Anti Virus.

Dale.

Dale.

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Dale.
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My anti virus subscription is up soon, I use Spybot as it's simple and not overpriced as well as not slowing my system down.


I am tempted to try another for the next year though, any recommendations please?

Like I say, just tempted.
 
I used Spybot S&D in an old PC years back and it riddled my system with trojans, never used it again. Maybe it's better these days but I wouldn't be paying for it.

All I use nowadays is Windows defender, which comes built in to Windows 10, have never had so much as a sniff of a virus and been using it a few year now on both a laptop and this PC just got last year.
 
Brentor said:
What price are you expecting to pay?
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I'm currently around £16 per year, though I'd have to check for sure. I don't really mind a reasonable fee, if it does the job.
 
Forgot to mention, I am using Windows 8.1 64 bit.
 
I use Malwarebytes, have done for years, I think it's about twenty quid a year. Works fine as far as I can tell. It runs scans at startup each day and protects in the background against malware, exploits, ransomeware etc.

There is a free version but you have to remember to run the scans and some of the protection is not real-time.

If you are with BT ISP you can get Mcafee free. I am with BT but I don't use Mcafee as I think it slows things down.
 
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I have kept with Norton for several years. It doesn’t slow the system down as much as it used to and is only approx £20 pa. I also use the free version of Malwarebytes for a periodic scan.
 
Dale. said:
Forgot to mention, I am using Windows 8.1 64 bit.
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I think it likely that the version of windows you have is more likely to have vulnerabilities given Microsoft has stopped the mainstream support for it and total support ends in 2023.

Given that, I would be inclined to :

Upgrade to Windows 10 and use one of the free (less expensive) software options

or

Upgrade to Windows 10 and use one of the free (less expensive) software options

or

Stick with a free/cheap option and hope for the best.
 
moggi1964 said:
I think it likely that the version of windows you have is more likely to have vulnerabilities given Microsoft has stopped the mainstream support for it and total support ends in 2023.

Given that, I would be inclined to :

Upgrade to Windows 10 and use one of the free (less expensive) software options

or

Upgrade to Windows 10 and use one of the free (less expensive) software options

or

Stick with a free/cheap option and hope for the best.
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:plus1:
 
Never paid for Anti Virus, and let's just say I use my internet, ;) but have never had a problem using various free AV's over the years. :) Because of that it always baffles me that people pay for AV. :thinking: I have been using the free version of Avast for a few years on two computers with no problems.
 
TBH, if you are only accessing things like the BBC website, checking emails, or downloading updates from established software companies, you probably don't need any cybersecurity at all and certainly the free ones will do, but if there any chance of bumbling into the odd porn site -- and it's very easy to do --or accidentally opening an email attachment from a Nigerian prince then paid-for, anti-everything software is your best bet as the background monitoring is so much better.
 
Avast is fine, so is AVG except if you use the free version they keep pestering you to go for the Pro version, but I have used the freebie versionb it since around 2003/4 and never had a problem.

From experience I would avoid Mcafee and Norton , they seem to miss a lot that AVG picks up. I know this because have had them at the same time as AVG and running a scan on the other two and then AVG would always pick something up.

The one to really avoid is Kaspersky. There are stories that it is owned by a Russian parent company so who knows what they may try to do if you load it onto your computer. I may be wrong, but why risk it.
 
I pay for the only British AV system Bull Guard and cover 4 computers. Whether or not you decide to pay for protection, you should upgrade from W8 to W10 and you can still do so for free.

Dave
 
I've been using these for many years and have never had a problem.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus

Download Free Antivirus for Windows by ZoneAlarm. Get the full version for PC - Free, with an award winning firewall for the ultimate PC security
www.zonealarm.com www.zonealarm.com

www.malwarebytes.com

Free Antivirus 2026 | Download Free Antivirus & Virus Scan | 100% Free & Easy Install

Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more.
www.malwarebytes.com www.malwarebytes.com

Antispyware Free Edition

Free antispyware protection for your PC. Detects and removes 1B+ threats including malware, spyware, ransomware, and trojans. Download now.
www.superantispyware.com www.superantispyware.com
 
Do people still recommend that Mac users should not be overly concerned about not having an AV program installed?
 
Another vote for AVGFree - the nags to update and some slightly tricky attempts to get you to start a "free" trial aside it's been protecting my systems for donkey's years.
It's certainly blocked threats particularly on websites which I wouldn't have expected to have bad things on them.
I don't surf anything dodgy but when you're looking into car/camera/hifi/tv issues you can end up on some forums that are less well maintained than this one!
 
