What's The Best Internet Security?

It checks everything.....but i suggest that you post your query here... http://www.outpostfirewall.com/forum/index.php for piece of mind or you could contact Agnitum direct. When i ran Messenger you get a pop up where you can trust the program or set custom rules for said program....did the same when i ran XFire.

 

Hi Charles.

I was surprised at how fast NOD runs and how many problems it picks up. Some of the sites I have to access try to download spyware which none of the other virus programs picked up. NOD detected them immediately before they were downloaded. Browser thieves and spyware is getting to be more of a problem than viruses are these days. NOD also controls all that very effectively. I never have to run Adware or any similar software.

Most people don't realize exactly what Norton is doing and has been doing since Norton started, back in the 80's I think. Norton wraps it self around the outside of Windows. Anything going into or out of Windows goes through Norton. Essentially, when you have Norton installed, you're running a Norton system, not a Windows system. Windows is just a software package you've installed just like a game. Norton is controlling everything, not Windows. Anything you do on your computer has to go through more software pathways to get to windows and execute, thus slowing your system down and using a lot of resources. Norton puts a lot of hooks in the registry directing everything to Norton rather than Windows routines. Then Norton checks the data out and passes it on to Windows for execution. When you uninstall Norton it leaves all those hooks in the registry. When you go in and remove all the hooks then Windows doesn't have it's normal controls that were originally installed and things go downhill from there. I would suggest that anyone that uninstalls Norton should reinstall the operating system. The amount of time I've spent over the years solving problems that were eventually tracked down to Norton is just incredible. But, if Norton is installed and running smoothly and the system is fast enough then leave it alone.

I also hear very good things about Kaspersky AV Pro and F-secure.

It's relatively simple to write a virus program that any anti-virus program will miss so no anti-virus program will catch everything forever. Programmers that know how to do this don't do this because prison isn't funny. Most of them come from bored school kids.

New subject Charles (if bluenose12 doesn't mind for a sentence or two). You might want to check out Ashampoo Magic Defrag. Runs in the background. I've been running it for about a month and it's very smooth and it doesn't run when you're using the computer. It hardly runs at all when it completes it's first pass. (Thanks bluenose12)

Giles

 

Hi Giles,

NAV is running well and has been - I disabled: LU, the most likely componnent to go bad - that half baked firewall called Worm Protection, and E-mail scanning.

When my sub runs out in the spring, I'm going to trial KAV and Bitdefender.

And thanks for the heads up on Ashampoo Magic Defrag Don't like Disk Keeper.

EDIT: Forgot to add:

NOD Forum http://www.wilderssecurity.com/index.php
KAV Forum http://forum.kaspersky.com/

Don't know right now whether BitDefender has one or not, that will play a part in any decision I make.

Regards - Charles

 

I have read and read about which security software I should use. It seems the more I read the more confused I get. First I have XP Pro sp2 and a (wired router) that use NAT and Stateful Packet Inspection. I read about that and still don't inderstand all of it. I have a spyware program, 1 paid and 3 free of those. Of course I have antivirus program. I was told I should also have a software firewall that protects incoming and outgoing. So I need a software firewall and do not mind paying for good protection. I don't really know the difference between Stateful Packet Inspection and rules based and application. I am not a techie so I do know rules based is way over my head. I see many suggestions here. A friend suggested eTrust EZ Firewall and ZoneAlarm. They look the same to me other than the color. Do they work the same way. Outpost is way over my head, but Lavasoft Personal Firrewall looks like Outpost's little brother. Is it a good one. And finially should I use the Stateful Packet Inspection or whatever the correct name of the others use (application???) I do not need a suite because as I saif I have paid spyware, AV, Spam. I guess I am asking, which type is best. Stateful Packet Inspection or one of the other types. Thanks for your advice.

Dan

 

This might be useful...
http://www.naturalip.com/index.php?page=overview

 

Hello Dan,

First, all firewalls that I know of have packet inspection.

From there, the differences are:

The option to block outbound as well as inbound: examples - XP's firewall does not and ZA free can by application.

The option to make rules: Along with Applications, blocking by specific IP addresses or range of IP addresses, or specific ports or range, or by protocol: examples - Sygate, ZA Pro. The issue then becomes how much of that rule making is done automatically. Symantec's NIS - NPF and McAfee if left alone, will make those rules by themselves.

Then add-ons that are not specific firewall functions: popup blocking, blocking java script, blocking activeX, things that are considered malware, such as spyware.

Regards - Charles

 

Thanks Charles, the info helps. I seem to leaning toward ZA Pro for now. eTrust EZ Firewall seems the same thing. I will need to decide. And thanks for bringing up the other items I need protection from. My antivirus and spyware programs covers most of those, at least they say they do. Again thanks for your advice.

Dan

 

Hi Dan,

If your leaning towards ZA Pro, it adds something called OS Firewall. This function is a start on Host Intrusion Prevention. What this means is asking the user for permission if an app wants to start another app/process that ZA Pro "thinks" is suspicious.

An example of that is ZA Pro's reaction to IE's encounter with the WMF flaw.

Regards - Charles

 

Thanks again Charles, that is some good info to know ZA Pro will do. I also understand I will have to make the correct selection, Allow or Deny. This one would be easy to chose but there are some, and this is all firewalls I guess, that I just do not have any idea what they are refering too. I saw my daughter's firewall with an alert. We had no idea, I suggested deny and try to do a Google search on the name or service. I am glad I can have a trail run of the program. What I am concerned with is uninstall if I do not want the program. And that is with all of them. Thanks

Dan

 

You might find this a useful item to add...

http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustsitehound.html