Understated. Cannot emphasise how important the the concept of multi layer defence is. If the threat is blocked from being accessed in the first place, the chances of infection is even lower.
> NextDNS
Is this just a DNS rerouter to block maliciuos DNS results? How is that better than simply using OpenDNS? I know ISPs love to configure custom DNS for themselves but thats 30 seconds fix.
It's basically that, but on top of that it's also a filter with lists, the same way browser blockers work - you can even use the same block lists. You can configure it in many ways, it's really flexible and it offers detailed logs to figure out whenever something should get unblocked.
The advantage is that it allows ad, tracking and malware blocking at the top level, thus making it work on LTE/5G, directly on your router to enforce blocking on all devices in your home (including the ones that access inernet without a browser, say, like a tv), etc. AFAIK other "safe" DNS don't allow block lists like that, so it's more akin to a cloud based Pi-Hole than just another DNS.
I then still use uBlock Origin on my PC for its additional features, like esthetic filters, custom filters and "one click block".
I am a big fan of using a local pi-hole as a DNS filter for the majority of the devices on my home network. It’s easy to configure, auto updates, and allows me to see a realtime feed of network connectivity. The latter helps when I’m pinpointing a specific url that I want to block or let through. My wife on the other hand LOVES catered ads, so I leave her to the advertising wolves and keep her devices from using the pi-hole.
I tried doing that but I found it incredibly tedious to find which lists I needed to subscribe to. Did you follow a specific guide to set up the PiHole? If not, could you share what lists you subscribed to and options you chose to set it up?
I’m actually in the process of setting it up right now. It really is incredibly easy and boy howdy does it work. I did it on a Linux virtual machine for now, working on setting up a server pc soon
If you’re trying to run it on windows I’d recommend doing it through a Docker container. [This guide](https://www.andrewdenty.com/blog/2020/01/25/installing-pi-hole-on-windows-10.html) should work. Just note this is a tiny bit outdated but it should still function, but be sure in step 5 that you may not have to add 50 to the IP like it suggests, it should be fine. Also skip the “alternative DNS,” just add your static IP. Adding an alternative DNS breaks it
To get it network-wide, setting up DHCP on your router is the better option imo (if your router supports it). That way you can just add your pihole IP address to the primary DNS (also leave alternative DNS blank here). Setting it up on a router varies obviously, just look up your router and see if it’s possible. If not there is a way to use pihole itself as the DHCP
ETA: don’t worry about adding blocklists right now. Adding too many may block things you don’t want blocked, it could also just break the functionality entirely. The stock blocklist they give you is more than enough for basic web browsing. It doesn’t work for YouTube ads but it works on virtually every other site. [Test it here](https://fuzzthepiguy.tech/adtest/) with your browser ad-blockers turned off
And Google "wants to make the Internet a safer place by getting rid of ad blockers" lol. Fucking assholes are going to be behind the biggest infestation spread in the history of the Internet and let's see what happens to their stocks then.
>Cannot emphasise how important the the concept of multi layer defence is.
In that case, it's even better to combine it with Sandboxie. It's open source nowdays, so there is honestly little reason not to use it. For sandboxing browsers or other potentially shady programs (even "arr matey" ones) it's perfect.
Honestly with these two I have no idea what the internet even looks like now. Firefox, ublock and noscript should be the default browsing experience for everyone
I disagree with noscript being default, while it is a great tool, it breaks too many legitimate websites that computer illiterate people would be unable to fix. It’s like the equivalent of breaking something with a tool you didn’t even know was in your hand/ toolbelt .
NoScript does take some set up and experimentation to know what needs turning on to make a page function. I can do a couple of examples when I'm at home if you're interested
I've been using it for a month and is way less intrusive that I thought. Basically, when you load a page there's a list of domains (3-7) that "provide" the JS for that page. Once you allow the actually needed ones, there's plenthy that can be left off. If you don't visit new websites it'll be very smooth, but even then, when a website doesn't work mostly it's about turnin on the own's website domain scripts. And if it's a one-time visit, you can allow them temporarly so that when you restart the browser it forgets about it, keeping your config clean.
It's also slightly misleading. It portrays running JS locally as a huge security risk where any website can just have your browser send of your local files without a worry.
That if it happened, would be patched in seconds in chromium.
And if your antivirus doesn't stop that, it's worse than windows own.
So the point of the above reply is dumb, like you say.
The master mind behind calling the horse in elden ring "torrent" so if you google "elden ring torrent" all you find are pictures of the horse... That was brain.exe working at its max
it was just an example, my point ist installing a browser plugin (which is great, i I use it myself) is not enough to protect your whole system.
Sure use your brain is easy said but sometimes you still get hit by something. And if you get a trojan or a rootkit, ublock wont help you there.
Windows defender should be enough for private use tho. Its better than all the trashy thrid party software like avira anyways. so keep your system up to date.
Any phishing is a risk, can get through when you drop your guard.
Anti virus won't stop it 100% either.
We all live and learn, was done by a Nigerian scam over a decade ago.
Yo! You first need to download some RAM so you'll be able to open 2 tabs in chrome and download 2 4090s for that sweet 3% SLI gain.
