Anti-Virus software package

[patriach]

Hi fellow lurkers,

I am helping my friend's aunt to install an all-in-one anti virus and firewall in her computer. The problem is she didn't know which software to install and asked me to choose one for her. I have no problem choosing one, except for the fact that she is not really computer-savvy. So does anyone have a recommendation for a good but relatively cheap software package and most importantly, very easy to use?

Thanks in advance

[Wyrm]

Symantec programs are good and generally user friendly.

[Bolty]

You can't get much cheaper than free.

AVG offers a free package for virus protection, and it continues to be rated highly when compared against the major players (McAfee, Norton). It does not have a firewall, but you can always use ZoneAlarm (which is also free)...

-Bolty

[DeeBye]

I'll second AVG.

As for firewalls, I hear that Kerio Personal Firewall (which has a free home-user version) is pretty good. It outdoes ZoneAlarm according to some savy users. I haven't tried it yet, but I have been meaning to.

[yangman]

AVG produced one unexpected, unexplained, and unplesant side-effect during my usage of it, and I have since moved on to AntiVir for my anti-viral needs. Being an opensource project, AntiVir is updated very regularly, both in terms of virus definitions as well as the scanner.

As far as software-based firewalls go, I have found Sygate Personal Firewall to be quite good after having it brought to my attention in a recent discussion here on the Lounge. However, it is quite complex and verbose, so I would still recommend ZoneAlarm unless the person who will be using it is willing to learn about firewalls a little more.

[DeeBye]

AVG produced one unexpected, unexplained, and unplesant side-effect during my usage of it

I wish you to please be explaining more of this unpleasantness so that myself may file it away for reference to look at in future times.

I have since moved on to AntiVir for my anti-viral needs. Being an opensource project, AntiVir is updated very regularly, both in terms of virus definitions as well as the scanner.

I've heard good things about AntiVir. I didn't know that it was opensource though. I learn something new every day.

As far as software-based firewalls go, I have found Sygate Personal Firewall to be quite good after having it brought to my attention in a recent discussion here on the Lounge. However, it is quite complex and verbose

Is there a free home user version of SPF available? I've browsed around that crazy website for eleventyseven years and I can't make heads or tails of it. That is, without a doubt, the most user-unfriendly website I've ever come across.

I mean, I clicked on "Products" and I'm met with this unintelligible clickable image. Who created this thing, and what does it mean? I need a Rosetta Stone or something to figure it out.

[yangman]

During it's stay on my harddrive, AVG had mysteriously created a multi-gigabyte database file, apparently for virus definitions. When it occured, I did a few searches in AVG's support forum, but found nothing, so it seemed to be an isolated case. The file was located in C:, had a MS-database(?) extension, and identified itself to be AVG related via it's name.

Hm... I have no idea why I was under the impression AntiVir is open-source: it isn't. After two semesters of mathematic courses involving logics, I shouldn't be making the "logical implication = logical equalivance" mistake. *bonks self*


Hm.. wow. The Sygate website is cryptic. I don't remember having so much difficulty finding it the first time. Anyways, here is a direct link to it's firewall product page. The free, personal edition is at the very bottom.

[DeeBye]

During it's stay on my harddrive, AVG had mysteriously created a multi-gigabyte database file, apparently for virus definitions.

I can't imagine how AVG (or any program for that matter) could create a multi-GB file without you knowing it. That's bizarre.

Hm... I have no idea why I was under the impression AntiVir is open-source: it isn't. After two semesters of mathematic courses involving logics, I shouldn't be making the "logical implication = logical equalivance" mistake. *bonks self*

Unbonk yourself. We all make mistakes.

I'm still going to check into AntiVir though, because it's been recommended to me so many times.

Hm.. wow. The Sygate website is cryptic. I don't remember having so much difficulty finding it the first time. Anyways, here is a direct link to it's firewall product page. The free, personal edition is at the very bottom.

The download link to the free personal edition brings me to this Tocows.com page. Scratch that -- I just tried it again and it was linked to this Download.com page. I tried it yet again and I was linked to another mirror. How deep down the rabbit hole can we go?

[LochnarITB]

I'm still going to check into AntiVir though, because it's been recommended to me so many times.

I'm currently using AVG. However, I think I'm going to give AntiVir a try. A couple weeks ago I received an email from a unkown address. When I looked at the details of the email, I noticed that the envelope address didn't match the return address. The envelope address was, in fact, a known address. Red flag! Virus! There was an attachment but AVG didn't flag it as infected. I didn't trust that though. I scanned with an online scanner and it was infected - a Bagel variant. I kept the file knowing not to open it. I also grabbed McAfee's Stinger. It caught the worm. Even with the latest virus definitions, AVG still doesn't recognize it. If AntiVir recognizes the infected file, then it will take AVG's place on my system.

