Advanced Plus Security Moonhorse 2026 windows config

[piquiteco]

Yeah im running it for now on my main pc, but i have McAfee running on laptop and trend micro on my sisters computer wich i take care of

Feels like Mcafee is way to go, with adguard desktop + adguard vpn and firefox as browser but i havent changed yet

Was about to buy surfshark for vpn but adguard is too useful on android so should stick to adguards vpn, its not speediest but it doesnt get detected as easy as kasperskys wich is much better speedwise and mcafees vpn is pretty limited settings wise

Now I understand, you have a laptop with MD, in addition to managing other computers, such as your sister's, using Trend Micro. All computers and laptops have different products, which I think is cool. Usually, people use the same product on multiple devices in their family. I think this is better. Using it this way will make it easier to identify any problems that arise and whether they are somehow related to the AV software.

 

[Moonhorse]

Now I understand, you have a laptop with MD, in addition to managing other computers, such as your sister's, using Trend Micro. All computers and laptops have different products, which I think is cool. Usually, people use the same product on multiple devices in their family. I think this is better. Using it this way will make it easier to identify any problems that arise and whether they are somehow related to the AV software.

Indeed, i have my main gaming rig, laptop for testing purposes and i often visit my sisters house so i always check its working fine.

My mother doesnt have laptop/computer yet she only does have android ( samsung ) wich runs same setup as mine, so if i run into problems or theres update available ( for adguard as example) i update it for her when i see her.

Currently she is using firefox as browser, mcafee as antivirus and adguard as adblocker, then we enabled samsungs extra protection too

On these all devices i havent seen any malware activity or pup/puas in lets say 15 years.

But what im working right now is probably getting into testing malware/phishing more often on the laptop cuz i have safe environment for that. Im kinda new to malware testing but id like to contribute on threads talking about possible malware etc, due my OCD i never wanted to test malware on my main desktop even i have vm for that i have only tested phishing urls mostly. Now i have laptop with different interent connection, its totally safe laptop for that use

 

[Moonhorse]

So i wanted to grab cheap norton license 3 years 5 devices for like 15$. It feels kinda wasted money but because i dont want to feel bad im norton user now

New config:

- Norton 360 deluxe as antivirus
- Firefox with ublock origin

Vpn is fast, but its get blocked easily and tunnel mode doesnt work properly so im not using vpn at all

as antivirus norton will do well enough and i let it to sit on my computer for now....

 

[Moonhorse]

20.8.2025 just minor changes

+ added cloudflare zero trust as vpn/dns. Seems to block phishing/malware sites pretty well, but since its more advanced than regular malware filter from cloudflare thats not a surprise i guess

 

[Trident]

So i wanted to grab cheap norton license 3 years 5 devices for like 15$. It feels kinda wasted money but because i dont want to feel bad im norton user now

New config:

- Norton 360 deluxe as antivirus
- Firefox with ublock origin

Vpn is fast, but its get blocked easily and tunnel mode doesnt work properly so im not using vpn at all

as antivirus norton will do well enough and i let it to sit on my computer for now....

I don’t know what’s wrong with being a Norton user. Yes, they are a rebrand of Avast now (so whether you will install Avast, Norton or AVG, the difference is not massive). But it’s important to note that Avast/New Norton:

• have very efficient pre and post execution protections, very efficient remediation (through the nosy behavioural blocker).
• Whenever web shield or other component detects malware/suspicious communication, they pull the behavioural logs and start undoing the actions. They typically don’t leave malware remnants and rubbish error messages.
• very quick response times to new malware and C&C servers. With their sheer number of users, you can expect that by the time something reaches you, someone else has already encountered it. Avast also very efficiently studies the malware and prevents future variants through a patent that they’ve got (training machine learning models on a single malware sample in around 8 hours).
• Additional browser protections block the exfiltration of cookies/passwords when everything else fails.
• Hardened mode (don’t remember if available in new Norton) provides default-deny.
• Detection of scam in pdf documents with identification of the type of scam (tech support, romance and so on). That being said, it’s got loads of FPs.
• Email scanning removes suspicious emails.

What I don’t really like about all of them:

• Process bonanza: too many processes launched, although they facilitate stability.
• Behavioural blocking is very active, there is CPU activity from it constantly and it’s much more than the old Norton’s typical 1-2%.
• Too many updates and local definitions
• Features like ransomware protection and browser protection are too reliant on reputation, in the event of trusted processes being abused, they will fail.
• Behavioural blocking not on the same level as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, McAfee, Check Point, Trend Micro.
• Cyber Capture inefficient and frequently slaps safe verdicts to malware. In addition, it is triggered by the MOTW. It doesn’t support MSI files.
• Features of questionable efficiency and need like network scanners and so on. Too many scan types, settings and so on. For Avast/Norton/AVG, “less is more” Is not a valid concept.