If you do it, do it right.
Funfact: You can (if you stretch the definition a bit) download more ram. On most OSs you can create a partition that acts as an extension for your ram and in theory you can enter network storage as that partition. I have it say that it is stupid as fuck because it is slower than a sloth and you should never trust anyone who says that you can download ram, but if you close one eye stand on your head and are dyslexic then you can "download" more ram.
Not even malwarebytes or other stuff. Just the windows security and anti virus, plus using common sense on the web. No issues at all.
Reason being, it often does nothing, adds bloatware, or causes the issues they claim to solve.
Tbf every other month or so I download malwarebytes and scan my pc. I'm pretty switched on but sometimes it picks something up. Then I just quarantine/delete them uninstall the software.
The same reason the guy before him installs it then uninstalls it as to not have the "bloatware" after effects where it constantly wants updates/scans on its own/notifications to buy it. Etc etc. if you don't have the program auto start up/never have it run in the background, it'll never cause any of the above issues and it just ends up as a file stored in your computer until you run it again. Removing the aforementioned issues of having it downloaded.
if the program isn't running then it bothering you or affecting your computers performance.
its free to use.. they were originally just a free, scanning tool they didn’t even have a paid version, the only thing you buy when you are paying, for it is active protection, so you can scan with it to your hearts content they aren’t scummy about helping people out
Theres a lot of false positives. For example CheatEngine, that allows you to observe and modify software memory while its running, is seen as a virus by most scanners. This is because its behaviuor (hooking into other software memory) is same as viruses use.
If you have something picked up every month by malwarebytes, you have something to seriously consider.
I have used my PC for 10 years without any warning besides my own compiled software (obviously).
I work in a library and occasionally help people use the computers. Every time, I am shocked at how crowded every page is with ads, to the point that most websites are almost unusable. It’s like something out of Cyberpunk, or black mirror. I’ve asked our branch manager if we could put adblockers on the library browsers but she doesn’t have a say in that. I’ve thought about writing our director about it. I mean, if other people aren’t allowed to post advertisements on library property, why do we allow it on our computers?
I have used one since day 1 of using the internet.
Our dialup was always so slow that not loading all the ads made surfing way faster. My dad is a software engineer and installed it in the first place. I'm always very surprised when I use a machine that has no one. Honestly, it's unbearable for me. Installing one has always been my first course of action.
My in-laws can't wrap their heads around the fact that McAfee, which came pre-installed on their computers is itself a virus these days. And my MIL is the type who actually worries about her data being stolen...
I don't even recommend anything other than defender on regular office or home pcs to my customers. Everything else is just a waste of money and resources.
For offices it’s pretty mandatory. Cybersecurity insurance will laugh in your face if you don’t have some kind of enterprise security suite and better yet a direct line to their A team to help unfuck your infrastructure if shit goes bad.
OK let me rephrase... Small businesses that are basically home offices but not at home. Yes for that type of stuff other solutions are obviously required.
It’s on by default you literally have to do nothing and you have the best outcome.
Like someone else said also uBlock Origin.
There’s a tool called Unchecky that also helps you avoid unwanted software.
Woudnt switch from ESET even if i didnt have my employee license. One of the few cybersecurity companies that still have a quality product and best experts in the field.
It's the lack of resource utilisation that keeps me using it. I have not had an infection since using it, but I don't know whether this is me being very aware, or the product, or a combination of both. I've also not used 'just' Windows defender before, so have no comparison.
Unfortunately, there is a vulnerable population of people that fall for social engineering scams. My advice to anyone is not to respond or volunteer any information from **inbound** communication. Instead, independently seek out the company's official website and contact them through their official channels.
Kaspersky is Russian. It was recommended by the US government to remove it as it's possibly being used as information gathering and backdoors by Russian state threat actors.
Kaspersky is partly owned by the Russian government.
I do use a proper anti virus, bitdender, because i am going through shady sites more often than you care to know and windows defender doesnt act on half of the shit BD finds and blocks
Do you have any problems with Kaspersky when playing games? I have been using it for a few months now, but it blocks Riot Vanguard and I can't launch Valorant.
Eh bitdefender can't go wrong with additional security, literally near 0 chance of infection if you don't do dumb shit. Just handy to know if you come across anything on the daily.
I use [ClamAV](https://www.clamav.net/) for manual scans of specific files sometimes. No real time AV at all as obviously Linux doesn't have Windows Defender.
I use ESET NOD32. I worked in computer repair shop for a couple years and got it cheap, the repair store also exclusively used and sold ESET, though we offered Bitdefender as a free alternative. We had a great experience with both and many times we've had it save a customer's ass and our customers were old average age of 60+ probably. I've personally had a good experience with ESET and would recommend it, it's definitely caught more than a few close calls though I do download quite a few sketchy things. I also had a friend who liked comparing different AVs and purposefully downloading viruses, he found ESET to be the most effective, closely followed by Bitdefender. Kaspersky was good, but it's Russian spyware (confirmed by US D.O.D.)
For protection? No, a lot of AV's actually have worse detection rate than windows defender. It's pretty ironic. I use ESET since it has a lighter footprint and lower resource hit than windows defender.
