What are the best security products to use for a newbie?

A simple and easy to use anti-spyware program like SUPERAntiSpyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/

GESWall: Think of this program as a group of soldiers providing first-line protection at the front row. Can be classified as a HIPS program IMO.
www.gentlesecurity.com

As a matter of fact, you can have the most advanced programs in your arsenal, but the BEST protection I can ever recommend to anyone is good discipline and good security habits, and a commitment to keep up with the latest developments. It means that the user is the BEST protection and also the WORST destruction any computer can have.

 

You seldom find security software that meets all those criteria. In general, those are conflicting requirements. The ones that are the easiest to set up and don't require much user knowlege are the ones that configure themselves or use an online database for configuration data. Examples of these are firewalls and security suites with some form of automatic rule creation. These are often big programs that are resource hungry. Generally, it's the rule creation, self configuration, and updating components that are responsible for the increased sizes and resource usage. While not insecure per se, their settings or rulesets are often quite loose to accomodate the wide variety of PCs, internet services, and software they're used with. Norton Internet Security is an extreme example of how self configuration and ease of use is obtained at the expense of heavy system demands and a lot of disk space, with medoicre results.
The tightest security comes from the rule based applications, which are usually the easiest on system resources as well, but require knowlegable input from the user to configure. HIPS software and rule based firewalls are examples of these.
Excluding the pure rule based applications, you're looking at some compromise between convenience/ease of use and its demands on your systems resources and disk space. While it varies from brand to brand, it generally holds true that the more self configuring the program is, the less security it provides when compared to properly configured rule based software, excluding actual flaws and weaknesses in specific brands. The self configuring and easy to configure apps aren't weak per se. They're still far better than nothing. Self configuration can't match the work of a skilled user. It's also interesting to note that some very powerful rule based security apps are free. Self configuring apps rarely are and those that rely on a database maintained by the vendor are usually the most expensive. There's just no real substitute for user knowlege.
Rick

 

Very well said.

 

Hello,
I would say:
ZoneAlarm firewall
AVG / Avast anti-virus
Firefox browser
Mrk

 

From my experience in several machines and after have tried so many software I would say:

Avast Anti virus - free
Spyware Terminator - free ( don't use the integrated Clam AV as it can conflict with Avast...) or use it and de-activate Avast
Spyware Blaster - free
Firefox browser - free
Superantispyware free edition - for long term scanning ( monthlly )
Spybot Search and Destroy - as an alternative to Spyware Terminator ( although I prefer ST )


These are my bets for the time being...

 

When I have customers that actually call the store and ask "do I have to click dial to get online?" with their dialup connection... I realllly lose faith in humanity. There's no way I would ever want to walk a customer like that through setting up Nod32, I imagine they'd become incredibly impatient as well. Personally, I'd have to do it myself or have an autoconfigure script to do it for them.

If I'm just recommending an antivirus on the phone, Antivir normally gets my vote.

 

If I were a newbie I would listen to egghead

*firewalled router
*Prevx1
*free AV (for on demand scan only)
*firefox (with no script)

For the majority of pc users this setup is as safe as Fort Knox

 

I agree with egghead and nadirah. Simple but effective security setup, plus a wise user. But how did most of us get wiser? We got attacked, or infected with something nasty. You learn much faster when you need to.

Basic AV, preferably freeware such as AVG since it's fast, easy on the resources, and newbie friendly. AVG Free
At least one anti-spyware app, free or pay. Freeware: Spybot Search & Destroy Payware: SpySweeper
One anti-rootkit app. I see good things happening with AVG Anti-Rootkit beta. Newbie friendly and thorough. Unfortunately, it's still beta. You can get here: AVG Anti-Rootkit 1.0.0.13 Beta

Most important, either a firewalled router or a hardware firewall. Well worth the investment, even on dialup. Great defense against rootkits, hackers, trojans, etc. Works even better with a software firewall such as ZoneAlarm Free, very newbie friendly.

Remember, this is for the newbs. Keep It Simple and Straightforwards.

 

I find that loading up a "newbs" computer with several security applications that all update automatically tends to discourage the user, especially if on dialup. Complaining to the ISP about slower than normal connection speed when it's just their applications eating up the bandwidth. Normally a good antivirus is all you'll need, but keep some on demand scanners definitely.

 

Oh, Really

Is it already suitable for those using only a slow dial-up net connections?

 

Beg your pardon Lollan, but the applications I featured above do not eat up either bandwidth nor resources. In the past, I ran around the Internet on a Win98se with 128 MB of RAM. I know what sucks RAM and what doesn't.

(Now I'm on WinXP Pro with 512 MB of RAM and enjoying it. I plan to get an x64 next.)

