[Tyrian]

I'm thinking about upgrading my internet security package.  I currently use Panda Platinum 2007.  However, I haven't been real happy with it lately.  I do not want to use Norton, as I am well acquainted with how horrible it is.  (My computer caught two viruses when I had it.  They went right through the firewall and attacked Norton itself.)  I've been thinking about changing over to NOD32, as I have heard good things about it, but I wanted to get your opinions on it. 

Also, just for my own personal curiosity, how good is McAfee?  I know someone who goes on and on about it, and I want to know if there is something to what they are saying.

[JGZinv]

McAffee = Evil 

I've taken it off every machine I've been asked to fix, and it ended up being part of the
problems the user was having. Worse than Norton - and I had Norton Sys'Works for 4 years.

Go get yourself Zone Alarm Security Suite (look for any rebates first) if you
are going with purchased software. Then get Spybot S&D, ewido security suite (get the trial,
then just use it after it expires), and TrojanHunter. The last 3 being free.

Train Zone Alarm to do what you want, and you'll be doing well.
Run your ZA, Spybot, and ewido scans for spyware and viruses often
as you feel is necessary. TH is for when you feel something is going rather weird
with the PC and the others don't pick up on it.

[Eishtmo]

I hear Zone Alarm is good.  AVG free edition for a virus scanner, Spybot S&D AND Adaware for anti-spyware forces, with HijackThis! to finish off any problems.

I don't even use Zone Alarm and I hardly ever have a problem.

[Tyrian]

I actually have ZA Security Suite on another computer.  I don't like it very much.  I've had many instances where I would check the "Always allow" box and hit allow for one program, only to have it give me the same message with the same options for the same program within 1-2 seconds later, sometimes up to 15 times in a row.  Plus I don't like how I have to permit programs to run or access other programs already on my computer.  If I download something off the internet, it's because I've already verified that it's not harmful. 

But what about NOD32?

[Huggybaby]

NOD32 is excellent if you're going to pay.

Comodo is the best firewall right now and it's free.
http://www.comodo.com/

Spyware Doctor and Spysweeper are both highly rated.
http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper/index.html?acode=af1&rc=1132

Prevx is another good layer of protection.
http://www.prevx.com/

And Sandboxie will keep you from catching anything while browsing, just be sure to move anything you want to keep out of the sandbox when done.
http://www.sandboxie.com/

Here's a great page to read: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm#3

[Taristin]

AVG free edition for a virus scanner

Is no longer offered.

I use Avast, and it caught things AVG missed.

[Huggybaby]

They still have AVG Free. They discontinued the old one when they switched to version 7.5.

[Taristin]

They still have AVG Free. They discontinued the old one when they switched to version 7.5.

The one they were offering just 6 months ago is no longer offered... Dunno if there's a "new" one.
Doesnt matter, its still not as great as it's cracked up to be.

[brozozo]

Comodo is the best firewall right now and it's free.
http://www.comodo.com/

Is it really? Would I be better off using it instead of Windows Firewall?

[Huggybaby]

Which firewall, or indeed any bit of security you use is a matter of preference, so I can't tell you what to use. It makes an interesting research project that's for sure, but there are no hard and fast answers.

Everything I've read lately says that ZoneAlarm Free has fallen way behind.

Most people who know seem to agree that your best protection is a properly configured router, but not everyone even has a router.

There is one hard rule to follow: don't pay for something on impulse. There is a lot of crap security software out there that masquerades as legitimate, a lot of it is even spyware.

The bottom line is that once you get infected it's probably too late. Also, it's not uncommon for the most heavily guarded machine to get infected and a relatively unguarded machine to stay clean. It mostly depends on where you like to browse and how quick you are to click on things. Torrents seem to be OK because bad ones get reported immediately. Kazaa and the like are different creatures, I'm not sure how they get reported. And of course beware of crack and porn sites.

[Fury]

Most people who know seem to agree that your best protection is a properly configured router, but not everyone even has a router.

Pretty much true, a software can be disabled and it may be vulnerable during operating system startup and/or shutdown. A broadband router with at least NAT enabled is already a better protection than a software firewall against inbound connections.

I use an ADSL router with both NAT and firewall enabled, I have avast! 4 Home installed but no other software firewall than XP's own. That is because I only need a software firewall to block inbound connections at certain ports when the application listening to the port(s) is not started, and XP's firewall does that much just fine. It always allows outbound connections as does my router, but that's fine by me, less hassle that way and yet secure enough.

[Sandwich]

http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/88.htm#avvii

[Tyrian]

Wow, that's a lot of info.  I'll go through it more in depth when I'm not as exhausted.

But so far this is what I have gleaned:

--NOD32 is very good but has a confusing interface
--Best firewall is Comodo
--I already use Avast! as a backup to Panda, so I'm good there
--I already use Spyware Doctor, again I'm good there
--ZA (at least the free version, I have the paid one) has gone downhill
--Routers are better than firewalls

There is one hard rule to follow: don't pay for something on impulse. There is a lot of crap security software out there that masquerades as legitimate, a lot of it is even spyware.

My teacher blew away his hard drive with one of those "free security" packages.  It made his computer real secure.  Mostly because there was nothing on the drive after that.  I was the guy he asked to fix it. 

And I never buy on impulse.  An impulsive security purchase will do more harm than good.

Is it really? Would I be better off using it instead of Windows Firewall?

Yes.  Unless you are joking.

[IceFire]

AVG Free is still available.  Most of you are just blind and AVG likes it that way: http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

My solutions for the not overly paranoid security standpoint is a good hardware router/firewall, security updates, Firefox, and AVG Free along with AdAware.  Seems to do the trick. *touch wood*

[Eishtmo]

I was just going to link it IceFire.

[Fury]

--I already use Avast! as a backup to Panda, so I'm good there

Umm... are you saying you have TWO anti-virus softwares installed? That's a big no-no, never have more than one anti-virus and firewall software installed at any given time. Doing so is likely to cause more trouble than good.

[Sandwich]

My solution is just not being stupid. Firefox and AVG are just backups for when I slip.

[Descenterace]

Hear, hear.

[Tyrian]

Umm... are you saying you have TWO anti-virus softwares installed? That's a big no-no, never have more than one anti-virus and firewall software installed at any given time. Doing so is likely to cause more trouble than good.

No, I just have Panda installed.  If something is wrong that Panda can't get, I remove Panda, install Avast, update it, scan, then remove it.  I never use two AV's at the same time.  Especially since Panda doesn't encrypt its sig files, so if you use any AV with Panda then it reads Panda as a virus.  I had three hours of sleep yesterday.  Sorry I wasn't clear.

My solution is just not being stupid. Firefox and AVG are just backups for when I slip.

That's my first line too.  Except I know other people who don't have that line.  I end up fixing their problems. 

[Huggybaby]

Well, you can have as many virus scanners installed as you want, but you only want one doing "real time" scanning.