Is this Budget Setup Enough or?

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by Tomsvice, Dec 28, 2008.

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  1. Tomsvice

    Tomsvice Registered Member

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    I've been trying a number of free trials, free software, etc...and am now attempting to put together a realistic and affordable protection system for 3 computers (1 on XP Home, 1 on XP Pro) and a HP Notebook running 32 bit Vista Premium.

    First...I paid the $5 x 3 for A-Squared. Now, I'm looking to pay $49 for Outpost Security Suite which will cover 3 machines for a lifetime. I have also downloaded Sandboxie and will probably buy that as well since I can run it on all three machines legally.

    Retunil also has a freebie going on, but I'm not sure that it's needed for our type of computer use. Sandboxie is pretty cool however, in that we can run Firefox through Sandboxie and flush the box as needed. I assume that most malware is "surf" related, so this makes sense.

    Machines all hook to the internet behind a D-Link N router.

    Computers are used for a variety of reasons...college work, desktop publishing, website maintenance, a fair amount of online gaming, browsing the web, etc... Not all family members are "up" on security protocols, so I need something pretty easy that runs behind the scenes.

    So...

    Outpost Security Suite (to purchase with New Year Special)
    A-Squared (already purchased for $5 a machine)
    Sandboxie (probably will buy this as well)

    The other choices are many...but so far, these 3 are working well together without any appreciable slowdowns, blue screens or apparent conflicts. My budget is basically $100 for 3 machines. If there are better combos, please let me know before the Outpost "special" expires :)

    Thanks for the help.
     
  2. c0ltran3

    c0ltran3 Registered Member

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    I prefer Avira free with Outpost Firewall.
     
  3. wat0114

    wat0114 Guest

    I'd say it's a keeper :) There are many threads in these forums on SandboxIE, configring it for best secirity. You may want to search and check them out for some good tips, including this recent one.
     
  4. Max Zorin

    Max Zorin Former Poster

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    As your PCs are behind a router, you do not need a 3td party firewall - just use Windows firewall and save money - and cut overhead on your CPU use!

    A Squared is better than any other AM or AV. The only issue with A2 is that although you can use it as your sole protection, it does not have on access scanning - only on execution - and wont check your email.

    I would just but 3 X licenses for Avira AntiVir Premium - as this will give you the on access and email / web realtime protection you may need.

    A2 & Avira are the best out there, so with both, you are bullet proof.

    You could use Sandboxie free if you are paranoid - but better off getting free license for Returnil - its bulletproof and a fantastic app.

    For the Vista system, keep UAC on as it offers real protection against 80% of rootkits - and will allow you to use protected mode with IE.

    MZ
     
  5. acr1965

    acr1965 Registered Member

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    A2 is ok but has plenty of false positives. It also now has the Ikarus av component which will probably result in even more false positives. It is your call, certainly. And it means a great deal if you are having no issues between the programs running at the same time. You may want to consider SAS and/or MBAM for on demand scanning though. Both have free versions available.
     
  6. Tomsvice

    Tomsvice Registered Member

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    Well...I made a decision to go with the following. So far, all is well on the systems in question.

    Kaspersky Internet Suite 2009 (3 user) $29.95 (just found this deal today) From what I have read here at Wilders, it seemed that having Kaspersky's Suite for only $10 per year per machine would be looked at as a fairly good deal.

    A Squared (previously purchased for $5 each) Another pretty good deal.

    Sandboxie - using free version for a while longer. I have applied for the free license from Returnil, but I read in a post regarding that product that it has issues with Kaspersky. Hopefully that will be resolved

    So for now: KIS 2009, A2, Sandboxie and a D-Link N router.

    $15 per PC per year...a bit more if I buy Sandboxie. Stays the same if I go with the free license deal from Returnil.
     
  7. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Your setup is good enough IMO. There are a couple of things I'd like to mention: You said the computers will be used among other things for college work, beware of flash drives circulating among students (in my experience 1 out 3 is badly infected).

    If you are thinking of using Returnil on your Vista machine, you should disable the hibernation function as it is likely to create a hard conflict (Apparently they are working on it on their next beta version).
     
  8. innerpeace

    innerpeace Registered Member

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    From the looks of this link, you can use Sandboxie on any computer you own as long as it's personal use.

    IMO, KIS 2009 and Sandboxie are more than enough. Sprinkle in a few on-demand scanners like MBAM, A-squared and/or SAS for second opinions on downloads and your set.

    And most importantly, don't forget to keep Windows and all applications (browsers, Flash, Java, email, IM etc.) updated. The Secunia Software Inspector does a good job in detecting vulnerable applications.

    Also, if you need to run a free setup, they work just as good as the paid solutions ;).
     
  9. Max Zorin

    Max Zorin Former Poster

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    Good setup. Leave it as is and you will be well protected. Dont get sucked in to adding any other realtime scanners - the rest are a waste of money and CPU resources.

    Make sure you have a perfect system image and regular doc backups and you are safe.
     
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