Best Security Suite For Vista?

[Bob Newman]

Can anyone offer suggestions? I bought a new computer recently it came with
a trial of Norton which is getting ready to expire. I use Cox Cable as an
internet provider and they offer a free protection suite but I am unsure of
its quality.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi Bob,

What brand is the cable company's offering? Basically, "best" is a relative
term and all advice you will get on this subject will be opinions. Mine is
to avoid suites like Symantec and McAfee's software. Instead, find a decent
av solution and if you find it necessary, a third party firewall
(personally, I find the one included with Vista to be perfectly fine). Also
check other antimalware solutions for spy/adware programs.

The point is that each program will have strengths, and you need something
that is effective but without imposing on the user experience. I've not seen
one that encompasses all the facets of security without sacrificing the
system resources to the point where it's unbearable.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Can anyone offer suggestions? I bought a new computer recently it came with
a trial of Norton which is getting ready to expire. I use Cox Cable as an
internet provider and they offer a free protection suite but I am unsure of
its quality.

Several points here:

1. First, I am very much against the idea of "security suites" (or
almost any other kind of suite, for that matter). You should look for
the best product of each type, without regard for whether a single
company bundles several products together and sells it as a suite. It
is *not* true that the company who makes the best anti-virus program
necessarily makes the best anti-spyware program.

2. Second, when it comes to anti-spyware, a single anti-spyware
product--even the best one--is *not* good enough. Note what Eric
Howes, who has done extensive testing on Anti-Spyware products,
states:

"No single anti-spyware scanner removes everything. Even the
best-performing anti-spyware scanner in these tests missed fully one
quarter of the "critical" files and Registry entries" See
http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

3. Norton anything is probably the worst possible choice of anything
on the market, and I recommend you get rid of it asap.

4. For complete protection, you need a firewall, an anti-virus
program, and two or more anti-spyware programs. I recommend the
following, all free:

The free version of ZoneAlarm

Avast! anti-virus

Two or more of the following:

Spybot Search & Destroy
Adaware
Spyware Blaster
Super Antispyware
Windows Defender.

 

[Bill]

Can anyone offer suggestions? I bought a new computer recently it came
with a trial of Norton which is getting ready to expire. I use Cox Cable
as an internet provider and they offer a free protection suite but I am
unsure of its quality.

www.avast.com and its free for the home.

I got rid of Mcafee and my running processes went down a whopping 10! NAV is
probably the same

Bill

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Forget suites.

AVG or Avast free anti-virus work well, and if you want to pay for one, then
try NOD32.

Comodo Firewall, free too, gets good reviews if you want more than the
Windows firewall

WinPatrol, Windows Defender, and Hostsman will complement your security.

 

[Bob Newman]

Thanks for all of your input. I think I have a better understanding now.

Bob

 

[Richard Urban]

I also used to recommend ZoneAlarm. But now that Comodo has released their
free COMODO Firewall Pro for Vista, I will not likely be using ZA again any
time soon. Try it yourself and see!

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Richard G. Harper]

I don't recommend ANY security suite, whether from an ISP or retail or
bundled or whatever. Get a good free antivirus program (AVG is my personal
favorite), be sure that Windows Defender and Windows firewall are on and
active, then add a free spyware/adware protection program and you're done.
Lots less drag on system performance and excellent protection.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Kayman]

Can anyone offer suggestions? I bought a new computer recently it came with
a trial of Norton which is getting ready to expire.

A number of experts agree that the retail AV version of McAfee, Norton and
Trend Micro has become cumbersome and bloated for the average user.
The retail version of Norton can play havoc with your pc. Uninstall it
using Norton's own uninstall tool:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039
As suggested on the site, you may wish to print out the directions before
proceeding.
Or
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html

If the Norton removal tool doesn't work satisfactory use this:
Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Remove unwanted programs and traces easily
http://www.revouninstaller.com/
and/or
RegSeeker
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
RegSeeker will remove all associated detritus (registry keys,files and
folders) from any application. I found this application user friendly and
very effective but suggest *not* to use the 'Clean the Registry' option.
Click onto 'Find in registry' and in the 'Search for' box type *Norton*;
The pertinent registry keys can then be safely deleted (just in case,
ensure that the 'Backup before deletion' is checked). Repeat the task by
typing in the Search for' box *Symantec*. You can then go on search and
remove associated files as well.
Then use NTREGOPT to compact the registry; Follow instructions.
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt

I use Cox Cable as an internet provider and they offer a free protection
suite but I am unsure of its quality.

Steer away from 'suites' and ZA!!!

You are not going to find anything better than the Vista FW and Vista in
itself due to the advanced features the FW and Vista are using.

