Advanced Security TuxTalk vs. The Malware Multiverse - Setup 2025

Last updated
Mar 10, 2025
How it's used?
For home and private use
Operating system
Windows 11
Other operating system
None
On-device encryption
BitLocker Device Encryption for Windows
Log-in security
    • Biometrics (Windows Hello PIN, TouchID, Face, Iris, Fingerprint)
Security updates
Allow security updates and latest features
Update channels
Allow stable updates only
User Access Control
Always notify
Smart App Control
On
Network firewall
Enabled
About WiFi router
Ziggo Sagemcom
Real-time security
AVAST Ultimate
Firewall security
Other - Internet Security (3rd-party)
About custom security
None
Periodic malware scanners
NPE
Malware sample testing
I do not participate in malware testing
Environment for malware testing
None
Browser(s) and extensions
Enpass
Ghostery
Secure DNS
Cloudflare
Desktop VPN
NORDVPN
Password manager
Enpass
Maintenance tools
None
File and Photo backup
Google Photo's
Onedrive
iCloud
Subscriptions
    • Apple iCloud+ 2TB
    • Apple iCloud+ 50GB
    • Google One Premium 2TB
    • Microsoft 365 Family 6TB
System recovery
Manual Backups and recovery, i do not use Software for this
Risk factors
    • Browsing to popular websites
    • Working from home
    • Making audio/video calls
    • Opening email attachments
    • Buying from online stores, entering banks card details
    • Logging into my bank account
    • Downloading software and files from reputable sites
    • Downloading software and files from unknown / untrusted / shady sites
Computer specs
Screenshot-2025-03-15-111329.png
Notable changes
New Laptop
What I'm looking for?

Looking for medium feedback.

Totally trusting your blacklist solution (G Data) is not too good. Every AV misses out on less than 24 hr old malware. Andy Ful has shown that most respectable AV's has statistical predictable failings. Shadowra's tests shows evidence of that with major AV's missing detection of an average of ~10+ malware. I would add a whitelist solution like CyberLock, it is worth the money. Close that risk gap.
 
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Trend micro is great, choice to go with. the web protection is good enough ( reporting malicious sites to TM just takes bit too long) But one can do decide to be cautious with url that is untrusted, when shopping as example. I run TM on my sisters laptop with adguard and it works like smooth.

Edit: about the unkown sites ( not scanned yet ) marked by trend micro extension in google search as example. Do Trend micro monitor those sites more effectively like Mcafee does with extra caution ( like download protection would go to hypersensitive or something in this case) ? Or should one just be careful when using sites that are not tested yet?
@Trident can probably answer for this, is it only mcafee feature, if i understood the process correctly
 
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Trend micro is great, choice to go with. the web protection is good enough ( reporting malicious sites to TM just takes bit too long) But one can do decide to be cautious with url that is untrusted, when shopping as example. I run TM on my sisters laptop with adguard and it works like smooth.

Edit: about the unkown sites ( not scanned yet ) marked by trend micro extension in google search as example. Do Trend micro monitor those sites more effectively like Mcafee does with extra caution ( like download protection would go to hypersensitive or something in this case) ? Or should one just be careful when using sites that are not tested yet?
@Trident can probably answer for this, is it only mcafee feature, if i understood the process correctly
Trend Micro doesn’t take into account the file origin. None of their technologies cares about where the file came from, they care about the reputation of the file itself.

They have this “New File Warning”, along with a lot of other settings that get applied when activating Hypersensitive mode.

McAfee offers better protection than Trend from my long tests and observations.
When it comes to fileless attacks, McAfee very aggressively targets and blocks powershell abuse, certutil abuse, AMSI bypass and so on. Trend Micro is very aggressive when scripts attempt to maintain persistence, but when there is no persistence it often won’t take care of them. McAfee detection on PE malware is often higher.
 
