Microsoft security essentials

Microsoft security essentials

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Is it true that if I download Microsoft Security Essentials I do not need to use AVG or other anti virus software packages?I am very confused about this.I do find that AVG does slow down my computer.

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Giraffe
By Luke
05th Nov 2011 14:54

Yes
I use Microsoft security essentials on its own and have done for a few years with no issues. It was recommended to me by a friend in IT.

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By pawncob
05th Nov 2011 21:09

Well

Think about driving a car. (A) Seat Belts (B) SRS airbags.

Either will save your life, but I've got both.

Use AVG/Malwarebytes/Spybot AS WELL.

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By leicsred
06th Nov 2011 08:43

MSE is a full virus checker and ties in with windows built in firewall, so it is a complete package. I looked a while ago and it got decent reviews, not the best but good. Google it and see the latest reviews to see if it still cuts the mustard.

I use it for all home computers and have never had a problem

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By paulwakefield1
06th Nov 2011 09:17

2 Antivirus programs

"Use AVG.......AS WELL"

I thought it was a no no to use 2 antivirus programs at the same time?

 

 

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By 3569787
03rd May 2016 18:01

Comodo for AVG - No to Spybot

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By pawncob
06th Nov 2011 20:16

@Paul

The days of anti virus software clashes are gone.

BUT...........Advanced System Care in Beta 2.1 mode will still crash if you've got AVG loaded.

They all do slightly different things. ASC is good for everyday maintenance.

AVG is good for protection, Malware bytes is good for removing nasties.

Run them all whenever it isn't doing anything else.

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Replying to mrme89:
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By richardpoulter
10th Nov 2011 12:00

@pawncob, quote "The days of anti virus software clashes are gone" - where did you get that impression from? Can you qualify this?

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By paulwakefield1
07th Nov 2011 07:57

@pawncob

Thanks - that's useful to know about the lack of clash these days..

I currently use Kaspersky IS, Malwarebytes, Superantispyware. So far so good.

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By Kryton
07th Nov 2011 13:09

AV Clashes

Unfortunately the days of antivirus clashes are not gone, and if you follow the instructions on the installers for nearly all antivirus it will tell you to uninstall any existing antivirus software before installing the new antivirus.

Antivirus will coexist with many antispyware systems, as long as they do not have real-time scanners, which scan the file as you access them. (as opposed to on-demand or scheduled scanners which just sequentially check all files on your system). For example, you can install an antivirus program from one supplier and use the online scanner from another supplier.

In general - only install one. Otherwise you will cause weird things to happen when opening files and your system will slow down.

Some of the tools mentioned here are not full antivirus software, and so you can install them in parallel. But avoid installing AVG with Kaspersky or Security Essentials for example.

My view on Security Essentials btw is that it is excellent, as is the commercial variant - Forefront.

I would not recommend running without an antivirus unless you never connect to the internet or usb drives etc.

Best regards,

Kryton

www.selestial.com

 

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By RogerNeale
10th Nov 2011 11:09

Security Essentials is ok but.......

if you have a little bit of cash to spend on a proper AV product then I would do.

I regularly come across clients who end up with a virus on their PC because Microsoft weren't quick enough to respond to a virus that was "circulated yesterday".

This of course causes them down-time so if you regularly visit web sites that you are unsure of, spend some of your profit on protecting yourself properly.

I have always, and still do recommend McAfee "on premise" solutions for greatest control of what gets through and what doesn't.

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By gsgordon
10th Nov 2011 11:37

Agreed - AV's do clash

Kryton is correct. We have had problems when running MSE and AVG together (by mistake).

I now run only MSE - at home and on our business PC's - and find it to be excellent. Also, we only use the built-in Microsoft firewall together with the protection afforded by our routers. The Microsoft firewall has advanced configuration capabilities if you believe you need them.

Regards, George

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By hsr1012
10th Nov 2011 13:07

MSE is good

We have recommended MSE to a few of our clients that were either running AVG or nothing at all.  We use the commercial version forefront.

If you are going to spend some money on AV software then I would recommend looking at kaspersky, prevx or eset.  These are very good products and offer far greater protection than Mcafee or Symantec, as explained to me by an IT security expert.

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By Ian_mcdonald
10th Nov 2011 17:20

AV Clashes

Kryton has the correct answer - please heed his advice.

I remove infections from many computers and my findings are that the free ones (AVG and MSE) are as effective as the paid for ones for everyday use but also often consume less of your computers power.

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By brent
10th Nov 2011 20:07

Nothing is perfect

If you install an anti-virus program and that is your entire approach, then the choice is irrelevant.

A well written virus will circumvent heuristics etc until identified and added to definitions - that window of opportunity is all that virus needs.

On top of an anti virus program you also need to use / download / open files with caution.

just my thoughts on the topic - I use MS Security Essentials because it is easier to keep up to date than forever mucking around with subscription programs with Norton / Mcafee / AVG etc

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By supremetwo
11th Nov 2011 10:42

Browse Sandboxed.

Use Sandboxie for browsing as an added line of defence.

http://www.sandboxie.com/ 

Secure Web Browsing: Running your Web browser under the protection of Sandboxie means that all malicious software downloaded by the browser is trapped in the sandbox and can be discarded trivially.  

