Antivirus/Antispyware tools

[time]

I'm in the middle of cleaning an infected PC (my youngest daughter's) :boom:

With a suitable tool (Security Task Manager is still my firstline choice over HijackThis etc for reasons of clarity), I can see the hidden instances of the Internet Exploder engine - killed two, but then another popped up.

I installed SuperAntiSpyware, with latest updates, and it found precisely ... zip.

Then I installed the latest version of NOD32, and it found 15 nasties.

This repeats two patterns I've seen in the last several months: anti-spyware sucks and version 3 of NOD32 rocks.

So far, I'm really, really impressed with this incarnation of NOD32. No perceptible impact on system responsiveness that I can detect; i.e. an order of magnitude better than corporate editions of Norton and MacAfee. And really good detection of non-viral malware (undesirable programs) including root kits.

I've been as agnostic as possible about this for years, but I think it's now time for evangelism: NOD32 is the *only* anti-malware solution out there worth considering at this time. Everything else is half-assed in one way or another. IMO - what's yours?

 

[MaxBurn]

Well I am still using AVG free and an occasional run of Spybot and Ad-Aware free for a total package that I think is decent while costs nothing. Best defense has to be knowing what not to do out there though, I simply don't run into trouble anymore.

If I paid money it would probably be NOD32, this isn't the only place I hear people liking it.

Oh yeah, firefox with addblock and safesearch helps too.

 

[Will Rickards]

I'm still of the opinion of wiping machines that are infected.
But when I rebuild them I include nod32, without hesitation.

 

[Bozo]

I had been using AVG. Now, I run TOR, and MS Defender. I also have a modified Host file that blocks a lot of trash, including adds. http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
About once a month I run Trend Micro's free online scanner, ADAware and Spybot. Why? Because it's the only free stuff for Server 2003 x64.

Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

NOD32 without question. When a system is infected and running Norton or McAffee, I wipe it clean. When a system is infected and running AVG (frequently happens), installing NOD32 is usually enough to clean it.

I consider NOD32 to be protection, AVG to be damage control, and everything else to be worthless.

I've found that Firefox + AdBlock + NoScript + a smart user and 10 minutes of training can be essentially safe.

 

[timwhit]

What whitelist do you use with noscript?

 

[ddrueding]

None. To be honest, I didn't even think (or know) about pre-approved whitelists. I just show the user how to add their own exceptions, and to be careful.