Norkie said:
Do people still recommend that Mac users should not be overly concerned about not having an AV program installed?
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My experience of this - before the turn of the century - came from the guy running a studio full of Macs - "We don't use antivirus it just slows Macs down and they don't get viruses like PCs"
He had to wipe egg off his face when my new PC connected to the network and immediately picked up a worm that was running on all his Macs trying to copy itself to any available Mac share.
Slowing every single one down every 5 minutes.
I hope Apple put something in the system like windows but I would definitely get some protection one way or another.
 
Interesting replies again, I've learned quite a bit here.

I got my first PC in the early 2000s and I was lead to believe then that AV is a must and I've been of that way of thinking since. I never get viruses though and rarely, if ever see Spybot kick in and catch something, maybe because I don't download anything unless I'm sure it's trusted and I never click any links I'm not sure on. When I run a full scan, nothing gets picked up either, just occasionally some small changes that Spybot seems unsure about. It rates the threat and it's always very minor without exception.

Maybe I'm better off upgrading my PC, I've been wanting to add some RAM and possibly change to SSD, which is a good opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 too. I bet, within a week, Windows 11 will announced. :LOL:
 
My AV software occasionally tells me it has thwarted a nasty attack but how do I know. It may just randomly generate such messages form time to time to make you feel you have done the right thing. However, I used to work in this business and think it is definitely worth getting protection using good passwords etc.

Dave
 
Dave Canon said:
My AV software occasionally tells me it has thwarted a nasty attack but how do I know. It may just randomly generate such messages form time to time to make you feel you have done the right thing.
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I've always had that suspicion.
 
ShinySideUp said:
I've always had that suspicion.
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And I've not seen a AV program that woks with Big Sur on a Mac, so even if you wanted some AV, I don't believe there is one that works!
 
Norkie said:
And I've not seen a AV program that woks with Big Sur on a Mac, so even if you wanted some AV, I don't believe there is one that works!
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Sophos
 
Norton AV has been good for me since they sorted it out, however, it seems like they are trying to drop in favour of the likes of Norton 360.
I don't either need or want to use a package beyond an AV app.
My other optons would be Kaspersky and Nod32, both of which I have previously used.
 
Are they really worth it. I have had no issue with viruses over the years, just some care in what sites you visit and what you click on is needed.
 
robj20 said:
Are they really worth it. I have had no issue with viruses over the years, just some care in what sites you visit and what you click on is needed.
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Back in the early 90s I had a virus that wiped the hard drive so since then I've been using AV.
Yes being careful about which websites to use helps but a few well known companies have had malware spread from their servers.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the sites use https rather than just http should in theory, be very secure.
 
robj20 said:
Are they really worth it. I have had no issue with viruses over the years, just some care in what sites you visit and what you click on is needed.
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I've told this story before. Many years ago I held an IT Management position at a large supermarket chain. In a meeting the topic of in-store fire sprinklers came up. The MD at the time said that he was against them "because we've never had a fire".
 
hashcake said:
Back in the early 90s I had a virus that wiped the hard drive so since then I've been using AV.
Yes being careful about which websites to use helps but a few well known companies have had malware spread from their servers.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the sites use https rather than just http should in theory, be very secure.
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I get that but are these paid ones any better than the one included with Windows is what I mean?
That and folder protection is surely enough. I mean folder protection even stops a lot of legitimate programs.
 
I have worked in the IT industry for more years than I care to count, Internet Security is like backups, you never appreciate the value until its to late.
I would always advise use the best your can afford, personally I use Norton and have just been advised that one of my old passwords is being sold on the Dark Web !
Over the years I have had to console far to many customers who have been HIT, a hotel had its customer base stolen and all their customers attacked. A photographer who had all his pictures encrypted with a demand for thousands via Bitcoin, lucky he had a good backup or they would have been lost. Old lady who had a key logger which stole her bank details and cleaned out her account. I used to give a free lollipop to every customer with 1000 plus virus/spyware/malware/blended threats on the PC's but its got to expensive.... !
 
It doesn't matter what, if any, security you use if you never get an infection.
From the beginning I've paid for F-Secure....£50 for 3 PCs for 2 years.
Having never had an infection I may have wasted my money..... but peace of mind is priceless.
Virtually all security programmes work perfectly adequately...... free or not free! ;)
 
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