Advice Request What should a noob user do/configure/install to keep their pc some what safe?

[struppigel]

Good infection prevention practices include:

* Keep your programs always up-to-date, including the operating system, browsers, email programs, everything that you use to interact with the web, and also your Antivirus suite.
* Use exactly one Antivirus suite. Several will get in the way of each other, fight for resources, and potentially detect each other as malicious due to the way AV has to monitor the system
* Use browser plugins that prevent ads and execution of scripts, e.g., NoScript.
* Be careful with email attachments and links. Those can potentially contain malware or lead to phishing sites.
* Enable to view file extensions in file explorer, so that you can recognize double extensions. These are used by malware to trick you into executing their files, e.g. my_great_movie.mp4.exe
* Avoid using P2P software. This software is sharing files with lots of other computers. Infected files, especially worms, thrive in this environment.
* Backup your important data regularly. Use a storage that is not permanently connected to your system (--> best ransomware prevention as they cannot ask a ransom for something you didn't loose in the first place, and you can just repave the whole system in case of infection)

 

[Andy Ful]

Here is a test of Andy Ful's Configure Defender

Yes, this demonstration video is consistent with my knowledge of how works the Defender ASR rule "Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criteria". Unfortunately, this demonstration alone cannot be considered a reliable test (for many reasons).

From several tests made by AV Labs (Business/Enterprise testing) and also in Malware Hub, it follows that MAX settings available for Windows Home and Pro are especially effective for *.exe files and effective against the fileless part of attacks. The Defender protection with MAX settings can be compared to the business AV versions with enabled Advanced Threat Protection features.
Of course, such settings can significantly increase the false positives rate, especially for fresh application versions and software updates.