Kaspersky Software

[FlamesAddiction]

I was at Best Buy on the weekend and saw that the Kaspersky 2012 Anti-virus software was on sale for $29.95 (regular $59.95). I just got a new computer a little while ago and my Norton subscription expires in less than 2 months, so I bought the Kaspersky Anti-virus and am waiting to install it.

I guess my question is, was that a good deal and is it a good product? It's probably not too late to return it. I thought at the time it was worth rolling the dice on.

[JohnnyNipshank]

I've been using Kaspersky for a couple years and have never had a problem with it. It seems to work pretty well without having annoying security pop ups or things like that. Plus with 3 licenses its pretty wicked if you have a 2nd computer/laptop or family members that need it as well.

[Kipperriffic]

My experience w/ Kaspersky is not that good. Whenever it automatically updated, it really slowed down my computer. I have Microsoft Security Essentials installed now (free from Microsoft website) and not only it doesn't slow the computer down, its level of protection is better than kaspersky.
With that said, Kaspersky is definitely better than McAfee and Norton as far as system load is concerned

[Rathji]

I run MSSE + MalwareBytes Pro.

Seems like a better bang for your buck since it is a perpetual license for MBAM.

[MarchHare]

With Microsoft Security Essentials freely available to anyone with a valid Windows license, I see no reason to ever pay for home-use A/V software. The only reason MSE doesn't come standard with Windows is because the other A/V vendors would sue Microsoft for antitrust violations. Also, OEM companies like Dell, HP, Acer, etc. receive kickbacks to bloat up your PC with pre-installed crapware like Norton.

Download link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/w...ity-essentials

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

With Microsoft Security Essentials freely available to anyone with a valid Windows license, I see no reason to ever pay for home-use A/V software. The only reason MSE doesn't come standard with Windows is because the other A/V vendors would sue Microsoft for antitrust violations. Also, OEM companies like Dell, HP, Acer, etc. receive kickbacks to bloat up your PC with pre-installed crapware like Norton.

Download link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/w...ity-essentials

yep, MSE does a better job than any other AV i've used, has the smallest and least obtrusive footprint, and is completely free. i don't see why Microsoft doesn't just bundle it with Windows now, they still include IE after all the anti-trust BS. and i really don't think the other AV companies would have a leg to stand on since all MS would be doing is protecting their own product from being compromised

[MarchHare]

i don't see why Microsoft doesn't just bundle it with Windows now, they still include IE after all the anti-trust BS.

Not in the EU.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea...mpetition_case

In January 2009, the European Commission announced it would investigate the bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows operating systems from Microsoft, saying "Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice." In response, Microsoft announced that it would not bundle Internet Explorer with Windows 7 E, the version of Windows 7 to be sold in Europe.

[jtfrogger]

I have Kaspersky and I am not a big fan. I get warnings that are quite annoying for very innocent items. It is at the point where I just ignore any messages they have because of the number of false positives. I think I will switch to MS security essentials, since I have generally heard decent things about it.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

yep, MSE does a better job than any other AV i've used, has the smallest and least obtrusive footprint, and is completely free. i don't see why Microsoft doesn't just bundle it with Windows now, they still include IE after all the anti-trust BS. and i really don't think the other AV companies would have a leg to stand on since all MS would be doing is protecting their own product from being compromised

I know when I did some tests a while back, the passive footprint was small but the scanning resources used were larger than a few of the other options I tested (Avast comes to mind). I still determined MSSE to be a better product since it didn't harass the hell out of you, play annoying sounds and require you to 're-register' every year to keep using it.

[MarchHare]

I still determined MSSE to be a better product since it didn't harass the hell out of you, play annoying sounds and require you to 're-register' every year to keep using it.

