Advice Request Avast Premium Security - what modules to uncheck?

[windows1064]

I'm thinking to try Avast Premium Security (temporarily, because I prefer H_C and no 3rd party antivirus - less problems). Anyway. I can't find any guide/best settings/complete review about Avast modules.
What do you think about these modules below/screenshot? Useless? Useful? am I wrong?

Mail shield - unchecked. This only applies to messages handled by mail management software. I'm not using such apps. And never opening email attachments.
Ransomware shield - unchecked. All my files are uploaded in google drive.
Remote Access shield - unchecked. Remote access is disabled in Windows Services.
Real Site - unchecked. I'm using Google DNS. I don't want Avast to change DNS.
Software Updater - unchecked. Manually update apps.
Browser Cleaner - unchecked. I can do it manually.
Rescue Disk - unchecked.
Data Shredder - unchecked. Sounds bad for SSD lifespan.
Sensitive Data Shield - unchecked.
Webcam Shield - unchecked. I don't have camera.
Cleanup - unchecked. I'm using Widnows Storage Cleaner.

 

[HarborFront]

Uncheck those you don't need

 

[Bumblebee Uncle]

I think you pretty much answered your question. Uncheck those that you might not need. None of them should have an impact on the overall security of your system as long as you do not turn the real time protection off.

 

[SeriousHoax]

You have already done a great job. The main difference from mine to yours is that if I use Avast I uncheck Sandbox & Network Inspector as well but keep the Ransomware Shield.
I didn't find Avast's Sandbox to be very useful. Sandboxie would be better if you need that. The Network Inspector feature sends/receives a lot of network requests and I feel I don't need this feature anyway.

 

[windows1064]

I wasn't sure that I was interpreting the settings correctly. I don't want to weaken the protection.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Uncheck them all except the shields for File, Behaviour, Web, and Ransomware, the rest are garbage. I posted a reply earlier but it disappeared.

 

[TuxTalk]

If you uncheck almost everything why not use the free antivirus instead ?

 

[Moonhorse]

I learned the lesson with buying avast ultimate.

Free version of installer with minimal setup & defensive Mode enabled + ransomware shield set To strick is way To go.

Most premium features are useless. Only sandbox, real site and rat protection are what i would enable. About real site : avg forces you To use isp dns, but avast does let you use any dns you like To use

About vpn, its dirt cheap vpn To get as 3 years 10 device license Only Costs 15 usd. But on Android device it Will eat battery overnight so i dont bother with it.

Other crap that comes with ultimate are driver updater and system optimizer, and some privacy app but those belong To trash bin, dont bother installing them

Avast free is enough on Windows, mac and mobile devices, dont bother with premium security unless you want dirt cheap vpn

 

[Trident]

I had tested before the Avast BreachGuard after an attempt for my data to be misused. Upon calling the number, a voiceover with African accent was used (they couldn’t pay £100 for a more professional one). An explanation of the problem was taken (I wasn’t even asked or checked if I am a customer so anyone could use the service). I was promised a call back — didn’t happen.

The Drivers updater is OK, but I would steer clear from programmes of this sort.

The password shield is OK too, it can secure passwords saved in the 2 major browsers and so is the private data shield, which adds certain documents to ransomware protection.

Mail Shield is highly inaccurate, almost a joke. It flags promotional emails from Microsoft as suspicious, whilst SPAM is not flagged at all.

The main shield are of course necessary. Everything else is not a necessity.

 

[Ink]

I learned the lesson with buying avast ultimate.

Free version of installer with minimal setup & defensive Mode enabled + ransomware shield set To strick is way To go.

Most premium features are useless.

Unfortunately, that's how millions they get scammed by software companies.

1. Conned by marketing that "Premium", "Ultimate", or "Platinum" editions are in someway superior to the core protection found in many of the Free Antivirus versions.
2. Buying before Trialing software/services.
3. Not knowing the difference between Need and Want.

 

[Trident]

Unfortunately, that's how millions they get scammed by software companies.

1. Conned by marketing that "Premium", "Ultimate", or "Platinum" editions are in someway superior to the core protection found in many of the Free Antivirus versions.
2. Buying before Trialing software/services.
3. Not knowing the difference between Need and Want.

But if they adopt another marketing strategy, they will just suspend the free version and then everyone, including people who don’t want or need “premium”, “ultimate” and “platinum” version features will have to pay their dues. Who is that good for?

There is a cost for them to bring you this software, starting from programmers, data scientists, threat researchers to management, bandwidth and many others. Who’s gonna cover that? Is Avast a Red Cross organisation?

