AV license expiring, looking for new solution

[rodrigopimpao]

Hello everybody,

This is my first thread here, I'm not sure I'm in the right place.
I have seen a few threads like this one, but each one is specific to each person's likes and dislikes, so I decided to create one for me and let the experts comment.

So, I have been using ESET for at least 6 years now. For the past year, I trusted ESET Smart Security Premium to keep my system protected. I always liked it, nothing to complain about.
I always thought that extra bucks towards security is not a waste, but not also necessary. But still, I paired up with one of the most pricey subscriptions.

Now, it is expiring soon, and I would like to give it a try to new alternatives.
Some I've been looking to give it a try:
1. Bitdefender Total Security 2019;
2. Cylance Smart Antivirus;
3. Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home;
4. Open to suggestions.

Also, for the past year, I bought some lifetime licenses. To be more exact, a lifetime VPN service (PureVPN) and an "additional security layer" called Heimdal (now rebranded to Thor Foresight).

I read some reviews about Cylance not being able to provide the full set of features that top AV provides, mostly related websites protection like anti-phishing and so on. Considering I could rely on Heimdal/Thor Foresight to do this job, is Cylance a viable option?

Also, considering all the "security holes" my current setup protects me, what alternatives could keep at the same (or higher) level of protection?

This thread might be a little vague, so let's debate. If you need more inputs from my side, let me know.

Thanks guys!

 

[uduoix]

Why change if you are happy with ESET?
Try 30 days trial version of vendors you like and see which one works for you.

 

[Dhruv2193]

If you are happy with Eset, don't change but if you want to try something similar, then download trials of emsisoft, kaspersky and norton also to know how they perform.

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

I employed EmsiSoft before I switched to DeepArmor. If you are looking for something new that's what I would use, EmsiSoft is very effective and the staff there are top notch. Good luck and let us know what you decide to run with. PeAcE

 

[HarborFront]

Use Windows Defender AV + freebies like

OSArmor
ConfigureDefender (set to max protection)
SysHardener
K9 web filter
VirtualBox
Use 2 VPNs - one for the host machine and one for the VM (use freebies like Windscribe VPN & ProtonVPN)

 

[Andy Ful]

Use Windows Defender AV + freebies like

OSArmor
ConfigureDefender (set to max protection)
SysHardener
K9 web filter
VirtualBox
Use 2 VPNs - one for the host machine and one for the VM (use freebies like Windscribe VPN & ProtonVPN)

ConfigureDefender on max, will block some fresh compiled applications/updates via one of the ASR rules. It is good to start with "High Defender settings".

 

[JM Safe]

Hello, apart of following above suggestions you can try Kaspersky Free (with KSN enabled). I didn't try Cylance so I can't give you a precise opinion. Kaspersky Free is light, easy and very efficient in my opinion; maybe use also a second opinion scanner.

 

[rodrigopimpao]

Thank you all for the replies.

Just to clarify, I'm happy with ESET but I'm thinking about other options because I might be happier with another solution, or something like that.
A friend once told me that ESET is way too advanced for home users that just want to install an AV and forget about it. I'm not that kind of user, but I'm far from being a security expert.

Anyway, I was looking at those options I listed and I think I'll stick with ESET, but I'll try some new options just to know them.
The number of licenses I need makes all other options more expensive than renewing with ESET.

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

My advice is to not go overboard and become paranoid. If you aren't confident with a solution itself without stacking dozens of other pieces of software onto it then you may want to consider another suite. WD is a pig, I'd never use it for that reason. Also it's the most widely used, and hence, most likely the one criminals can bypass when needed.

Cylance (which is now sold on Amazon) is really lightweight and effective against specific malwares, however you really need to combine it with something else. However if you have something like a Gryphon (which provides all devices with ESET) on your network then Cylance by itself after Syshardener is executed is going to be more than enough offering a near zero-weight configuration for your systems.

Without a Gryphon/UTM, then I would be looking at suites like Kaspersky, GData, F-Secure and Norton if you want a single solution that requires no additional tools to be extremely secure. Again, if you aren't confident with a single suite then maybe it's time to re-evaluate that suite.

 

[SumTingWong]

Emsisoft offer good deal.

 

[rsonic]

I wouldn't use Cylance, it looks (well, is) a very stripped down corporate AV. Which means it is barely configurable locally, just to whitelist a file, you have to go to a web interface, login, and do the stuff there. Really dry, I wouldn't call it a proper product yet. And now, with the company being sold, its future is unknown.

Oh man, Heimdal, feels like a kick in the middle of the legs remembering it.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

You have gotten a lot of great suggestions (Emsisoft, Norton, etc...). I will just echo what others have said and that's to download the trial version of each product and see for yourself. We can give you suggestions all day and night, but at the end of the day it's your system, so you are the one that has to like it. I agree with @ForgottenSeer 58943, don't over think it and don't get caught up with the fear and paranoia that is sometimes present. Also do not feel like you have to add 1000 programs/extensions to your set up because more is not better.

Eset is a very capable product. Like others have said, if you are happy with it and it has served you well, then I don't see any reason to change, but then again, you may find something you like better. There are some advanced features within Eset, but in all honesty you really don't have to get caught up in them if you don't want to. There is a very good thread that @RoboMan has created to help you configure Eset if that it something you'd like to try. Keep in mind that most security programs are setup out of the box the way the vendor feels like are it's optimal settings. In other words, the vendors try to setup home consumer products to be fairly install and forget for the most part.

