Norton Detecting Virus with Zandronum 2.0 Download

[AlexMax]

Historically AVG has had really godawful coverage, even compared to Norton. It seems like recently their detection has gotten better, but they've also been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons:

AVG can sell your browsing and search history to advertisers
AVG: “Web TuneUP” extension multiple critical vulnerabilities

That second link especially doesn't bode well for a company that supposedly specializes in security. It's one thing for software to have bugs. It's another to incorrectly fix it. Twice.

If you're paying for anti-virus, buy Kaspersky or NOD32. If you want something free, Avast! and Avira are both better than AVG, IMHO.

[ibm5155]

So avg is the new Baidu?
[spoiler]
baidu was installed successfully on your system
[/spoiler]

[Vincent(PDP)]

@AlexMax
According to your first link even Avast sells non-personal data to advertisers, not just AVG. This is probably rather common - and not just in the Antivirus business.
Besides, it is not a crime if it's stated in their privacy policy.

As for Avast:
"In its privacy policy, Avast, which also provides free security software, explains that it is able to collect certain non-personal information and sell it to advertisers."

AVG even explains the reason why they do this - to be able to still give out free products!
"We use data to improve those products and services; provide support; send notifications, offers, and promotions; and to make money from our free offerings so that we can continue to offer them for free. "

- AVG Privacy Policy

I'm perfectly fine with AVG doing so (I don't even know if they do it for the paid version).

Anyway, to sum this up: One should take the stuff that is read on the internet with a grain of salt.

[Konar6]

I use Brain v2.0 as my antivirus. It doesn't slow down my PC, it's free, no ads, no selling of personal data and all this crap.

[Empyre]

Using your brain can leave your antivirus with not much to do, but your brain has already failed you if is causes you to not have any antivirus protection at all.

[Konar6]

That's what those companies want you to think. A virus doesn't somehow sneak into your PC randomly whenever it's turned on. The user has to download and open it. Even if I had any antivirus installed, it wouldn't have any work to do on my PC, except to slow it down. Which is what some malware does, right? So those "anti"virus products are actually viruses. :o

[Empyre]

That's technically true. Antivirus software has to use virus-like activity to do its job. Virus writes are clever, and eventually, one will trick you, or hitch-hike on an otherwise-legitimate download, and then you will need an antivirus to detect and stop it, or it will just run amok.

[Darcia]

The safest way is to use windows 10. It will send every 30 minutes all your data on microsoft severs even if you turn this option off. Where it is safe and will let windows improve even better.

Only windows friends. Linux is for crackers.

[Slim]

The safest way is to use windows 10. It will send every 30 minutes all your data on microsoft severs even if you turn this option off. Where it is safe and will let windows improve even better.

Only windows friends. Linux is for crackers.

If that's your preference, more power to you.

Otherwise the majority's preference is to internet responsibly.

[ibm5155]

Konar, if you use Windows 7 or higher, you are using at least the build in antivírus.
Windows forces it to be enabled if there are no other antivírus software.
Even being a way to disable it, it's not a user friendly way :S

[Vincent(PDP)]

That's what those companies want you to think. A virus doesn't somehow sneak into your PC randomly whenever it's turned on. The user has to download and open it. Even if I had any antivirus installed, it wouldn't have any work to do on my PC, except to slow it down. Which is what some malware does, right? So those "anti"virus products are actually viruses. :o

That's technically true. Antivirus software has to use virus-like activity to do its job. Virus writes are clever, and eventually, one will trick you, or hitch-hike on an otherwise-legitimate download, and then you will need an antivirus to detect and stop it, or it will just run amok.

I virus might not sneak into your computer randomly, but what about people or malware?
Without an Antivirus/Antimalware application a hacker could find an exploit in your firewall, or one of your programs, and use that to install malware/viruses on your computer. Just because you're not downloading anything or visiting any websites it doesn't mean that you're completely protected. Any application or service that connects to a remote endpoint at some point (which some of the Windows processes do frequently) serve the possibility to be exploited.
- I'm not saying that it IS going to be exploited, just that it might be.

The safest way is to use windows 10. It will send every 30 minutes all your data on microsoft severs even if you turn this option off. Where it is safe and will let windows improve even better.

Only windows friends. Linux is for crackers.

One of the more safer ways (if your computer is connected to the internet) is to use a system which you frequently update, INCLUDING some kind of Antivirus/Antimalware protection, and a Firewall.

There are exploits in some websites that does not require you to confirm the download and execution of something, which will (if there's nothing to stop it) slip unnoticed into your computer.

So there is no "safest way" or "best practise"... One always has to adapt.

[Sean]

Any application or service that connects to a remote endpoint at some point (which some of the Windows processes do frequently) serve the possibility to be exploited.
- I'm not saying that it IS going to be exploited, just that it might be.

Like the NULL session exploit in Windows over 13 years ago that caused the source code and content of Half-Life 2 to be leaked and costing a shitload of cash.

Oh well, you should add use Common Sense 2016 Plus. Best AV + firewall + electric fence ever

[Vincent(PDP)]

Like the NULL session exploit in Windows over 13 years ago that caused the source code and content of Half-Life 2 to be leaked and costing a shitload of cash.

Hehe, yeah.

"Every system has a flaw. I'm pretty good at finding them."
- Root, Person Of Interest, 2012
No? Don't know what I'm talking about? K. :/[/size]

Oh well, you should add use Common Sense 2016 Plus. Best AV + firewall + electric fence ever

Hahaha. You are so right indeed.
#programmersknowsbest

---

As a continuation to my previous post I can say that I got hacked once, doing nothing but programming (I was programming offline on my computer, but I had internet access).
Suddenly this window opened, only showing the text "File transfer" and a marquee progress bar. After about 5 seconds it closed itself again. I immediatelly disconnected my internet (after the window had closed) and started running scans on my system.

I later connected to the internet to download the trial version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. It found a few things... Don't think they were viruses or malware, but it's built-in firewall suddenly started blocking some IP-addresses via the svchost.exe process (a Windows process). I checked the addresses via one or two IP locator sites: three of them came from China and one from the Netherlands. - FUUUUSED?!

At the end I eventually formatted my entire drive, reinstalling Windows.

Now kids, don't use your computer without proper protection! ;)

[enderkevin13]

I'd recommend malwarebytes tbh.

[Vincent(PDP)]

I'd recommend malwarebytes tbh.

Though Malwarebytes is mostly for malware, not viruses.
You're better of using one application for both, or one application for viruses and one for malware (where only one of them use real-time protection).

This guy explains it pretty well: http://youtu.be/67-5bzc_GKE

I use AVG Internet Security (which is the paid version) and Malwarebytes Free.

[Klofkac]

Though Malwarebytes is mostly for malware, not viruses.
You're better of using one application for both, or one application for viruses and one for malware (where only one of them use real-time protection).

I always have thought viruses are subset of malware...

[Sean]

Viruses are malware