Opinions on free AVs?

[cosmos]

It does not matter. If the AV version is old (and not patched), then it can cause problems on Windows, especially on Windows 10.

Hard day for me, misunderstood your original point. Yeah, totally agree.

 

[AtlBo]

• Kaspersky Free
• WiseVector AI

My list too.

Installed Kaspersky Security Cloud Free on my laptop here last year. First time for a security product from Kas for me. I knew it was good, but it is really good on this system with SSD and i5-2500 and 8 GB. This is a powerful processor honestly, even if old. Can't say yet about other PCs, but I can't imagine KSC will be heavier than most by much. Kas doesn't slow the laptop, and I like the security it brings. Best I have used.

Gonna try WiseVector AI soon as a get a chance. Already downloaded the program .

1. CleanbrowsingDNS Security - it blocks ~90% known phishing/malware domains, alternatively you can use UltraDNS Threat + Netcraft
2. Kaspersky Cloud Free - do not install Password Manager, uninstall Kaspersky Secure Connection afterwards and disable Web-Protection

Kaspersky web-protection can cause serious slow-downs and problems with certificates it replaces, see screenshot.

Thanks a ton for this. One thing I don't like about KSC is the Secure Connect pop up to secure the internet. Since it's a laptop, think I will keep the Web Protection enabled.

V. 6 was a great step forward compared with V. 5.
You can have more details here Update - FortiClient 6.0.0 (Windows)
The web filtering is the best part, but the AV itself is not bad, they add signatures quite quickly and you can tune the heuristic to catch more malware (with possibly more false positives)

Still using Forticlient with ForgottenSeer 58943's tweaks on most machines here. Web filtering is great, and I like an aggressive a-v like we see with ForgottenSeer 58943's settings....

 

[monkeylove]

Harden WD for your PC and make all sorts of tweaks and modifications if you want, or experiment with various AVs and firewalls. Then look for the option that will give you least amount of time having to make the same tweaks and modifications in every other machine used by family members (who are also mostly novices) and that you also have to maintain, that you think will provide the most protection (and without you having to be called to check their PC every time something goes wrong), and that will cost you the least (especially if they expect you to pay for the software, which is often the case for novices who won't pay for something they don't or want to understand).

In my case, I discovered that I could not afford to buy multiple licenses for all of the PCs (novices tend to avoid paying for things that they don't think is important because they know little and don't want to know anything about them): the cost is almost equivalent to buying one hard drive each year. Similar applies to backup programs.

Given that, I decided to do the ff.

1. convince them to buy an external HD for backup and to at least back up the OS and their data to it using a free program to do periodic backups (like Paragon);

2. set up a free AV that won't slow down systems that much and will provide the best protection with the fewest popup ads (like KSC or Avast);

3. let something like Google Backup and Sync automatically back up whatever important folders they have and that'll fit in the drive;

4. install some addons in default mode that will block at least some ads, etc. (like uBlock Origin);

5. install and run some free software (like HWiNFO and others) to monitor and show things like the CPU and GPU temperature as well as give alerts concerning hard drive health.

I also kept a copy of rescue disks (for each Windows setup, the AV, and the third-party backup) in case something goes wrong and I have to restore systems or data.

With this setup, at most I spend a few minutes a week looking at any logs to see if the programs are running as scheduled.

My point is that unless you're being paid to do these things or that it's part of your job (which is not likely for one's family), or unless you have fun and a lot of time to maintain several PCs, then you should consider trying to make it easy on yourself and your relatives.

 

[polishpatriot]

Harden WD for your PC and make all sorts of tweaks and modifications if you want, or experiment with various AVs and firewalls. Then look for the option that will give you least amount of time having to make the same tweaks and modifications in every other machine used by family members (who are also mostly novices) and that you also have to maintain, that you think will provide the most protection (and without you having to be called to check their PC every time something goes wrong), and that will cost you the least (especially if they expect you to pay for the software, which is often the case for novices who won't pay for something they don't or want to understand).

In my case, I discovered that I could not afford to buy multiple licenses for all of the PCs (novices tend to avoid paying for things that they don't think is important because they know little and don't want to know anything about them): the cost is almost equivalent to buying one hard drive each year. Similar applies to backup programs.

Given that, I decided to do the ff.

