How much security software is too much?

Dave Van Ronk

At present we have running on our windows PC,

McAfee
Spybot
IOBIT Security360
IOBIT Advanced Systemcare
Malwarebytes
HiJack This
Hitman Pro

Would this list be considered overkill?

pieface_ie

It would most certainly effect the performance of your computer running everything at once.

If i was you i would just run Antivirus all the time and then once a week or so give a scan with the other software.

Kinetic^

Anti-virus and perhaps an additional spyware product like malwarebytes or superantispyware. Spybot is poor compare to those last two I mentioned.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to be cautious when using your email or browsing online.

Dave Van Ronk

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Anti-virus and perhaps an additional spyware product like malwarebytes or superantispyware. Spybot is poor compare to those last two I mentioned.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to be cautious when using your email or browsing online.

Yes, I'm cautious but it's a family PC and the dear old folk's are a little less.

I might remove spybot altogether as it's a fairly clumsy interface.

tricky D

I had to remove SuperAntiSpyware from the startup list as it was conflicting so badly with my AV. The crawl was lasting over 5 minutes. Replaced it with AdAware. I still use SAS along with MalwareBytes for the weekly scan but not while using the machine.

Dave Van Ronk

pieface_ie wrote: »

It would most certainly effect the performance of your computer running everything at once.

If i was you i would just run Antivirus all the time and then once a week or so give a scan with the other software.

Isn't it a good idea though to have anti malware/spyware software running?

Isn't this the stuff that the A/V misses out on?

Dave Van Ronk

Do people rate the IOBit software?

digme

Dave Van Ronk wrote: »

At present we have running on our windows PC,

McAfee
Spybot
IOBIT Security360
IOBIT Advanced Systemcare
Malwarebytes
HiJack This
Hitman Pro

Would this list be considered overkill?

noscript, security essentials and malwarebytes should be enough for you.

kippy

If you are dealing with people who haven't a clue about computers:
1. Install Microsoft Security Essentials.
2. Install Malware Bytes (Show they how to do a weekly scan)
3. Install Firefox - set default browser to firefox.
4. Ensure windows update is on and set to autoupdate.
5. Change your DNS Servers to OpenDNS http://www.opendns.com/
6. Install, Flash player, VLC media player, whatever software they need including printers.
7. Set up a restricted user account (one that cannot install software) http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/360/how-to-set-up-a-limited-user-account-in-windows/

Advise the person to use this account and set a password on the administrator account.

Thats about all that is required.

Your antivirus is pointless really once the user hasn't a clue what they are doing.

You've way too much "security" software installed on that PC.

h57xiucj2z946q

I would advise to only have one "real time" antivirus installed. Some anti-spyware only packages are real-time also. Malware bytes free version is not.

Razzuh

Dave Van Ronk wrote: »

Isn't it a good idea though to have anti malware/spyware software running?

Isn't this the stuff that the A/V misses out on?

No, well at least it shouldn't. There's a common myth (often used by vendors of fake security software) that anti-viruses only scan for viruses and not malware or spyware. There used to be some truth to this a few years back when anti-viruses ignored a lot of the less malicious malware, but not so much any more.

Viruses and spyware are both forms of malware. I think the only real distinction to be made is in how they spread. It really makes no difference though, an anti-virus should detect all forms of malware nowadays. The action that it will take automatically or recommend though will vary on the severity of the threat.

diarmuidr

Agree with pretty much every other post here, you've way too many programs running there, they're likely slowing down your machine a LOT and conflicting with one another to the point that they might end up making your system less secure (heard this happen before)

Im running Microsoft Security Essentials and Ad-Aware

Id suggest running Microsoft Security Essentials and one other Anti Malware / Spyware program, eg: SuperAntiSpyware / Ad-Aware / Malwarebytes

TiGeR KiNgS

MSE, free antivirus
Sandboxie, for browsing
Comodo, Firewall
Malwarebytes, on-demand spyware scanner
''Virus Total upload'' for quick check of suspicious small files (<20mb)

Thats all thats needed

diarmuidr

TiGeR KiNgS wrote: »

MSE, free antivirus
Sandboxie, for browsing
Comodo, Firewall
Malwarebytes, on-demand spyware scanner
''Virus Total upload'' for quick check of suspicious small files (<20mb)

Thats all thats needed

is comodo better than windows firewall?