Anti-Virus / Firewall

[ubuysa]

I was only advising if he wanted a 3rd Party Anti Virus , this is the one I'd go for as it provides a ton of features that may come in useful.
Parental control, password protection etc.
If he is going to buy one anyway, don't want him buying something like Norton or other poor ones.

I certainly agree that Norton is best avoided!

TBH. Unless you're a particularly adventurous user you really don't need more than the Windows bundled tools. I use Comodo CIS, but only because CIS already implements true containment - any unknown process runs in the sandbox where it can do no harm.

In any case, the biggest risk today is people falling for phishing websites and emails...

 

[VenatoS]

I certainly agree that Norton is best avoided!

TBH. Unless you're a particularly adventurous user you really don't need more than the Windows bundled tools. I use Comodo CIS, but only because CIS already implements true containment - any unknown process runs in the sandbox where it can do no harm.

In any case, the biggest risk today is people falling for phishing websites and emails...

I completely agree.
I know quite a few people who are just used to having an Anti Virus and basically prefer having one - which is why advised one that I know is reliable even though it may not be needed anymore these days!

Phishing sites and emails aren't difficult to spot for us "tech savvy" people, high danger for the older generations or kids 😳

 

[ubuysa]

Phishing sites and emails aren't difficult to spot for us "tech savvy" people, high danger for the older generations or kids

I think probably the greatest service that 'we who understand' can provide is to educate 'those who don't know' how to spot phishing emails. My wife now asks whenever she's not certain for example....

 

[Oussebon]

I think probably the greatest service that 'we who understand' can provide is to educate 'those who don't know' how to spot phishing emails. My wife now asks whenever she's not certain for example....

Out of interest and without wanting to ask a personal question, how often do you get asked and have it not be phishing?

It feels like one of those "If you're asking, you may already suspect the truth" kind of questions, at least when I am asked it... which is the advice I usually give in response in my case.

 

[kelstu]

I use Malaware Bytes and Zonealarm personally x

 

[SpyderTracks]

I use Malaware Bytes and Zonealarm personally x

Malwarebytes is almost a must, it's just too good not to use as a manual scanner.

 

[kelstu]

i hae been using it for a number of years i wouldnt do without it and have it already downloaded for my new laptop!

 

[SpyderTracks]

i hae been using it for a number of years i wouldnt do without it and have it already downloaded for my new laptop!

Yeah, it's been a staple of mine for a while now. I almost bought a lifetime license back in the mid 2000's when they were doing them for around £100 but just didn't have the cash spare at the time. God, I wish I had!

 

[ubuysa]

Out of interest and without wanting to ask a personal question, how often do you get asked and have it not be phishing?

Actually more often than you might think. I've encouraged my wife, and would encourage others too, to query anything that doesn't look right. I do get a fair few that are ok, she'll query the security update on her phone for example, so at a guess probably 20% of her asks are ok.

It feels like one of those "If you're asking, you may already suspect the truth" kind of questions, at least when I am asked it... which is the advice I usually give in response in my case.

I think that's hitting the nail on the head but the hard part is getting people to actually look and not just react. Most mere mortals just want technology to work, having to second guess what they're seeing doesn't come naturally. Plus, they just want to get on with what they need to do. Our job I think is to help them actually see what it is they're looking at

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[SpyderTracks]

Actually more often than you might think. I've encouraged my wife, and would encourage others too, to query anything that doesn't look right. I do get a fair few that are ok, she'll query the security update on her phone for example, so at a guess probably 20% of her asks are ok.



I think that's hitting the nail on the head but the hard part is getting people to actually look and not just react. Most mere mortals just want technology to work, having to second guess what they're seeing doesn't come naturally. Plus, they just want to get on with what they need to do. Our job I think is to help them actually see what it is they're looking at

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I'm constantly trying to get the users to inspect the address it's sent from as that will usually tell you all you need to know, but it's amazing how often they forget, just doesn't enter into their train of thought.

 

[ubuysa]

Yeah, it's been a staple of mine for a while now. I almost bought a lifetime license back in the mid 2000's when they were doing them for around £100 but just didn't have the cash spare at the time. God, I wish I had!

And I'm a big Malwarebytes on demand scanner fan too. However, in all the years I've been using it it's never found anything of note. That not because it's a bad tool, far from it, it's just that (to my knowledge) I've never been infected. Thats partly because if I ever think I may have been dumb or if I've been experimenting a little carelessly, I always restore last night's system image and any potential infection is gone.

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[kelstu]

i have downloaded a few things and had Malawarebytes has had issues and problemswith .. i was downloading install files yesterday and downloaded bittorrent.. right away it came as an issue with Malawarebytes..

 

[ubuysa]

i have downloaded a few things and had Malawarebytes has had issues and problemswith .. i was downloading install files yesterday and downloaded bittorrent.. right away it came as an issue with Malawarebytes..

I think you'll find all anti-malware products flag torrent clients simply because you could use them to share copyrighted material. They're not flagging them because they're dangerous to you but to rights owners.

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[Oussebon]

I get the occasional false positive...

I freaked out when I got an email from EA telling me I had just redeemed a free month. Thought process was:

1) I've been hacked

2) No, surely not, this is phishing designed to make me click the links

3) the links previewed in Thunderbird look totally genuine

4) Google

Turned out it was actually EA giving me a free month of subscription but it clearly caused enough people to freak out that polygon wrote a story on it:

No, your Origin account wasn’t hacked last night

It was just EA doing something nice

www.polygon.com

 

[SpyderTracks]

And I'm a big Malwarebytes on demand scanner fan too. However, in all the years I've been using it it's never found anything of note. That not because it's a bad tool, far from it, it's just that (to my knowledge) I've never been infected. Thats partly because if I ever think I may have been dumb or if I've been experimenting a little carelessly, I always restore last night's system image and any potential infection is gone.

Sent using Tapatalk

I get the occasional false positive...

I freaked out when I got an email from EA telling me I had just redeemed a free month. Thought process was:

1) I've been hacked

2) No, surely not, this is phishing designed to make me click the links

3) the links previewed in Thunderbird look totally genuine

4) Google

Turned out it was actually EA giving me a free month of subscription but it clearly caused enough people to freak out that polygon wrote a story on it:

No, your Origin account wasn’t hacked last night

It was just EA doing something nice

www.polygon.com

Yeah, that one threw me as well until I googled it!

 

[kelstu]

i think i would freak out if i recieved that! i am paranoid about being hacked after having my credit card frauded about 12 years ago

there are lots of legal things you can download with torrents

 

[ubuysa]

Yeah, that one threw me as well until I googled it!

What are the odds of a phishing expedition duplicating that now and catching quite a few.....?