 

[Moonhorse]

I don’t know what’s wrong with being a Norton user. Yes, they are a rebrand of Avast now (so whether you will install Avast, Norton or AVG, the difference is not massive). But it’s important to note that Avast/New Norton:

• have very efficient pre and post execution protections, very efficient remediation (through the nosy behavioural blocker).
• Whenever web shield or other component detects malware/suspicious communication, they pull the behavioural logs and start undoing the actions. They typically don’t leave malware remnants and rubbish error messages.
• very quick response times to new malware and C&C servers. With their sheer number of users, you can expect that by the time something reaches you, someone else has already encountered it. Avast also very efficiently studies the malware and prevents future variants through a patent that they’ve got (training machine learning models on a single malware sample in around 8 hours).
• Additional browser protections block the exfiltration of cookies/passwords when everything else fails.
• Hardened mode (don’t remember if available in new Norton) provides default-deny.
• Detection of scam in pdf documents with identification of the type of scam (tech support, romance and so on). That being said, it’s got loads of FPs.
• Email scanning removes suspicious emails.

What I don’t really like about all of them:

• Process bonanza: too many processes launched, although they facilitate stability.
• Behavioural blocking is very active, there is CPU activity from it constantly and it’s much more than the old Norton’s typical 1-2%.
• Too many updates and local definitions
• Features like ransomware protection and browser protection are too reliant on reputation, in the event of trusted processes being abused, they will fail.
• Behavioural blocking not on the same level as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, McAfee, Check Point, Trend Micro.
• Cyber Capture inefficient and frequently slaps safe verdicts to malware. In addition, it is triggered by the MOTW. It doesn’t support MSI files.
• Features of questionable efficiency and need like network scanners and so on. Too many scan types, settings and so on. For Avast/Norton/AVG, “less is more” Is not a valid concept.

Thanks for such informative feedback. No there is nothing wrong being norton or avast user. I used laughing emoji ( wich i dont often do) because i couldve just ran avast free and not purchase norton for trying it out i guess

But what i like about norton is that its available on finnish languange and the blocking of malicious site is very understable for older people on android devices

This was reason i purchased it, because norton fits better for my mothers devices. And since there is license seats left on the license im using it on my main computer now, and i cant complain. there is nothing wrong with it it works like smooth.

Only thing im bit disappointed is that norton 360 vpn is pretty limited and there is no way to choose protocol it uses ( on android this is somehow possible) but the vpn bought as standalone from norton is much more configurable. The vpn on norton 360 only focuses in security, where vpn bought alone is more advanced

 

[Trident]

You can install this standalone app too I believe, from your accountZ

 

[Moonhorse]

You can install this standalone app too I believe, from your accountZ

I did not find a way to do that sadly. If you follow nortons guide, it says i have to go my dashboard and click on VPN and download, but it will download whole norton 360 deluxe suite whenever i do that. I tried to download norton vpn from microsoft store too, it was ripoff of vpn, nothing new ( probably was outdated)

So if anyone finds norton standalone vpn, where i can choose vpn protocol i highly appreciate that. Instead of buying separated license for vpn

 

[Trident]

I did not find a way to do that sadly. If you follow nortons guide, it says i have to go my dashboard and click on VPN and download, but it will download whole norton 360 deluxe suite whenever i do that. I tried to download norton vpn from microsoft store too, it was ripoff of vpn, nothing new ( probably was outdated)

So if anyone finds norton standalone vpn, where i can choose vpn protocol i highly appreciate that. Instead of buying separated license for vpn

Before it was showing a screen where you could choose whether you want the VPN or the full suite…

 

[Moonhorse]

Before it was showing a screen where you could choose whether you want the VPN or the full suite…

i believe it was in the installing process of norton deluxe and i skipped that ( because i thought that 360s vpn is problem free) , i tried to run installer but it really didnt mention vpn there. Maybe i need to uninstall whole suite and redo this?

 

[Trident]

i believe it was in the installing process of norton deluxe and i skipped that ( because i thought that 360s vpn is problem free) , i tried to run installer but it really didnt mention vpn there. Maybe i need to uninstall whole suite and redo this?

