McAfee verses AVG Free

[PA Bear]

R. McCarty wrote:

I don't follow your reasoning. When a AntiVirus program expires it
generally doesn't stop the background scanning operations just does
not download any updated definitions. I guess my point is that only
newly discovered infectors between Tuesday and Thursday would
have put the PC at risk.

That was exactly /my/ point, too. And who knows if VirusScan would've
caught the incursion if it /was/ fully updated?

...I'm assuming the last updated definitions are
still used by the scanning engine.

Yes, but any security application running with an outdated
database/reference file isn't sufficient protection.

Anyway it ( PC ) belongs to a teenager and I noticed most all the
common apps for that age user were installed.

Including several P2P File Sharing apps, I assume.

I'm still skeptical of both Norton and McAfee and wasn't promoting
AVG free just illustrating how different products have differing levels
of effectiveness. I use ( & recommend ) NOD32 but don't put 100%
faith in it finding or protecting against 100% of what's out there. I use
a number of on-line scans from various vendors to double-check the
resident AV on my machine.

Agreed. And even NOD32 isn't without the occasional issue. Earlier this
week we've identified a problem with NOD32 v2 where its IMON component was
disallowing AU to properly download/install a recent update. This behavior
is not seen in a fully-updated NOD32 v3, and ESET may have corrected the
problem with a recent update.

 

[Tony Meloche]

PA Bear wrote:

(snip)

Spybot: Of Spybots 2 Residents, SDHelper, if enabled, provides some
real-time protection but certainly not enough; Tea Timer is not enabled
by default (nor would I recommend enabling it for the average user).

Agreed. For the "average user". TeaTime is more trouble than it's
worth. It is a "not-quite-ready-for-prime-time" part of the Spybot
program, IMO. Rest of the program is very good, though.

I'd recommend adding BOClean and SpywareBlaster to the homemade security
suite. Keep the latter updated and all of it's protections enabled.

Spyware Blaster is a very good addition to Spybot. I run them on
alternate days.

Tony

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Spyware Blaster is a very good addition to Spybot. I run them on
alternate days.

Spyware Blaster is a program that works by blocking the "installation
of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and
other potentially unwanted software." It's not something that you run
to look for malware, and it's meaningless to "run" it every other day.
After running it once, it's doing its job. You need to run it once to
install it, and after that, only to periodically check for and install
updates to it.

 

[PA Bear]

Spyware Blaster is a program that works by blocking the "installation
of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and
other potentially unwanted software." It's not something that you run
to look for malware, and it's meaningless to "run" it every other day.
After running it once, it's doing its job. You need to run it once to
install it, and after that, only to periodically check for and install
updates to it.

Yes, more or less. SpywareBlaster is usually updated every 2 weeks or so
(YMMV). After updating and making sure you've then enabled all protections,
don't bother to run it again other than to check for an update.

 

[Tony Meloche]

Spyware Blaster is a program that works by blocking the "installation
of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and
other potentially unwanted software." It's not something that you run
to look for malware, and it's meaningless to "run" it every other day.
After running it once, it's doing its job. You need to run it once to
install it, and after that, only to periodically check for and install
updates to it.

Mistype on my part - checking for updates every other day is what I
meant, of course. There is nothing to "run" once it's installed, as you
said (save updating).

Tony

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Mistype on my part - checking for updates every other day is what I
meant, of course. There is nothing to "run" once it's installed, as you
said (save updating).

Right. Thanks for clarifying what you meant.

 

[Wally]

I am amazed how many people who use computers are totally clueless...

The best anti-virus defense is really good old common sense!

I agree.

If everyone was as smart as you, there would be no problems in the
world.

 

[philo]

I agree.

If everyone was as smart as you, there would be no problems in the
world.

Although that's a true enough statement...

If everyone was as smart as me...humans would not have had the intelligence
to produce their first stone tools/ weapons
and that's why there would be no problems <G>