Help choosing security product for windows 7 pc.

[thepiratedon]

Hi All!
I'm new to the forum. (I hope I have posted this thread in the right place.)

I would like some help / recommendations on choosing security product/products for my Windows 7 PC (x86 architecture).

my requirements for the product/products are:
.Free product (no money cost, whatsoever!)
.The "best" protection

The products can be anything from anti-virus to firewall, to web browser. (anything that will help in securing my pc)

I would love to see some discussion and motivations on why I should use a certain product/products.

Thanks in advanced for the help!

If needed my pc details are: (it's a laptop)
.RAM: 4gb
.CPU: i7 Q720, 1.6 GHZ
.GPU: Nvidia gt 230M
.OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x86

 

[jamescv7]

Welcome to MalwareTips :welcomewave:

Actually first we need to determine what is your knowledge level? If beginner then you need to be compact with secure configuration.

For Free AV's there are lots to choice, its matter what you want.

Avast Free AV- Does have lot of features which likely to be a complete AV and have good detection rates.

MSE- A basic protection that was easy to configure especially for novice.

Avira= Solid Detection rates with good heuristics.

AVG Free= Have bunch of features and their improved "Identity Protection" can help to detect from suspicious behavior.

Panda Cloud Free= This AV is fully on Cloud thus you need an active connection.

For Firewall can be Zone Alarm Firewall, PC Tools Firewall Plus or Windows 7 Firewall built in.

Cause like Comodo and Online Armor Firewall's have strong capabilities from HIPS and needs an experienced user to do it.

For Browser you may go between Firefox or Google Chrome. IE9 is also acceptable as its built in security called SmartScreen Filter to scan from downloads and sites.

Addons you need to add were: Lastpass (Password Manager to store your password with a single click), WOT (Web of Trust siteadvisor for site ratings) and Adblock Plus (Adblocker to block advertisements)

You also need a sandboxing software when surfing through questionable site. You may go between Sandboxie or Bufferzone Pro.

There is no best protection but with making a combination its really good.

 

[WinAndLinuxTutorials]

Here is the place were you have to post your security configuration: http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard

The best free protection is your brain, but its also recommended to have an antivirus on your system. Having an AV does not mean that you have to trust it for everything you do on the internet, which is a common mistake. Avoid using cracks and keygens as they also come with Malware. If you want an antivirus, my preference is AVG but many prefer Avast for being packed with features, user friendly and light on resources. You have to register a license to use it for 1 year, which is completely free.

Good luck!

 

[thepiratedon]

Welcome to MalwareTips :welcomewave:

Actually first we need to determine what is your knowledge level? If beginner then you need to be compact with secure configuration.

For Free AV's there are lots to choice, its matter what you want.

Avast Free AV- Does have lot of features which likely to be a complete AV and have good detection rates.

MSE- A basic protection that was easy to configure especially for novice.

Avira= Solid Detection rates with good heuristics.

AVG Free= Have bunch of features and their improved "Identity Protection" can help to detect from suspicious behavior.

Panda Cloud Free= This AV is fully on Cloud thus you need an active connection.

For Firewall can be Zone Alarm Firewall, PC Tools Firewall Plus or Windows 7 Firewall built in.

Cause like Comodo and Online Armor Firewall's have strong capabilities from HIPS and needs an experienced user to do it.

For Browser you may go between Firefox or Google Chrome. IE9 is also acceptable as its built in security called SmartScreen Filter to scan from downloads and sites.

Addons you need to add were: Lastpass (Password Manager to store your password with a single click), WOT (Web of Trust siteadvisor for site ratings) and Adblock Plus (Adblocker to block advertisements)

You also need a sandboxing software when surfing through questionable site. You may go between Sandboxie or Bufferzone Pro.

There is no best protection but with making a combination its really good.

Hi!
my knowledge is: I would say, somewhere between intermediate to advanced. I have some experience removing viruses etc, from friends computer and have some experience using Comodo Killswitch. But I am no expert at the area.

about the password manager, I don't need one since I have somewhat good memory and have all my passwords stored in brain ^^. (I do not mind entering my passwords.)

However I have no idea if it is perhaps safer to use a password manager if we start to think about keyloggers?

as of your last sentence:
"There is no best protection but with making a combination its really good."

I totally agree! ( I just wrote "best" for lack of description. )

 

[thepiratedon]

Here is the place were you have to post your security configuration: http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard

The best free protection is your brain, but its also recommended to have an antivirus on your system. Having an AV does not mean that you have to trust it for everything you do on the internet, which is a common mistake. Avoid using cracks and keygens as they also come with Malware. If you want an antivirus, my preference is AVG but many prefer Avast for being packed with features, user friendly and light on resources. You have to register a license to use it for 1 year, which is completely free.

Good luck!

yes, I agree that, the best protection is the users brain!
as my signature say:

"To have a strong defense against viruses is nothing compared to avoid viruses!"

 

[thepiratedon]

Also as an extra question: Would it be worth buying a software? (Like kapsersky IS 2012 or BitDefender?)

As far as I have understood, free is as good as commercial?

(This is just a side question.)

 

[Jack]

Hello and welcome thepiratedon.!
To build up a proper security config you'll need to start a thread in this forum : http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard

As far as : Would it be worth buying a software? (Like kapsersky IS 2012 or BitDefender?)
Because you're and intermediate to advanced user, the answer is NO....... Comodo Internet Security or Avast 7 Free with some other layers of protection like Sandboxie can give you a very high level of prevention and detection.

Again it's best to start a thread in this forum : http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard , as PC security doesn't only mean real-time protection

 

[thepiratedon]

Hello and welcome thepiratedon.!
To build up a proper security config you'll need to start a thread in this forum : http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard

As far as : Would it be worth buying a software? (Like kapsersky IS 2012 or BitDefender?)
Because you're and intermediate to advanced user, the answer is NO....... Comodo Internet Security or Avast 7 Free with some other layers of protection like Sandboxie can give you a very high level of prevention and detection.

Again it's best to start a thread in this forum : http://malwaretips.com/Forum-Security-Configuration-Wizard , as PC security doesn't only mean real-time protection

As requested I have now started the thread: http://malwaretips.com/Thread-Help-making-the-ultimate-safehouse
Thx!