Advice Request Use one security setup for all PC's/family members or different security setup per PC?

[Lenny_Fox]

Interested to know what is your plan of action and why

Reason for asking is that I used to have the same setup for my girlfriend's laptop and my own desktop. Recently I spoke a colleague who on purpose uses different AV's for each family member. He argues that the chances of losing all data by infecting each other is less when you use more/different antivirus engines. So he uses Panda (himself), Windows Defender (wife), Bitdefender (Son) and AVG for his daughter.

 

[Ink]

All setups are similar.

Don't have time to mess around with different Antivirus softwares.

 

[Divine_Barakah]

I am currently using AVG IS on all family devices with Hardened Mode enabled and PUP protection enabled. I have also protected Accessing AVG (both the GUI and settings) with a password. I also added Adguard DNS (Family) to help both filter ads and adult content. The setup is lightweight and very effective. The is the closest thing to Kaspersky’s TAM which I had been using before it got discontined (it can be done using Harlan’s tutorial, but AVG is one-click away).

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

A very good question.
I use mostly the same setup for me, my kids and other family members, but for example, controlled folder access is enabled on my device but not on the devices of other family members. The main reason is too many prompts. I want their setup to have a good balance between safety and usability.
The main reason for one setup is ease of use and support.
When there are issues or support questions I know exactly where to look for solutions.

 

[Protomartyr]

Voted for 'Different setup per PC'.

My main device (laptop): Since this device has sensitive documents, it has Microsoft Defender set to 'Max' and system hardened with H_C.

My secondary device (desktop): Primarily used for gaming. Just has Defender set to 'High' with ConfigureDefender standalone. This PC is dead though so will be getting rid of it/selling for parts.

Family member's PCs (2 laptops): Bitdefender Total Security (not purchased by me). Set and forget solution so I don't have to be bothered with troubleshooting. They've had no problems in the 4 years that they've been using the suite so I consider that a win.

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

I vote for same setup.
Mostly this is default Windows & Defender settings but UAC on max.
Sometimes i use recommend ConfigureDefender settings.

Nowadays Windows is very secure and in combination with Edge this is even a solid setup and secure enough for most normal user.

 

[Ink]

All setups are similar.

Don't have time to mess around with different Antivirus softwares.

Other benefits:
- Less unknown issues
- Zero additional costs
- Manage multiple nodes
- One account with your personal data
- You operate like a business

 

[Digmor Crusher]

It depends on the complexity of the program and the experience of the users. In a perfect world you would use the same software, one that is highly configurable for different types of users. That way everyone would be familiar with what everyone else is using and experienced computer users would be using advanced options which over time they could expand to the other users if they choose to do so.

Using different programs has the benefits of : (A) Different programs for different types of users. (B) You can use free programs if you do not want to pay for software for all of your computers. (C) Using different programs may get other users interested in them, thus a teaching moment is readily available.

Or just use Defender and forget about all of these headaches.

 

[Tutman]

AVG free for me and going to be for the whole family right after Christmas. Was using ISP free version of McAfee and when it finds a false positive, you don't know until after the fact (I.E. Windows Defender, looking at you also!) and a pain to dig into settings and jump through hoops just to restore the file. I prefer the prompt! Just my preference. Or at least an easy click here to restore. The new layout of AVG is very intuitive and easy to get around! Last straw for my poor wife was a false positive for Steam and McAfee killed a game and also wouldn't let us shutdown or restart her system. It was very strange!

 

[Lenny_Fox]

Crazy experiment?

Installed Bitdefender Free
Installed Kaspersky AntiRansomWare 5.0

KAR is designed to run alongside an other AntiVirus, but I added both programs at each other exclusion options. Both BD-Free as KAR-Free don;t inject DLL's into programs, so I have added additional WD-Exploit protection for Office and Edge (not allowing to start other programs and only allowing Microsoft signed DLL's). On top of this WD-exploit protection I have installed Andy Full's Simple Windows Hardening which blocks execution of scripts in user folders.