"Personal Firewalls" are mostly snake-oil.
http://www.samspade.org/d/firewalls.html

Jesper's Blogs-
At Least This Snake Oil Is Free.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2007/07/19/at-least-this-snake-oil-is-free.aspx
Windows Firewall: the best new security feature in Vista?
http://blogs.technet.com/jesper_johansson/archive/2006/05/01/426921.aspx

Exploring The Windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/VistaFirewall/default.aspx
"If you try to block outbound connections from a computer that’s already
compromised, how can you be sure that the computer is really doing what you
ask? The answer: you can’t. Outbound protection is security theater—it’s a
gimmick that only gives the impression of improving your security without
doing anything that actually does improve your security. This is why
outbound protection didn’t exist in the Windows XP firewall and why it
doesn’t exist in the Windows Vista™ firewall."

Vista Firewall Control.
Protects your applications from undesirable network incoming and outgoing
activity, controls applications internet access.
http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/

Real-time AV applications - for viral malware.
Do not utilize more than one (1) real-time anti-virus scanning engine!
Disable the e-mail scanning function during installation (Custom
Installation on some AV apps.) as it provides no additional protection.
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3
In fact, most of experts (incl. Norton) believe that scanning incoming and
outgoing mail causes e-mail file corruption.

Avira AntiVir® PersonalEdition Classic - Free
http://www.free-av.com/antivirus/allinonen.html

Free antivirus - avast! 4 Home Edition
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
(Choose Custom Installation and under Resident
Protection, uncheck: Internet Mail and Outlook/Exchange.)

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
http://free.grisoft.com/

ESET NOD32 Antivirus - Not Free
http://www.eset.com/
Have you seen these "extra settings for NOD32"?
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=37509

On-demand AV application.
(add it to your arsenal and use it as a "second opinion" av scanner).
BitDefender10 Free Edition
http://www.bitdefender.com/PRODUCT-14-en--BitDefender-8-Free-Edition.html

A-S applications - for non-viral malware.
The effectiveness of an individual A-S scanners can be wide-ranging and
oftentimes a collection of scanners is best. There isn't one software that
cleans and immunizes you against everything. That's why you need multiple
products to do the job i.e. overlap their coverage - one may catch what
another may miss, (grab'em all).

SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

Ad-Aware - Free
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

Spybot Search & Destroy - Free
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Windows Defender - Free (build-in in Vista)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Interesting reading:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136195/article.html
"...Windows Defender did excel in behavior-based protection, which detects
changes to key areas of the system without having to know anything about
the actual threat."

A clarification on the terminology: the word "malware" is short for
"malicious software." Most Anti-Virus applications detect many types of
malware such as viruses, worms, trojans, etc.
What AV applications usually don't detect is "non-viral" malware, and the
term "non-viral malware" is normally used to refer to things like spyware
and adware.

Some more useful applications:
Spyware Blaster - Free
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Rootkit Revealer - Free
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/RootkitRevealer.mspx

Crap Cleaner - Free
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/
If Windows Defender is utilized go to Applications, under Utilities
uncheck "Windows Defender".

CW Shredder - Free
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Popup-Ad-Spyware-Blockers/CWShredder.shtml

Good luck

 

[baynole2]

Forget suites.

Comodo Firewall, free too, gets good reviews if you want more than the
Windows firewall

I use Comodo also & like it. There is a new 3.0 v. out, has anyone
tried it? Is it a de facto Beta?

http://majorgeeks.com/Comodo_Personal_Firewall_d5033.html

 

[Charlie42]

I use Comodo also & like it. There is a new 3.0 v. out, has anyone
tried it? Is it a de facto Beta?

Version 3 was released just a few days ago, so it's way to early to pass
judgement. I'm anxious to see more leak tests and reviews, to find out how
well it compares to v. 2.4 and other firewalls.

The new version is really a major upgrade. HIPS has been improved, and there
is an entirely new module called Defense+, which gives the user extensive
control over the applications on the computer and what they're allowed to
do. I've found that using the training mode has increased the annoyance
level significantly over the previous versions. Any app you start require
you to allow or deny at least one action, but of course rules are remembered
if you so choose.

I've installed it on two computers, mostly for testing purposes, and
although it's a final release, it still is a wee bit buggy.

http://forums.comodo.com/feedbackco...irewall_pro_3_has_been_released-t14915.0.html

Charlie42

 

[Kayman]

Version 3 was released just a few days ago, so it's way to early to pass
judgement. I'm anxious to see more leak tests and reviews, to find out how
well it compares to v. 2.4 and other firewalls.