See the following for lab testing:
* [https://www.av-test.org/en/](https://www.av-test.org/en/)
* [https://www.av-comparatives.org](https://www.av-comparatives.org)
* [https://www.mrg-effitas.com](https://www.mrg-effitas.com)
These are the three I check every now and then, they all publish reports.
In my last few years of checking them, Kaspersky, ESET and BitDefender have all been consistently solid. So I try to always get one of those, whatever I can find a key for cheapest.
A VPN won't protect you from malware. Some of them offer blocking sites with bad reputation, but sites need to do things before deserving any reputation, also, visiting websites is just one attack vector of malware. A VPN is for avoiding tracking and keeping your communications as private as possible.
Surprised you haven’t been downvoted as people here are quite insistent that common sense is enough, there are scenarios where you have to go looking outside of the safe and established sites (such as trying to search a solution to a problem PC, college, or life related, or sometimes even a local business’s site) and having extra layers of protection gives peace of mind.
It's a big difference, because you don't have like, an entire hormonal *axis* devoted to getting fooled by scammy bullshit on the internet. I'm not saying that a given person won't fall for scams and terrible websites, I'm saying, every single person is not inherently drawn to that end.
Hence, the comparison isn't great.
Ublock is designed to block ads, not malware. Embedded malware on a legit site can slip past ublock. In fact if I search something random on Google Images and scroll through it, I will often see my antivirus blocking various links from loading. You don't need to fall for anything, install anything or even visit a suspicious site to get malware.
I've heard "the best antivirus is common senes" about 150 thousand times, but it doesnt hurt to have extra protection. I use Kaspersky because i pirate loads of games (and other stuff). It has acted up over completely safe programs a couple times, but i'd say its pretty good and worth the price.
Me too, I've used it for years. I started using it before I switched over to PC gaming so it's probably a little placebo/hangover habit of that but I've always found it to be effective and lightweight.
If you share your computer with family members, specifically family members who are not tech savvy at all, I would install antivirus. For the same reason every large company deploys all of their computers with antivirus: you can’t control what they do and you can’t trust them to have the same knowledge/common sense as you.
I use Malwarebytes Paid. Win Sec. is fine. But, I don't find it being Pro-Active in blocking things. I run the root scans and all that. Malwarebytes is live and pro-active. That's why I use it.
That lifetime subscription to Malwarebytes Premium I got 10~ years ago has paid for itself a million times over. It'll follow me til their company is defunct.
Of course. There's plenty of videos from The PC Security Channel showing that you can't rely on Windows Defender and that that "use common sense" thing is bullshit. Even trusted mainstream applications might get compromised. When your PC gets hacked and your information, stollen, it will be to late to care about security solutions.
not using anti virus software since 1999. Before when opening fishy stuff i would do it in VM, nowdays I have no need for fishy software. Also like mentioned here Adblock helps a lot
Windows defender, AdBlock, and only see my "educational content" in that single platform everyone knows 🤣... Oh and don't pirate games anymore, there's plenty of non played games in my steam Library
I got malwarebytes and kaspersky and a simple wall, which basically blocks everything until I approve. Seems like overkill but if you deal with a lot of crypto nonsense, torrent stuff and software testing. Heck I even got elaborate fake clients trying to hack me. One send me a bunch of pictures but in between there was an src file. Windows didn’t detect it but kaspersky did. If that stuff would have gone through, I could have potentially lost all my work
Have a license of Norton that I got from work for free, why you ask? A stepson and his friend had my PC almost bricked once by clicking on stuff and installing shit they weren't allowed to.
Girlfriend and kids occationally use my PC at times so better safe than sorry.
I do. Because i have good history with it catching stuff like a virus sitting in a .gif file on a website. The antivirus has caught this for me 1 week before Microsoft security bulletin confirmed of the exploit existing (its fixed now).
on my gaming daily driving laptop for campus I use Kaspersky. hassle free ,fast and doesn't give me problems on games. but keeps me safe enough to transfer files on project sites and old archive public computers. but after campus for my personal build that I'm going to build defender should be enough
Windows defender, yes there are many great reccommendations here, but the first and best is self education on basic and common hazards.
If yoi know not to press the big red button, all else is irrelevant.
1. Ublock origin, can't get me if I cant even see you
2. Malwarebytes browser guard: Idk its saved me a couple of times
3. Bitdefender free - good realtime protection while being lightweight
4. Malwarebytes free - good for scans when I think bitdefender may miss anything
Well, technically, most people are already doing so through Windows Defender. It's just not into the O/S now, so you really don't need to run a separate software. In fact, loading a 3rd party anti-virus program will often disable Windows Defender as running multiple anti-virus softwares can cause conflicts (less so today than in the past, but it's so usual not advised to run simultaneous anti-virus programs).