The time it takes to launch Edge with BD-Free and KAR-Free is the same as AVG & Avast, so in terms of performance the price is near zero for using two cloud based AV's alongside of each other: BD for best blacklist data base and KAR for best behavioral protection plus Cloud check.

I will use this crazy setup for a few days to see how it feels in terms of responsiveness (remember I have TrendMicro URL and exploit protection enabled in the router).

 

[SeriousHoax]

Both BD-Free as KAR-Free don;t inject DLL's into programs, so I have added additional WD-Exploit protection for Office and Edge (not allowing to start other programs and only allowing Microsoft signed DLL's).

Actually both injects dll but they are signed by Microsoft, so it works with Code Integrity Guard enabled.
Anyway, interesting experiment. Problems may occur if both detect ransomware through their behavioral analysis but not possible to tell without testing.

 

[Lenny_Fox]

Thx @SeriousHoax

Forgot which youtube channel tested Kaspersky free against Bitdefender free (the youtube guy is bashed often at MT for not understanding security, cruel sister once sliced and diced him), but his test shows BD reacting immediately to threats (and sometimes running into bugs) and Kaspersky often seeming to allow something until system watcher (the behavioral module) kicks in, so I am optimistic about the two working alongside each other (especially because KAR is designed as second safety net)

Thanks for the info on dll injection

 

[SeriousHoax]

Thx @SeriousHoax

Forgot which youtube channel tested Kaspersky free against Bitdefender free (the youtube guy is bashed often at MT for not understanding security, cruel sister once sliced and diced him), but his test shows BD reacting immediately to threats (and sometimes running into bugs) and Kaspersky often seeming to allow something until system watcher (the behavioral module) kicks in, so I am optimistic about the two working alongside each other (especially because KAR is designed as second safety net)

Thanks for the info on dll injection

You're right. That was the PC Security Channel Test. Bitdefender blocks very early everything. It gets prioritized over everything it seems. I mentioned in another thread that it can even block browser scripts before adblockers like uBlock Origin.

Keep using and let us know how it performs.

 

[Jan Willy]

Crazy experiment?

Installed Bitdefender Free
Installed Kaspersky AntiRansomWare 5.0

KAR is designed to run alongside an other AntiVirus, but I added both programs at each other exclusion options. Both BD-Free as KAR-Free don;t inject DLL's into programs, so I have added additional WD-Exploit protection for Office and Edge (not allowing to start other programs and only allowing Microsoft signed DLL's). On top of this WD-exploit protection I have installed Andy Full's Simple Windows Hardening which blocks execution of scripts in user folders.

The time it takes to launch Edge with BD-Free and KAR-Free is the same as AVG & Avast, so in terms of performance the price is near zero for using two cloud based AV's alongside of each other: BD for best blacklist data base and KAR for best behavioral protection plus Cloud check.

I will use this crazy setup for a few days to see how it feels in terms of responsiveness (remember I have TrendMicro URL and exploit protection enabled in the router).

Very interesting. I like to draw your attention to a post of August 2 from cruelsister. See Q&A - NeuShield | MalwareTips Community
She tested KAR with - in her own words - quite good results.

 

[Tutman]

Very interesting. I like to draw your attention to a post of August 2 from cruelsister. See Q&A - NeuShield | MalwareTips Community
She tested KAR with - in her own words - quite good results.

I wonder if this would be a good supplement to AVG Free or overkill and not needed?

 

[Ink]

I wonder if this would be a good supplement to AVG Free or overkill and not needed?

If like Avast, AVG may or may not have Ransomware protection for free. Check the software. Uninstall any unused components.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

I vote for same setup.
Begin of december i installed on all family members Avast (with hardened mode) it also has Ransomware shield in the free version.

 

[Lenny_Fox]

Thanks for all responses. I will go back to same setup for all pc's (using Kaspersky free as av).