What is your security setup these days?

Given Murphy's law, it'll happen. And there's probably some other law that says it'll be when it's least convenient. Hope you have a system image stored somewhere safe.

The more programs, the larger the attack surface. Especially if they are duplicating protection methods and get in each other's way.

 

Yes I have a external Hard Drive that I use to copy the original every so often.
I mucked up some stuff before and just swapped out the external for the mucked up hard drive and back in business.
Emsisoft brags on their website about compatibility and so does Webroot.
Each program has it's own exclusion list that tells them to leave each other alone which is working good so far.
I don't know, I figure as long there's no hang ups and system isn't at a crawl I would let them be. My system is pretty snappy and so is my browser. But like you guys said the day I get an attack or infection I'll see if everyone falls all over themselves and screw up the entire system.
Almost wants me to ask someone to send some malware my way just to see what would happen. See if my screen turns into the 4th of july with popouts and warnings.

 

Thats against wilders policy to share malware but if you look around the web its pretty easy to find or should I say it will find you.Good luck.

 

Hi,
Dell Inspiron 570 Desktop
Win7 Home Premium

A conversation with a Dell Technical Support guy today led to him recommending I install Microsoft Security Essentials and replace the security programs/applications I've been using for years (screenshot below).

I went to the MSE site and ran the "Genuine Windows" scan...all ok.

Googling MSE led me back to Wilders. So I'm asking advice:

Here's what I have now (Preview Post only shows link, not the image?)...
http://imageshack.us/a/img443/2524/mysecurity.jpg
SuperAntiSpyware-SpywareBlaster-CCleaner-WinPatrol-AvastAV-Windows Defender-ZoneAlarm Firewall (Free)

What are your recommendations for what I can remove and replace with MSE, and why.

Thanks!

Gene

 

Lol..................You got scammed by someone who reads off a spread sheet. Do you think you actually talked to a real tech? First of all MSE detection rate is horrible. Avast FREE is far superior. Zone Alarm is not needed with Windows 7 cause Windows 7 Firewall is good enough. Spyware Blaster is a thing of the past so dump it. WinPatrol is ok but again not needed. Windows Defender should be disabled to avoid conflicts with Avast. What exactly was the problem which cause you to call Dell Tech Support? Here is all you need:

Avast 7 Free with all shields set to high
Windows 7 Firewall
MalwareBytes AntiMalware Free

 

Avast is a great choice but a software firewall is still needed. Especially if your working off wifi spots and open connections. Comodo, private firewall, zonealarm and outpost are a few good ones. You can also try a few different AV's that are free and far better than MSE. Avast, panda cloud av, AVG and kingsoft cloud AV to name a few. Add MBAM on demand scan and Hitman pro free daily scans, you all set.

 

kjdemuth..............Windows 7 Firewall IS a software firewall. The need for a 3RD party firewall when your running Windows 7 is unnecessary. Light and effective.

 

I don't have enough information. Are you using 32 bit Win7, or 64? If the latter, I think MSE was a good recommendation, personally. Due to the way the 64bit version impedes hooking to the kernel. No question a product MS makes themselves would be best suited to co-exist with this "limitation". I don't get all gaga over these AV test results and fret over a few percentage points. MSE runs light & stable on 7, will not cause conflicts with other apps as it's 1'st party.

As for the rest of your setup, not to be rude, but it looks retro to me... apps that were great 5-10 years ago, but not so much now. There are better options for outbound filtering than Zone Alarm. Give Comodo FW a look. And it's D+ module can replace WinPatrol for you. Unless you feel comfortable with the outbound control of the integrated Win7 FW... then by all means use it for the reason reasons as MSE. But most aren't (comfortable with it).

Spyware Blaster is pretty much obsolete with options like Adblock Plus in place. Disable Windows Defender. SAS will find nothing but cookies probably, which your CCleaner will do just fine (and CC is a keeper, btw).

Learn your way around Sandboxie, and deploy a backup/imaging regimen as well (i.e. Macrium Reflect). You will not regret the learning curve.

JMO

 

OMG! Is that so? I'm gonna have to try that one. I absolutely love pop-ups. And to be in pop-up heaven......

 

But if wsa installed later I think they'll play nicely. And besides I've seen plenty of members here in the wilders posting and in their sig using kis and wsa.

 

Very well said my friend. Couldn't agree more.

 

It's 64 bit...two year old computer, running fine at the moment.

