Norton is rubbish, i used AVG Free Edition for two years with no problems at all...

Download it for free, the installation can take a while but it's worth it.....FREE DOWNLOAD

kitbradley said:

Okay, so which is better, Norton or McAfee? I dropped McAfee after my computer became infected with all kinds of viruses and I went with Norton. I've never heard of AVG.

The first time my computer crashed because of a virus I took it to a local repair shop to get it fixed. That's where i learned about AVG. They told me it works better then Norton and uses less resources. They also told me that Norton and McAfee are both made by the same company, Symantec and that even if you unistall Norton you never completely remove all of it's components.

The main reason I hate Norton so much is that I bought a new computer that came with Norton preinstalled so I decided to stick with that. 2 days after getting the new PC a virus crashed it. Norton did NOTHING. Took it to the same shop had it fixed, AVG installed, and it worked fine since, at least for the time I got to use it (my ex-wife got it when we divorced).

When I got the computer I'm using now the first thing I did was install AVG, remove Norton, and have never had any problems.

I've been using Avast for years. The free version works fantastic. A few years ago (when I'd accidently turned off my firewall ), a virus infected a lot of my files and the free version wouldn't fix that at the time, I had to buy the full version. But if I recall correctly they even made that available for the free version now and since that firewall is turned on I didn't have problems anymore.

Only downside is that you have to re-register every once in a while. But that's no big deal really.

CuddlyBear said:

kitbradley said:

Okay, so which is better, Norton or McAfee? I dropped McAfee after my computer became infected with all kinds of viruses and I went with Norton. I've never heard of AVG.

The first time my computer crashed because of a virus I took it to a local repair shop to get it fixed. That's where i learned about AVG. They told me it works better then Norton and uses less resources. They also told me that Norton and McAfee are both made by the same company, Symantec and that even if you unistall Norton you never completely remove all of it's components.

The main reason I hate Norton so much is that I bought a new computer that came with Norton preinstalled so I decided to stick with that. 2 days after getting the new PC a virus crashed it. Norton did NOTHING. Took it to the same shop had it fixed, AVG installed, and it worked fine since, at least for the time I got to use it (my ex-wife got it when we divorced).

When I got the computer I'm using now the first thing I did was install AVG, remove Norton, and have never had any problems.

I got Symantec installed in my system. I think when my brother built it for me, this is what he put in it lol

Timmy84 said:

CuddlyBear said:

The first time my computer crashed because of a virus I took it to a local repair shop to get it fixed. That's where i learned about AVG. They told me it works better then Norton and uses less resources. They also told me that Norton and McAfee are both made by the same company, Symantec and that even if you unistall Norton you never completely remove all of it's components.

The main reason I hate Norton so much is that I bought a new computer that came with Norton preinstalled so I decided to stick with that. 2 days after getting the new PC a virus crashed it. Norton did NOTHING. Took it to the same shop had it fixed, AVG installed, and it worked fine since, at least for the time I got to use it (my ex-wife got it when we divorced).

When I got the computer I'm using now the first thing I did was install AVG, remove Norton, and have never had any problems.

I got Symantec installed in my system. I think when my brother built it for me, this is what he put in it lol

It's not too late. Download and install AVG free then uninstall Norton.

CuddlyBear said:

Timmy84 said:

I got Symantec installed in my system. I think when my brother built it for me, this is what he put in it lol

It's not too late. Download and install AVG free then uninstall Norton.

Well I turned Symantec/Norton off so it's no bother.

Timmy84 said:

CuddlyBear said:

It's not too late. Download and install AVG free then uninstall Norton.

Well I turned Symantec/Norton off so it's no bother.

But now you're unprotected. It's like fucking a whore without a condom, YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH SOMETHING!!!

CuddlyBear said:

Timmy84 said:

Well I turned Symantec/Norton off so it's no bother.

But now you're unprotected. It's like fucking a whore without a condom, YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH SOMETHING!!!

I ain't catch nothing yet. I got Malware Bytes and shit. Believe me, as long as I stay away from bad sites and not stay on the computer long enough I won't get anything. I never had a virus in the eight years I've been using computers. Sure some rogues have shown up in the last little while but my computer is far from dying.

