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Is Panda internet security as good as Mcafee and Norton etc

  • 15-02-2012 7:30pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭


    There is an offer at the moment for an interent security package. I have mcafee at the momet but vaguely remember getting an email a few weeks ago that it runs out soon. Thought I had paid for longer but perhaps not. Dont really want to spend another 50euro and am not savvy enough for the free ones. could someone please tell me if this is any good and easy to use. sorry if this is in the wrong forum.
    http://www.groupon.ie/deals/national-deals/panda-security/3303305?nlp=&CID=IE_CRM_1_0_0_45&a=1676.
    T


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 53,758 ✭✭✭✭Headshot


    Not sure why anyone pays for Internet security tbh. Terri it's very easy to get the free stuff going, easy as the paid ones


  • Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭Terri26


    I guess it's because I trust paying for soemthing more. when I had a free one I had to do scans etc myself rather than it automatically happening.


  • Registered Users Posts: 992 ✭✭✭danger_mouse_tm


    Who said mcaffee or Norton was good? 25 years of pulling computers apart tells me that the most expensive one are the ones where more money is spent on advertising and fancy packaging that doing anything really useful. Here's my take on it. I find that the two mentioned above are packed with so many features it just gets in your way when doing something online. Everytime you try to install a program or go to a website its poping up and giving you some osft of useless information. It's like having a back seat driver.

    Really the the quality of an anti virus is down to it's heuristics. i.e. the database it reads off to tell it if a certain program or a file is infected. The way these databases are updated depends on how many people have been caught out by a virus and who reports it. Then it can be written into the database.
    They say that there are advantages of having a paid solution. e.g. email scanning, built in firewall, identity protection. But here's the thing. If you are using a router, guess what. You have a firewall. and a really good one. Want to be more secure? Unless you are using it for serious gaming or media streaming turn off upnp (universal plug and play). Now you are secure from people taking control of your PC. Another great tip? Backup backup backup. Once you have had a virus, no matter what anyone tells you the best thing to do is wipe your system and start over. There's no telling what's been left behind or what doors have been left open after the local tech guy has done is malwarebytes scan and told you everything is fine and dandy.

    Save yourself fifty bucks and download Microsoft Security Essentials for free. I find it great. Not just because I haven't had a virus, but because I plug in hard drives pulled from customers machines into my own computer all the time to extract data from them and within seconds it will tell me that there's an infected file on it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 416 ✭✭gouche


    If anything the free ones are better - run faster and come with less bloat.

    Go here to get Microsoft Security Essentials. You might trust that brand a bit more. :D
    Plus it's very easy to set up and schedule automatic scans.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,191 ✭✭✭uncle_sam_ie


    MSE is what I use. Last week I hit a link on YouTube which turned out to be a trojan (Key- logger). MSE went nuts, warning me straight away what I had done and cleaning it out of my system. I would highly recommend MSE over the paid stuff.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭Nothingbetter2d


    download microsoft security essentials........ its free, light on resources and does just as good a job as any paid version


  • Registered Users Posts: 14 Mickmac91


    You could just use AVG (look them up, when your doing it, search for free edition as otherwise on the main site you'll have a hard time finding it, they'll only offer you a trial).

    Ive been using it for the past I don't know how many years (4-5 I'd guess) and it has yet to let me down.

    It's completely free, there's no trial period or subscription (as long as you select the right download (avg.com or that cnet site are good places to download it from) and it'll last for as long as you want, until you decide to upgrade it to a new version (published yearly) or change the anti virus completely.

    It also updates itself so ya, good good!


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 4,281 Mod ✭✭✭✭deconduo


    MSE + common sense is all you need.


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,133 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Headshot wrote: »
    Not sure why anyone pays for Internet security tbh. Terri it's very easy to get the free stuff going, easy as the paid ones
    The free stuff drives me crazy and doesn't offer the same level of protection: additional firewalls, browser plugins, etc.

    Oh and I haven't "paid" for paid security in years: the right time of year you can buy it for free. Norton Internet Security? I paid $40, free shipping, and got a $40 rebate. Free. Then Webroot gave me their Complete through a work promotion.