No, it was on the website, under VPN when you click on download, it used to display 2 options (like 2 big squares). Let me have a look as well.

 

[Moonhorse]

No, it was on the website, under VPN when you click on download, it used to display 2 options (like 2 big squares). Let me have a look as well.

could not find it, even i did read your post and proceed that way. But its too late now, i gave my 6 years of norton license to my irl friend for free, because his f-secure license expired. Hes happy norton user wich he used for years before changing to f-secure

Anyways 28.8.2025

- Removed norton

New config:
+ Kaspersky premium as antivirus ( default deny enabled in application guard ( nowadays intrusion prevention system? )
+ Adguard desktop as adblocker
+ Adguard VPN
+ Firefox as browser with the bitwarden and kaspersky extension
+ Duckduckgo as search engine

I probably stick to this for now, as it works like it should

Thanks to @harlan4096 posting today the setup for default deny ''mode'' for kaspersky. I went long with default settings and gave a try now.

 

[Moonhorse]

3.9.2025 minor update

+ Added brave search as search engine thanks to @oldschool
+ Added adguard dns back

I guess these are pretty much lists that i need, but someone can suggest me good lists if got any

 

[Sorrento]

May I ask how things with the Brave search please, I haven't used it for some time? Compared for example with DDG.

 

[Moonhorse]

May I ask how things with the Brave search please, I haven't used it for some time? Compared for example with DDG.

By using it whole day today, i find it better than duckduckgo in overall

First thing i noticed was that when im used to type ''IS'' on duckduckgo for ''iltasanomat'' finnish newspaper, brave search gave me poor results , no newspaper site at all

But when using term '' iltasanomat'' on brave search the results are better than duckduckgo has
Also i like the ai on search engine, like google has but brave is more private

TLDR: I find sites easier with the brave search than with duckduckgo

 

[simmerskool]

By using it whole day today, i find it better than duckduckgo in overall

First thing i noticed was that when im used to type ''IS'' on duckduckgo for ''iltasanomat'' finnish newspaper, brave search gave me poor results , no newspaper site at all

But when using term '' iltasanomat'' on brave search the results are better than duckduckgo has
Also i like the ai on search engine, like google has but brave is more private

TLDR: I find sites easier with the brave search than with duckduckgo

@Sorrento & @Moonhorse -- I had been a DDG user for a long time, and I asked ChatGPT 4o (previous version) and it said that Startpage is more secure and more private than DDG with better searches. (fwiw -- I don't know this in any factual way). I need to see if ChatGPT 5 agrees. I try Brave every once in awhile, but cannot warm up to Brave Browser. I have not been disappointed with Startpage on firefox.

 

[oldschool]

TLDR: I find sites easier with the brave search than with duckduckgo

Brave search works for me. It may not work so well for non-English speakers. DDG is a lot of hype.

 

[Miravi]

By using it whole day today, i find it better than duckduckgo in overall

[...]

TLDR: I find sites easier with the brave search than with duckduckgo

I've just started using Brave Search for the first time myself because I'm seeing how the latest version of the browser feels in my setup.

It's been encouraging so far. I can't say that I've pushed it to its limits in testing results, but I'm impressed by the overall user experience and reliance on an independent index, which you don't see with DDG (largely Bing) or Startpage (Google). I like the idea of usable search while potentially sidestepping some biases and spam in the Big Tech indexes.

 

[Moonhorse]

Allright its time for 2026 config i guess

Real-time Protection: Mcafee Total Security, windows firewall enchanted by Mcafee
Browser: Firefox, with ublock origin, bitwarden and mcafee WebAdvisor
Dns: cloudflare

I have been littlebit busy but now its time to change that and focus more on lurking MalwareTips. I pretty much replaced adguard desktop/android with firefox+ublock origin, because adguard has gone worse than before. It randomly turns off on android, there is no way anymore to automatically put it restart itself after set time, even there is watchdog available.

I used kaspersky in september, then bought year of eset, liked it but still liked McAfee more because of lightness, and how simple it is to use, also its cheap and peforms well in tests.

 

[Moonhorse]

6.1.2026

Did some cleanup on photos, files i dont need, backupped everything needed to external hdds.
> clean install

Im going now after 2 months of McAfee with most simple setup, so the current setup is:

- Microsoft defender
- Smart application Controld (sac) enabled
- microsoft edge as browser, ublock origin lite as adblocker
- ControlD DNS - Hagezi Pro list as DNS

Thanks to dns thread i went for this config