Ramblings of an old Doc

 

Bad news if you’re relying MSE to protect you against malware, A-V Test reports.

MSE dropped to 10.5 out of a possible 18. Other software dropped 1-2 points as well.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and VIPRE Internet Security were among 16 of the 23 products tested which dropped in their scores.

You can get the full report here: http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/home-user/windows-7/sepoct-2012/

BitDefender, F-Secure Internet Security and Kaspersky Internet Security scored the highest, which has been a trend. Norton scored 15, down slightly from its prior 15.5.

The business products scored similar values.

So, if you’re in the market for a security product, keep the above in mind. Also, I always suggest two additional steps: Be careful about where you browse and use a Guest Account for your browsing. That way, your Administrator privileges are not accessible by any malware you encounter and deny any installation of software to that  Guest Account.. Virtual browsing is a good measure, too. Also… make a disc image every week.

Source:

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/305401-microsoft-fails-av-test-certification


Comments (Page 2)
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on Nov 29, 2012

DrJBHL
I doubt you have bad browsing habits

I do, though!  I go to the same sites with monotonous regularity, day in day out.  I'm in a browsing rut and have become too predictable.  All a virus would have to do is just lay there in wait for me at one of those sites.  Hmmm, I'm placing a lot of trust in Stardock, Majorgeeks, my bank and devArt, etc, though I'm going to devArt less and less these days.

on Nov 29, 2012

point still stands.. don't see comodo. old reports are less than useless. for some reason.. comodo doesn't go for these kind of tests much.

as for light side... ever heard of cnet or was it d/l.com hosting malware just the other week?

on Nov 29, 2012

alaknebs
don't see comodo

We heard you the first time. Telling us won't change that: Tell them at A-V Tests. They're the ones who run the testing.

 

on Nov 29, 2012

Bitdefender's on top....in Win 7.....

Curiously I was running BD on XP and they were just too slow at getting compatibility with 7 ....so I dropped a year or so of sub and jumped ship to Kaspersky.

Did I jump on THEIR website and piss and moan that the bastards scammed me with a useless sub because I had updated MY OS to something new?

No.

I bloody-well didn't because it was MY FAULT/DECISION to change it.

Did I demand they pause the subscription until THEY had caught up with MY change of OS?

No.

Did I know it could also be MY CHOICE to revert to XP and be able to use the subscription that I'd paid for?

Yes.

Does it sound like I'm getting tired of running interference on our forums over similar "dramas"?

A little.....

on Nov 29, 2012

alaknebs
point still stands.. don't see comodo.

No, your point fell by the wayside in reply #9. Comodo is there with the others. It isn't current, as you have pointed out, but it is there. 

@ Jafo: Spoilsport.  

on Nov 29, 2012

Does it sound like I'm getting tired of running interference on our forums over similar "dramas"?

A little.....

And no blame attached. I'm just glad BD improved their software.

This post isn't about whose is better... it's about reporting results... folks here are more than intelligent enough to make their own choices based on their needs and experience.

on Nov 29, 2012

DrJBHL
. folks here are more than intelligent enough to make their own choices based on their needs and experience.

Opinions vary on that point, Doc.

on Nov 29, 2012

Did I jump on THEIR website and piss and moan that the bastards scammed me with a useless sub because I had updated MY OS to something new?

No.

What samatter wiv you, then?  I mean, faark, it's frickin' obligatory to piss, moan and bitch when ya bin ripped off, init!

It's like there's no lead in yer pencil, um, no resin in yer glue.

No wonder the bastards keep doing it, sticking it to the little bloke, nobody f***ing complains anymore.

Ya know, I wrote to Arnotts the other day... to complain about the biscuits... how the one on each end is always broken.

I got a letter back!  Yeah, it surprised the f**k out of me as well, but there it was... a letter.

It said: "Thank you for your enquiry and be pleased to know that, for your convenience, we shall leave those out in the future."

on Nov 29, 2012

As a paying customer I demand Stardock upgrades it's forums to remain compatible with my delusions of grandeur!

 

....there's a LIGHTER side???????

 

Yeah, it's called youtube, and it scares the living shit out of me.

 

Seriously though, I've gone years without getting a virus while completely bare to the internet.  The few I've gotten over the years were deserved, intentional acts.  

[comment edited by Moderation]

on Nov 29, 2012

psychoak
I installed MSSE to shut up Windows 7, not because I needed an antivirus.  They cause more problems than they solve unless you like downloading porn off warez sites.  Other than not going to the darker side of the internet, just don't run Flash and Java when you aren't using them.

 

Unfortunatly there are so nasty things as driveby downloads and browser exploits... yes even without java or flash. The risk is certainly lower but being on the net without any AV is close to being ignorant.

 

The days where Viruses formatted your disk for lolz are mostyl gone. Today they want your data.... or your computer power.

 

 

Some people who state that they need no AV at all received a nice letter from the ISP that kindly informed them that their account has been used to send millions of spam e-mails. The same people wonder why the can find their credit card information on the internet..... or their latest private moment on youtube.

 

Like any defense, no AV offers total protection.... it however helps you a lot in dealing with the more sneaky variants.... which are the majority today.

 

 

There are plenty of good free AntiViruses out there.... who dont consume a lot of system ressources.... and offer good protection.

 

 

Although of all free choices going to MS seems like a bad idea.

 

 

Microsoft + Security = FAIL

 

 

I dont know why they cant do a reasonable product concerning security.... and I really dont understand how some 50 people companies can outclass a gargantulan monster as Microsot who could easily sink 2 billion into development of a good Anti Virus.

 

 

In any case... before you have nothing... use the MS product.... its better than nothing.....

 

 

Just dont expect it to stop anything malicious that has been written with a minimum of skill.

 

 

 

On an related sidenote..... having a firewall is not a bad idea too. Not only it does add another layer of protection but it can also be used to shut out the annyoing PAID products that phone home... and then sell your data to the highest bidder.

 

Origin?

 

Steam?

 

various games

 

various software....

 

 

 

 

If you are interested... I recommend Comodo Firewall. It is free and it is the best firewall I ever had. So far nothing managed to get by it.

on Nov 29, 2012

Always used MSE and never had problems before... but that was when it was scoring highly compared to the other free programs. Maybe it's time for a change.

on Nov 29, 2012

ARESIV
If you are interested... I recommend Comodo Firewall. It is free and it is the best firewall I ever had. So far nothing managed to get by it.

Does Comodo's free firewall have many nags to buy their other software?  I used to use a free one from another company and their nags got progressively worse until I scrapped it.  Honestly I would have paid some pittance to just get rid of the nags.

on Nov 29, 2012

DaveRI
Does Comodo's free firewall have many nags to buy their other software? I used to use a free one from another company and their nags got progressively worse until I scrapped it. Honestly I would have paid some pittance to just get rid of the nags.

No.

...and the other one would have been AVG ...

on Nov 29, 2012

Thank you (both).  Took me awhile to think of it but the other one was Zone Alarm, no surprise that more than one is nag-crazy.  Too bad it was "the entire suite" or nags on the firewall, a pay firewall-only would have been a nice option.  In fairness that's been a couple of years, don't really know how it is now.

on Nov 29, 2012

I gave up on ZA when it decided to auto-renew itself without me OK'ing the purchase....

 

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