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Haha, I couldn’t help myself—I went ahead and installed Norton360 Premium. Had that 2-year license just sitting there collecting digital dust, so figured… why not? 😅
I know I’ve thrown shade at Norton before (guilty as charged), but hey—curiosity killed the cat, right? I want to give it a fair shot this time and see if it’s really as bloated or brilliant as people say. Let’s see how it holds up in 2025. Fingers crossed it doesn’t try to take over my whole system like it’s the boss of me.

1758978262602.png
 
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Haha, I couldn’t help myself—I went ahead and installed Norton360 Premium. Had that 2-year license just sitting there collecting digital dust, so figured… why not? 😅
I know I’ve thrown shade at Norton before (guilty as charged), but hey—curiosity killed the cat, right? I want to give it a fair shot this time and see if it’s really as bloated or brilliant as people say. Let’s see how it holds up in 2025. Fingers crossed it doesn’t try to take over my whole system like it’s the boss of me.

View attachment 291306
I mean I can already tell by your screenshot that it's bloated. 👀
 
Haha, I couldn’t help myself—I went ahead and installed Norton360 Premium. Had that 2-year license just sitting there collecting digital dust, so figured… why not? 😅
I know I’ve thrown shade at Norton before (guilty as charged), but hey—curiosity killed the cat, right? I want to give it a fair shot this time and see if it’s really as bloated or brilliant as people say. Let’s see how it holds up in 2025. Fingers crossed it doesn’t try to take over my whole system like it’s the boss of me.

View attachment 291306
i bought 2x 3 year licenses not so long time ago, did not like norton at all and gave the licenses for my friend. Firstly norton support said they only combine licenses up to 4 years...but friend got email that they combined both licenses and now he has 6 years license till 2031

Atleast norton is looking better than avast/avg imo,
 
i bought 2x 3 year licenses not so long time ago, did not like norton at all and gave the licenses for my friend. Firstly norton support said they only combine licenses up to 4 years...but friend got email that they combined both licenses and now he has 6 years license till 2031

Atleast norton is looking better than avast/avg imo,
Why you dont like it ?? They stack until 6 years.
 
Why you dont like it ?? They stack until 6 years.
Overall avast/avg/norton are good option to go with, i just dont use them because they conflict with adguard often...also the vpn focus on security and gets spoofed easily, different case with the non built-in one. Otherwise i would use it, as it supports finnish languange and on android its pretty easy to understand for elder people. To be honest i was bit agressive with the sentence '' did nnot like norton at all' ;)
 
Haha, I couldn’t help myself—I went ahead and installed Norton360 Premium. Had that 2-year license just sitting there collecting digital dust, so figured… why not? 😅
Norton's new interface is busy, but there are plenty of nice things to say about the Gen Stack. Avast ran quite well for me about a year ago. You're so used to lean cloud antiviruses that I'd be curious to hear your impressions of Norton.
 
Overall avast/avg/norton are good option to go with, i just dont use them because they conflict with adguard often...also the vpn focus on security and gets spoofed easily, different case with the non built-in one. Otherwise i would use it, as it supports finnish languange and on android its pretty easy to understand for elder people. To be honest i was bit agressive with the sentence '' did nnot like norton at all' ;)
Never read anywhere that vpn got spoofed ? I don’t use it btw.
 
Oops i actually said spoofed there, sorry im very tired currently. I meant that it gets easily detected by websites, like bbc, youtube, etc.:unsure:
All vpn that use wireguard or openvpn get easily detected. Nordlynx from NordVPN so far is undetected.
 
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Back to Trend Micro – My Trusty Shield


Well, that was a short-lived adventure with Norton360...
Too many bugs, firewall hiccups, and worst of all—my entire network went down more than once. Not exactly what you'd expect from a premium security suite.


So, I’ve decided to go back to my old reliable: Trend Micro.
It’s like reconnecting with an old friend who never let you down. Stable, efficient, and no drama.


Lesson learned: sometimes the newest isn’t the best—reliability wins.