Well, after over 10 years of Very happily & securely running my XP/SP2 comp with NO infections etc, i'm getting an Intel 6 core comp. This is ONLY because there are several audio plugins & software that won't work on XP ! I don't want or need Win10. I will be keeping my XP comp & probably just use it for surfing etc. BUT, i'm also "considering" connecting the Win8.1 to the internet at some point maybe. First off, i'll be uninstalling/disabling ALL the telemetry stuff, & then using Black Vipers guide to disable unwanted etc services etc. So thinking ahead, i'm looking to discover what Apps etc could be suitable for good protection. Free or paid, but as always, free is nice. I don't need advice on AV or firewalls, just AntiExe etc. Thanx
The problem is not that you use XP safely despite its present/future holes/vulnerabilities but the fact that in some point in time, most softs won't support it and those supporting it will be obsolete. Now based on your requirements, you will be wise to learn how to use Software Restriction Policy (SRP) and group policy , those at least will always be there. https://4sysops.com/archives/hardening-windows-xp-with-software-restriction-policies/ If you look for serious anti-exe, you should go with NVT ExeRadarPro. Simple and efficient, the best one to me. if you can handle Command lines and GUI-less softs, NVT Smart Object Blocker or Excubit's Bouncer are top ones. NVT SOB is stronger than ERP and all other anti-exe.
IMO the top two choices are either Voodooshield or NovirusThanks ExeRadarPro (ERP). (NB. ERP version 4 is currently in test, but ERP 3 (latest and final beta) is rock solid) You can't go wrong with either, but Voodooshield has more 'intelligence' as in addition to a userdefined white-list of applications it also utilizes the results from VirusTotal and it's own machine learning database to determine if a process (or script) is safe to execute. Having this extra insight not only dramatically reduces False Positives but also allows the user to make an informed decision about what to block and what to allow. I suggest you check them both out and see which you prefer.
You can do some OS hardening in xp and win8 with NVTs OSArmor. I do like to have similar security across both OSes when possible. I still use xp along with win7 as well.
Have you considered using Software Restriction Policies or AppLocker to control what can run? If you don't like it, NVT ERP is good choice.
Just install OSArmor and set it to max and you are pretty safe without the hassles. NVT ExeRadarPro 4 is still a little too much of a beta, although the next build or two might change that, could be soon. NVT ExeRadarPro 3 is being phased out, so it's a little late to jump on that bandwagon. If your pockets are deep enough, and you have a little patience, go for Appguard or ReHIPS. (ReHIPS free demo is also an option. but you can't easily isolate multi-process browsers. Depends how paranoid you are.)
