Roger H. Veteran Posted December 8, 2011 Veteran Share Posted December 8, 2011 everyone always says you should use hardware firewall and not software, but neglect the huge segment of laptop machines where you do need to use software firewall because you'll be using other people's networks. so yes, use a software firewall. whether you should use a third party one however is not really that clear cut, since the Windows firewall should work just fine even though the UI is a bit less user friendly. Also MSE is very capable as an anti-malware solution, and combined with Windows firewall you should be covered pretty well. Personally, I use KIS because it's still generally one of the best and it goes on sale all the time so I never have to pay more than $20 for a 1yr 3-pc licence, which I figure is worth it for the more friendly UI, more frequent signature updates, and possibly (questionable) better detection. Anytime you go anywhere else with your laptop you'll be connected to a router unless you plan on plugging into someone's cable modem? :blink: No need for a software firewall, if you are going to someone's house i'm sure you can set Windows Vista/7 firewall to "Public" and it'll block anything just the same but then you shouldn't be connecting to networks you don't trust in the first place! :rolleyes: So for normal usage - MSE and Router & Windows Firewall is more than good enough. If you decide you want to buy one, buy NOD32 - you will be helping out some of their devs here at Neowin :) Okay i'm leaning towards Kaspersky Internet Security. I have used MSE and I just don't see it as robust in features. Maybe its just more user friendly. I'm using a trial of g data now and not exactly thrilled with it. Umm what "features are you looking for in a firewall other than blocking intruders and as for a antimalware - it should just work. It's not a new tech gizmo with "500+ new features!!" You should install it and never ever see it again. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoffel Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 MSE all the way, it just seems to work without bothering you at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painejake Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 NOD32 AV Windows FW Same as what I'm running. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kywolf Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Go check out some of the reviews for Norton Internet Security 2012 and you'll read very good things. There is an article on Maximum PC that just came out where they reviewed several security suites. Search "Choose your defender" on Maximum PC web site if the link doesn't work: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/choose_your_defender_10_anti-virus_programs_reviewed_and_compared I was going to go with one of the free anti-virus (Avast or AVG) but Comcast provides NIS 2012 free to their customers so I decided to go with it. Glad I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jamesyfx Subscriber² Posted December 8, 2011 Subscriber² Share Posted December 8, 2011 Free AntiVirus software like MSE is suitable if you know what you're doing. However, if people other than you will use your computer, or you want more peace of mind, it's just not gonna cut the mustard. I would probably say go for Kaspersky or Norton in this case. They're both comprehensive and work well enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan~ Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Don't buy anything. Microsoft Security Essentials - Excellent & Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shra1 Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Eset's the lightest, fastest & the most pro-active out there!! :-) goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaara sama Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Kaspersky internet security 2012 the best or kaspersky pure also . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrikedOut Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 One of the best ways to run the PC if your worried about viruses is to create 2 accounts for yourself, 1 admin and 1 restricted. Only use the restricted and when you need admin priviliges use the run as tool. MSE will protect you perfectly fine and the built in firewall (assuming Win 7 is your OS) is very good. Take a look at its advanced features, it isnt the same as the XPSP2 firewall. And the best tool, common sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Topham Hatt Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Are you an advanced user of the internet? Do you know not to click on bad links or download dodgy things? If YES, why are you so concerned with protecting yourself? Trial a period for a few months of no 3rd party software firewall and MSE - then you'll see you can actually save that ?50 a year or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+InsaneNutter MVC Posted December 9, 2011 MVC Share Posted December 9, 2011 Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Firewall & Common Sense is all you need, no point in wasting money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApuBo Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Microsoft Security Essentials (or any other free AV), Windows Firewall. as others say's why pay for an AV and FW? (if you visit lots of random sites and press "OK"/"Show" near every popup then use an paid suite :p ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech085 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Symantec Norton 360 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey B. Veteran Posted December 9, 2011 Veteran Share Posted December 9, 2011 Antivirus - Microsoft Security Essentials Firewall - Windows Default firewall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrum Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I think it is a matter of aesthetic preferences. :) Technical stuff is not easy to compare and I guess it should be around equal for all big software companies. I like Avast because it has a cool interface and is least annoying. But sometimes it is simply boring to use the same thing over and over again, so I may go for MSE or ESET. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrp04 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 No reason to use anything other than MSE. Set it and forget it. It never bothers you unless there is a problem. No nags to upgrade versions, no nags to re-license any free version, no update notifications, no stupid BS ever. It only ever says anything when it detects a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEX4S Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Eset's the lightest, fastest & the most pro-active out there!! :-) Kaspersky internet security 2012 the best or kaspersky pure also . Why on earth do so many people talk good about MSE ? I dont like it at all due to past experience. If you have to justify it by saying "its free" - then its not remarkable for its ability. I think it sucks - but I wonder because I see a lot of people talk about it online, I ask people who are in IT, are in security, or network admins - they agree with me - it has security holes big enough to drive a truck through. I wonder which is correct. I went 6 months without an anti-virus at all - and never had a problem - so how can someone say that "I never got infected" is due to their A/V software - its not. If the A/V software actually does something, or blocks something - it will tell you. Just sitting dormant is hardly noteworthy. I dont presume to know alot about that stuff - its far too easy to clean a pc so I havent spent a ton of time with this stuff till recently. As of the last 3 weeks I have installed the 2012 webroot Secure Anywhere on 4 pcs and have to say it is extremely impressive. It is revamped, and only leaves a 1MB file running - thats it ! It is cloud-based, scans crazy fast & has actually removed a lot of things upon installation that mbam missed. I totally see why mags and reviewers give it insane high scores. PC Mag gave it the highest rating ever for an anti-virus. Right now its $29 for 1 yr. I encourage anyone looking for some A/V software to look at it seriously. ($49 for 3 pcs 1yr) DIRT CHEAP I purchased it for my laptop and it has such a tiny footprint - I dont know how cloud-based ones do it, but Im impressed. I still dont have A/V on my desktop - but am considering getting another license. I am making a recommendation to our head of security @ work as the software to use for 2012 - we have tried it out on some "problem employees" known for infections - and it has been such an improvement over what we had. www.webroot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrum Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 MSE... it has security holes big enough to drive a truck through. It is lyrics, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethec Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Avast or MSE + Windows Firewall == enough protection. But Avast changed the old v4.8 voice :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Veteran Posted December 11, 2011 Veteran Share Posted December 11, 2011 Malwarebytes Pro (Pro has real-time file scanner) Windows Firewall is all you need. There are other options that are completely free yet still effective, but this option will only set you back $25.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
articuno1au Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Why on earth do so many people talk good about MSE ? I dont like it at all due to past experience. If you have to justify it by saying "its free" - then its not remarkable for its ability. I think it sucks - but I wonder because I see a lot of people talk about it online, I ask people who are in IT, are in security, or network admins - they agree with me - it has security holes big enough to drive a truck through. I wonder which is correct. I went 6 months without an anti-virus at all - and never had a problem - so how can someone say that "I never got infected" is due to their A/V software - its not. If the A/V software actually does something, or blocks something - it will tell you. Just sitting dormant is hardly noteworthy. I dont presume to know alot about that stuff - its far too easy to clean a pc so I havent spent a ton of time with this stuff till recently. As of the last 3 weeks I have installed the 2012 webroot Secure Anywhere on 4 pcs and have to say it is extremely impressive. It is revamped, and only leaves a 1MB file running - thats it ! It is cloud-based, scans crazy fast & has actually removed a lot of things upon installation that mbam missed. I totally see why mags and reviewers give it insane high scores. PC Mag gave it the highest rating ever for an anti-virus. Right now its $29 for 1 yr. I encourage anyone looking for some A/V software to look at it seriously. ($49 for 3 pcs 1yr) DIRT CHEAP I purchased it for my laptop and it has such a tiny footprint - I dont know how cloud-based ones do it, but Im impressed. I still dont have A/V on my desktop - but am considering getting another license. I am making a recommendation to our head of security @ work as the software to use for 2012 - we have tried it out on some "problem employees" known for infections - and it has been such an improvement over what we had. www.webroot.com There's an extreme difference between what you need for corporate network security and what the average user needs. The issue with the "holes large enough to drive trucks through" statement is that it implies that the security holes already exist in Windows (as MSE isn't going to run around opening flaws). Given you can readily run Windows 7 without virus protection and not pick up a virus without doing something stupid; this assertion would appear to be flawed. I've been running MSE since it was in internal alpha with MS and never had problems with it. It's perfectly adequate for pretty much everything. The best argument isn't that it's free. It's that it works and works well, is light, simple AND is free. The free part isn't a justification for overlooking it's flaws. It's the icing on the cake. Regarding the "fleshed out features". Windows Firewall is fully functional and powerful. It's a real admin's tool in the way it handles policies. Sure it's not pretty, but it's damned good. 3 weeks of testing is sufficient for you to recommend a product. Interesting. Are you sure you don't work for that company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEX4S Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 articuno - No I dont work for webroot. 3 weeks, 5-days a week of getting hammered with malware; checking different configs & conferring with other people in IT, and readily comparing it to past software we've used ? It didnt take long to see/feel a difference. At first I was against it because the webroot I remember was a bloated beast. To elaborate - it wasnt my install with the MSE security installed - it was a couple of customers' - You say you never had a problem with - well - that is hardly kudos for security software - you mean it didnt crash ? Oh - yeah I guess thats a positive. I am looking for non-biased, experience to tell me whats up with it. Frankly, and I am not trying to be a pr1ck, but most people who give reviews or opinions have no business doing such. Not unlike the person who claims HP makes great computers "because I had one and it never gave me a problem" - see ? Not real definitive. Not an authoritative review. Oh and your comment about Windows having flaws, and it seems to go against my comment about not getting an infection when not running A/V software - that isn't contradictory - there are more variables which determine clean computing than just the security software.... common sense and a little experience is a HUGE factor. I am not saying I know better, I am asking for someone who knows alot about this stuff - to explain why its good, thats all. Tell me how its good, or why its the best - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEX4S Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 artic - LOL I re-read my post - it sure as hell does sound like a sales pitch - sorry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garwin Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 go for eset goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-scratch Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 how about none at all, i have not used a firewall or antivirus program for several years now & have no need to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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