Security Suites

[Uboatman]

@Skybird:

There were issues with a previous version of F-Secure but they seemed to have been ironed out with the latest version. I experience no slowdown at all with the latest version and as some have mentioned I can turn it off and on as I please. You could always give it a try, think they are now doing a free trial for potential customers.

My brother use ESET NOD32 and is very happy with them, didn't see that in your list.

Ones I stay away from (after personal experience)

Norton
AVG
McAfee

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Uboatman

. I experience no slowdown at all with the latest version and as some have mentioned I can turn it off and on as I please.

It's not about switching it off completely, that would be pointless when you are online or some background application goes online for update or whatever. It is about selectively choosing which applications are allowed by the firewall to go online, which one must ask you for permission, and which ones are blocked, always. If it is true what I read, that they in principle use the windows firewall, then this is not only not possible, but the firewall also does not work too reliably.

My brother use ESET NOD32 and is very happy with them, didn't see that in your list.

Never heard of that. Test, somewhere?

Ones I stay away from (after personal experience)

Norton
AVG
McAfee

So do I. I avoid everything that has written "Norton" on its box.

P.S. Just visited the ESET website. N firewall. It's antivirus only. That's probably the reason why they call it "antivirus" themselves.


Does anyone know independent testing sites for security suites like the German one I linked? The magazines I do not trust and I would prefer to know in advance what it is that I install for testing on my rig - BEFORE it messes up my installation maybe and leaves me with plenty of work and wasted hours.

[Uboatman]

Originally Posted by Skybird

P.S. Just visited the ESET website. N firewall. It's antivirus only. That's probably the reason why they call it "antivirus" themselves.

From the ESET website:

"ESET Smart Security 5,Internet security you can trust with Firewall, Antivirus, Antispam, Antispyware and Parental Control"



Says firewall right there, from the bit I can read looks like it's their own one not Windows's one, have another look

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Uboatman

From the ESET website:

"ESET Smart Security 5,Internet security you can trust with Firewall, Antivirus, Antispam, Antispyware and Parental Control"

I was at the German site. All talking about antivirus only. Anyhow, the Germn testing website does not list Eset as a good one. Not even average industrial standard, they say. Scores base on overall metaresults for Sept-Oct last year.

http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/home...7/sepoct-2012/

One can sort the results at the top, in three categories, protection, repair, usability (the latter including speed factors and system drain).

Sites like this seem to be the only possibility to have at least a chnace to bring some order into the diverse disorder of software you can buy. Somewhere one just has to start.

Says firewall right there, from the bit I can read looks like it's their own one not Windows's one, have another look

[/quote]

Windows firewall integrated - that was said about F-Secure.

[AVGWarhawk]

Avast.

[Uboatman]

"Windows firewall integrated - that was said about F-Secure" I know, here:

http://www.eset.co.uk/Home/Smart-Security

And this article might interest you, although I'll keep looking:

http://www.7tutorials.com/best-inter...ites-2012-2013

Going to leave it there as there just doesn't appear to be enough information out on this years products yet, good luck, if you are still unsure of any products why not send a company an email asking if their product meets your requirements?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Uboatman

"Windows firewall integrated - that was said about F-Secure" I know, here:

http://www.eset.co.uk/Home/Smart-Security

And this article might interest you, although I'll keep looking:

http://www.7tutorials.com/best-inter...ites-2012-2013

Going to leave it there as there just doesn't appear to be enough information out on this years products yet, good luck, if you are still unsure of any products why not send a company an email asking if their product meets your requirements?

When I would ask a company whether its security suite is fast, reliable, has high recognition standards and low false positve rates, does not pose stress on the system, and is compatible with other software, EVERY company will answer ALL these questions with Yes. Because they are companies interested in getting your money, and no independent testers.



It makes no sense to ask a company about the quality of its products. Of course quality is always "great". No company will ever tell you that they sell crap. Such questions only makes sense if it is hard-nailed to something like whether or not it is running under Windows and Mac, or only Windows.

G-Data uses two scan engines, but they base on - the engine by Kaspersky, I read. They just designed another interface around it and some stuff, and there you are. Well, you never stop learning.

Anyway, I will test Kaspersky. There is too much complaint about massive system intrusion and slowing down with Bit Defender.

[troopie]

Originally Posted by Uboatman

Ones I stay away from (after personal experience)

Norton
AVG
McAfee

I'm also due to replace mine soon, I have been using McAfee and am looking at going with it again, just for convenience. What is it you don't like about it?

[Uboatman]

Originally Posted by troopie

I'm also due to replace mine soon, I have been using McAfee and am looking at going with it again, just for convenience. What is it you don't like about it?

I found McAfee extremely invasive on my PC, and taking it off my machine ended up requiring a full windows reinstall, that shoud never have to be the case to completely remove a program from your system and customer service was no help either. Of course, you may have better experience with a more up to date product, this is after all just my opinion

[troopie]

Originally Posted by Uboatman

I found McAfee extremely invasive on my PC, and taking it off my machine ended up requiring a full windows reinstall, that shoud never have to be the case to completely remove a program from your system and customer service was no help either. Of course, you may have better experience with a more up to date product, this is after all just my opinion

Hmmm... thanks for the heads up. I sure don't feel like doing an os reinstall so I'll guess I'll stick with it untill I upgrade to windows 7. It does seem to have done a good job so far but my machine does seem to have been pretty slow of late. Have woundered if it's due to the anti-virus.

I can certainly second the poor customer service though, that drove me nuts. To access their help service they wanted me to enter my full name, phone number and address on their website! As if...

[Uboatman]

Originally Posted by troopie

Hmmm... thanks for the heads up. I sure don't feel like doing an os reinstall so I'll guess I'll stick with it untill I upgrade to windows 7. It does seem to have done a good job so far but my machine does seem to have been pretty slow of late. Have woundered if it's due to the anti-virus.

I can certainly second the poor customer service though, that drove me nuts. To access their help service they wanted me to enter my full name, phone number and address on their website! As if...

I've done quite a lot of research into AV programs over the last couple of years as like the OP I wanted the best for my needs and PC, in my reading I have found that many of the really big names like Norton and even one that regularly comes recommended BitDefender are notoriously difficult to remove from your install without a reformat.

Takes a long, long time to read all these articles and most of the time you just end up even more confused as to which is best, I did it for every single component on my new build PC too worth doing to be more informed but even then you can find out something bad, often right after you place an order so I'd say take some time, do your research, maybe ask for others advice in a tech forum, good luck