Which AntiVirus Are You Using?

[Katzenfreund]

I used to have Kaspersky for a time with cracked keys. It kept updating every hour and slowing down my computer. But worse than that, every couple of months it would blacklist the key and I had to find another one.

In the end I got tired and switched to the free AVIRA. While it’s much lighter on resources, I didn’t notice any deterioration in security. It’s only a little annoying with its splash screen prompting you to buy the premium, but that’s a small price to pay and I’ve learned to live with it.

By an uncanny coincidence, the quote on top of the page right now expresses my feelings on the matter:
“Software is like sex. It’s better when it’s free.”

So which antivirus are you using and would you recommend it?

 

[hkirin1]

Eset Smart Security. Every little i enter a new code.

 

[911dance]

Kaspersky and the keys I get last months

 

[Chea]

I've been with Avast ( free edition of course ) and been using the same for a few years.. touch wood, never been hit with anything. - In addition I also use Spybot - search & destroy and Malwarebytes ( there free too )

 

[bum4evr]

I use nothing. Windows firewall is on but I have no other firewall or virus scanner installed.

The world of viruses and malware is changing just as fast as the warez scene has. I remember a day when I wouldn't be caught dead without a virus scanner, heck I might have had 4 of them installed.

But now days, the way to make money in the warez scene is not by putting viruses in the files we want, its by giving us exactly the files we want and making money from the filehosts through their ads.

That and windows 7 and 8 are much better at avoiding viruses these days, as are the browsers we use, and people are smarter. we all know not to install the freeporn.exe file we got in our email. (heck they don't even allow exe file attachments anymore)

Ok maybe the real reason I don't have one installed is because I just got this PC a week ago... I will probably get malwarebytes and maybe avast... its on my list... just not very high due to reasons I mentioned above. Cant remember the last time I got a virus since I have been using windows 7.

 

[bmark240]

Kaspersky Internet Security on PC and Droid phone.
Still got 145 days left on the serial key before i have to upgrade.
They haven't blacklisted it either (yet).

I used to have Eset Smart Security but found it would miss quite a lot of crud from Limewire, Morpheus and the like.
Also it was paranoid and jittery. It would detect programs like Nero Burning Rom as a Trojan (even though it was legit and came with my DVD Rewriter).

I run Combofix every couple of weeks just to be sure that the system is in good condition.
bum...I would install an AV suite if I were you. These days you only have to visit a webpage before getting pop unders and being left wide open to drive-by malware.
Malwarebytes & Superantispyware won't shift much if your reg is infected (these are the first ones kicked out by a virus along with system restore).

 

[chrasna]

Windows 8, I use the built in Microsoft antivirus/antispyware. If something goes awry, I simply restore a backup from a previous working day.

Windows 7 or earlier, I use Avira. I can control the response, so it asks if I want to delete my keygens or not. Most AV programmes just rape my keygens without asking.

The MS antivirus can be set to ask on each occasion as well, in Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

-Chris

 

[milisavmilic]

Eset Smart Security still have payed version for 10 years, used avast on a lot of mashines. Avira is also good

 

[NavyRet]

Norton Internet Security. Used it for years. I buy a 3 PC license every year. Haven't had any problems in a long time.

 

[SHALLY]

webroot ?

 

[Tango]

Avast Security - 3 year paid subscription.

I used NOD32 for years but it started using loads of CPU so changed. Norton should be banned it sucks at everything.

 

[Katzenfreund]

All you guys paying for an antivirus utility are giving pirates a bad name.

It is well understandable that getting a cracked such program can be tricky, with the probability of containing malware, keys being blacklisted and updates stopping.

But there’s good choice of freeware, whose performance has been found by a multiplicity of comparison tests to be at par with premium products. They only lack some bells and whistles, such as child filtering and web guard which you can get independently, if required.

From my experience after reading many comparison reports by independent organizations over the years, the three antivirus programs with the best track record are:
AVAST
AVIRA
AVG

In contrast, Microsoft Security Essentials, though light on resources, does not provide as good protection as the above.

 

[lavda]

Debian is free of viruses, iptables for firewall

 

[RandomWalker]

I've been using Nod32 for some years now. No major problems yet.

 

[melmoste]

microsoft security essentials on 3 pc's, not had any issues yet?

 

[krishna2k]

Rock Solid Performance!

In Office

Avast Antivirus free - licence upto 2038 lol

 

[TRUBos]

I don't pay for A/V and I wouldn't install ANY cracked, patched A/V either. Last 3 years its been Microsoft Essentials. Last three months, I've changed up a went with a new free option.

I love it so FAR..

 

[EMS]

Zone alarms, malwarebytes and Iobit malware fighter. Did use Homesafe which is free from my ISP but I can't be bothered to install it again.

 

[sifl]

Eset Smart Security 7 beta on 2, avast on my other 2.

 

[Krammig]

never used avast, why do you recommend it? Kaspersky does suck with getting it free its kind of complicated but thats how you know to that its a good one. The trial resetter works good for it though. I just think its excellent. All my Tech clients, I recommend it to them, and I get less call backs, so they call me more and recommend me more to others. I've never used Avast though, how good is it? Does it frequently update new virus definitions, catch bad websites... etc.

I find Avast gives a lot of False Positives. It even kicks up on software I developed which is totally clean and for my customers. Not a good thing to have your product detected as a virus when you know it isn't ...

I have also had a number of occasions when my email stopped working just out of the blue, or the pc seemed to started running slow for no real obvious reason. After trying a few things which normally pop into the brain and first reactions, I then uninstalled Avast and everything ran well again. Reinstalled it and yes it continued to run well. A few months later same issues, same fix.

 

[EMS]

Avast like all anti virus/malware software you can create exceptions for the file, thus stopping the "false positive"

 

[Katzenfreund]

˄˄

You can’t do that if you’re scanning your computer for new viruses or checking a (warez) file you downloaded.

Kaspersky and AVIRA have good reputation of virtually no false alarms.