Advanced Plus Security blackice's 2021 Security Configuration

Last updated
Feb 17, 2021
How it's used?
For home and private use
Operating system
Windows 11
On-device encryption
Log-in security
    • Biometrics (Windows Hello PIN, TouchID, Face, Iris, Fingerprint)
Security updates
Allow security updates and latest features
User Access Control
Always notify
Smart App Control
Network firewall
Real-time security
Microsoft Defender
NoVirusThanks OSArmor
Firewall security
Microsoft Defender Firewall
About custom security
Configure Defender - High
OS Armor - a few additional items ticked in the settings
Periodic malware scanners
Malwarebytes, EEK, ESET online scanner, HitmanPro
Malware sample testing
I do not participate in malware testing
Browser(s) and extensions
Chrome -
AdGuard
1Password
Malwarebytes Browser Guard

Edge Chromium -
AdGuard
1Password

Firefox -
AdGuard
1Password
Malwarebytes Browser Guard
Secure DNS
ISP / Quad9
Desktop VPN
IVPN
Password manager
1Password
Maintenance tools
HWiNFO
Process Explorer
Everything
Bandizip
File and Photo backup
File History
System recovery
Macrium Reflect
Risk factors
    • Browsing to popular websites
    • Buying from online stores, entering banks card details
    • Logging into my bank account
    • Gaming
    • Streaming audio/video content from shady sites
Computer specs
Ryzen 7 5800X
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Pro Wifi
32GB G.Skill Trident Neo 3600 cl16
RTX 3070 DUAL OC
500GB WD SN550 NVME
1TB WD SN550 NVME
500GB WD Blue SSD
1TB WD Blue HDD
Notable changes
DNS: Cloudflare->Quad9
2/17/21 - AVG Internet Security
2/20/21 - Removed Brave, updated PC Maintenance section
3/3/21 - Removed AVG
Added Microsoft Defender
3/22/21 - Keeping NextDNS so added it
Added Bitdefender Internet Security
4/15/21 - Removed Bitdefender IS
Added Microsoft Defender
4/19/21 - Added Malwarebyte Premium just kidding it’s broken, Defender still.
4/29/21 - Changed DNS to ControlD (by WIndscribe)
Removed adblockers in browsers, Added HitmanPro
5/10/21 - Back to NextDNS
6/14/21 - Currently using ISP DNS
7/9/21 - NextDNS DoT, RT-AX86U (Merlin Firmware)
10/14/21 - Windows 11
What I'm looking for?

Looking for medium feedback.

blackice

Level 38
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Apr 1, 2019
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You can also try the new beta, which according to Avast has Real-Time Protection performance improvements. It also has a built-in tool for performance reporting. It may be worth checking out.
Unfortunately adding as an exclusion made no difference. I’m wondering if it’s the nvidia driver that it’s not liking. May give the beta a whirl to report the performance issues. I tried a similar diagnostic tool for a Bitdefender issue and they couldn’t replicate my issue.
 
F

ForgottenSeer 89360

Unfortunately adding as an exclusion made no difference. I’m wondering if it’s the nvidia driver that it’s not liking. May give the beta a whirl to report the performance issues. I tried a similar diagnostic tool for a Bitdefender issue and they couldn’t replicate my issue.
Hopefully they will be able to fix that.
 

blackice

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Apr 1, 2019
2,731
Added - Bitdefender IS and NextDNS

Bitdefender's Firewall seems to not cause random increased pings in games anymore, and gave me the highest cinebench23 score I've had. Going to roll with it for a bit since I have the license and it is performing well. They also appear to have started using TLS 1.3 certs when filtering TLS 1.3 connections instead of downgrading to 1.2.
 