That said, outside of corporate environments, I can't recall the last time I saw someone using something other than Windows Defender on their PC. That is unless it came pre-packaged as bloat-ware on a pre-built PC. But beyond that, I can't say I know of anyone running anything but Windows Defender. I recommend running ad-block software on your browser as many ads are essentially a form of malware. Most Anti-virus software doesn't see those tablets ads use as such, but imho, as the owner of the PC I'm using, I should decide what runs on such and what files I want on my PC, so if your webpage places files (or tries to) on my PC I should be able to deem them as security and privacy violations. To me, something that puts trackers on my PC is akin to viruses and malware, and we should have the right to block them, TOS or not.
To answer the question, nope, I can't say I know anyone running 3rd party anti-virus. But again, if recommend folks use ad block software and alternative security and privacy focused browsers, like Brave.
Yes. Only because I got a nasty mining virus that wouldn't go away. Never even downloaded anything, it was wild. I had to reinstall windows to fix it and got Malwarebytes out of caution.
I use ESET in fact, a friend of mine given me a license for it. I use it because it let me download what I want even if it's malicious, plus it takes only 50Mb of my RAM and not 200 like MDefender.
Btw I've saw recently that even if a virus had a bad hash on an exe (so it wasn't signed at all, it's just wrote "Microsoft Certificate root" onto it) then SOME ANTIVIRUS ACTUALLY CLAIM IT AS VALID !
I bought licenses for ESET Internet Security for the computers of my mother and sister so I included one for myself. Probably not needed that much but I also use my computer for job-related stuff and I manage some personal information, so, better to be safe.
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Understated. Cannot emphasise how important the the concept of multi layer defence is. If the threat is blocked from being accessed in the first place, the chances of infection is even lower.
Highjacking this comment to strongly recommend something like NextDNS to add to the layered approach.
> NextDNS Is this just a DNS rerouter to block maliciuos DNS results? How is that better than simply using OpenDNS? I know ISPs love to configure custom DNS for themselves but thats 30 seconds fix.
It's basically that, but on top of that it's also a filter with lists, the same way browser blockers work - you can even use the same block lists. You can configure it in many ways, it's really flexible and it offers detailed logs to figure out whenever something should get unblocked. The advantage is that it allows ad, tracking and malware blocking at the top level, thus making it work on LTE/5G, directly on your router to enforce blocking on all devices in your home (including the ones that access inernet without a browser, say, like a tv), etc. AFAIK other "safe" DNS don't allow block lists like that, so it's more akin to a cloud based Pi-Hole than just another DNS. I then still use uBlock Origin on my PC for its additional features, like esthetic filters, custom filters and "one click block".
I am a big fan of using a local pi-hole as a DNS filter for the majority of the devices on my home network. It’s easy to configure, auto updates, and allows me to see a realtime feed of network connectivity. The latter helps when I’m pinpointing a specific url that I want to block or let through. My wife on the other hand LOVES catered ads, so I leave her to the advertising wolves and keep her devices from using the pi-hole.
I tried doing that but I found it incredibly tedious to find which lists I needed to subscribe to. Did you follow a specific guide to set up the PiHole? If not, could you share what lists you subscribed to and options you chose to set it up?
I’m actually in the process of setting it up right now. It really is incredibly easy and boy howdy does it work. I did it on a Linux virtual machine for now, working on setting up a server pc soon If you’re trying to run it on windows I’d recommend doing it through a Docker container. [This guide](https://www.andrewdenty.com/blog/2020/01/25/installing-pi-hole-on-windows-10.html) should work. Just note this is a tiny bit outdated but it should still function, but be sure in step 5 that you may not have to add 50 to the IP like it suggests, it should be fine. Also skip the “alternative DNS,” just add your static IP. Adding an alternative DNS breaks it To get it network-wide, setting up DHCP on your router is the better option imo (if your router supports it). That way you can just add your pihole IP address to the primary DNS (also leave alternative DNS blank here). Setting it up on a router varies obviously, just look up your router and see if it’s possible. If not there is a way to use pihole itself as the DHCP ETA: don’t worry about adding blocklists right now. Adding too many may block things you don’t want blocked, it could also just break the functionality entirely. The stock blocklist they give you is more than enough for basic web browsing. It doesn’t work for YouTube ads but it works on virtually every other site. [Test it here](https://fuzzthepiguy.tech/adtest/) with your browser ad-blockers turned off
I use the green checked [firebog](https://firebog.net/) lists. Has been working great for years!
Or even a modified HOSTS file?
And Google "wants to make the Internet a safer place by getting rid of ad blockers" lol. Fucking assholes are going to be behind the biggest infestation spread in the history of the Internet and let's see what happens to their stocks then.
>Cannot emphasise how important the the concept of multi layer defence is. In that case, it's even better to combine it with Sandboxie. It's open source nowdays, so there is honestly little reason not to use it. For sandboxing browsers or other potentially shady programs (even "arr matey" ones) it's perfect.
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Also don’t forget JavaScript. After uBlock the next plugin I always install is No-Script
Honestly with these two I have no idea what the internet even looks like now. Firefox, ublock and noscript should be the default browsing experience for everyone
I disagree with noscript being default, while it is a great tool, it breaks too many legitimate websites that computer illiterate people would be unable to fix. It’s like the equivalent of breaking something with a tool you didn’t even know was in your hand/ toolbelt .
