what do you use for such... I know there are some free ones out there... but paid is ok too... suggestions please...
Webroot and McAfee have both served me well. I gave PC Matic a whirl and found it to fall very short on almost all of its claims. Currently using Webroot because it seems to work best with my convoluted set up LOL. The two Cyber Powers are my primary modern computers. The Dell between them is the Vintage XP Pro System I built in a Dell Case with no network or internet access. The two HP cases have 12TB of Hard Drive and each has a 1TB SSD and serve only as basically external hard drives, CD/DVD, and SD drives and are slaves to the Cyber Powers. They look different but I built them identical inside. All run win 10 except for the Ancient Dell Case. I hate slam PC Matic but it took less than 10 Minutes to start letting trojans and key loggers into the system. It took McAfee 2 hours to scan it all and clean the mess up. I have been running Webroot the last two years and have been extremely happy with it. I also run Privacy Badger just because it blocks all kinds of garbage. When you have computers chained together and pick up a virus it gets in them all, so best to do everything possible to keep it from getting on the first in line in the chain to start with. I started using Webroot Business for the Corp Computers and Server and it never let me down there, so started using their home version of the personal computer chain and it has never let me down on this dumpster fire of a system either.
I also use McAfee, but I don't really like it. I keep it because it's so damn hard to clean it off one's computer. You damn near have to wipe the drive and start over. Also, Norton is just as bad so...I keep it. The main reason I don't like it is cost, I'm paying now ~$150 a year. Yeah, there is no limit on how many devices I can use it on (currently only use on 2) but I only need it for maybe 3-4 devices max... Plus, they are always trying to sell me something else and I get damn tired of it. Having said this, I haven't had any problems caused by McAfee or picked up any stray malware or viruses, so it does the job. However, I am much more careful than the average Joe/Josephine.
I use Norton 360 for antivirus. Don't bother with all the other add-on stuff they offer with it, and typically buy it on sale, either from Amazon or Newegg, when they offer a good price on a 5-device version. Alongside that, I use Malwarebyte's free version. My old Win 7 computer has a paid version, back when you could pay once and be good to go. Now they've gone to a yearly subscription, so I stick with the free version. Between the two of them, they've done me well.
Where I have to use Windows I simply use Windows Defender for anti-virus. The only reason to go to a third party product is for additional features or is you are going to places like PawnHub. which I think is a Chess site. Those machines are only used when I can't use Linux for some reason (like Blue Iris or media applications) and don't access very much outside my LAN and the places they do are safe. Linux and common sense for everything else. Oh, and don't put stupid crap on your network like colored light bulbs you can control with your phone. That open doors MUCH worse than a virus. both unintentional and intentional.
Spybot Search and Destroy with Malwarebytes is a great combo, and run windoze defender. Best bet though is use Linux for what matters and a throw away laptop for anything windows. Windows WILL FAIL eventually and eat your data. It's gonna happen and even quicker if you connect it to the web.
thanks all for the input!!! I'm currently using eset but recently became very unhappy with them... so lookin around...
Pretty good if you like your entire system brought to a crawl and high speed internet turned into hughes speeds, lets as much in as it keeps out but it does have pretty graphics to dazzle and amaze while showing you how well that it is not protecting you. Sorry I have a very low opinion of PC Matic LOL.
We've used Norton for a long, long time, but after years of constantly trying to upsell us, and gutting the utility package we had through them, we let our subscription lapse last month. My wife has gone with Windows Defender for her laptop, and I'm running AVG freeware on mine.
hmmm... may go that route myself... have bought expensive computer stuff only to it fail rather soon after purchase... bought cheaper stuff that has lasted quite awhile... hmmm...
On Average :: da super cheap stuff dies in 1 day ta 11 months, plus it can come wid malware, spyware plus viruses from da factory cheap stuff can last ya 6 ta 23 months if it aint dead on arrival medium priced stuff dat is gud quality can last ya 1 ta 20 plus years wid gud maintenace plus gud luck spensive stuff dat has flaws can last ya 6 months ta a few years dependin on da flaw spensive stuff dat is reel gud quality can last 1 ta 20 plus years wid gud maintenace plus gud luck super spensive stuff dat has flaws can last ya a few weeks ta 3 years, fer instance da nvidia 4090 costs about $2,500 and da power connectors keep meltin fer some folks [ true story ] dat power connector on da 4090 has yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge flaws @OldDude49 if yer wantin medium priced gud quality stuff private message sec_monkey corp jus sayn
yer right, norton wuz gud many many years ago, now it aint Defender has yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge issues, if yer lucky it will stop simple stuff, it cant stop advanced malware, viruses, plus ransomware
Been using BitDefender for a few years. Doesn't bog the system down like McAfee. I haven't used Norton since it was "Norton Utilities" and actually worked. (pre- WFW 3.11)