This is the best part about MSE by far. Install it once, let it quietly run in the background, never worry about it again.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not in the EU.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea...mpetition_case

ya i remember that, but Europe was the only special case in that instance. stupid decision too, with no internet browser on the machine how are you supposed to go and download the one that you do want? it's not like you couldn't uninstall IE if you really wanted to, and if you don't then it's always a good thing to have a backup browser if your main one ever craps the bed

they should bundle MSE in with Windows 8 and just make it an option at the time of install. they should be able to avoid the lawsuits if they did it that way

[zamler]

I agree with others that Kaspersky slows down the system significantly. Oddly enough I've seen it work really well, other times it was dog slow.

A word on MSE, it is a decent product but does allow infections through, I've worked with a few machines where MSE was identifying the virus but was unable to properly remove it. For that reason I avoid it at this point. COMODO Internet Security Premium is my favorite among the free AV apps out there, in fact I see no reason to pay for virus protection for home users.

[Hanni]

So now that this seems to be a general AV discussion thread... Am I an idiot for still using AVG? I have pretty safe browsing practices and can typically avoid any nefarious sites, unlike many people. I've only ever had 1 issue and run frequent scans so it's never been a huge concern for me but if MSSE is better might as well make the switch.

[Rathji]

I would use MSSE over AVG in a heartbeat.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Hanni

So now that this seems to be a general AV discussion thread... Am I an idiot for still using AVG? I have pretty safe browsing practices and can typically avoid any nefarious sites, unlike many people. I've only ever had 1 issue and run frequent scans so it's never been a huge concern for me but if MSSE is better might as well make the switch.

I don't know if MSE is the best AV product in terms of security capabilities or system performance, but it wins for me because it's 100% free (assuming you have a valid Windows license) and never nags you to purchase an annual subscription or anything.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Hanni

So now that this seems to be a general AV discussion thread... Am I an idiot for still using AVG? I have pretty safe browsing practices and can typically avoid any nefarious sites, unlike many people. I've only ever had 1 issue and run frequent scans so it's never been a huge concern for me but if MSSE is better might as well make the switch.

i don't actually run anything on my personal machine, i just use MSE for friends and family. if you're internet habits are safe enough then generally i found a firewall is all you need. i haven't had an infection in many years

[Rathji]

Here are some numbers from some small scale testing Oilkiller ran a couple years ago. 2 years is a long time in the computer world and even longer when you are talking about malicious software, so who knows how relevant these numbers are:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...9&postcount=29

and a post that gives a chart showing some rankings.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...8&postcount=80

It shows a little bit less favourable results for MSSE than I remember.

Like Hemi said, you really don't need to run anything unless you are partaking in risky activity. With that in mind, I choose the product that is the least hassle for me to deal with.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Like Hemi said, you really don't need to run anything unless you are partaking in risky activity.

100% absolutely incorrect. Honestly, I'm surprised you would even say this.

There are numerous, numerous exploits in software that can be triggered via drive-by attacks that require zero risky activity on the behalf of users. An infected banner ad on a trusted site served up from a compromised third party ad server that exploits a browser or browser add-in like java, flash, pdf, etc, and you are done.

Ask the 650,000 smug Mac users who got infected with Flashback for doing nothing other than surfing, then multiply that by the PC marketshare to get a feel for how pervasive the issue is, and how dangerous a statement like you just made is.

We can debate the efficacy of existing antivirus solutions, but to say they aren't needed in a low-risk environment is false. Even a marginally effective AV tool will help provide some additional means of detecting infections and dropped files that would otherwise go undetected.

[3 Justin 3]

I've been using no AV for a year now and have had no problems. When I had Kaspersky it slowed down my computer to the point where I just took it off. The first few months were great, then it turned my computer into an ancient relic.

I am downloading MSSE now, thanks for the tips everyone.

[BloodFetish]

^^ couldn't agree more (with sclitheroe, that is). You don't need to go to pron or warez sites to get infected. By Heck, there's even an exploit in Google Images that can nail you if you click on the wrong image (unless they fixed it...haven't heard about that).

I also like MSE as a basic layer of security that stays out of the way. I've had viruses get through MSE too, but I doubt there's such a thing as 100% virus protection. I use MalwareBytes as a 2nd opinion.