Hm.. wow. The Sygate website is cryptic. I don't remember having so much difficulty finding it the first time. Anyways, here is a direct link to it's firewall product page. The free, personal edition is at the very bottom.

The download link to the free personal edition brings me to this Tocows.com page. Scratch that -- I just tried it again and it was linked to this Download.com page. I tried it yet again and I was linked to another mirror. How deep down the rabbit hole can we go?

[disjointed lip sync on] Listen closely, grasshoppers. Strive for knowledge you must. Only when you are able to snatch the download from this website may you be called Web-Fu masters. [disjointed lip sync off]

I didn't remember having such troubles finding the Sygate Personal Firewall so I thought I would have a look again. Three clicks and I was to its page and one more and I was ready to download the file. I went to www.sygate.com. On the right side of the page is "Sygate for... HOME OFFICE" (click 1) On the next page, left side we have "HOME/SMALL BUSINESS" (click 2) The menu opens up and we have "Personal Firewall" (click 3) We are now at the info page for Sygate Personal Firewall. From here, we can request further info or use "Download Now" (click 4) The download now link does end up redirecting to a couple different possibilities to spread the load, I would assume. I got redirected to download.com and Simtel a couple times I tried but they all were offering the same version so it shouldn't matter. Look where one little misstep can send you. :lol:

If you do try Sygate, be aware of something. Several features are not useable in the free version, only in the Pro version. The review in the above mentioned previous thread was for the Pro version. The free version doesn't necessarily stack up as well against other firewalls, although I can't find any reviews of the free version that say one way or another. The pages that I did find seem to say that trojan protection is only in Pro but there is an option to enable Anti-Application Hijacking. I am not really sure if there is a difference between trojans and application hijacking. I am probably going to try Kerio for that reason. Their site does say that the free version handles trojans and the Sygate review also mentioned Kerio and Tiny as the firewalls that caught the test trojan. Also be careful with the options you use with Sygate. I turned everything on and one of them was DLL authentication. There is a checkbox with that feature for it to Automatically allow known DLLs. I have it checked but I still get alerted several times each time any app starts, often for ones that I already approved. When grabbing video or audio off the net, it really goes nuts with DLL alerts. I am amazed by all of them that show up and many are from programs other than the one starting. They usually make sense though for other stuff running on my machine so I give them the OK. Since I don't know if I am really gaining much security by the DLL monitoring and it doesn't seem to remember which ones are OK, I will probably end up turning that feature off if I come back to it after trying Kerio.

BTW, DeeBye, STOP IT! I got all confused by your upside down avatar and sig. When I tried fixing it, the mouse and camera fell off my notebook. Typing was almost impossible too so I finally said "Heck with it - let him stand on his head if he wants to! I don't feel sorry for him in the least!" :lol:

[yangman]

I've also noticed that Sygate seems to have problem remembering which programs have access then applying that access properly. I've had to manually configure it to allow all outbound traffic from Thunderbird before I was able to even check email.

I suppose I will try Kerio and perhaps Tiny eventually as well.

[DeeBye]

BTW, DeeBye, STOP IT!  I got all confused by your upside down avatar and sig.  When I tried fixing it, the mouse and camera fell off my notebook.  Typing was almost impossible too so I finally said "Heck with it - let him stand on his head if he wants to!  I don't feel sorry for him in the least!"  :lol:

I fixed it for you.

[Malakar]

I don't have much to say on the anti-virus topic. I'm using Norton because I haven't had any problems with it, and I haven't done any research on anti-virus programs recently. However it's not free like some of the others.

I would like to point something out about ZA though. While I'm still using ZA because I haven't had any unresolvable problems with it, it could be more user friendly. This really only applies to gamers because of the "pop-up freeze" that tends to happen when a game that already went full screen tries to access the net. Although I'm used to pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del and switching focus, new users are not and might think their computer froze up. Other than that, though, it's good, pretty user-friendly, and free.

[TaiDaishar]

I fixed it for you.

Liar liar pants on fire :P

[patriach]

Thanks for the replies.

I can see many good recommendations coming from all of you. However, I recently talked with my friend's aunt and she is too paranoid to install anything that is downloadable from the internet for her anti-virus <_<.

So, any of you know a good anti-virus + firewall software that can be bought from store :lol: ?

I know a lot of people use Norton or McAfee. What are the strong points and weaknesses from the two software packages? How long after the purchase can you still update the virus definition?

She wanted both anti-virus and firewall bundled in the software. I checked a few online shops, and all of them sell anti-virus and firewall separately. Are they usually sold separately? What is the normal price for such software if it exists at all? If you know another software package that has reasonable price, good features, and good security, please recommend one for me.

I apologize for the long questions; I'm not really familiar with buying anti-virus software.

[Malakar]

I'd be skeptical of software that contains both anti-virus and firewall in one. Anti-virus and firewall technologies are different, so you're probably better off getting individual programs that excel in their area, than getting one that covers both, but might not do it so well.