 

3 programs checking for and updating definitions can eat up the bandwidth for a 56k modem pretty easily actually. And resource usage is obviously opinionated, but with the average specs of a "noobs" computer at work, with far less than recommended hardware, 3 security programs is far more than desired. I don't know how many low end Celerons on Windows XP with 128MB of memory you run into (I get even lower sometimes ), but they're very common in my line of work unfortunately and the customers tend to have higher priorities than upgrading their systems.

Of course, I'm extremely picky when it comes to system resources, I run an Opteron 165 with 2GB of memory and you won't find me running over 35 active processes.

 

I always update manually. Still do, but that's just me.

You do make some good points. Barebones minimum to prevent rootkits and malware would be AVG Free (updates fast and simple, uses very little resources), ZA Free (updates unneeded), Spybot S&D (on demand scanner). That ought to do it.

There's a little app that I still use (especially when I'm running games or graphics programs on XP). I used it on the Win98se and I am certain it could help the newbs with their RAM problems. RamBooster. It's freeware. It uses very little resources and does a sterling job.

 

Yea, in an era where the average consumer has no clue what Windows Updates even are.... I just leave it on auto, hehe. It's really quite frustrating sometimes having to think through someone less knowledgable's perspective, but we all have to learn somehow and it gives a good feeling to assist. Never had much luck with memory optimizer type programs like that, but ill be sure to give it a shot.

 

Sweater.

I have a good dialup connection.Take that into account.
Lately I am seeing the updates at less than 800kb.
I am using AntiVir as a backup scanner so I don't always update daily.
In that case the update can be over 1mb.

 

1. The very best security applications require too much knowledge and average users (the majority) don't have that knowledge and don't have the time or talent to require that knowledge.
Keep in mind that users are supposed to do some real work instead of playing with security softwares.
If they don't like to work, they like to play instead of learning all that boring stuff of security softwares.
At work, I don't know any user with that kind of knowlegde, they are supposed to EARN MONEY for the company instead of learning computer stuff.
These security applications are only good for the minority of users : knowledgeable users.

2. The easiest security applications aren't sufficient enough, because they don't remove everything.
Only application based firewalls, security suites and AV/AS/AT/AK-scanners are possible for these users, because you don't have to be a genius to click the scan-button and the remove-button.
False positives are a problem of course, the average users will remove them as well. Three years back, I didn't even know what a false positive was, I must have removed many of them.
One scanner doesn't remove everything, so you need more than one scanner.
One main scanner + one backup scanner = 4 (AV/AS/AT/AK) x 2 = minimum 8 scanners.
Average users run them usually one time per day or per week, so any possible infection has enough time to do its evil job in a period of minimum 8 upto 56 hours.
Real time protection is as good as the main scanner is, which isn't sufficient enough.

Some users pretend to know this scanner is better than that scanner, I really wonder how users come to that conclusion. Is it a feeling ? Is it a personal experience ? Test results ?
I know one thing for sure : the quantity of threats is so big and getting bigger every day, that it isn't controllable anymore. Once you are out of control, you don't know anything for sure anymore.
When you don't know anything for sure anymore, you start guessing.
That's what you get when the good guys start collecting the stuff of the bad guys, it's a neverending collection and all collections have one thing in common : you have to find it first.

Scanners are simply based on a psychological feeling of security.
The message "Congratulations, no threats found !!!" makes you think your computer is clean.
If you BELIEVE that message, than YOU are OK, but that doesn't mean your computer is OK.

3. That's why I'm still looking for alternatives, because :
- I'm not knowledgeable enough to use the very best security applications
- the easiest security solutions are too weak
IMHO, the rollback solutions are still the best choice for newbies, because there is nothing else.
They put your computer back in a healthy state in no time, faster and more secure than any group of scanners.
Rollback solutions have indeed disadvantages and are often less flexible.
Instead of spending my time on scanner discussions, I prefer to spend my time on making rollback solutions more flexible and liveable, because that's the only existing alternative until the security industry gets better ideas.
Unfortunately the security industry keeps on re-inventing what already is invented : new firewall, new scanner, new HIPS, ...

 

I would recommend to newbie, for his/her security
Ubuntu

Code:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install amarok-xine
sudo apt-get install opera

 

In a business environment, I suppose roll-backs would definitely be the best solution, having all company data stored on a very secure server and just having them rolled back on a daily basis with scheduled wake-on lan systems setup to have the restoration process occur before everyone gets in.

 

Personally...any or all......just depends on whether you wish to cough up loads of Wongers or not....

For me, being from Lincolnshire, the cheaper the better and as far as my limited experience goes, I have been surfing and backing up etc., without the dubious downloads and critical patches from M$ or the expensive security stuff on offer for a number of years now without deadly disaster hitting me in the back of the neck.........


Cochise, Living on the edge in Lowestoft..