McAfee verses AVG Free

[PA Bear]

R. McCarty wrote:
<snip>
> 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Yes, but any security application running with an outdated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.
--
~PA Bear

 

[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

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[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:43:18 -0500, Tony Meloche <labombarda@i2k.com>
wrote:


> 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.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

 

[PA Bear]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
>> 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.

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.
--
~PA Bear

 

[Tony Meloche]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:43:18 -0500, Tony Meloche <labombarda@i2k.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>> 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.
>

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

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[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:40:48 -0500, Tony Meloche <labombarda@i2k.com>
wrote:

> Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> > On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:43:18 -0500, Tony Meloche <labombarda@i2k.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >> 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.
> >
>
> 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.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

 

[Wally]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:00:54 -0600, "philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote:

>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]

"Wally" <wally@(nft).invalid> wrote in message
newsgsjl3plk768f7ielaea8c845qbdbglc2m@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:00:54 -0600, "philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote:
>
> >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.


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>