Do you run AV software or not?

[gmcrepair]

Not having AV Virus software is just stupid.

 

[root]

to decide if your firewall is working or not try doing a google search for the shields up test.

a hardware firewall, in my opinion, will be every bit as good as a software firewall. indeed perhaps ever better.

if anyone disagrees then I'd like to hear the reasons why?

gmcrepair...

I browse the internet, but only really a selection of sites, I don't run activex components, indeed I can't as I use firefox. I don't download software, or open random exe files.

in the past decade I'd say that I've spent 50% of the time with AV software and 50% of the time without AV software on my machines, in all that time my common sense has meant that I've never had a virus on my PC that I can recall. unless I've done something stupid, like downloaded a whole heap of random files from lime wire or something like that. (yes lime wire, that's how long ago it was that I last had to deal with any kind of virus on one of my machines).

Other than some strange marketing stuff that the big AV firms have been feeding you, why do you think that not having AV software is stupid?

 

[gmcrepair]

Because, you could end up going on some site and be infected, you could download a document from an email, that's infected.

 

[01001010]

Not entirely, hardware firewalls don't do a lot to secure you, you are much better off installing a software firewall, or having the 2 combined.

I really don't see how hardware firewalls are subpar to software solutions. A blocked port is a blocked port.

 

[Remeniz]

Not having AV Virus software is just stupid.

Although I use AV software on the internet install, on my main rig, the studio install has no AV software and no soft firewall although it is hard wired to the router. I enable my ethernet connection to grab a nice plugin or similar, disable and install. Sometimes I might even have a look here while i'm on. But I trust the site i'm navigating too and i've always believed that my router's firewalls will block intruders. No troubles here.

to decide if your firewall is working or not try doing a google search for the shields up test.

a hardware firewall, in my opinion, will be every bit as good as a software firewall. indeed perhaps ever better.

if anyone disagrees then I'd like to hear the reasons why?

gmcrepair...

I browse the internet, but only really a selection of sites, I don't run activex components, indeed I can't as I use firefox. I don't download software, or open random exe files.

in the past decade I'd say that I've spent 50% of the time with AV software and 50% of the time without AV software on my machines, in all that time my common sense has meant that I've never had a virus on my PC that I can recall. unless I've done something stupid, like downloaded a whole heap of random files from lime wire or something like that. (yes lime wire, that's how long ago it was that I last had to deal with any kind of virus on one of my machines).

Other than some strange marketing stuff that the big AV firms have been feeding you, why do you think that not having AV software is stupid?

Good tip and response ending with a great Q. This could be ironic and a little controversial but maybe it's the 'stupid' or 'less educated' that need protecting from viruses as they browse without a care.

Because, you could end up going on some site and be infected, you could download a document from an email, that's infected.

You could go to a porn site and pick up something nasty, sure. You could DL a dodgy quick fix and worm up your rig. However if I come here to converse then I ain't gonna catch anything... well not unless you click on a spammer's link but hey, we all know thats just a big fat no no.

I really don't see how hardware firewalls are subpar to software solutions. A blocked port is a blocked port.

This is what I thought.

Ok I got a really dinosaur laptop. It's fine for browsing but that's it and even though I use a light AV it will hold-up the laptop while it updates. This laptop is connected to my router wirelessly. I do any downloading/opening email attachments on my main rig upstairs.

Basically i'm thinking of removing the AV software on the laptop to free up resources.

 

[Warren1]

I personally like AVG Free I've never had a real problem with it, and if you add Malwarebytes, and Spybot you will be pretty secure. (depends on what you do on your computer) I personally hate CA because I had it on my old computer and hundreds of viruses slipped through without CA detecting or blocking them. I didn't download freeware or visit shady websites I just did light web browsing and viewed emails. (all my emails were scanned by CA but I still found some with a few viruses in them)

I still love the old deltree viruses that wiped your hard drive. They lured people in with names that sounded useful or nice emails like the AOL4FREE trojan that executed deltree. It sort of taught a hard lesson but I guessed it made people learn the dangers of freeware.

Well at least for a while.

 

[root]

Good tip and response ending with a great Q. This could be ironic and a little controversial but maybe it's the 'stupid' or 'less educated' that need protecting from viruses as they browse without a care..

controversial or not, it is true that some do need AV software.

My dad for example, is terrible.

He'll click just about anything.

thing is though. last time he had a virus, he got it despite running AV on his machine.
(still me who had to fix it though).