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Now that the US has made (imo insane) decision to ban Kaspersky products starting in September, what do you recommend as a replacement? KIS was the best in the biz according to many and I've had it for almost a decade and it has saved me countless times. But, alas, it has become a pawn in the global chess match.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
My suggestion? Nothing. Replace it with nothing. It is a waste of time, disk space, and CPU cycles.
As long as you use your head, you don't need it. Here is how to use your head:
- Don't click on links that you don't trust, especially in emails or on ads.
- Don't stick untrusted USB sticks or storage media into your computer.
- Don't download and run random executables unless you implicitly trust the person sending it to you (or if you must, as piracy hazards, run it in a virtual machine first.) Personally, I just don't run them unless trusted, even if it means missing out on some goodie.
- Backup your data, but do it in a way that doesn't spread infection (make a backup box with a Raspberry Pi + a USB drive, then locally share the drives on your main devices that you want to backup. One method is here: https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/raspberry-pi-as-backup-server-for-linux-and-windows/ ) This way, if anything bad happens (even non-virus stuff like hardware failure), at least you have a solid backup.
I don't had any A/V except for the built-in Microsoft Defender. I haven't had A/V installed since 2001, and only once in the 23 years since did I get infected. Before anyone shouts "a-ha!", That was in 2013, and it was 100% my fault; I stupidly installed and ran an executable that I grabbed off BitTorrent without running it in a Virtual Machine first, breaking one of my own rules. This is why you should have a good backup system.
Thanks GOF. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to do all that I'd rather just pay $25/year and not worry about it. Plus, KIS let me protect all the devices I have on the same license.
I think that the most "secure" AV I have ever tried was comodo. It really put other AVs to shame in terms of security.
I had to ditch it because it was giving me problems with my current vpn, and it was a bit too a**l retentive.
Another one is Sophos, which also uses AI to block potential and unknown threats.
My reccommendation? Use the free trial and see what suits you best 🙂
Many people say that Windows Defender and common sense are all that anyone needs. I use AVG free but it more annoying than anything else, and uses about 400MB of memory running in the background.
Over a year ago - I got rid of Kaspersky from my computers. Did some research and found Bitdefender. Now got my VPN with them also.
What @pooper said. Nothing. If you want to know if apps are virus free simply use a sandbox.
Do you really want to pay someone who must obey Putin to keep your PC 'safe'???
Not to mention the fact that Kaspersky has not tested well in many years.Thanks @joelj, reddit seems to agree that bitdefender is now the best out there. Leaning that way.
@inverseKinematics, I've got sandboxie, but KIS tells me in realtime as the file is extracting and before I even open the folder that it is infected.
@frank22, I used to use AVG, but it caused severe performance issues. And, like you wrote, it's got memory hog issues.
@legolas18, I saw on reddit that comando didn't keep their virus signatures up to date like KIS did. I'll check out sophos.
@fa0056, I also don't trust microsoft or many other world governments much either.Thanks all for the replies.
i am using Dr Web from time to time if any suspicious content draws my attention on PC, not sure it will work....
I only use Windows Defender. I don't really download a whole lot other than some games, Daz stuff and video files from a handful of rippers and repackers. That's about it.
I used to use RogueKiller, although never any paid version and never real-time protection, it used to work really well but I can't speak for it now. Nod32 was also one of the go-to protections way back when, not sure how it is now.
Uninstalled AVG this morning as there was no way to disable it in startup. It was pretty much bloatware anyway.
My advice to everyone:
If you're already using Windows then keeping Defender on and up-to-date is a no brainer. If you don't trust MS at all, then why not just run Linux? The anti-MS argument makes no sense. It's cliched teenage edgelord nonsense.
Regardless of what you use, always do the following for best infosec:
1. BACK. UP. YOUR. DATA. (offline locally, not cloud storage)
2. ALWAYS use 2FA on your primary email(s) and financial accounts
3. Use strong, long, unique passwords on all sites
4. DO NOT run executables from unknown sources (even sandboxing is not 100% effective for some exploits)Follow those guidelines and you'll probably never need anti-virus/anti-malware solutions at all. On the other hand those who refuse to exercise common sense or who have poor impulse control will inevitably encounter trouble regardless of the AV solution(s) they employ. As the old saying goes, "play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
You can still encounter malware even by sticking with trusted sources; numerous companies have had breaches where drivers/software have been infected with malware. However, if your data is backed up and you have 2FA enabled then you will only have lost a bit of time. You are always your own first and best line of defence.
Keep yourself safe.
@Livingpixels While I do agree with all the points you make, I'll add that I also use an AV as an extra layer of security.
That's because I know I am going to be careful most of the time, but I need help for that 1-3% of the time in which I might be tired, distracted, or having a moment of mindlessness 🙂
Hey @livingpixels, long time no see. Glad you're back. Your expertise was missed. Thanks for the advice.
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