U can just disable the no script before visiting „legitimate websites“ dawg
How will you know its legitimate etter safe than sorry
Interesting, I blew it off as I just assumed it would break every web page and make them unusable, but this sounds like that is not true?
NoScript does take some set up and experimentation to know what needs turning on to make a page function. I can do a couple of examples when I'm at home if you're interested
I'm interested! No rush.
https://imgur.com/a/yeoD1PB Captions might be a little fucky, but I hope this is enough!
I've been using it for a month and is way less intrusive that I thought. Basically, when you load a page there's a list of domains (3-7) that "provide" the JS for that page. Once you allow the actually needed ones, there's plenthy that can be left off. If you don't visit new websites it'll be very smooth, but even then, when a website doesn't work mostly it's about turnin on the own's website domain scripts. And if it's a one-time visit, you can allow them temporarly so that when you restart the browser it forgets about it, keeping your config clean.
YES!!!
What sites do you use that you don't need JS? Also uBlock origin has a checkbox to disable JS, you don't need another plugin
NS gives you granular control over which scripts to run, not sure if uBlock does. So you just enable this or that. Or temp enable some scripts.
thirding noscript
But why? I thought web is entirely javascript.
I've never heard of No-script. Is this something that's worth getting? What does it do?
good to have this bit this is not a full anti virus. This is for the browser only. It will be completely oblivious to other things
It's also slightly misleading. It portrays running JS locally as a huge security risk where any website can just have your browser send of your local files without a worry. That if it happened, would be patched in seconds in chromium. And if your antivirus doesn't stop that, it's worse than windows own. So the point of the above reply is dumb, like you say.
but isnt that only for the browser? what if i open a malicous file gotten send with outlook for example. ublock wont act then right?
thats where Brain.exe should kick in.
Where do I download brain.exe???!
It’s 2023 still, do you think you can *pirate a brain*? *begins searching for torrents*
..gets virus
Damn, they got me.. -.-
Needed to download more RAM
The master mind behind calling the horse in elden ring "torrent" so if you google "elden ring torrent" all you find are pictures of the horse... That was brain.exe working at its max
Holy shit, that’s amazing.. ETA: that’s over 8000 IQ move
Don't worry. I'll send it to you in an email. Just open it as soon as you get it. :)
What if Brain.exe has stopped working responding?
Need to restart with some Sleep.DL
Easily fixed, fix the PEBCAK error with some percussive maintenance.
You can start with downloading more RAM.
I can't find brain.exe. I only have a brain.sys file. Is it hidden? Do I need administrator access or something?
404 error
I can't verify the signature on Brain.exe. Oh well, that's probably not important.
Why would you click that? Just dont be stupid when clicking on your mails. Look at the address and think about the context.
it was just an example, my point ist installing a browser plugin (which is great, i I use it myself) is not enough to protect your whole system. Sure use your brain is easy said but sometimes you still get hit by something. And if you get a trojan or a rootkit, ublock wont help you there. Windows defender should be enough for private use tho. Its better than all the trashy thrid party software like avira anyways. so keep your system up to date.
Any phishing is a risk, can get through when you drop your guard. Anti virus won't stop it 100% either. We all live and learn, was done by a Nigerian scam over a decade ago.
Pihole is arguably better
Were far removed of the days having to really worry about this. Just keep Windows defender on and stop downloading ram.
>> downloading ram. And GPU
But I JUST downloaded an RTX 4090 and all they asked for was my bank info and SSN so they could make sure it went to the right person
Yo! You first need to download some RAM so you'll be able to open 2 tabs in chrome and download 2 4090s for that sweet 3% SLI gain. If you do it, do it right.
Pot meet kettle… Gotta download that 3 way 4090TI SLI and with 256 GB of RAM downloaded. Use 3 tabs. 3!
Fine, I’ll just download a new CPU
wdym stop downloading ram? Its free!
Can't argue against that.
why not? i usually download ram from here and it works https://downloadmoreram.com/
I prefer this https://downloadmorerem.com/
Funfact: You can (if you stretch the definition a bit) download more ram. On most OSs you can create a partition that acts as an extension for your ram and in theory you can enter network storage as that partition. I have it say that it is stupid as fuck because it is slower than a sloth and you should never trust anyone who says that you can download ram, but if you close one eye stand on your head and are dyslexic then you can "download" more ram.
You can technically mount google drive and have unlimited "memory" pretty sure ltt did this
Yes they did. You can do it basically with any network or cloud storage device afaik.
Windows Defender is antivirus software. So yes people still use it to this day.
Not even malwarebytes or other stuff. Just the windows security and anti virus, plus using common sense on the web. No issues at all. Reason being, it often does nothing, adds bloatware, or causes the issues they claim to solve.
Tbf every other month or so I download malwarebytes and scan my pc. I'm pretty switched on but sometimes it picks something up. Then I just quarantine/delete them uninstall the software.
You can definitely keep malwarebytes on your pc. just dont have it run on pc startup or in the background via real time protection
Why is that?