1. convince them to buy an external HD for backup and to at least back up the OS and their data to it using a free program to do periodic backups (like Paragon);

2. set up a free AV that won't slow down systems that much and will provide the best protection with the fewest popup ads (like KSC or Avast);

3. let something like Google Backup and Sync automatically back up whatever important folders they have and that'll fit in the drive;

4. install some addons in default mode that will block at least some ads, etc. (like uBlock Origin);

5. install and run some free software (like HWiNFO and others) to monitor and show things like the CPU and GPU temperature as well as give alerts concerning hard drive health.

I also kept a copy of rescue disks (for each Windows setup, the AV, and the third-party backup) in case something goes wrong and I have to restore systems or data.

With this setup, at most I spend a few minutes a week looking at any logs to see if the programs are running as scheduled.

My point is that unless you're being paid to do these things or that it's part of your job (which is not likely for one's family), or unless you have fun and a lot of time to maintain several PCs, then you should consider trying to make it easy on yourself and your relatives.

LOL if @cosmos hardens their PCs, his phone will ring all the time about something he did blocked something on their system.

And they won't spend money. That's the reason why he is asking for free AV - because not one of them is willing to even pay for AV - let alone add-on hardware.

 

[cosmos]

@monkeylove the fellows I've prepared rigs for amount to around 50-100 each year. Not 5 or 10 people

As for your comments, well you're spot on. My stance is that disaster is unavoidable. However not a lot of fellas that bring their rigs to me understand that. Some actually buy software: I've redirected them to either Kaspersky or ESET simple AV programs (AV and NOD32 respectively), no internet security and the such, since they don't know thing about blocking/allowing apps etc. There's good chance they'll more bad than good and I'll be nowhere to be found.

Now, If they don't want to spare anything: well, this is what this thread is about And, WD and KSC seem to be ok. Tend to the latter for the time, since it allows some remote control in case someone needs me. Or KSC has some fault and I have to fix from a distance.

Coming back to the inevitable of disaster, solid backup comes to mind. Over the years, I've come to Veeam free backup, with a backup job triggered by just connecting a specially prepared external hard disk. Simple as that. Full bare metal backup included (although they'll have to find someone to recover things).

ublock origin is also a must as well as acronis drive monitor. Small thingie, monitors smart and overall disk health, sends email if something goes wrong.

 

[polishpatriot]

@monkeylove the fellows I've prepared rigs for amount to around 50-100 each year. Not 5 or 10 people

As for your comments, well you're spot on. My stance is that disaster is unavoidable. However not a lot of fellas that bring their rigs to me understand that. Some actually buy software: I've redirected them to either Kaspersky or ESET simple AV programs (AV and NOD32 respectively), no internet security and the such, since they don't know thing about blocking/allowing apps etc. There's good chance they'll more bad than good and I'll be nowhere to be found.

Now, If they don't want to spare anything: well, this is what this thread is about And, WD and KSC seem to be ok. Tend to the latter for the time, since it allows some remote control in case someone needs me. Or KSC has some fault and I have to fix from a distance.

Coming back to the inevitable of disaster, solid backup comes to mind. Over the years, I've come to Veeam free backup, with a backup job triggered by just connecting a specially prepared external hard disk. Simple as that. Full bare metal backup included (although they'll have to find someone to recover things).

ublock origin is also a must as well as acronis drive monitor. Small thingie, monitors smart and overall disk health, sends email if something goes wrong.

I don't wanna manage my PCs any longer. U do it for me for free ?

 

[cosmos]

@polishpatriot: hahaha, sure as long you don't have any excessive demands

EDIT: Just to clarify things, compared to the needs of my 100 actual users, the lads and gals' rigs I've prepped over the years are really nothing. OTOH, that's how I've managed to do things. I don't get any money, they don't bother me in return

 

[polishpatriot]

@polishpatriot: hahaha, sure as long you don't have any excessive demands

Then I'm not the customer for you. All my demands are excessive.

 

[TairikuOkami]

EDIT: Just to clarify things, compared to the needs of my 100 actual users, the lads and gals' rigs I've prepped over the years are really nothing. OTOH, that's how I've managed to do things. I don't get any money, they don't bother me in return

Sadly, most of those people do not realize, how much care and love you put into the work to get it just right, this thread is a good example.

Like when I secured a laptop for my colleague without any AV and also undervolted it, so the load temperature dropped by 30C. He used it for years without problems, then he sold it. The new owner complained about the config, so he reinstalled, it got infected and even burnt within a month.

 

[polishpatriot]

Sadly, most of those people do not realize, how much care and love you put into the work to get it just right, this thread is a good example.

Y'all just described 98% of the world's society.