What's the best antivirus out there?

[Parker 1st MRB]

Just got a new computer and I'm deciding what antivirus to go with. After doing some research, I'm currently using Panda Antivirus but I figured maybe some of you might have some insight into some better antivirus software.

Free or paid, doesn't matter. The best is all I desire

Thanks!

[Yamagata 1st MRB]

How prone are you to viruses?

How involved do you want to be in your protection?

[Parker 1st MRB]

How prone are you to viruses?

How involved do you want to be in your protection?

Not very prone. Average I guess? I didn't have a virus on my last computer.

Doesn't matter how involved I am, I just want zie best!

[Candy 1st MRB]

For a paid antivirus I have always like Norton. Its got solid protection and is great on updates. For a non-paid I have heard good things about AVG, do not personally use it but it also is good on the updates. It is paramount that the antivirus you get updates regularly to keep up with new threats. My two cents.

[Yamagata 1st MRB]

For a paid antivirus I have always like Norton. Its got solid protection and is great on updates. For a non-paid I have heard good things about AVG, do not personally use it but it also is good on the updates. It is paramount that the antivirus you get updates regularly to keep up with new threats. My two cents.

Oh god no! Those are the two worst options for each category. Norton is a resource hog, I guess if you have a powerful enough computer and you don't mind sacrificing that speed, sure. AVG is an outright virus, it blocks even the simplest non-malicious programs and the only way to remove it is a hacked uninstaller.... but yes, it's free.

Paid, I would go with Malwarebytes, free, I would stick to Windows Defender.

[J. Hill]

I use Norton. It not only detects known viruses, it detects the type of activity and will warn you as it stops it. Its easy for me to set up and monitor everything. They also give you warnings when new viruses are released. It is the best out there.

[Hansen 1st MRB]

I use a combination of ESet and malwarebytes. Haven't had a virus for years

[Gardner2]

I have run Kapersky's Anti Virus for 3 years now, yet to lose any downtime due to viruses with it. And considering I on average get between 150 to 300 emails daily from multiple clients around the world and employees with documents, photos and .zip files that is a pretty good test run. Especially when you factor in that approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the year I am logging in via hotel wifi connections which are usually very spotty for firewall protection. Kapersky's also protects my android phone. Their free version did such a good job and cleaned up what my previous paid Panda did not, that I signed up for a 3 year contract with them (huge savings yearly this route as well).

I use to run Panda and AVG paid subscriptions both I lost time due to viruses (Best Buy had a bad month where 1 in 3 emails had a virus attached when they sent out construction documents).

I agree Nortons and McAfee are horrible anti virus programs and resource hogs. And I found that they tended to use more viruses to run than they actually blocked..........

Resource wise Kapersky's is not a hog either I find. I am currently rocking a 3 year old laptop, average 50 ping on my mid line average Canadian "High Speed" internet provider and rarely if ever experience lag with it running full bore in the background.

Edited October 22, 2015 by Gardner 1st MRB

[Woz 1st MRB]

I use AdBlocker and Ghostery in Chrome to mitigate risk while browsing.

Windows Defender is running, but it has never red flagged anything.

I run MalwareBytes occasionally to just check up on my systems health for anything that might have silently snuck in (keylogger, etc.)

If you don't click on anything you shouldn't be clicking on, and never run or open things that you do not trust entirely, then you will be safe from most everything. I haven't had a virus in over a decade primarily from being smart about my computer habits.

[Parker 1st MRB]

Looks like it's gonna be a combo of Windows Defender and Malwarebytes for me. Thanks everyone.

[S. Larson 1st MRB]

For me, I use a combination of MalwareBytes and Hitman Pro (Paid Version). I like Hitman Pro cause I think it works great.

Example:

I had a Trojan that my MalwareBytes wasnt' detecting. So I ran Hitman Pro, and it was able to detect it, because the Trojan was apparently disguising itself as a part of Spotify.