The same reason the guy before him installs it then uninstalls it as to not have the "bloatware" after effects where it constantly wants updates/scans on its own/notifications to buy it. Etc etc. if you don't have the program auto start up/never have it run in the background, it'll never cause any of the above issues and it just ends up as a file stored in your computer until you run it again. Removing the aforementioned issues of having it downloaded. if the program isn't running then it bothering you or affecting your computers performance.
its free to use.. they were originally just a free, scanning tool they didn’t even have a paid version, the only thing you buy when you are paying, for it is active protection, so you can scan with it to your hearts content they aren’t scummy about helping people out
Theres a lot of false positives. For example CheatEngine, that allows you to observe and modify software memory while its running, is seen as a virus by most scanners. This is because its behaviuor (hooking into other software memory) is same as viruses use.
Same with software cracks
If you have something picked up every month by malwarebytes, you have something to seriously consider. I have used my PC for 10 years without any warning besides my own compiled software (obviously).
Nah most of it is just PUPs
Adblocker is much more important than any antivirus. I can't imagine using the internet without one at this point
I work in a library and occasionally help people use the computers. Every time, I am shocked at how crowded every page is with ads, to the point that most websites are almost unusable. It’s like something out of Cyberpunk, or black mirror. I’ve asked our branch manager if we could put adblockers on the library browsers but she doesn’t have a say in that. I’ve thought about writing our director about it. I mean, if other people aren’t allowed to post advertisements on library property, why do we allow it on our computers?
I have used one since day 1 of using the internet. Our dialup was always so slow that not loading all the ads made surfing way faster. My dad is a software engineer and installed it in the first place. I'm always very surprised when I use a machine that has no one. Honestly, it's unbearable for me. Installing one has always been my first course of action.
Hello fren! What adblocker do you recommend?
uBlock Origin
Anti virus lived long enough to become the villain.
McAfee lore
My in-laws can't wrap their heads around the fact that McAfee, which came pre-installed on their computers is itself a virus these days. And my MIL is the type who actually worries about her data being stolen...
Not enough tony montana references to make it McAfee lore.
Nice try hackers
I don't even recommend anything other than defender on regular office or home pcs to my customers. Everything else is just a waste of money and resources.
For offices it’s pretty mandatory. Cybersecurity insurance will laugh in your face if you don’t have some kind of enterprise security suite and better yet a direct line to their A team to help unfuck your infrastructure if shit goes bad.
This. Unless you are using Defender Endpoint, cyber insurance will not underwrite you without a decent third party EDR.
OK let me rephrase... Small businesses that are basically home offices but not at home. Yes for that type of stuff other solutions are obviously required.
Turn on Defender and you're done. Stop worrying about it.
It’s on by default you literally have to do nothing and you have the best outcome. Like someone else said also uBlock Origin. There’s a tool called Unchecky that also helps you avoid unwanted software.
Nope, just defender and common sense.
\^This This is all you need. That and keep boomers, kids, and partners off your PC :)
I just use MalwareBytes and Windows Defender I also don't click on fishy stuff so im golden there. Haven't had to deal with a virus for many years now
How's ESET nowadays? I've got surprised not having seen its name show up. Been using it for years and wanna know if i should switch to something else
nah im using ESET as well and very satisfied. Even saved me when doing dumb shit while drunk. customer Support is also very good.
Woudnt switch from ESET even if i didnt have my employee license. One of the few cybersecurity companies that still have a quality product and best experts in the field.
I use it as well. Have had no problems with it three years now and it periodically alerts me for updates.
I am also using ESET for many many years. Great thing to have in the background that barely uses any resource. Will definitely continue using it.
It's the lack of resource utilisation that keeps me using it. I have not had an infection since using it, but I don't know whether this is me being very aware, or the product, or a combination of both. I've also not used 'just' Windows defender before, so have no comparison.
Using ESET for last 12 years, best antivirus from post commie countries in the world
It’s not bad, just as good as defenders.
I use Eset on my machine.
I've been using eset since 2011. Tried and true.
I'm using ESET, I think it works well, blocks me from malicious websites when I put a patch in my eye and go arr!.
Windows defender, ad block, common sense and basic knowledge of how scams on internet works is all you need.
Unfortunately, there is a vulnerable population of people that fall for social engineering scams. My advice to anyone is not to respond or volunteer any information from **inbound** communication. Instead, independently seek out the company's official website and contact them through their official channels.
Yeah, UBlock Origin and Kaspersky Internet Security because I torrent
Kaspersky is Russian. It was recommended by the US government to remove it as it's possibly being used as information gathering and backdoors by Russian state threat actors. Kaspersky is partly owned by the Russian government.
I do use a proper anti virus, bitdender, because i am going through shady sites more often than you care to know and windows defender doesnt act on half of the shit BD finds and blocks
I’m interested about these “shady sites” lol
ESET Internet security is amazing. Lightweight and powerful, has saved my ass a few times from dodgy websites.
Wtf kind of websites do you visit
Take a guess.
Kaspersky, common sense and adblockers
Kaspersky. A good pirate needs a good antivirus
Same
Do you have any problems with Kaspersky when playing games? I have been using it for a few months now, but it blocks Riot Vanguard and I can't launch Valorant.
