I just cant seem to get my head round why some people run so much protection.

Just earlier i went to help my friend with his pc and he had, malware bytes, adaware se, zone alarm, nod32 & winpatrol all running at once.

I have nothing running, only xp built in firewall. Common sense with firefox(no script and netcraft add-ons) and i have not had an infection in 3 years.

I do monthly scans and always fine. My computer runs perfectly.

so come on people, why do you choose to run so much

I guess it's because computers are a bit like cars for some people, they're personal

What works for you may not suit others.

Yes, you can have too much and I think that is all part of the learning process, gradually people seem to trim down as their experience grows. However just xp firewall and firefox is a bit thin on the ground in my opinion. But that's just my opinion.

After all, it's your computer

Hello, sorry i hope i didnt sound a bit.... dont know what the word is i'm looking for but hopefully i didn't seem to negative.

I was just simply curious.

I know it seems thin, If i was ever sus of any thing i would check it out in a virtual machine first.

But like you said, each to there own.

i think people just like the feel of they r in control.

Noting worse then being in the middle of a game and 'virus data base has been updated' comes up

Some are over cautious, probably due to paranoia or previous nightmares.
Some are too laid back because they'd been lucky.

It also depends on the usage of the internet, etc.

Too many Warez, Cracks, P2P, Phishing, etc. need more security.
Stuff, like checking office E-mails, blah.. requires less.

So you can't really make stereotypes

I don't have games on my PC, but I agree with your point. I have Avast set to inform when there's an update, in case I'm in the middle of something like a music or video file conversion.

That being the case I ignore it, and it's never too long before it pops back up, or I immediately update manually when the conversion is completed.

I've found out the hard way that conversions can be easily screwed up by something else going on during the process.

Works for me.

I have the Silent-Update thing

Automatic updates with Avast are always silent, but you can set it as an option with manual updates, which means once you set it away, you won't get the popup progress windows.

I find it easier to use the popup windows so I know when it's finished doing it's thing.

Hmm. I don't really wanna know when it updates it's database x) As long as it protects me! Nod32 FTW.

For a long time it was because I was not sure the products would do what they said. And sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they still don't.

I got hit very early on with coolwebsearch, good grief, what a nightmare. Nobody had removal tools, you just chipped away at it until you got it out or reformatted.

Nowadays I think that virtualization is the way to go, and then run a lightweight free antivirus and maybe an antispyware app. If the virtualization app works, then it will save you if all else fails.

Besides my anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running, I like to run WinPatrol and ZoneAlarm. Not only do they provide extra protection - which some may argue is not needed - but I like to know if anything is trying to put itself on the starting list etc. and also what is trying to reach the internet when it has not had previous permission to do so.

In other words...for me personally, I like to keep an eye on what is going on in the land of XP.

Multi-layered protection isn't a bad thing so long as too much isn't resident at once since that would create a bottleneck in system performance.

The only protection I have running resident all the time is Avast and nothing else simply because I don't need anything else running. All I use now which was recently trimmed down is just Avast, MBAM, Windows Firewall, and my DSL modems hardware firewall. I simply don't need excess to have a clean system, although I do malware scan any and all downloaded files even those from trusted sources.

Actually the only thing that could possibly get in is something I'd have to manually download like this episode which taught me to unpack everything first before initiating any installers.

I am using Ubuntu, a version of Linux because there are no virusses for linux and Linux is the safest OS out there.
Here's why: There is a package manager in every version of linux. in that package mamager you will find all software for linux that has been checked for virusses and so installing from there ensures the software is OK. Installing programs there is as simple as just one click, and the computer does it all for you. Now when you download software from the internet, which you sometimes need, there is a security feature: you have to go to the file's properties and set the file to executable mode if you want toexecute it. Also the linux user management is very good: the admin can choose the rights for every single user. Also, to install stuff you have to be the user root (administrator). as a security feature you can't log in as user root, you can only start single progams as root. This concept has been introduced to vista but it has been used for years now in linux. Also the vista aero interface has been copied from linux: linux is fully customizable and there are plenty themes availabe (gnome-look.org). Vista is copied from one of those themes, but i don't remember from which one exactly.

