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Security - What do I need?

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  • 17-03-2007 11:22am
    #1
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,068 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi Boards,

    My Nortons AV is about to expire and I'm thinking of switching to AVG. I use wireless BB froma secure connectioin (home) daily and insecure connections (hotels, etc.) infrequently. My OS is Win XP.

    What secuirty do I need to protect myself?
    Anti Virus?
    Spyware?
    Firewall? - does XP not provide a firewall?


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    #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Anti-Virus->AVG, avast or Anti-Vir, pick one. They all have free versions.
    Anti-Spyware->Spybot Search and Destroy, AVG Anti-Spyware and Ad-Aware/
    Firewall->XP with Service Pack 2 has a firewall. Alot of people use Zone Alarm, which has a free edition.


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    #3
    mick.fr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭mick.fr


    Try to use Firefox as well instead of Internet Explorer, that will avoid you to get lots of unwanted stuffs at the first place.


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    #4
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,068 ✭✭✭✭phog


    Ruu wrote:
    Anti-Virus->AVG, avast or Anti-Vir, pick one. They all have free versions. I have just downloaded AVG.
    Anti-Spyware->Spybot Search and Destroy, AVG Anti-Spyware and Ad-Aware/ Which would you recommend? I was looking at AVG but they say you don't get an automatic online update, is this an issue?
    Firewall->XP with Service Pack 2 has a firewall. Alot of people use Zone Alarm, which has a free edition.
    I think I have a firewall with my XP OS.

    Ruu, thanks for your reply - please see my response and further queries above in blue.


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    #5
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    I have all three of the anti spyware programs, so what one doesn't catch, the others are bound to.:) It is not like they are running in memory either so they won't hog any system resources. Keep them updated is all.

    AVG Anti-Spyware automatic update runs out after the trial so you just have to update it manually when you remember.


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    #6
    ActorSeeksJob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,970 ✭✭✭ActorSeeksJob


    For a good free anti-virus program its down to AVG or Avira

    For anti-spyware program AVG anti-spyware imo is the best, but ad-aware and spybot are both quite good, albeit a bit dated.

    However an excellent program everybody should use is SpywareBlaster, will stop you getting malware/spyware on your pc in the first place :
    http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html


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    #7
    admiralofthefleet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭admiralofthefleet


    would it be safe to run avg anti-spyware along with the other 3 (adaware, spaybot s & d, spywareblaster)


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    #8
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    You can have them all installed because they don't have any programs (except Teatimer that is the Spybot Search and Destroy resident yokey but its okay) that stay in the memory so there won't be any conflict between them. You can run each scan separately though.


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    #9
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    You can have them all installed because they don't have any programs (except Teatimer but its okay) that stay in the memory so there won't be any conflict between them.
    Adaware has Ad-Watch, which I find great for detecting changes in the registry and malicious cookies. This has to be switched on manually though.


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