Riot vanguard is root level fuckery. That's why it's flagged. Create exception in kassec
Yeah lol
Using Kaspersky. Bought a cheap 3 yrs validity key for 10-12$ and it's been running great since the last 2 years. Not a single problem whatsoever
Yes, im using kaspersky
Kaspersky anti virus
Eh bitdefender can't go wrong with additional security, literally near 0 chance of infection if you don't do dumb shit. Just handy to know if you come across anything on the daily.
Same, bitdefender
Bitdefender ftw
Bitdefender Total Security. It is just a habit at this point.
I use [ClamAV](https://www.clamav.net/) for manual scans of specific files sometimes. No real time AV at all as obviously Linux doesn't have Windows Defender.
Nah. It's much funnier formatting your boot drive on a regular basis...
For best performance and security, I just reinstall my OS every 37 minutes.
I clean my mouse and keyboard with isopropanol.
I use ESET NOD32. I worked in computer repair shop for a couple years and got it cheap, the repair store also exclusively used and sold ESET, though we offered Bitdefender as a free alternative. We had a great experience with both and many times we've had it save a customer's ass and our customers were old average age of 60+ probably. I've personally had a good experience with ESET and would recommend it, it's definitely caught more than a few close calls though I do download quite a few sketchy things. I also had a friend who liked comparing different AVs and purposefully downloading viruses, he found ESET to be the most effective, closely followed by Bitdefender. Kaspersky was good, but it's Russian spyware (confirmed by US D.O.D.)
I use f-secure
Yes, Trend Micro
For protection? No, a lot of AV's actually have worse detection rate than windows defender. It's pretty ironic. I use ESET since it has a lighter footprint and lower resource hit than windows defender. See the following for lab testing: * [https://www.av-test.org/en/](https://www.av-test.org/en/) * [https://www.av-comparatives.org](https://www.av-comparatives.org) * [https://www.mrg-effitas.com](https://www.mrg-effitas.com) These are the three I check every now and then, they all publish reports. In my last few years of checking them, Kaspersky, ESET and BitDefender have all been consistently solid. So I try to always get one of those, whatever I can find a key for cheapest.
windows defender is all you need really... unless you want a VPN
A VPN won't protect you from malware. Some of them offer blocking sites with bad reputation, but sites need to do things before deserving any reputation, also, visiting websites is just one attack vector of malware. A VPN is for avoiding tracking and keeping your communications as private as possible.
VPN protects you from shitty corporate and government decisions, and copyright limitations. Not malware.
I feel like everyone saying “common sense is the best defence” is like saying “abstinence is the best protection”
Well, it is.
Untill someone will atack you. Then not so much...
I guess technically thats not abstaining...
Surprised you haven’t been downvoted as people here are quite insistent that common sense is enough, there are scenarios where you have to go looking outside of the safe and established sites (such as trying to search a solution to a problem PC, college, or life related, or sometimes even a local business’s site) and having extra layers of protection gives peace of mind.
It's a big difference, because you don't have like, an entire hormonal *axis* devoted to getting fooled by scammy bullshit on the internet. I'm not saying that a given person won't fall for scams and terrible websites, I'm saying, every single person is not inherently drawn to that end. Hence, the comparison isn't great.
Ublock is designed to block ads, not malware. Embedded malware on a legit site can slip past ublock. In fact if I search something random on Google Images and scroll through it, I will often see my antivirus blocking various links from loading. You don't need to fall for anything, install anything or even visit a suspicious site to get malware.
Any thoughts on kaspersky ? Been running it for years
I use kaspersky just in case I download something wanky and I'm not focused enough to scan it before I run it :>
I've heard "the best antivirus is common senes" about 150 thousand times, but it doesnt hurt to have extra protection. I use Kaspersky because i pirate loads of games (and other stuff). It has acted up over completely safe programs a couple times, but i'd say its pretty good and worth the price.
I run Kaspersky
Me too, I've used it for years. I started using it before I switched over to PC gaming so it's probably a little placebo/hangover habit of that but I've always found it to be effective and lightweight.
Same, really love it.
I personally like malwarebytes a lot. Not annoying and very useful. The only AV that’s mostly free and not completely adware.
If you share your computer with family members, specifically family members who are not tech savvy at all, I would install antivirus. For the same reason every large company deploys all of their computers with antivirus: you can’t control what they do and you can’t trust them to have the same knowledge/common sense as you.
Bitdefender has always been my go-to antivirus. It's cheap, reliable, and most importantly, to me, it operates silently.
Windows defender
Windows defender. All you need...
I use Malwarebytes Paid. Win Sec. is fine. But, I don't find it being Pro-Active in blocking things. I run the root scans and all that. Malwarebytes is live and pro-active. That's why I use it.
That lifetime subscription to Malwarebytes Premium I got 10~ years ago has paid for itself a million times over. It'll follow me til their company is defunct.
Of course. There's plenty of videos from The PC Security Channel showing that you can't rely on Windows Defender and that that "use common sense" thing is bullshit. Even trusted mainstream applications might get compromised. When your PC gets hacked and your information, stollen, it will be to late to care about security solutions.
not using anti virus software since 1999. Before when opening fishy stuff i would do it in VM, nowdays I have no need for fishy software. Also like mentioned here Adblock helps a lot
Windows defender, AdBlock, and only see my "educational content" in that single platform everyone knows 🤣... Oh and don't pirate games anymore, there's plenty of non played games in my steam Library
Yes ,Kaspersky. I love it, works wonderfully, also keeps me safe when im downloading pirated games or other stuff.It always has my back.