 

[Ink]

But if they adopt another marketing strategy, they will just suspend the free version and then everyone, including people who don’t want or need “premium”, “ultimate” and “platinum” version features will have to pay their dues. Who is that good for?

There is a cost for them to bring you this software, starting from programmers, data scientists, threat researchers to management, bandwidth and many others. Who’s gonna cover that? Is Avast a Red Cross organisation?

This is not the responsibility of the consumer/customer. We should not need to pay for a software or service to keep a company afloat. Avast can decide at any time to discontinue their Free tier and force all existing customers to either start paying a subscription, or switch.

There are plenty of other ways companies can raise capital.

 

[Trident]

Avast can decide at any time to discontinue their Free tier and force all existing customers to either start paying a subscription, or switch

And they should. Customers/consumers should get into the habit of paying for their software, just like they pay for everything else.

Customers/consumers want everything free. If not free, they want it dirty cheap. At the same time they want it to be competitive and of a high quality, in the case of AVs they want protection, performance, lack of false positives, lack of ads/upsell/cross-sell, automation/enough settings and many more. The list of requirements keeps going on and never ends. Hence, they should become customers by bringing custom to developer and consumers who pay for what they consume.

There is no free lunch anywhere.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Too many want a free lunch when it comes to software, streaming etc. or they cry when their favourite streaming platform raises prices $1/ month. People don't provide these services out of generosity, their families need to eat too. Now if some are price gouging or CEO's are getting outrageous compensation, that's a different story.

 

[Trident]

Too many want a free lunch when it comes to software, streaming etc. or they cry when their favourite streaming platform raises prices $1/ month. People don't provide these services out of generosity, their families need to eat too. Now if some are price gouging or CEO's are getting outrageous compensation, that's a different story.

There is software provided out of generosity, the Open Source software. Like all Linux distributions (with a market share of <3%). There is the open source ClamAV as well. Users don’t install that, they enjoy the quality of the shareware, but then they dispute why they have to pay.

 

[Nightwalker]

There is software provided out of generosity, the Open Source software. Like all Linux distributions (with a market share of <3%). There is the open source ClamAV as well. Users don’t install that, they enjoy the quality of the shareware, but then they dispute why they have to pay.

You are right, but not completely, Open Source software is not out of generosity; most open source developers are paid employees from big companies like Red Hat, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Suse, IBM, Oracle and so on that may or may not make direct money from it, but it isnt charity, far from it.

.

Yes, We have some developers that make software without pursing any monetary gain, but without the big companies open source is condened to death.

For example, the Linux kernel is almost fully developed by big companies, those distributions that you mentioned usually are just a hobby project that dont progress or change the scenario at all.

Reference:

Who Contributes to the Linux Kernel? – InApps 2022 - InApps

Who Contributes to the Linux Kernel? – InApps is an article under the topic Software Development Many of you are most interested in today !! Today, let’s...

www.inapps.net

OSCI – Open Source Contributor Index

Welcome to OSCI, where commercial organizations are ranked by the volume of their employees’ year-to-date open source contributions on GitHub, the leading source code repository for free and open source (FOSS) projects.

opensourceindex.io

 

[Trident]

hobby projects

This is why they are not successful, because they are hobby projects. Even the rest of the open source software is based on contributions made for one reason or another (usually because the developer will benefit from these open source components) but software, like all other products, requires commitment and not “contributions when one can and is willing”.

In the case of the AVs (they are being discussed here) criminals (millions of them) are working long hours every single day to evade detection. For a company to stay ahead (or at least somewhat on par with that) somebody goes to work Monday-Sunday — and they are not working for the minimum wage.

 

[a090]

This is why they are not successful, because they are hobby projects. Even the rest of the open source software is based on contributions made for one reason or another (usually because the developer will benefit from these open source components) but software, like all other products, requires commitment and not “contributions when one can and is willing”.

In the case of the AVs (they are being discussed here) criminals (millions of them) are working long hours every single day to evade detection. For a company to stay ahead (or at least somewhat on par with that) somebody goes to work Monday-Sunday — and they are not working for the minimum wage.

Precisely. This is why I’m slightly perturbed by F-Secure’s lack of updates these past few weekends. While F-Secure is taking those two days off (what else should I think…. Their reasoning for skipping updates changes each weekend), cybercriminals are working overtime.

The baddies don’t take breaks.

"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked
Money don't grow on trees
I got bills to pay
I got mouths to feed
There ain't nothing in this world for free
I know I can't slow down
I can't hold back
Though you know
I wish I could
Oh, no there ain't no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good"

Hopefully F-Secure does better this weekend. Will be keeping a close eye on their updates, or lack thereof.