Windows XP anti-virus,firewall, spyware etc.

[del949]

Is there any single package I can buy that will do everything to secure my pc in one swoop?
I would prefer not to buy seperate manufacturers products if possible. This is intended to run on XP.
At present I have Norton AV and Zone alarm firewall, but the unregistered Norton is out of date now.
Please bear in mind that I am a PC thickie

Del

 

[muckshifter]

Short answer is NO!


MS will probably never delve into the AV market, though you never know, but with their latest acquisition of "Giant" anti-spyware program & MS's own Firewall you’re not short of some good protection.

Giant anti-spyware has a good reputation of being one of the best, it was never Free and because of that was shunned. I have personally tried it out and highly recommended it ... however, as MS have now acquired it; it is now being re-released as a BETA version as a direct download from MS.

You will find discussions here at PCR, just do a search.

 

[Me__2001]

there are reports that microsoft will be doing there own antivirus soon they've got the firewall and there releasing the beta spyware scanner so it shouldn't be too long

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/newsw...late=/technology/feeds/pa_story_template.html

 

[Moco]

I just have a hard time believing MS will actually get a program like AV or FW to work well. any software firewall isnt as good as a hardware as in a router /w a firewall in it. as to an All-in-one, there probly wont be in my lifetime. your best bet is to use the router w/ a firewall in it and then use online virus scanners and spyware removers. are you using this for commercial use or private?

 

[muckshifter]

While I agree a "Router" will afford added protection I'm afraid you’re under a misconception by calling it a "hardware firewall" ... Network Address Translation (NAT) or a proxy server will allow you to share an IP address between multiple machines. This does not necessarily imply any security.

If your gateway device is using NAT or a proxy, it does not imply that the gateway is anymore secure than it would be if those services were not running. It does usually mean that the network behind is harder to get to or attack, but even that is not always true.

NAT Firewall provides basic protection but also gives a lot of freedom to your network users. There are no limitations to what connections they can initiate to the Internet (that includes network games, File swapping, Instant Message, etc.). To add these limitations you must use packet filtering. A feature not usually provided on the basic DSL/Cable Modem Routers.

However, I say again ... a Router will afford good protection for the home user.

 

[Moco]

yep, thats what i figured. for someone that doesnt know much about computers. i suggest it to ppl i build a comp or network for, or any friend asking. its one of those, hook-up and leave alone for most users. as long as they know its not totally secure and other steps need to be takin, then its all good.

And yeah, i never go cheap on my routers....

 

[JonnySpam]

Although they sometimes don't quite compete with the big players, "The Best Things In Life Are Free" You can't fault the free proprams by reputable companies on the internet. Better than leaving your pc at the total mercy of the internet. I'm running AVG 7.0, Zonealarm free edition, spybot and lavasoft ad-aware. They've kept my pc sparkly clean and running trouble free.

 

[del949]

thanks for all replies. Especially muckshifter's which was straight to the point!

cheers

del