I've got Norton and haven't had any problem with it. But then again, I know very little about computers when it gets too compicated so maybe I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

I am getting pissed though because when I try to burn a DVD from the laptop, one night it stopped at 54% and wouldn't go any further. I tried it several times that same night and the same thing happened. A few nights later, I tried it with a different disc and it got to 90% and wouldn't finish. I don't know if that might be a virus or not. I thought about running the recovery program to restore the computer to where it was about two months ago and see what happens.

I wrote this about 2 years ago, but as I still use all the products mentioned, it's still relevant:

Asylum Uptopia's Quick Guide to free and safe online security (firewall, anti-virus, etc)

At a quick glance - what you need to stay safe online

This applies mainly to securing a PC. There are free mac / laptop solutions available for all aspects of online security, some of the software mentioned here also works for mac and/or laptops, but not all.

- Browser - Firefox http://www.mozilla-europe...n/firefox/
(not just a security measure, but for a better all round browsing experience)

- DownloadHelper for Firefox https://addons.mozilla.or...addon/3006
(not for security, but waaaaay quicker and far less annoying than realplayer downloader)

- Firewall - Online Armour - http://www.tallemu.com/products.php

- Anti Virus - always use two :

for real-time protection - AVG free http://free.avg.com/downl...ee-edition or Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/...-home.html

for weekly on-demand scan (in case malware corrupts your main anti-virus, and yes, it happens) - Clamwin - http://www.clamwin.com/content/view/18/46/

- Anti Spyware - Spybot - http://www.safer-networki...index.html

- Security Check (occasional) - TrendMicro Housecall - http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/

_________________________________________________________________________________

A bit more detail for those who can be arsed to read it :

These are just my opinions of what's good. I've used all these products, they all do their job in minimizing online threats.

First off, if you're using paid for anti-virus software, don't assume that it's providing you with complete protection. In truth, there is no such thing as complete protection - even paid for services can't protect you from new threats until they know about them, and how to deal with them. That being said, there are products out there that will keep your PC as protected as possible - but you'll pay a premium for them. If you're prepared to pay for it, then that's fine.

Until recently I've been using Norton 360 (which I don't like, but the pc came with a subscription), and it's not so good at picking up spyware - so I've been using AdAware too (which I don't much like either and I've switched to Spybot). But the point is, even though you may have paid for security software it most likely doesn't cover all aspects of security (sometimes even if it says it does), which means you can still be open to all sorts of malicious nasty shit.

There is no one pill to cure all ills, so the only way to ensure that your computer is as protected and secure as possible is to use a range of products, and that doesn't necessarily mean forking out tons of money.

Don't assume that paid for means better.

As far as firewall and anti-virus are concerned there are free ones that are just as good and just as up to date. The only real difference with paid for is that you're paying for support. I presume many of the free solutions also offer support via subscription too, probably cheaper than the bundled Norton's and McAfee's etc. - but I don't actually know, I've never needed to find out.

OK, first off you need a decent browser.

What's wrong with IE, or whatever browser you use, you may ask? Well, a browser is a browser, there is only so much functionality it needs and they all pretty much provide what you need.

But IE is slower to load pages than Firefox. It's also slower to open. But the real reason to use Firefox (or anotehr browser) instead is because IE is specifically targeted.

I don't know if IE, Chrome, or any other browser does this, because I've never tried, but with Firefox you can leave all your pages and tabs open and switch off your pc. When you switch on again and start Firefox, it'll open up all pages and tabs that were open when you shut down. Very handy for returning to pages you want to temporarily revisit but don't want clutter up your bookmarks with.

So should you choose to change your browser, your first stop is the Mozilla website http://www.mozilla-europe...n/firefox/, makers of Firefox.

You could try Google Chrome I suppose. I haven't used it much - there's nothing wrong with it - it has all the same functionality as Firefox, but it seems to use slightly more memory, which is why I don't use it. It offers no compelling reason to switch, so I'll stick with Firefox.