 

 

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By Robjoy
11th Nov 2011 16:47

All-round protection

You need:

A two-way firewall (one that stops bogus outward and inward traffic). My current favourite is Comodo, but ZoneAlarm is good too. Windows firewall is not as strong, but it's easier for non-techies.A resident, real-time antivirus - AVG is excellent, as are several other freebies like Avast and Avira. This should automatically scan any downloads, emails and usb storage devices as soon as they're plugged in. (Check the settings, they may not be set up to do it all by default).An antivirus scanner, to run regular whole-computer scans. Same free products are good. Again, check the settings to make sure all files are scanned, with heuristic scanning and rootkit scanning.Anti-spyware protection to detect the many other species of malware besides viruses, which these days are much more of a problem than viruses. One is not enough, because none of them is perfect. I suggest Malwarebytes, SuperAntispyware and Spybot. (A previous contributor has heard of problems with Spybot, but I've been using it for years without issues.) These should all be updated regularly and whole-computer scans run. (Again, check settings).We also use SpywareBlaster and McAfee SiteAdvisor

None of which will prevent your computer being infected unless you avoid dodgy sites (try McAfee SiteAdvisor) and resist the temptation to open links in emails, download illegal films, delete phishing emails unopened etc.

I have disinfected many computers with up to date paid-for internet security suites. My first rule would be not to rely on just one anti-malware product - humans have never made anything perfect yet - and never 'feel safe', no matter what security you have, there is no such thing as an uninfectable computer.

 

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By carnmores
11th Nov 2011 17:21

where does everybody get all these virus from

?!

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Replying to cheekychappy:
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By Robjoy
11th Nov 2011 17:51

Where do they come from?

It isn't viruses that cause most of the problems these days, it's other types of malware - but your point is the same.

It isn't the innocent user who 'gets' the malware, (s)he may not even have been using the computer. So long as it's connected to the internet and not adequately protected, it is a potential target for malware spreaders trawling the globe for computers they can infect. They are doing so now - and finding that my computer won't let them in.

You might as well ask where people get all these colds from in winter.

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By carnmores
11th Nov 2011 18:09

it is indeed and i am aware!

is there some sort of survey that shows the breakdown of infected pc's  i.e how many got infected from malware how many by going to infected sites etc - i should have made the point more seriously

 

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Replying to RedFive:
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By Robjoy
12th Nov 2011 18:06

How infections happen

I always try to find out how a client's computer got infected, but I've rarely been able to say with complete certainty. I don't know of any surveys of the source of infection.

The problem is that if, say, a new client brings us a computer with a spoof security program on it "which only appeared yesterday", I cannot conclude that the first infection happened yesterday, only that the client only saw visible signs of infection yesterday.

When I run the several disinfection programs we use they will typically all find something: probably Trojans, almost certainly tracking cookies, often dodgy Toolbars and 'search helpers'. I can look at the dates of these things and see them going back months. From experience, if I see the Zlob Trojan I'd put money on that being how the spoof security program got there, but I might also see torrent clients (used for downloading movies and software from who-knows-where), out-of-date Windows and software - anything that might have security holes in it. Our disinfection programs frequently find nasties in old versions of Java, for example.

All I can say for sure is that if your computer is infected, some sort of malware got to it from somewhere. It could be from a site your mother would not like, a perfectly respectable site using your three-year-old version of Adobe Flashplayer, a site that's been hacked, somebody's USB stick with illegally-downloaded music, that natty-looking toolbar you downloaded from a link on a website that looked fine - any source of anything outside your computer could potentially infect it.

Sorry to sound such a pessimist, but I see computers every week that have infections their owners didn't know about!

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Morph
By kevinringer
16th Nov 2011 13:56

Where to shop

I use Kaspersky. It has been really good, lots of extra tools and great support. Here's a tip - buy 2011 from play.com then download the 2012 update for free from Kaspersky. You'll end up with the 2012 for a fraction of the price compared to buying it direct. Play.com have some other great offers. But watch the prices - they change daily. Just bought Kaspersky Mobile for £4.99 today - it was £12 the previous time I looked! Today, McAfee IS 2012 for 3 PCs is £17.99, whereas 2011 is £23.95 and 2010 £24.95. Where's the sense in that?

Personally I wouldn't rely on the free AVG - I'd always go for a full internet security suite. I prefer Kaspersky, but check the reviews.

Important - make sure you have internet security on your smartphone. Kaspersky includes all sorts of great tools eg if the phone is stolen you can locate it covertly using its GPS and remotely wipe all personal data.

If you've got more than one PC then most AV companies have multi-PC licences that are cheaper than buying individually eg Kaspersky is available as 3 or 5 PC, McAfee as 3 PC.

I'm not connected with play.com, Kaspersky or McAfee.

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By Robjoy
16th Nov 2011 16:15

I don't rely on AVG

Kevinringer says he wouldn't rely on the free AVG, he'd always go for a full internet security suite. Kevin, you're missing the point. I wouldn't dream of relying only on AVG, as I described in an earlier post, I use several security programs of different types - you could think of them as a DIY internet security suite.

Ignore whether an antivirus or antispyware program is free or not, that isn't a good guide to how effective it is. Having all the elements of protection you need in one package rather than from several different publishers means you are relying on one publisher always issuing updates to trap all new threats of every kind every day, and no malware writer ever finding a way to cripple it. If, for any reason, that one application is not functioning properly, you are immediately very vulnerable.

Kaspersky is one of the best, but I would still say that it is not enough.

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