAntiSpyware
Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Spybot S&D
Grisoft AVG AntiRootkit, SysInternals Rootkit Revealer
For a firewall, look at Comodo Firewall. I like this one over many that I've trialed (used to use Sygate Pro buy Symantec killed it). However, I've been unimpressed with the other Comodo free products.
For protection during web surfing, you could look into using VMWare Server or Virtual PC (both free) and doing your browsing in a virtual machine. With VMWare Server, you get to save a snapshot, like after a fresh OS install and updates, do your surfing, and then revert to the base or clean snapshot to undo everything that changed while surfing. With Virtual PC, you have to create the VM and then save a copy of the subdirectory where those VM files got created to later slide them in as your "snapshot" (i.e., manual but doable). Alternatively, you could use Sandboxie as a VM that runs under your current environment. Anything that changes within the Sandboxie VM, like downloading and installing AX controls, home page changes, or whatever will disappear when you exit that VM (i.e., all changes while browsing are written into the VM instead of into your OS environment. It will, however, restrict you from downloading any files. The free version becomes nagware after the 30-day trial period.
.
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