No virus ? Are you sure about that ?
http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/news/2239126/wo...-routers-botnet
...100,000 computers infected. If you multiply this by 90 (because Linux has ~1% market share and Windows has ~90%)...this becomes 9 millions...Conficker, anyone ?

The topic subject here is about the number of protection/security programs run by people using Windows.

Please feel free to start another topic about Linux.

I only use Avast and the Windows firewall. Never had a virus. People using lots of anti-malware, anti-virus, anti-something, anti-somethingelse, etc., are paranoid

I use ESET Nod32 Smart Security. - That's all. It's got AV, AS, and Firewall. Good enough.

I also use MBAM once or twice a month.

I've got Avira which has AV and AS and it's also the best AV out there. Also Windows Firewall. Like Ishan said, I also check with MBAB about 1-2 times a month. Also use common sense.

This is pretty much spot on to me. I do have avast on my pc. And i do occasioanl use it, i did use to always run it. But i dont feel the need any more.

Thanks for answering people, i was very curious to why some people run 4+ applications for protection. I know there is nothing wrong with it, I just think there is to much paranoia out there



sam

You really do need to supplement Avast with something like MBAM or SUPERAntiSpyware (either free or paid versions), as there's some stuff Avast just doesn't detect.

Add SpywareBLASTER. Small, but useful

Yep, I forgot about that one. It's so small, and once installed, you barely know it's there.

Forgot all about that too, and I do have it installed.

I loved spywareblaster but there didn't seem to be much point anymore with Opera being my default.

So it's gone to that great recycle bin in the sky, (where all the good apps go)

Yeah but SpywareBlaster will still protect you even if you don't use IE since so many programs rely upon IE's core components to update themselves, probably malware too like getting some spyware on your system unknowingly.

Agree 100% with Andavari, and it doesn't do any harm to keep SpywareBlaster on your computer. It only takes a few megabytes of hard drive space and doesn't use any memory.

On my WinXP machine I run Avira AntiVir, Outpost Firewall, SpywareBlaster, and MVPS and hpHosts hosts files. Then I do monthly scans with MBAM.

However, I use my Win2000 machine quite often and only run Sygate Firewall and MVPS and hpHosts hosts files. I use Opera exclusively on that computer, so I don't have SpywareBlaster installed (although I might install it considering the comments above). I also do monthly scans with MBAM.

I've never got ANY viruses or spyware on EITHER computer, despite having no active virus protection on the Win2000 machine (both are also behind my router's hardware firewall which gets a 100% on the GRC port test).

I use and like SpywareBlaster too. Did'ja know that the protection against "Red Sheriff" can get turned off without your knowledge?

See: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=245461

Your friend had more the enough and maybe that's even why you went to help him. All those stuff sometimes conflict slowing the computer.they might even view a system file as malicious!! Ok your working environ matters and what you do.......downloading, surfing, emailing, are all different and we all know what each bring along. A good Antivirus and a SpywareBlaster will do!!! I have been fine with Kaspersky(workstation) antivirus wirh SpywareBlaster!!

Spybot-S&D mucking (not the word I really wanted to use) with SpywareBlaster is why I removed Spybot-S&D. Spybot-S&D messed with it for a long time disabling some protection.

I freaking love my Avira Premium Security Suite.
I protects me from everything, from anywhere.
And the high heuristics catch the unknown stuff.

+ I use Returnil.

Avast, Malwarebytes and windows firewall for me.
these gives me a level of peaceful.

I agree that user is the best protection.

Now I just switched to NOD32 4, and I'm loving it!

can nod32protects you from ads and banners?

No, NOD32 is just another AV, and it's the best one out there. (I take my comment about Avira back). If you want to block ad's and banners use Adblock Plus if you use FF, if you use Opera use Fanboy's adblock list, and if you use Chrome, or any browser based off of it, use Adsweep (which has been discontinued).

ok and talking about protection,did you guys take the firewall test by shields up.. or pc flank
....specially the pc flankleaktest and the leaktest by shields up

I think you should take both of the tests, just in case.

did you take them?...

Yes, I did.

We've drifted so far from the original topic

well this is about protection..