Single Program or Layered Defense?

[Q Section]

If there were an all-in-one program that was an anti-virus, anti-Trojan, anti-worm, anti-spyware, anti-malware program and was good at what it did would you rather have such an all-in-one program or a layered defense using several programs each with their own expertise for your security ensemble? Of course many users would in addition prefer a backup program for their computer. This poll is for the security-conscious to learn about their primary application desire. All-in-one or layered?

[Detox]

layered - absolutely. I won't put all my eggs in one basket, the same way I won't with financial investments. One program like that does sound nice, I admit, but I find it highly likely to become a primary target of malware in the same manner as the most popular highly commercialized AVs have in some instances. Anyway, I like my software developer/s to be able to concentrate on their one area of expertise although your post does change the situation a bit when you say it would be "good at all of them." All the same, I want second opinions and doublechecks, etc. My PC is just too dang expensive and my data too important to be trusted all to one application.

[Pilli]

Hi Q-Section, I am sure many users would like an all in one but I do not think it is possible that one company could produce such a beast, also if this theoretical programme did exist it would be torn to pieces by every hacker / cracker just for the hell of it. There is no such thing as 100% security and certainly no one company can offer it

I for one would not put all my money on one horse, a layered defence for me. ;D

[Robyn]

Most definitely layered. A suite is too vulnerable, if one component goes down you are open to anything. I also do not think one suite can be good at everything, much better to have the specialist software for viruses - separate Trojan etc I have no hesitation in voting for the layered protection now that I am a lot more security wise about what can happen! Adding to my layers and maintaining all of them - updates are vital layered or not!

[se7engreen]

Layered. I like it when serperate products tend to overlap into areas of another product. It's almost like a fallback. You won't get that in an all-in-one.

[MikeBCda]

I agree with the "not all eggs in one basket" attitude already expressed. Totally aside from an all-in-one product making a very tempting target, we've all gone through the hell involved when an entire program (or even system) crashes because of a problem with part of it.

Plus, of course, as has also already been pointed out, it's common for the layers to at least somewhat "overlap" each other, providing a sort of back-up protection.

[hojtsy]

Layered, but not that 15 layers which are neccesary/provided nowadays. I would welcome some integration, so I could reduce the running security apps to 3-4.
-hojtsy-

[the Tester]

Layered defense,definitely.
I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting one catch-all program.If it fails just once, you're out of luck.

[Pigman]

Layered. Multi-purpose programs save HD space (and other things), but if someone blasts a big fat hole in SuperSecure AV/AT/firewall/everything else you could possibly want, that's it. If you get hit by a really horrendous virus or worm and your super-groovy all-purpose security program has been hacked to pieces, your computer is effectively toast.

On the other hand, if you have 2 or more security programs that could handle a given nasty, and the malware screws up one of them real bad, there's a chance that the other(s) will not be affected so badly, and will be able to give the boot to whatever got on to your computer.

[lonewolf3367]

I agree completely with Hojtsy. I would also like to see some intergration so we won't have to have a zillion programs running at once on our systems. But it's always a good idea to have backups.

[meneer]

Layered of course, we wouldn't want to miss the 'best of breed' discussions here, right?

[Q Section]

What if the opportunity existed to have a two or three-engine SuperDuper program with one graphical user interface, the engines functioning separately of course?

[nadirah]

My computer has a layered defense, of course.

1st layer: Spyware protection
2nd layer: Anti-virus protection
3rd layer: Computer vulnerability protection
4th layer: Firewall and ALL ports STEALTH protection.
5th layer: Portscan protection
6th layer: DOS/DDos attack protection.

woolala....I like my security. :D ;D 8)
:P nanny nanny poot poot, u hackers will never catch me. ;D

[gkweb]

In all my website i am talking about layered protection, so It would be hardly understandable to say now a all-in-one suite ;D

I agree with every arguments said here, if the suite crash, you are left unprotected :-/

And as it has been said too, I can't imagine that a developpers crew could be excellent in every security area, sounds impossible to me, everyone has to specialize into something.

[MikeBCda]

-{ Quote: "And as it has been said too, I can't imagine that a developpers crew could be excellent in every security area, sounds impossible to me, everyone has to specialize into something." }-

That kind of thing, if someone did decide to play with the concept, would have to be a major corporate project, with separate divisions handling the expertise of each security area. And we know all too well that under that kind of setup, the divisions tend to have communication and cooperation problems with each other.

Without meaning to get off-topic or political, and trying to keep in the context of organizational efficiency, those kinds of problems are, after all, essentially what led to the creation of Homeland Security.

[Wayne - DiamondCS]

-{ Quote: "My computer has a layered defense, of course.
1st layer: Spyware protection
2nd layer: Anti-virus protection
3rd layer: Computer vulnerability protection
4th layer: Firewall and ALL ports STEALTH protection.
5th layer: Portscan protection
6th layer: DOS/DDos attack protection." }-

6 layers of security sounds good, but ALL of those layers can be destroyed easily by any trojan or virus, simply by terminating the process of your security programs - a terminated security program is a useless security program. Unless you have a process protection layer (such as Process Guard (http://www.diamondcs.com.au/processguard/)), then all other layers of security are essentially useless.

ALWAYS REMEMBER - Security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain.

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: "6 layers of security sounds good, but ALL of those layers can be destroyed easily by any trojan or virus, simply by terminating the process of your security programs - a terminated security program is a useless security program. Unless you have a process protection layer (such as Process Guard (http://www.diamondcs.com.au/processguard/)), then all other layers of security are essentially useless.

ALWAYS REMEMBER - Security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain." }-
Yeah, I'll remember what to do. I am very experienced with computer security.
Security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. I'll remember what u said, Wayne. Thanks. :)

[notageek]

Hi everyone.

I would to add that I don't use PG. But I do have a layered defense. I have all the basics, like AV and firewall but I also have some of the none basic like a sandbox and stuff like that. So a layered defense is a must in this day and age. ;)

[Dazed_and_Confused]

Layered. Definately Layered. :D