Keep in mind that whatever solution you choose, always practice safe computing habits as no product is perfect and will fail you if you rely on them way too much. If you have been practising safe computing 101 and using Eset at default and have remained infection free, then IMHO I think Eset is doing it's job without you having to dig into it's advanced features.

Also, don't be shy at all to ask questions an learn, that is the best way to improve your knowledge. This forum is full of great knowledgeable people that are willing to help, even with things like the advanced features in Eset if that's something you would like to check out.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

kaspersky with trial reset.

Just want to clarify that you aren't suggesting that people try to game the system when it comes to trial periods. If this is the case then I cannot recommend this path in good faith. All vendors do offer a very reasonable trial period and is not meant to use a product for free forever. If you like a particular product that requires a subscription then I would pay up for it. If you are unable to purchase said product then I would consider picking a product that is offered free (ie: Avast, WD, Bitdefender Free, Sophos free, etc...).

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

I'd take a hard look at Gdata since their additional improvements have gone live now. It's really lightweight and the 10 Devices for $54 is a good deal. GData is going to be all that you need on a box.

Also don't neglect layered security in terms of your entire infrastructure. I'm a big fan of layering but NOT in terms of systems. As I mentioned, with Gryphon adding ESET to all devices sitting behind it on your network and doing the heavy lifting of all of the ESET stuff, that gives you a layer that doesn't impact the performance and usability of your systems. I find it hard to believe windows boxes sitting on a network behind Gryphon and having Kaspersky/GData/Norton/F-Secure or whatever installed is EVER going to get infected. I can't imagine the need to add much more than that and UBlock..:emoji_fearful:

As Raiden says, don't overthink or overengineer it.

PS: Only a total scrub would use trial resets.. It's not like these AV's are expensive. If you can't afford a few bucks for an AV then you have other problems that are more important than an AV. Sorry to be blunt.

 

[SumTingWong]

Just want to clarify that you aren't suggesting that people try to game the system when it comes to trial periods. If this is the case then I cannot recommend this path in good faith. All vendors do offer a very reasonable trial period and is not meant to use a product for free forever. If you like a particular product that requires a subscription then I would pay up for it. If you are unable to purchase said product then I would consider picking a product that is offered free (ie: Avast, WD, Bitdefender Free, Sophos free, etc...).

I'd take a hard look at Gdata since their additional improvements have gone live now. It's really lightweight and the 10 Devices for $54 is a good deal. GData is going to be all that you need on a box.

Also don't neglect layered security in terms of your entire infrastructure. I'm a big fan of layering but NOT in terms of systems. As I mentioned, with Gryphon adding ESET to all devices sitting behind it on your network and doing the heavy lifting of all of the ESET stuff, that gives you a layer that doesn't impact the performance and usability of your systems. I find it hard to believe windows boxes sitting on a network behind Gryphon and having Kaspersky/GData/Norton/F-Secure or whatever installed is EVER going to get infected. I can't imagine the need to add much more than that and UBlock..:emoji_fearful:

As Raiden says, don't overthink or overengineer it.

View attachment 202170

PS: Only a total scrub would use trial resets.. It's not like these AV's are expensive. If you can't afford a few bucks for an AV then you have other problems that are more important than an AV. Sorry to be blunt.

What is the RAM usage? Is it like whooping okay 300MB - 400MB+?

 

[marcopaone]

Norton FTW

 

[MikeV]

Better stay with Eset. Just try to find cheap license keys (i think on amazon if i remember well) maybe other users can tell you more about it. Other option is kaspersky free antivirus. Both solutions will provide you with top signatures and webfilter, hips(eset) or behavior blocker(Kaspersky) keeping your system as fast as it should be. If you need something extra and you are an experienced user then you can add Voodooshield.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

What is the RAM usage? Is it like whooping okay 300MB - 400MB+?

If your referring to Eset, in my experience it's not that high. I'm running it on one of my systems and when I had a quick look it was less than 100MB, but I haven't closely monitored it. It will probably fluctuate, depending if it's running a full scan for example, but otherwise it's very low.

Keep in mind that memory usage isn't a very good indicator of performance, a program's CPU and disk I/O usage will have a far bigger impact on its system impact. It's one of the reasons why WD is considered heavy at times. Most computers now (i would say if bought within the last decade) a days have more than enough ram.

 

[mellowtones242]

I would go with Comodo CIS or Bitdefender suite, but If you are happy with Eset don't switch.

 

[amico81]

Now, it is expiring soon, and I would like to give it a try to new alternatives.
Some I've been looking to give it a try:
1. Bitdefender Total Security 2019;
2. Cylance Smart Antivirus;
3. Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home;
4. Open to suggestions.

Bitdefender TS- > buggy heavy overloaded suite....bitdefender free is enough ( but without ransomware protection)
Cyclance -> need some additional protection layers
Emsisoft -> strong protection, but not light

I would take a look at norton/kaspersky/F-Secure/Gdata, if you wanna test some new av's with a solid protection level

or a free combo -> avg free + syshardener + osarmor