Kongo

Level 35
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Feb 25, 2017
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Added - Bitdefender IS and NextDNS

Bitdefender's Firewall seems to not cause random increased pings in games anymore, and gave me the highest cinebench23 score I've had. Going to roll with it for a bit since I have the license and it is performing well. They also appear to have started using TLS 1.3 certs when filtering TLS 1.3 connections instead of downgrading to 1.2.
Which blocklist(s) do you have enabled in NextDNS if I may ask?
 

blackice

Level 38
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Apr 1, 2019
2,731
Oh and on the BD disk usage front, the additional writes to my SSD wouldn't make that big of a dent in the 300 TBW life, and if it dies early I can just make a warranty claim. That drive is imaged weekly.
 

blackice

Level 38
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Apr 1, 2019
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And what are your impressions of this list? Doesn't it seem too big to you?
Well since it is hosted on the DNS, it doesn’t really matter. I have had less problems than with AdGuard or NextDNS filters.

Edit: it does get my wife’s Wayfair app to ask her to turn off her adblocker. I am having trouble figuring out the tracker it’s blocking. Which I think is abhorrent that a store you’re shopping at to spend money wants to monetize their app with adds or tracking. But it’s not a deal breaker as the app is still usable most of the time.
 
Last edited:

blackice

Level 38
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Apr 1, 2019
2,731
Removed Bitdefender IS, it was blocking Toredo for XBOX Live functionality. May give Malwarebytes a try since I have a license and it's installed already for second opinion. For now just sticking with MD.
 

blackice

Level 38
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Apr 1, 2019
2,731
I got Malwarebytes Premium to register with security center and survive a couple restarts so it seems fixed, thanks to @SecureKongo . I am going to give this a spin with MS Defender doing periodic scans. Between Edge Smartscreen/Bitdefender Trafficlight, Malwarebytes scanning network connections, my router using ESET web filtering, and DNS malware blocking from NextDNS I think I am pretty well protected from my own slip ups. Otherwise I have vanilla browsing habits and Malwarebytes seems the lightest solution I've tried yet. We'll see if it throws any false positives or if I get horrifically infected, but I'm guessing not. So far all the gaming benchmarks show a slight improvement over Defender.
 

blackice

Level 38
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Well-known
Apr 1, 2019
2,731
I got Malwarebytes Premium to register with security center and survive a couple restarts so it seems fixed, thanks to @SecureKongo . I am going to give this a spin with MS Defender doing periodic scans. Between Edge Smartscreen/Bitdefender Trafficlight, Malwarebytes scanning network connections, my router using ESET web filtering, and DNS malware blocking from NextDNS I think I am pretty well protected from my own slip ups. Otherwise I have vanilla browsing habits and Malwarebytes seems the lightest solution I've tried yet. We'll see if it throws any false positives or if I get horrifically infected, but I'm guessing not. So far all the gaming benchmarks show a slight improvement over Defender.
Also forgot to note, this is running along side OSArmor which also provides some peace of mind.
 
Last edited:

blackice

Level 38
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Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 1, 2019
2,731
Interesting. Which AV had the best benchmark on your system so far among the ones you tried?
Windows Defender, ESET, and Bitdefender were about the same, within margin of error. Malwarebytes is consistently approximately 3% faster for CPU frame rates. It’s hard to tell though because since my last motherboard update CPU performances dropped slightly, but became more consistent. I haven’t tested ESET since the update, but I would guess they are all still about even.
 

CyberTech

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Nov 10, 2017
3,247
I got Malwarebytes Premium to register with security center and survive a couple restarts so it seems fixed, thanks to @SecureKongo . I am going to give this a spin with MS Defender doing periodic scans. Between Edge Smartscreen/Bitdefender Trafficlight, Malwarebytes scanning network connections, my router using ESET web filtering, and DNS malware blocking from NextDNS I think I am pretty well protected from my own slip ups. Otherwise I have vanilla browsing habits and Malwarebytes seems the lightest solution I've tried yet. We'll see if it throws any false positives or if I get horrifically infected, but I'm guessing not. So far all the gaming benchmarks show a slight improvement over Defender.
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