Apparently a previous responder to my querie thought I was stupid and was responding to someone trying to "scam" me by his recommendation of MSE and not actually a Dell tech...believe, I know better than that.

Anyway, yes, I've habitually been using SuperAntiSpyware, SpywareBlaster and Windows Defender for many years, but I don't mind updating my applications by removing them if MSE would be more effective. It's been suggested by Dell that I carry more security apps than I need anyway (I suppose a "duh" here would be appropriate)...that's why I posted asking for advice on what MSE could replace.

Let me simplify my question...
of the security apps I mentioned, what can MSE replace? (Reference my original post #26443)

My Windows firewall was automatically disabled upon the installation of ZoneAlarm Firewall...so there's no conflict there.

I did try the Comodo Firewall about a year or so ago, and for reasons that escape me at the moment, decided it was not for me.

I'd like to keep my WinPatrol (for one reason, I have the lifetime PLUS version which I got for $1.99 about two years ago on a one-day special they ran)

I've been through Norton and AVG AV's and happen to be using Avast Free Edition presently, which I like very much.

How about if I removed SuperAntiSpyware/SpywareBlaster/Windows Defender and installed MSE? What else would you recommend?

Thanks!

Gene

 

You cannot remove Windows Defender. It's part of the OS. Just disable the scheduler and real time protection. Look at all the recent testing posted in here. MSE's detection rate is extremely poor when compared to other free products such as Avast,Panda and AVG. AV Test.org for starters. If you want to stay protected then stick with Avast. Keep WinPatrol if you like. Comodo can be overwhelming as any HIPS product tends to be. Exactly why did you call Dell Tech Support? And yes the people who answer tech support calls are not really tech's. All the do is read off a chart. Anyone can do that.

MSE Ram usage = 90MB
Avast Ram usage = 12MB

 

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Antivirus: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013
DNS: Norton DNS and or OpenDNS
Software Firewall: Windows 7 Firewall w/Advanced Security
Hardware Firewall: 2Wire Gateway w/NAT
On Demand Scanners: MBAM
Portable Scanners: Too many to list
Imaging: Paragon Backup & Recovery Free 2012, Windows 7 Backup & Retore
Backup: SkyDrive,FBackup 4
Browser: Chrome 22 w/ABP (,EasyList & Privacy),LastPass
Cleaners: CCleaner
Defragger: Windows 7 via CMD Switches
Compression: WinRAR
Software Updater: Secunia PSI
Task Manager: Process Hacker
System Information: Speccy,PC Wizard 2012
Uninstaller: Advanced Uninstaller Pro

Removed Defraggler. Added FBackup

 

@Aventador
Nice setup. Do you mind posting your list of portable scanners? Um and why would you use Fandboy's list & tracking list with Easylist? I mean aren't you supposed to use only one main subscription and any other supplementary subscriptions like easyprivacy? Also how's FBackup? I've tried it but just couldn't like it.

 

I personally don't get all gaga about the results of these AV tests. A few percentage points difference from subjective sample sizes that often don't reflect real world situations. I'm more concerned with how it will run on my setup. And there is more to a light footprint than just RAM usage. Bottom line, MSE is very light on Win7. Integrated/built in security invariably is. And if you're running a 64-bit box, I'm betting RAM usage isn't a problem for you anyway... And I'm more concerned with avoiding potential conflicts. All these "features" on these pimped out AV's can interfere with other real-time security software and actually lessen your security and increase your attack surface. And most people are oblivious to it.

For reasons I mentioned regarding 64-bit OS's and it impeding software's ability to hook to the kernel (and thankfully, malware too), I'd stick to 1'st party apps to handle whatever I possibly could. That means MSE. That means the integrated FW. And look into "EMET" as well.

This is just my approach. Ask a dozen different people, and you'll probably get a dozen different approaches.

I would remove SAS & Spyware Blaster, yes, and disable Windows Defender. If you insist on using Avast, I recommend using the File Shield only. It will protect you from malware before it executes, period. Those other shields can create conflicts. There is a known one between the web shield and several outbound FW's. Really the other shields are just a placebo, and pretty much serve only to bloat the product.

As I said, I can't possibly recommend Sandboxie enough. Many people that use it end up forgetting about real-time AV's altogether (which btw, I don't recommend for you at all at this point, to be clear).

And a good backup/imaging regimen. Many in here (as well as I) use Macrium Reflect for this.

