Any recommendations for a new setup?

I have always been lurking the internet for various security practices. Currently I'm using MBAM free/UAC Max/ and was using AVG 2012 Full Edition. The thing is I downloaded the trial for AVG 2012 from the website and someone provided me with an activation key that gave me up to 2018 I dont know if using a key vs a fully cracked software makes any difference, but I wanted to go clean and have a nice legit free setup without any cracked software. I have been considering:

Avast Free for Real time
MBAM and Hitman Pro for On-Demand
Comodo Firewall w/o HIPS
UAC Max and a Standard User Account (Don't mind UAC)
Sandboxie

May I add that I plan on sticking with this setup for a while of I end up choosing. Any one can provide any recommendations, reviews, comparisons, experiences, etc.?

Also, I'm currently running Windows 7 64-bit

 

If you're willing to pay I would suggest Sandboxie.

http://sandboxie.com/

If you take the time to set it up properly it's (in my opinion) the best security product on the market.

I would also suggest you download and configure EMET:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=1677

I would say that you can't really get any more secure than a properly configured Sandboxie + EMET on a Windows system.

 

To add to Hungry Man's suggestions you might also want to consider Windows Firewall w/Advanced Security. Personally I don't like real-time av, as I feel it's antiquated. long in the tooth, so to speak

 

wat can you link me to that?

 

AVG free is one of the lightest and best free solutions out there. You will not miss much going from the paid to the free version.

If you like, you can supplement if with something like Kingsoft PC doctor. I tested a setup running those two a handful of times, and nothing got passed them.

 

Not really willing to spend at the moment, but I realize Sandboxie has free download. I have also been looking into EMET.

 

What's wrong with Comodo?

 

Have you tested any others with Kingsoft?

 

No, but honestly Kingsoft catches pretty much everything on its own. Sometimes there is some lag, but with time their cloud comes through. The only reason I tried it paired with AVG free, it they are both two of the lightest programs out there.

 

Windows Firewall (Vista+) is fine in most cases. I'd keep Comodo if you're looking for more features.

 

I wouldn't say anything is wrong with Comodo. It's very powerful. The manual sandboxing is very strong and I've never seen a break in it.

I just don't like how "all or nothing" it is. You can't just download the part you want, you need the entire firewall.

 

To what You mean the Windows firewall?

Nothing if it works for you and does what you expect from it. It's just that I've got this mindset of running my setup with as little 3rd party security applications as possible, and I'm trying to influence (troll ) some people to try the same approach

 

LOL it actually worked on certain people you know

 

Ha ha. I wouldn't call what you're doing trolling... not at all.
Advocating, perhaps.
But that's a good thing.

 

+1

 

Thanks, was just trying to poke fun at myself

Yep, reeled in, hook, line & sinker

 

I would second the notion of running as few programs as possible.

It's asking for trouble. Performance issues, security issues, and compatibility issues for really very little security.

IF you were to run Sandboxie + EMET for every program and have them each locked down you would effectively remove any issues regarding automated malware barring something like a keylogger - though it could easily be removed if you isntalled it within its own sandbox/some generic sandbox.

As for direct attacks there isn't much you can do anyways. Sandboxie will still help with that and EMET as well.

 

I won't consider running without MBAM in real time. It has saved me once not long ago, and if friends had been running it they would not have had infections by rogues.
Jerry

 

Hahaha

 

Win7 64bit ---> does almost all the work
Any good sandboxing application ---> Sandboxie paid or free, comodo's or GesWall's

Remain free from infection

 

Eh, MBAM has never caught anything Avast free hasn't (for me). It also doesn't "block" anything, it warns of malware after it has reached the disk. I suppose you could mention the website blocker in real-time, but my experience is that it's so prone to blocking harmless stuff that it isn't worth messing with.

To the OP: I highly recommend Sandboxie, even the free version. The downsides to free is no "forced" programs, and only a single sandbox open at a time. Annoying, but survivable. EMET is debatable, in my opinion, simply because so many programs out there still don't support the technologies EMET protects.

If you are behind a router, I'd still suggest an easy to use, techie-jargon free firewall with outbound protection. Behind a router, you won't care about incoming, but outgoing traffic can easily alert you to malware calling home. Antivirus software is antiquated, there is no doubt about it. But, it's still, even in its old age, not useless. Get something light like Avast or Panda Cloud, neither cost any cash.

Stay away from behavior blockers, HIPs and default deny policies unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing. Members here mean well when they mention this stuff, but I think too many of them still have a habit of forgetting that they are in a minority group. Not everyone can, will want to, or has the time to deal with these advanced methods.

 

I don't really see EMET as being debatable. If a program doesn't support it just don't force it to use it.

I've actually managed to have very strict security settings with EMET such as DEP always on.

EMET is invaluable for a program such as Flash or Java.

It is the one program I consistently tell every Windows user to install. If you're worried about compatibility just don't change system-wide settings and only mess with per-application.

 

If a program doesn't support it, what's the point in even using EMET to protect it? For programs that can utilize it, I agree, it's worthy. The problem is, support is few and far between. I don't blame EMET for that, I blame lazy arse software devs.

 

Few and far between? How so?

Virtually every program I have seen has worked with EMET. The only one I've ever not seen work is Skype with EAF enabled and just recently that appears to have been fixed.

EDIT: Just checked and apparently silverlight is working too - though I don't have Chrome forced with EMET, just every other program. including the silverlight .exe's.

 

No no, that's not what I meant. I meant that too many programs still don't support ASLR and other technologies, which EMET is basically all about.