Ask Slashdot: Best Anti-Virus Software In 2015? Free Or Paid?

CryoKeen writes: I got a new laptop recently after trading in my old laptop for store credit. While I was waiting to check out, the sales guy just handed me some random antivirus software (Trend Micro) that was included with the purchase. I don't think he or I realized at the time that the CD/DVD he gave me would not work because my new laptop does not have a CD/DVD player.

Anyway, it got me wondering whether I should use it or not. Would I be better off downloading something like Avast or Malwarebytes? Is there one piece of antivirus software that's significantly better than the others? Are any of the paid options worthwhile, or should I just stick to the free versions? What security software would you recommend in addition to anti-virus?

Comments

In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Because I'm assuming that will be an answer.

You can fill in any particular OS as an alternative.

Re:In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Matheus]

Repeat: Best software = None.

There are people out there (many of my friends included) who need protection from such a thing because they can't put the tiniest amount of thought into what they are doing when on their computer. I do not practice safe browsing by any means, torrents and pr0n are just too much fun to leave alone ;-), but somehow manage to never get infected without any A/V software protecting me BUT I keep getting calls from friends who's machines have turned into rotting cesspools and want them cleaned. Honestly my answer lately is "Call Geek squad" because it's not worth my time or energy to scrub their waste pond just to have it rot again shortly there after and Geek Squad is cheaper than my time if I were to bill them. So for these people A/V software may be useful but honestly again most of them already have it and it didn't keep them safe anyway.

A/V DOES otoh slow down your machine, interfere with properly running processes and generally behave like the worst of viruses on its own so why willingly go down that path.

Re:In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Dynedain]

In the time I've not run a/v, I've never had an infection. (I never had an infection before that, either, but that's beside the point.)

That you know of. There have been many documented cases of drive-by installs, worms that infect from external media, infected installers from legitimate installers. Hell, even legitimate open source projects having their servers unknowingly hijacked and malware injected into source or binaries during download.

While some malware is geared at spamming your desktop with ads, the good stuff tries to be as unnoticeable as possible, especially for botnets or if the goal is keylogging. Today's sophisticated viruses aren't trying to wipe your machine - they're all about creating networks of vulnerability to sell later to the highest bidder.

Re:In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[LetterJ]

To the average Windows user, their computer is a means to an end. To the average Linux user, the computer IS the end.

Re: In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Squiddie]

You should run Linux on that too.

Re: In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[plover]

That's why NoScript, Ghostery, and FlashBlock are critical pieces of security software.

Re: In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Luckyo]

I guess you never heard about ghostery, adblock, noscript et al?

Essentially all flash exploits come from very specific kinds of flash elements, and those are blocked by aforementioned software. For me, it's the primary reason to run adblocker. Safety.

Re: In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Zontar The Mindless]

Haha, if you're going to use a *nix system, you might as well go with one that you actually control.

Re: In after somebody says don't run Windows.

[Zontar The Mindless]

That's a cute but transparent attempt to sidestep the issue.

Apple says if I buy a computer from them, they'll place arbitrary restrictions on what I can do with it. This means that it might not do things that I tell it to do. This also means that it might do other arbitrary things that I don't tell it to do, or even that I tell it not to do.

You might consider these acceptable terms for the use of your general-purpose computer. I do not consider them such for mine.

If nothing else

[TheRealMindChild]

AVG is a Freemium minefield. May as well be WeatherBug. Serves a purpose, but ultimately adware

No need

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows? Use Security Essentials and practice safe surfing. No need for anything else.

for windows read below

[Anonymous Coward]

The Best AV for Windows is Microsoft Security essentials which is available for Free from Microsoft for private use. Make sure your OS and apps are not left without security updates. Use Secunia PSI or alternatively Qualys browser check both free for private use. One last thing, don't use an account with admin privileges but one that has limited rights, so if your box gets pwned the attackerhas to escalate privileges before he or she can run as admin/root.

Windows Defender + Malwarebytes

[LuniticusTheSane]

If you are on Windows 8.1, Windows Defender. If on Windows 7, MS Security Essentials. And supplement both with Malwarebytes. All free, and very non-intrusive.

New Laptop? Windows?

[idontgno]

I thought the included (pre-installed) Microsoft Windows Defender (or Windows Security Essentials) was already good enough.

That, plus not installing every stupid piece of malware-studded "freeware" I come across and being a bit conservative in my browsing, has always been enough since Windows 7.

