pc.security

[Alexander.]

If you are running Windows you might consider trying Microsoft Security Essentials. MSE is completely free. I see no reason to pay money for another program, when the program I have does the job more than satisfactorily.

[Nick29]

MSE only scans for known viruses, and depends upon regular downloads of Microsoft Security updates.  It does not appear to do any 'heuristic' checking (i.e. analysis of files to look for suspicious code), which more sophisticated programs do.  So a malicious file can be out there 'in the wild' for some time before it appears on virus bulletins.  It also does not have a firewall. 

Windows Firewall (another part of Windows) only works one-way (checking on what's coming in) on Windows XP and earlier.  It does work in both directions in Windows Vista and Windows 7, but it is nowhere near as easy to set up as some of the top security programs which automatically set the firewall for the installed program.  A badly set up firewall is as useless as no firewall at all.

[Alexander.]

If you look hard enough you can find fault with just about anything. I was just saying that I had used the program for three years without a single problem.

MSE only scans for known viruses, and depends upon regular downloads of Microsoft Security updates.  It does not appear to do any 'heuristic' checking (i.e. analysis of files to look for suspicious code), which more sophisticated programs do.  So a malicious file can be out there 'in the wild' for some time before it appears on virus bulletins.

That is not true anymore.

It is true that MSE does not have its own firewall, but Windows Firewall is more than adequate in my experience.

Regards,
Alexander

[mike175]

Well, I should think the answer is pretty clear now . . . 

[Nick29]

Microsoft are rather 'wooly' on what MSE actually does and doesn't do.

[KGarrad]

Well, I should think the answer is pretty clear now . . . 

Quite right!

1. Don't trust Microsoft.
2. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
3. Remember - there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.

[Alexander.]

Call me naive, but I've never had much patience for all the Microsoft conspiracy theories out there. 

[KGarrad]

I don't like keeping all my eggs in 1 basket!
So I don't trust multi-national conglomerates, who want me to use their stuff at the exclusion of all else.

As a result, I don't use Internet ExploderExplorer, and I use my own choice of Firewall and Anti-Virus software.

It's not just MS either! I use an Android phone, and don't own an iPod, iPad or anything made by Apple!

Similarly when McAfee (who I used to use) tried to insist that:
1) I uninstall Spyware Doctor, just because it 'wasn't compatible' with McAfee, abd
2) I had to use IE (rather than Firefox or Chrome) if I wanted them to take a look at why the backup facility didn't work.

Then I simply uninstalled McAfee and installed Norton! Problem solved!!

[Nick29]

I just get so annoyed when people say "I use XYZ Anti-Virus and Firewall and I don't have any problems".

My AV/Security software gives me plenty of problems. 

It finds at least 2 problem emails a week which are virus-infected.

It stops me from going to at least 2 problem phishing sites a week.

It catches at least one problem 'dodgy' file a week that I'm trying to install.

It warns me when newly-installed applications are trying to access the internet, which may not have any right to do so.

If yours isn't doing the same, you should be asking yourself whether it's doing anything at all?