And since you're running no other HIPS software, there should be no problem keeping WinPatrol on there... no conflicts.

 

Never had any conflict before. If anyone can tell me different then that is fine. I am a Systems Engineer full time and run a side business fixing computers. Mainly malware removal. I have TONS of tolls to remove 99.9% of everything out there. They are in folders such as "malicious process terminators" or "rootkit removers".

Here is some of them:

1. EEK
2. CCE
3. rKill & RogueKiller
4. Farbar
5. HMP
6. NPE
7. PCC
8. RemoveFakeAntivirus
9. Combofix
10. Stinger
12. Dr.WebCurit
13. Kasppersky Virus Removal Tool
14. UVK Portable
15. Malicious Software Removal Tool (32 & 64)
16. Sophos Virus Removal Tool
17. uhide
18. MBAM Installer

Thats about half. I have tons of repair tools also and bootable cd's. FBbackup is fine. Just released a new version. Never know if your images will be corrupted so its safe to keep important stuff normally backed up. Anyone know about ABP subscription conflicts?

 

Just as an aside...
it's very difficult to determine who is responding to whom in the replies. But I think that's my fault for not being more observant. I suppose it would have been more practical to start my own thread, but it seemed logical to post in the What is Your Security Setup These Days thread.

I see now this thread is where one does just that, posts their security setup, and not necessarily where one can come for advice/solutions.

Sorry about that!

Gene

 

That's right, you'd probably get more help if you started a new topic.

 

No question about keeping up to date backup(s). I made the same comment about images not only being corrupt, but always carrying the (off) chance of bricking your HD. I keep a backup on a WD External HD, an encypted key drive, and DVD-RW's.

I don't see how ABP subscriptions could create "conflict"... just overlap. If you use Fanboy's List you probably don't need EasyList, and vice versa. I personally use EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Antisocial, and Malware Domains.

And that is indeed a nice setup you got there.

 

Thank you. Was running Avast Free 6 & 7 for awhile. But Downloadcrew had BD single license for $7 so I could not pass that up.

 

@Aventador
Thx for half of the list. Regarding ABP lists here is what the official ABP website says:

 

Interesting Admit. Thanks.

 

Sir you may be a "systems engineer" and I'm sure you make decent cash for a living and work with computers but that doesn't mean you don't post some bad info. MSE performs fine for an everyday AV and is easy convenient and 1st party. All AV's are regularly bypassed and hence they are a small part of overall security and odds are a user will be infected by the major offenders doing the rounds at a given time, not hit by "0 days".

Links from a great wilders poster 'itman' about avast resource usage.

http://regrunreanimator.com/researc...ntivirus-antivirus/avast-free-antivirus-2.htm

http://regrunreanimator.com/research/category/antivirus/mse

In other words:

Avast - The Windows boot time has become slow than usually. Difference= 12 sec (-30%).
MSE - This software does not change the Windows boot time.
Avast - FILES ADDED:742
MSE - FILES ADDED:394

Even if MSE uses more ram, its the only AV that bypasses patchguard since it is 1st party, MSE real time detection tests are actually well above average, and any AV as you know is easily bypassed. MSE with Win7 firewall and MBAM is easily bypassed as you know. Most systems these days have 6gb ram, RAM isn't the concern, its boot time and HDD usage.


Gene, you should use a tool like Sumo or Secunia PSI to keep all of your programs up to date and learn Sandboxie or Comodo or something like that if you want best possible security. If you want security and convenience take a look at mechbgons guide, IMO one of the best on the web.

http://www.mechbgon.com/build/security2.html

 

Ummmmmmmmmmmm FYI. The bad info about MSE is posted right in this very forum. Look around and open your eyes. MSE fails badly over at MRG. If someone asks for advice we owe it to them to provide the best answer possible. MSE is garbage. I does not detect js. Protection 2.5 out of 6. You call that good.

http://www.av-test.org/no_cache/en/tests/test-reports/?tx_avtestreports_pi1[report_no]=121851

http://www.mrg-effitas.com/current-tests/flash-test-results/

And as dumb as YouTube testing is MSE is a failure on just about everyone. I used Avast for a very long time. Never one slow boot up. Just as fast as with no av. But who cares about your boot up. What matters is how your pc is performing once its up and running. I tun my laptop on and walk away. Do some things around the house. Walk over and log in. Who the heck sits and watches there pc boot up? The same people who sit and watch there defragger squares bounce around.