You can only use 4 antimalware apps, and they must be FREE

Let's assume you are the poor college student or simply someone that refuses to buy security software. Let's also assume that you are limited to using 4 security applications, what would they be?

Presently, I am thinking that I would use the following (assuming they all play nice together):

1. Avira Antivir for AV
2. Comodo Firewall
3. Spyware Terminator for HIPS/antispyware
4. Sandboxie

Overall, I would feel pretty comfortable with this suite. The firewall stealths all ports and passes all leak tests. The antivirus is not world class, but is good. The antispyware application has HIPS as well as other active guards that focus on prevention (though the scanner lacks in detection). And the sandbox should prevent a lot of stuff from getting on your machine anyway.
As you can tell, I like to focus security on prevention.

 

for free applications i think you sumed it up perfectly....

 

CyberHawk might fit in there - but yeah, nice list

 

after looking at the list again i think i would change spyware terminator to system safety monitor.for the hips...

 

Lightweight & unobtrusive:

Avira
Kerio 2 with BZs rules (or for those who run PerfectDisk substitute Filseclab 3.x)
Cyberhawk
Sandboxie

 

1 - Sandboxie

2 - Comodo FW

3 - AOL active shield AV (bit iffy here as I use Kav which isn't free)

4 - SuperAntiSpyware

 

Not too different, here,
Avast 4.7.892
SpywareTerminator 1.6.0.824
Comodo FW 2.3.6.81
SpywareBlaster.
(+ a couple other freebies.)

 

My choices:
Avast 4.7
Sygate firewall
ArovaxShield 2.0.62
ST 1.6

All free and work well together.
Of course I have some more (free) security programs like:
A-squared
Spybot S & D
Ewido 4.0
SpywareBlaster
ClamWin AV
Arovax SmartHide 1.0.226 ( free internet anonymizer)
Plus using more secure browsers like Opera and Firefox

 

Hello,

Anti-malware is a broad term. For instance, can you classify a firewall as anti-malware? But assuming anything goes:

Firewall - Sygate
Browser - Firefox

Nothing else is needed, but to make it more interesting:

DropMyRights
SnoopFree

Or alternatively, Linux.

Or alternatively, SmoothWall, Windows, VMware Server, Windows as guest, Firefox.

Or alternatively, SmoothWall, Linux, VMware Server, Windows as guest, Firefox.

Mrk

 

I use freeware - Realtime: Comodo Firewall | OnDemand: GMER, HijackThis, MWAV Free.
I recommend - Realtime: Avira, Comodo Firewall | OnDemand: Ewido, SuperAntispyware.

 

active virus shield
comodo firewall
a squared free
cyber hawk

 

Antivir
Cyberhawk
Sygate or Kerio
Superantispyware

 

I thought Sandboxie was pay for?
http://www.download.com/Sandboxie/3000-2144_4-10371435.html?tag=lst-0-1
Free to try and $20 to buy

 

Payment is optional. For a one time fee of $25 you get a few extra features (a nd rid of the nag alerts). However, you can use sandboxie free of charge for as long as you like. See link.

http://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?RegisterSandboxie

 

Thanx for that, that'll teach me to go to the vendors site in future and do a little research instead of taking Download.com's word.

 

I want to add a new twist for those that have replied as well as those that have not yet done so. My goal in this free secuirty suite is:

1. Light on resources. One of my machines is starting to slow own because of age.

2. Solid protection.

3. Easy to use. I am not computer savvy enough to use Process Guard or System Safety Monitor. I can handle a few pop ups (like On-line Armor gives) but don't want constant pop ups. I'd rather "set it and forget it".

Also, I would like some critical feedback about potential holes or GAPS. Or if you think that my suite would be overkill for a safe surfer, please let me know. Finally, I wanted to ask about some other free possibilities.

1. Avira Antivir: I chose this because it is supposedly light on resources witgh good detection and excellent heuristics. What advantages would AVG, Avast, or AOLS free version of KAV have? Also, ids AOLS version of KAv only for AOL members?

2. Comodo Personal firewall or ZA Free? I do not think I am advanced enough to use any others. A firewall that needs to be configured with lots of rules or that gives many pop ups is beyond me. I need simplicity.

3. Sandboxie. Is this easy to use? Light on resources?

4. Spyware terminator or Cyberhawk? Please discuss the advantages of each.

Lastly, with any combination of 1-4 would that be enough? Any GAPS? Is it overkill? Could your average user use this combo?

Keep in mind, of the above products, I have only tried Comodo and ZA Free. I am going by what I have read on-line in picking the other apps. So I am looking for feedback both postiive and negative. I am trying to determine if an all free suite really could provide me with good protection, that is light on resources and easy to use. Experts...please post away!

 

Sygate
Avast! Home
SSM
SAS
If you were to include browsers as one of the four then I would probably have to drop something from above as I use Opera 9 for most of my browsing

 

Yes, it is very easy to use.
My current RAM usage for it's 4 processes SandboxieServer.exe, SandBoxieRpcSs.exe, SandBoxieDcomLaunch.exe and Control.exe is: 812+3140+2328+2140 KB = 8420 KB.
Considering that it should isolate all malware, that is not bad at all.
No noticeable CPU usage on my 512 MB, 2400 MHz system.

Cyberhawk is also an unobtrusive product requiring not much knowlegde, however it uses some CPU from time to time and offers nowhere the same protection as Sandboxie, but I run and recommend them both. Cyberhawk only if personal privacy is not a too paranoid important concern

 

So do you consider Sanboxie + Cyberhawk enough coverage for spyware, trojans etc? When coupled with a Firewall and AV do you think this is plenty of protection?

 

Yes, if you always run things in sandbox, that is enough for a normal user.
Then no antispyware programs are needed.

I have SSM free also installed, but it is only ran when wanting to examine my system. Suspect a little that either Sandboxie or Cyberhawk or them together might conflict a little with SSM.

I have no resident antispyware, but currently have AdAware and SuperAntiSpyware as on demand scanners. Scan maybe once /month if not even that. Plus SpywareBlaster.

 

Antivir
Jetico v1 or Kerio 2.1.5
GeSWall
Spy Bot S&D(for protection and scanning) or SAS/a-squared/AVG AS(only for scanning)

 

Antivir
Comodo
Geswall
Cyberhawk

dja2k

 

I'm about the same as most here.

free aol (kaspersky) for at least a year

sandboxie...which I love

cyberhawk... just started using. Hardly know it's there, which I like.

windows firewall.....with hardware firewall via router and another in modem.

I run sandboxie with Firefox and virtually nothing gets through. I use ccleaner to empty the junk every night. Since downloading and using sandboxie, ccleaner has a very easy job these days.

 

Antivir Free
CHX-I
SSM Free
Common sense 10.0 beta (yes I am on the beta team )

Alphalutra1

 

1. AVS (aol) for AV.
2. Comodo Firewall
3. Spybot S&D
4. Spyware Blaster

Could not list BOClean I have always said this best AV trojan protection is kaspersky if you can not have a dedicated one like BOClean.