AV and AS license due to expire - change or keep?

[TechVillage]

Hello,

This week I have spent every night working my way thru the 206 page "what is your security setup these days" thread! It was extremly interesting seeing the trends of various favoured solutions change. It is an invaluable thread, as I have learned so much from it.

My current setup:

My 4 PC (XP Pro sp3) 1 Server (Win2003) AD domain setup:-

Draytek Vigor 2820Vn with CSM (CSM already blocks at the router various categories, including hacking, porn sites etc - I have small children using PCs)
ESET NOD32 Business v4 Antivirus
Spyware Doctor v6.0.1.441
Acronis True Image saving nightly incremental to onsite WIN2003 server.
Acronis True Image on Win2003 Serverusing incrmental back up to multiple internal disks.
Secondcopy - sending nightly critical files to an offsite FTP server

I'm pretty happy with my setup - if disaster strikes, its a simple restore scenario. Hard disks go every now and again and so my backup/restore routine is often tried and tested.

The Win2003 server is not used as a PC, and is not used for web browsing - ever.

My 4 PC's are where I need peoples suggestions. My annual Nod 32 Business 5seat license and Spyware Doctore license is up for renewal shortly.

I have been using the NOD32 Antivirus and Spyware Doctor since 2004. I'm sure things have changed.

My questions:-

Is Spyware Doctor still up there with the best?

I'm pretty please with NOD32, but has that lost its way over the years?

I'm looking at the Avira AntiVir Network Bundle as that is close to my exisiting NOD32 bundle. Avira was the most popular AV in the "what is your security setup these days" thread. I'm not against paying for software if it gets what I need. However, I have downloaded the free Keyscrambler, becuase it does just the just, even though there are paid Pro and Premium versions.

I have downloaded and installed a trial version of A-2 Anti Malware to evaluate and looking to do the same with Prevyx 3.

Here are some options - are they overkill:-

1. NOD32 Antivirus with A-2 Anti Malware and Prevyx3
2. Avira Antivir Premium with A-2 Anti Malware and Prevyx3

I would be extremly grateful for your thoughts and opinions. This for my 4 PC's only. The server will get which ever vendor business bundle I choose.

Thank you very much and look forwarding to hearing all your thoughts and suggestions.

TechV

[LagerX]

I think you won't need Avira, A2 nad Prevx together in real time.
Avira and Prevx should be fine.
Maybe give a spin to Comodo IS?
http://www.comodointernetsecurity.com/

[simisg]

try avast! with zonelarm
or antivir with outpost

[the Tester]

If you are happy with NOD32 there's no need to switch.
I think that there are better AS programs.

A-Squared AntiMalware and Prevx would be overkill IMO.
I would choose one and go with it.

[raven211]

-{ Quote: "If you are happy with NOD32 there's no need to switch.
I think that there are better AS programs.

A-Squared AntiMalware and Prevx would be overkill IMO.
I would choose one and go with it." }-

I think these topics only leads to one different suggestion after another, so I won't make one myself, but I DO agree that it's overkill to use both of those powerful programs at the same time - rather stick with one of them, the one which you like most.

[darthsideous666]

It sounds to me like maybe you are just getting bored with the same old set up and looking for a change, just because? Not that there is anything wrong with trying something new, lighter and faster when you can! Sometimes the problem is finding just that though and instead ending up with incompatibility issues and aggravation! I guess what I am trying to say is if you are happy with what you have and it is working, why change?

ds

[Osaban]

Hello there,

I think whether you keep Nod or switch to Avira is really your personal choice, both AVs are among the best. I would definitely stop using Spyware Doctor as IMO redundant. Maybe you can have A-2 on demand and PREVX3 to check things out, but why not consider a virtualizer/sandbox: Shadow Defender, DeepFreeze, Returnil (has a free version), Sandboxie.

I believe an AV + a virtualizer is all one needs, especially if you are backing up regularly.

[Phenom]

Well I'm a beta tester for PC Tools and there is a beta version of Spyware Doctor and it has improved, it got lighter on resources, hopefully it will stay like that when the new version gets released. I always liked Spyware Doctor real time protection.

[Fly]

I wouldn't recommend the Spyware Doctor for a variety of reasons.
As someone stated 'the Spyware Doctor is in perpetual beta'.
If you have a good av/suite, and with your imaging setup you should be fine.
And there is always the potential for conflicts when you run more than one real-time security application.
But it may be possible it works for you.

Avira and NOD32 should be fine.
There is something to be said for having a software firewall that privides both inbound access and outbound control. As part of a suite, or separately.
I would not recommend Eset's Smart Security (NOD32 plus firewall plus spamfilter). Their firewall has issues, the spam filter performs poorly, and
Eset SS is expensive.

Avira is good too, but you may want to buy the security suite.
I tested it, and it really has some benefits. You shouldn't need additional real-time security software.

You could add one or two security applications for on-demand scans, but it shouldn't be necessary.
PrevX collects more data from your computer than the average security app.
It's up to you if you're OK with that.

A-squared +PrevX antimalware in addition to a suite/AV is overkill.

[Joeythedude]

If your looking at Suite , I'd recommend taking a look at KIS2010.

It has a sandbox and software vulnerability scan ( i.e shows if you have old adobe version etc ), as well as HIPS and AV etc.

Shows a well thought out approach to security , IMO.

[gery]

Spyware Doctor is not needed in my opinion because there are some free very good alternatives such as SAS or MBAM or others that do the job nicely and if you want them on real time they have a paid for version which is lighter than SD.The rest is Ok to keep

[TechVillage]

Many, many thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions - really appreciated :)

I have had A-2 Anti Malware and Prevx 3 running on my system for a few days now.

Prevx 3 hasn't half had a lot of false positives - it thought that my Pinnacle video editing software and my PQ DVD iPhone software were medium risk malware!

That concerns me. As mentioned in my post, this software would be going on 4 workstations. While I'm savvy enough to know what all these Prevx pop ups are, my children are not. I could monitor their PCs for a few days while Prevx "learns" and then turn on "automatically block files when detected without prompting", but feel Prevx is one of the apps which is geared towards the security enthusiast and not one to be left to tend to its own devices, not that I advocate leaving a PC to it's own devices without regular checks.

I'm not just thinking of change for the sake of it. I have been using all sorts of antispyware/malware products over the years (Ad-aware 6 Pro, Counter Spy, Pest Patrol 4, Spy Sweeper etc) and I'm glad that I have regularly checked to make sure that I'm using a product that is still up to the job I require of it.

What is interesting is that when I went to a malware test site where the site ran various simulations of malware attacks, NOD32 kicks in first. It would prevent me actually downloading the file. A-2 then follows later after I have actually downloaded the file.

From my conclusions NOD32 and Spyware Doctor still do the job I require of them - they may not be the best, but they work OK on my systems and that counts a lot for me (devil you know versus devil you don't). I look forward to seeing the next version of Spyware Doctore once it gets released to production.

All this doesn't mean that I won't be checking next year to see if they are still up to scratch, but won't need to bother you kind folk again becuase I will be making regular visits here to gather information - it's a great forum :)

[TechVillage]

Credit whre credit is due - earlier this eveing I completed a form in Prevx saying why I didn't think Pinnacle and PQ DVD were malware - they responded within the hour and updated thier database. Thats a pretty impressive response time.

And just before I go - I really like the HiJackFree component of a-2 Anti Malware - anybody else like it?