Windows after 7 also has a built-in software firewall, so wouldn't seem like you'd need one of those either.

I just can't picture needing anything beyond that.

Re:New Laptop? Windows?

[Jane Q. Public]

I thought the included (pre-installed) Microsoft Windows Defender (or Windows Security Essentials) was already good enough.

Microsoft is rather notorious for not releasing information about known bugs or malware until they damned well please. That means until then, it doesn't get added to Security Essential or Windows Defender until such time, even if the security community knew about it for 2 years.

While 3rd-party solutions can be problematic, as others have mentioned, at the same time they are likely to update their lists of malware considerably faster than Microsoft in many cases.

Microsoft Security Essentials

[enter to exit]

Nowadays i use Microsoft's free AV, a decent browser and discretion. Unless you're particularly haphazard (like downloading random files with full Admin privileges and visiting dodgy sites with unpatched IE) that should be enough. You don't really need a full arsenal of anti-malware software anymore. Ms has tightened things up a fair bit over the last years.

A while back i tried NOD32 and was very impressed. I don't know if it's still good.

My Experience

[MightyDrunken]

I have tried a few paid options and a number of free antivirus. Nothing as yet has convinced me to use a paid option.
For Windows 8 there is no need as Microsoft Security Essentials, renamed Windows Defender, is good enough. Otherwise I use Avast, which seems to work well and comes with a few handy options like a software updater and the option to run a scan at boot time. Though it can be annoying recently as it reminds you of other paid features like VPN tunnels.

Steer clear of Norton for God's sake, it seems as bad as the disease itself. I dislike Symentec and had problems in the past with AVG. A few years back an update prevented browsers from accessing the internet.

If you think you may be infected try running a scan of the free version of Malwarebytes, it gives a good second opinion and is great at cleaning up some infections.

My 2 cents: avast, MWB, ABP, noscript, sandboxie

[monkeyzoo]

I'm on Windows 7. Here are my tips:

1) I have run avast real-time for years. I'm a pretty wary, sophisticated user. But it has occasionally blocked malicious elements on webpages. And it once blocked a zip attachment that I got sucked in on with a phishing email before any harm was done. I have also had it give me a few false positives over the years, which are a bit disconcerting to see and annoying until you can get things sorted out.

2) Second, I run malwarebytes scans from time to time.

3) Other prevention: adblock plus and noscript plugins.

4) For seemingly dangerous websites that I still want to be able to access, I use a Sandboxie sandbox for the browser.

Install an ad blocker

[complete loony]

These days the most effective measure you can take is to install an ad blocker. That will prevent the vast majority of drive by installs. Second, I'd say you need to be very sceptical of freeware software installers. Using a service like Chocolatey to find and install popular utilities will help here. Third, I'd recommend installing Process Explorer as a replacement for the windows Task Manager. Get a feel for what programs are running in the background, and investigate anything you don't yet recognise particularly after installing something new.

Re:Seriously???

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, no. The people who recommend MSSE recommend it because they are capable of safe-browsing. MSSE will be more than effective if you don't click every link you see.

Start by being intelligent with your login

[damn_registrars]

Don't be like the disgusting majority of windows users who log in everytime as admin. Login with regular user access and half the viruses become helpless.

Re:Seriously???

[tlhIngan]

Yes. Because these tests are pure FUD generation. These "tests" are designed specifically to give high marks to AV kit that has its heuristics engine to produce as many false positives as possible and low marks to AV kit that has a reasonable heuristics engine that looks for realistic threats and doesn't spam user with "this is a potential threat, upgrade for 9.99 now to fix" advertisements.

Nevermind that most heuristics engines will at one point or another detect a standard (Microsoft-signed) required Windows file as a virus and promptly "quarantine" it for you. Which just means Windows will either bluescreen or render your system unusable.

And that's a problem - because now AV is interfering with your computer - and if it isn't a Windows binary that gets hosed, it's a file one of your programs you use.

No, MSE will not catch a 0 day. No antivirus can. So they use heuristics to bridge the time between it's in the wild and when they push an update that will detect it. But there's a tradeoff - too aggressive and there will be a TON of false positives. More conservative (Like MSE) and you'll be more likely to miss a threat, but less likely that you'll clobber a file you really need. And for most people, that's more than acceptable tradeoff.

Especially when you combine it with safe surfing that blocks questionable URLs - available on every browser now (either powered by Google or Microsoft) that prevent you from grabbing questionable files.