In relation to 3rd party PFW's in general, this may be of interest for
anybody using this software:

1.) Firewall LeakTesting.
http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-105.htm

Excerpts:
Leo Laporte: "So the leaktest is kind of pointless."
Steve Gibson: "Well,yes,...
Leo: "So are you saying that there's no point in doing a leaktest anymore?"
Steve: "Well, it's why I have not taken the trouble to update mine, because
you..."
Leo: "You can't test enough".
Steve: "Well, yeah.
Leo: "Right. Very interesting stuff. I guess that - my sense is, if you
can't test for leaks, a software-based firewall is kind of essentially
worthless." ...


2.) Sunbelt Software - the vendor of Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall.
A realistic assessment with respect to 3rd party PFW from a respectable
software manufacturer 2007-08-07.
http://www.matousec.com/projects/wi...ysis/leak-tests-results.php#firewalls-ratings

Excerpts:

....we have some reservations about personal firewall "leak testing" in
general. While we appreciate and support the unique value of independent
security testing, we are admittedly skeptical as to just how meaningful
these leak tests really are, especially as they reflect real-world
environments.

The key assumption of "leak testing" < namely, that it is somehow useful to
measure the outbound protection provided by personal firewalls in cases
where malware has already executed on the test box > strikes us as a
questionable basis on which to build a security assessment. Today's malware
is so malicious and cleverly designed that it is often safest to regard PCs
as so thoroughly compromised that nothing on the box can be trusted once
the malware executes. In short, "leak testing" starts after the game is
already lost, as the malware has already gotten past the inbound firewall
protection.

Moreover, "leak testing" is predicated on the further assumption that
personal firewalls should warn users about outbound connections even when
the involved code components are not demonstrably malicious or suspicious
(as is the case with the simulator programs used for "leak testing"). In
fact, this kind of program design risks pop-up fatigue in users,
effectively lowering the overall security of the system; The reason
developers are increasingly shunning this design for security applications.
[unquote]

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Rick and ken are right. Bob if you want killer security for your Vista
system use a good AV. I use NOD32 and it works great. Remember these are
just my preferences not everyone elses. I use the Vista firewall control
in conjunction with the built in VIsta firewall. It works great. All i
use from there is spybot and the premium version of A-Squared. With that
and a router firewall(netgear n gaming router). I stay invisible and bug
free.

Zone alarm's free version made a poor showing at the reviews I read.

I am very distrustful of most of the reviews in the big name
magazines. These companies get a large part of their income from
advertisers. I always remember the time, several years ago, that I had
a young woman working for me whose previous job had been as a reviewer
for PC Magazine. She could barely spell PC, and certainly wasn't
qualified to write software reviews.

I
belive I found the links to that review here somewhere. The pro(paid)
version rated way better.

My understanding is that the main difference between the free
ZoneAlarm and the paid version is that the paid version come with
other non-firewall components. Since I get that other protection from
other apps, I'm not interested in the paid ZA.

And hey Ken I see you like SpywareBlaster. Is it x64 compatible. I
can't find a definite answer on that. It is a good program as well.

Sorry, I don't know about 64-bit compatibility.

 

[HeyBub]

I am very distrustful of most of the reviews in the big name
magazines. These companies get a large part of their income from
advertisers. I always remember the time, several years ago, that I had
a young woman working for me whose previous job had been as a reviewer
for PC Magazine. She could barely spell PC, and certainly wasn't
qualified to write software reviews.

Did she provide you with the same skill-set that got her the job at the
magazine?

Do you still have her number? I'm looking for someone like that.

 

[forty-nine]

Did she provide you with the same skill-set that got her the job at the
magazine?

Do you still have her number? I'm looking for someone like that.

hubba, hubba

 

[CZ]

I also used to recommend ZoneAlarm. But now that Comodo has releasedfree COMODO Firewall Pro for Vista, I will not likely be using ZA again any
time soon. Try it yourself and see!

Richard:

What advantages does it have over ZA free?

TIA

 

[CZ]

I also used to recommend ZoneAlarm. But now that Comodo has released
their free COMODO Firewall Pro for Vista, I will not likely be using ZA
again any
time soon. Try it yourself and see!

Richard:

What advantages does it have over ZA free?

TIA


New post:

Richard:

I am not impressed with COMODO Firewall Pro for Vista.
I installed it into my VistaTest vol and incurred a very significant bootup
delay that I could not resolve, so I remove it.

In my two Vista's setups on my main computer I run ZA free in one and PC
Tools Firewall Plus in the other.
Note that I run both with Vista's f/w enabled.

My preference remains the combination of ZA free and Vista's f/w running
together.