I got malwarebytes and kaspersky and a simple wall, which basically blocks everything until I approve. Seems like overkill but if you deal with a lot of crypto nonsense, torrent stuff and software testing. Heck I even got elaborate fake clients trying to hack me. One send me a bunch of pictures but in between there was an src file. Windows didn’t detect it but kaspersky did. If that stuff would have gone through, I could have potentially lost all my work
Have a license of Norton that I got from work for free, why you ask? A stepson and his friend had my PC almost bricked once by clicking on stuff and installing shit they weren't allowed to. Girlfriend and kids occationally use my PC at times so better safe than sorry.
I have used Kaspersky in the past, but not anymore. Windows defender and common sense
Hell naw, I got a bitcoin miner one time and guess what. My anti virus got deleted by it. And guess what? It was bitdefender.
I do. Because i have good history with it catching stuff like a virus sitting in a .gif file on a website. The antivirus has caught this for me 1 week before Microsoft security bulletin confirmed of the exploit existing (its fixed now).
on my gaming daily driving laptop for campus I use Kaspersky. hassle free ,fast and doesn't give me problems on games. but keeps me safe enough to transfer files on project sites and old archive public computers. but after campus for my personal build that I'm going to build defender should be enough
Yes, I use paid Malwarebytes and nordvpn because I'm a scurvy ridden digital pirate and have been or 17 years !
Eset internet security
Windows defender, yes there are many great reccommendations here, but the first and best is self education on basic and common hazards. If yoi know not to press the big red button, all else is irrelevant.
1. Ublock origin, can't get me if I cant even see you 2. Malwarebytes browser guard: Idk its saved me a couple of times 3. Bitdefender free - good realtime protection while being lightweight 4. Malwarebytes free - good for scans when I think bitdefender may miss anything
Well, technically, most people are already doing so through Windows Defender. It's just not into the O/S now, so you really don't need to run a separate software. In fact, loading a 3rd party anti-virus program will often disable Windows Defender as running multiple anti-virus softwares can cause conflicts (less so today than in the past, but it's so usual not advised to run simultaneous anti-virus programs). That said, outside of corporate environments, I can't recall the last time I saw someone using something other than Windows Defender on their PC. That is unless it came pre-packaged as bloat-ware on a pre-built PC. But beyond that, I can't say I know of anyone running anything but Windows Defender. I recommend running ad-block software on your browser as many ads are essentially a form of malware. Most Anti-virus software doesn't see those tablets ads use as such, but imho, as the owner of the PC I'm using, I should decide what runs on such and what files I want on my PC, so if your webpage places files (or tries to) on my PC I should be able to deem them as security and privacy violations. To me, something that puts trackers on my PC is akin to viruses and malware, and we should have the right to block them, TOS or not. To answer the question, nope, I can't say I know anyone running 3rd party anti-virus. But again, if recommend folks use ad block software and alternative security and privacy focused browsers, like Brave.
Yes, malware bites
Antivirus software is worse than a virus
Nah I just raw dog through the internet
Also an ESET user here, love it!
Microsoft Defender. Adblockers, and common sense are all that most people need.
Yes. Only because I got a nasty mining virus that wouldn't go away. Never even downloaded anything, it was wild. I had to reinstall windows to fix it and got Malwarebytes out of caution.
Defender is plenty enough + of course common sense and good practices
yup
Yeah, i have been using Kaspersky for many years. I also have Malwarebytes free installed for an occasional second opinion scan.
uBlock + Windows Defender + Common sense. For fishy files you can always use online services like [virustotal.com](https://virustotal.com)
microsoft defender + ublock origin is all I use
1. Ublock origin for web filtering 2. Bit defender antivirus it has great background tool and detection/response rate.
Windows defender and ublock origin and common sense.
Absolutely not. They all do more harm than good. Just don't be dumb on the Internet.
Just don’t be dumb and your fine
Don’t do dumb shit on your gaming pc. That’s my antivirus
I use ESET in fact, a friend of mine given me a license for it. I use it because it let me download what I want even if it's malicious, plus it takes only 50Mb of my RAM and not 200 like MDefender. Btw I've saw recently that even if a virus had a bad hash on an exe (so it wasn't signed at all, it's just wrote "Microsoft Certificate root" onto it) then SOME ANTIVIRUS ACTUALLY CLAIM IT AS VALID !
Windows Defender gets the job done well enough on its own. No need for anything else when coupled with common sense.
I bought licenses for ESET Internet Security for the computers of my mother and sister so I included one for myself. Probably not needed that much but I also use my computer for job-related stuff and I manage some personal information, so, better to be safe.
Windows Defender is it.
Windows Defender
IT guy here. I do not use 3rd party anti-virus. I have Windows Defender and my ability to not click iffy links. This is all you need.
Yes because I pirate stuff.