Recommendations for anti virus software

[geek84]

Hi Folks

Can someone kindly recommend any reliable and cheap anti virus software?

Thank You

[Camelot1971]

If you are using Windows, just use the built in MS Defender.

[CarCrazyDad]

Camelot1971 said:

If you are using Windows, just use the built in MS Defender.

This.

[WoolyFox]

I use Bitdefender for most things (15 licenses) as I can usually get it for £30/year in one of their many many sales.

[deckster]

CarCrazyDad said:

Camelot1971 said:

If you are using Windows, just use the built in MS Defender.

This.

x3.

Third-party antivirus not needed these days, assuming you keep Windows patched.

And if you don't keep Windows patched, then you still don't need third-party antivirus but you do need to keep Windows patched.

[Funk]

deckster said:

CarCrazyDad said:

Camelot1971 said:

If you are using Windows, just use the built in MS Defender.

This.

x3.

Third-party antivirus not needed these days, assuming you keep Windows patched.

And if you don't keep Windows patched, then you still don't need third-party antivirus but you do need to keep Windows patched.

Fourth'd.

[dapprman]

I'm another who went to/back to the Windows internal - though only after looking at the annual independent reports after I'd tried three or four of the commercial ones and a couple of the 3rd party freebies.

[Mr Pointy]

Kaspersky, bought when in an Amazon sale. Generally NoScript, uBlock Origin & Privacy Badger browser extensions do enough though, apart from scanning USB sticks.

[Pitre]

I've always found AVG to work fine....

[Scabutz]

I use McAfee, it covers all bases, including the phones and includes stuff like VPN, DarkWeb checking, file shredding etc

[xeny]

I'm intrigued - what is Dark Web checking?

[Brainpox]

I use Kaspersky. In lab tests on YouTube it's one of the better players. I have no doubt Windows Defender and a bit of common sense is sufficient, but for £12 a year, I will take the extra protection.

[Scabutz]

xeny said:

I'm intrigued - what is Dark Web checking?

If a site gets hacked and usernames, emails, passwords etc are leaked, they end up on the Dark Web to allow other hackers etc to use and abuse.

So this tool will regularly check sources on the dark Web to see if your information has been compromised.

You could go on the Dark Web yourself and check if you know what you are doing, but if not you could end in a pickle.

If its out there not much h you can do. But for example if you share passwords abs found that's been leaked you can go and change it in other places.

I've started using a password manager and have been slowly changing all my passwords to mega secure ones and not shared so its probably less useful for that. But it will also check for credit cards, date of birth, bank details etc.

My wife was recently a victim of identity theft, someone signed up for a credit account in her name. Luckily it was caught and dealt with right at the start.

But after that I've upped my security a lot.

[Captain_Morgan]

Brainpox said:

I use Kaspersky. In lab tests on YouTube it's one of the better players. I have no doubt Windows Defender and a bit of common sense is sufficient, but for £12 a year, I will take the extra protection.

I’m interested what extra protection does Kaspersky provide?

[Mr Pointy]

Captain_Morgan said:

I’m interested what extra protection does Kaspersky provide?

Mine very occasionally stops a web page from loading with a warning splash screen displayed. Windows Defender has never done that.

[98elise]

Pitre said:

I've always found AVG to work fine....

Same here, but have gone to Defender recently.

[xeny]

Mr Pointy said:

Mine very occasionally stops a web page from loading with a warning splash screen displayed. Windows Defender has never done that.

I've had that behaviour from Edge without any added on AV - I don't know what other web browsers do with maintaining their own database of malicious sites.

[Glosphil]

I have used Norton for years. Now on a PC, laptop, tablet & 2 phones. Cost less than £30 for the 5 device version from Amazon each year (Norton want £80+ on auto renewal).

[CarCrazyDad]

I do find it odd that people buy anti virus when a perfectly good one is free with the operating system.

The last time I had a virus was 2001 when I was messing around with cracked software. Didn't really know what I was doing.

[Ronstein]

Scabutz said:

If a site gets hacked and usernames, emails, passwords etc are leaked, they end up on the Dark Web to allow other hackers etc to use and abuse.

Anyone can do a free check here - https://haveibeenpwned.com/ - which I'd highly recommend doing regularly.

Kaspersky has been banned within the defence sector due to links back to Russia. I use ESET, both personally and professionally.