    On the bloat, the paid versions are responding with Cloud Based (ie. Off Computer) based detection. For instance, here's webroot:

    192972.PNG

    I'd like to hear what kind of footprint the free AVs have right now, out of academic interest.


  • Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭Terri26


    Thanks for all the advice! Really appreciate it! x


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    Overheal wrote: »
    The free stuff drives me crazy and doesn't offer the same level of protection: additional firewalls, browser plugins, etc.

    Oh and I haven't "paid" for paid security in years: the right time of year you can buy it for free. Norton Internet Security? I paid $40, free shipping, and got a $40 rebate. Free. Then Webroot gave me their Complete through a work promotion.

    On the bloat, the paid versions are responding with Cloud Based (ie. Off Computer) based detection. For instance, here's webroot:

    192972.PNG

    I'd like to hear what kind of footprint the free AVs have right now, out of academic interest.
    I've never used a paid for AV. I've also never had a virus. When it comes to choosing between a paid for and free AV, I trust my own common sense over either and go with the cheaper option.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,988 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    I don't understand why people bother with "Internet Security" packs in this day and age. windows vista/7 ships with parental controls, a sufficient firewall and you can now download Microsoft Security Essentials free from Microsoft.
    Most people don't even use client side email programs nowadays, many sticking to cloud services like gmail which automatically remove suspicious attachments.
    MSE doesn't rate as high as some others in tests, where its failing is heuristics. Other av's do seem to have better heuristic analysis, but that also leads to more false possitives (Its not pleasant having to fix machines that had Norton, Mc Affee etc. that decided to delete/corrupt a critical system file due to a false possitive, rare but it happens).
    You can get along grand with the free stuff and common sense, but if you feel better paying for a "all in one" package then by all means go for it. But the reality is many anti viruses including the top ones wont detect 0 day malware until its too late and already installed!

    Nick


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭Nothingbetter2d


    yoyo wrote: »
    I don't understand why people bother with "Internet Security" packs in this day and age. windows vista/7 ships with parental controls, a sufficient firewall and you can now download Microsoft Security Essentials free from Microsoft.
    Most people don't even use client side email programs nowadays, many sticking to cloud services like gmail which automatically remove suspicious attachments.
    MSE doesn't rate as high as some others in tests, where its failing is heuristics. Other av's do seem to have better heuristic analysis, but that also leads to more false possitives (Its not pleasant having to fix machines that had Norton, Mc Affee etc. that decided to delete/corrupt a critical system file due to a false possitive, rare but it happens).
    You can get along grand with the free stuff and common sense, but if you feel better paying for a "all in one" package then by all means go for it. But the reality is many anti viruses including the top ones wont detect 0 day malware until its too late and already installed!

    Nick

    i prefer avast myself... but avg is good too


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Stay clear of McAfee and Norton... if you insist on paying for one then I would suggest you go with Eset's NOD32


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,905 ✭✭✭steveon


    First of all STAY well aware from NORTON I detest this program sooooooooo much, it slows almost every computer down I have ever seen it on, and there are so many versions of it knocking about...

    Panda is not bad but as said there are some great ones such as avg and avast that will do the job just as well and if u want to then u can update them cheaply to a full version.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,184 ✭✭✭riclad


    I Prefer avast antivirus, dont like norton takes up too much ram.I dont know why any individual would pay for an antivirus ,apart from business ,s who need specific email protection and cant use gmail ,webmail for security reasons .And professionals get tax allowances for buying pcs and software and they probably get discounts for buying x no of a certain product.
    I have not used mse but i havent heard anything bad about it .Since i started using avast 2008 i,ve never found a virus on my pc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,948 ✭✭✭Firblog


    agree with everyone on here that says stay away from Mcaffee and Norton; If you've an Acer PC/Laptop stay away from AVG paid or unpaid (don't know why but have had waaay more bother with it on Acers than any other make)
    Have ESET Smart Security on 5 Internet PC's for 5 years now.. have never had virus on any of them:


    Personally recommend Eset or Kaspersky


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,988 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Firblog wrote: »
    agree with everyone on here that says stay away from Mcaffee and Norton; If you've an Acer PC/Laptop stay away from AVG paid or unpaid (don't know why but have had waaay more bother with it on Acers than any other make)
    Have ESET Smart Security on 5 Internet PC's for 5 years now.. have never had virus on any of them:


    Personally recommend Eset or Kaspersky

    The new AVG is rubbish and bloated, doesn't matter what brand of machine you have. Eset or Kaspersky would be the better paid solutions, I've found Kaspersky to be bloated though

    Nick


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,808 ✭✭✭✭chin_grin


    yoyo wrote: »
    The new AVG is rubbish and bloated, doesn't matter what brand of machine you have. Eset or Kaspersky would be the better paid solutions, I've found Kaspersky to be bloated though

    Nick

    Also it's firewall is f*ck stupid. Starts blocking shared devices (printers) and drives and this sometimes reverts even though you've set it to "small office or home network". Useless.

    I remember I had a nasty worm on a mates laptop. The installed avg was doing feck all (even running a scan in safe mode). So I took the drive out and scanned it using mse and it picked up and removed all dodgy files. I've been using it since its release and have never had any problems. But as mentioned it's mainly common sense (plus maybe an ad blocker for the browser you're running).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,241 ✭✭✭Vic Vinegar


    MSE is what I use. Last week I hit a link on YouTube which turned out to be a trojan (Key- logger). MSE went nuts, warning me straight away what I had done and cleaning it out of my system. I would highly recommend MSE over the paid stuff.
    download microsoft security essentials........ its free, light on resources and does just as good a job as any paid version

    This!

    MSE does the job very well indeed. No need to so spend money on anti-virus at all.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    This link might be useful for anyone looking for alternatives to their current AV software.

    http://www.microsoft.com/windows/antivirus-partners/windows-7.aspx


  • Registered Users Posts: 339 ✭✭Rock Steady Edy


    This!

    MSE does the job very well indeed. No need to so spend money on anti-virus at all.

    On this recommendation I decided to try MSE rather than renew the Norton antivirus. Was very easy to install and nice not to have to part with €50 or so.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Good stuff another soul saved from the horrid Norton!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,124 ✭✭✭jonon9


    I say one of the best out there is Kaspersky Internet Security.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    jonon9 wrote: »
    I say one of the best out there is Kaspersky Internet Security.

    But that doesn't answer the question, whether Panda Internet security is as good as McAfee and Norton or not, now, does it? ;)

    Mention a bowser or virus scanner in the thread title and the fun is about to begin. :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 100 ✭✭alandublin33


    I never found Norton that good , I found it very in your face and tormenting you to buy the latest version when the subscription was comming to an end , felt it acted more like a virus than an anti-virus/security , ive tried a lot of different security software and found AVG to be one of the best , but no antivirus is going to stop all viruses 100% of the time , so I use "superantispyware free edition" for an after the fact removal tool. plus AVG and superantispyware work well together and dont clash. I would also stay away from Panda , I had trouble with it many moons ago , cant remember why , all I remember is it was hassle.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Actually, Norton, Peter Norton was pretty good in his day, he published some decent stuff, most notably the Norton Commander and the Norton Utilities (Disc Doctor). Then he sold out to Symantec and the company is now using the name for their consumer products, in general cr*pware which I wouldn't touch with a 12 ft barge pole. ;)

    Their corporate grade software on the other hand is still first class (can't fool the guys with the big wallet), e.g. Symantec Endpoint Protection and of course Symantec Ghost (not to be confused with Norton Ghost, a very different software, derived from the old PowerQuest).


  • Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭Terri26


    hey, I just wanted to say thanks for the advice! You were all very helpful. have just installed MSE! Thanks for the links and help!


  • Registered Users Posts: 53,758 ✭✭✭✭Headshot


    Terri26 wrote: »
    hey, I just wanted to say thanks for the advice! You were all very helpful. have just installed MSE! Thanks for the links and help!

    Great news. Fair play on the right decision :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭TPM


    Headshot wrote: »
    Great news. Fair play on the right decision :)

    Have to agree, I have used Mcafee, Norton, pc tools(paid and unpaid) AVG(free), Advast(free) and MSE. in the past.
    At the moment I have MSE on all but one machine which is running Advast.
    MSE seems to do a very good job while not being hard on the computer(very good for net books)


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