I don't really know why, but I recently downloaded the latest RealPlayer update - which includes their new downloader. I have removed it, because the annoying little 'download this video' bar appearing all the time pissed me right off. And I have no use for their brand new - finally almost catching up with the world - downloader. Mainly because I already have the DownloadHelper for Firefox, and I don't need a slower alternative. I did a test, downloading the same flv from the same source on both; RealPlayer Downloader took 5mins 31s, Firefox DownloadHelper took 1min 48s. 'Nuff said.

You can get DownloadHelper for Firefox here. https://addons.mozilla.or...addon/3006

Well, now that your browsing and downloading needs are catered for, let's get on to the real stuff :

Online Security.

First off, you need a firewall :

Step one - download Online Armour - http://www.tallemu.com/products.php and install.

Step two - switch off microsoft firewall.

Step three - Never be tempted to switch microsoft firewall on again. It's akin to that really cheap 1-ply toilet paper - on the whole, they're not all the same. (just a personal opinion of course, it could well be the best firewall available) (but it's not).

Second, Anti Virus

You should always use two different Anti-Virus products, one for real-time protection and one for weekly on-demand scans. This may seem like overkill, but there is malware out there designed to corrupt antivirus systems, so it's always best to periodically run a scan with a different antivirus system, just in case.

For my main Anti-Virus product I would choose either
AVG free http://free.avg.com/downl...ee-edition
or
Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/...-home.html.
I've used AVG free in the past, and I know plenty of people who would reccommend it. I recently started to use Avast, and I prefer it, although to be honest they're both equally good and provide the exact same antivirus protection as any paid for solution.

For my weekly on-demand scans I use Clamwin http://www.clamwin.com/co...iew/18/46/

Third, Anti Spyware

Up to recently I've been using AdAware http://www.lavasoft.com/s...ialpay.php It's good, but the latest version is damn slow. So now I've switched to Spybot - http://www.safer-networki...index.html.

Fourth, Occasional Security Check

Firewall, Anti Virus and Anti Spyware cover many of the bases, but it's still a good idea to do an occasional independent scan. I don't do them very often, every few months or so, but most people would recommend once a month. I use TrendMicro Housecall. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/ There's no software to download and install with this, you just visit the site and it checks your machine remotely. It's perfectly safe, and recommended by many.

I'm not going into parental control software and how to provide a safe online world for minors, because I've never used any, and have no real idea what's out there. Although I am told that, like other aspects of online security, the free solutions are just as good and effective as the paid for ones - providing you go for the right ones. Perhaps others can add their suggestions as to what's good.

And that's pretty much it. You are now fully protected (insofar as it is possible to be), so go forth and, umm... do stuff. But that's not all! - you need to keep up to date too:

Always download the latest updates for your operating system(s) and security software as soon as they're available (Avast, Clamwin and Online Armour can automatically download their own updates). May seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed how many pc's I encounter with av definitions that are years out of date. Same goes for security updates for your browser and operating system. They may be annoying - particularly the endless MS security patches, but they're just as important as having up to date anti virus definitions.

Beware of malware pretending to be Anti Spyware - never click on or download anything that says it's Anti Spyware without knowing what it is. There are some particularly nasty things that say they're Anti Spyware and look exactly like Anti Spyware, but they're not. AdAware and Spybot are both tested, trusted and safe free Anti Spyware programs, but other than those, if it's free and it says it's Anti Spyware, beware of it because it may not be what is says it is, so don't go near it without checking it out first. Spywarewarrior http://www.spywarewarrior...pyware.htm lists all known Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites.

Finally, always get your security software through trusted sources. In other words, don't download from download sites - always get it from the makers themselves. The makers website may well direct you to a download site, but that's fine. If they are directing you there, it's safe. All the links for software provided here are direct to the makers themselves.

Oh, and another thing - don't take my word for it. There's loads of options available, and obviously, I haven't tried them all. So doing research always helps, there's plenty to choose from and you may well find better solutions than the ones I know, or ones that you prefer. And, of course, if you already know of better solutions then tell us about 'em.

There's a lot more information on this page here http://hubpages.com/hub/T...Protection
I use most of the solutions recommended there, the author definitely knows what they're talking about. Of course, there's plently of other useful information available, it's just a search engine away.