12 comments for Tuesday questions: PC protection »

1. 

   Hey Siel!

   I use Spyware Terminator http://www.spywareterminator.com/ as my anti virus shield. The problem with McAfee & Norton is that since they’re popular, hacks and viruses know how to go through those first. So far I’ve used this one for at least 3-4 months with no problem, and its free.

   Comment by Michelle — August 28, 2007 @ 12:36 pm

2. 

   I would recommend Avast. It’s free and open source and I think it even does a better job of protecting my computer than the McAfee or Norton.

   Comment by Jason Whittington — August 28, 2007 @ 2:26 pm

3. 

   I use spyware terminator. Its free as well. I figure as long as its not McAfee or Norton than it will be harder for bugs to get in because most hacks know those two companies well. I’ve been using it for 4 months and no probs.

   Comment by Michelle — August 28, 2007 @ 2:29 pm

4. 

   ClamWin (http://www.clamwin.com/) is IMHO the best choice. I like that fact that it’s open source – kind of hard to sneak in stuff I don’t want on my machine

   Comment by Robert 'Groby' Blum — August 28, 2007 @ 3:07 pm

5. 

   I don’t think McAffee terminates spyware. Or if it does, it’s not it’s primary goal. So if you get something like “spyware terminator,” you still need to get virus protection!

   Comment by Rafi — August 28, 2007 @ 5:01 pm

6. 

   I use AVG and it’s free. Just go to download.com and search for it. It’s very easy to install and it has worked for me for more than 3 years now.

   Comment by slores — August 28, 2007 @ 11:27 pm

7. 

   Hmmm…. I was hoping for something of a consensus that would lead me to the best option out there, but now I’m even more bewildered! Eek!

   I’m thinking one of the open source one cuz that would go nicely with my general open source computer world (firefox, wordpress, etc.) but will need to investigate these options further. Thanks for suggesting them :)

   Comment by Siel — August 29, 2007 @ 10:31 am

8. 

   get rid of McAfee – use the free version of AVG (google “Free version AVG” – they don’t advertise the free version on their website) it updates everyday and works great!

   Comment by Hannah — August 29, 2007 @ 11:02 am

9. 

   I personally do not use antivirus and just take precautions not to open or install any untrusted applications, but then again I’m primarily on a Mac. The remote Windows users I support in my company have McAfee’s managed antivirus service (mcafeeasap.com). Its similar to their consumer product, but is takes up much less overhead on the PC end.

   Another suggestion is Google Pack (pack.google.com), which comes with Norton Security Scan and Spyware Doctor. However, I’ve never used Google’s package to know first hand.

   Comment by Jason — August 29, 2007 @ 11:48 am

10. 

    I tried ClamWin but it filled my hard drive with temp files whenever it ran. I personally like AVG Antivirus – the free version is still around on GriSoft’s website, but they’re getting better and better at hiding it. I’ve been using it for years and I’m very happy with it.

    http://free.grisoft.com/

    Since Norton’s Security Scan comes with Google Pack, you may want to look into that too.

    Comment by Mark W — August 30, 2007 @ 11:59 am

11. 

    I have used both McAffee and Norton on different computers; they both do okay. Be careful what you are getting: Anti-Spyware does not do viruses, and a firewall is a whole other proposition. The majors do all those, and more. The freebies tend not too . . . although some may claim it . . .

    R.

    Comment by Roger, Gone Green — August 30, 2007 @ 8:56 pm

12. 

    Okay — I went with AVG since that seemed to get the most votes. I am, however, now wondering if I should also install Spyware Terminator, since AVG is an anti-virus program and not an anti-spyware one. Anyone have both?

    Comment by Siel — September 2, 2007 @ 3:01 pm

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