Community Newsletter: Q&A: Free vs. paid security software
- 6/8/07 9:43 AM
Free vs. paid security software
by LunaVixen - 6/2/07 5:15 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When I got my first PC I bought a full AV, Firewall, AS package. My HD went just before it was due to run out and I was speaking to the place I got my PC from over sending me a new HD when I asked him his opinion, he said professionally a subscription one is best but his personal opinion was free ones are just as good and he used the free ones at home.
I have used a free AV ever since and found it better than my old all in one Internet security suite (please note this is my personal opinion) along with a free firewall, two free antispyware scanners, free system scanner plus I use two different online scanners twice a week and free security browser plug-ins on my Firefox and IE7.
Nothing will replace user vigilance though.
Some of these programs are free because there are many software developers who believe they should be free for those who have low incomes and many various reasons. Some do have conditions attached, many don't except that you are using it for personal/home use not business.
One a final note, I had downloaded a certain toolbar and one of my sons told me to get it off as it was spyware - I was using Norton at the time which removed some of it anyway. Ad-Aware removed some more traces of it when I had installed my free programs. Yet it was only a couple of weeks ago I was scanning my services with HiJackThis and found a registry entry for that toolbar still there! Deleted it safely thankfully! It had been there through paid through to free!
You could try free then upgrade/buy security if you don't like it. I was of the same dilemma and thought as you a year ago, so I can understand your apprehension. CNET have a lot of info on this in the download.com section. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Somebody knowledgable comment on CA security suite.
by john3347 - 6/2/07 6:02 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I don't see any reference in any of these posts to CA Internet Security Suite 2007. This is a free (or nearly free) after rebate suite that is reportedly used by many large companies. Maybe someone will offer some personal experiences or professional opinions on this suite.
TANSTAAFL
by R41 - 6/2/07 6:42 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Do you think this "free" software is being developed by philanthropic code monkeys who do not have to eat? Most likely somebody is paying for it. So, the conspiratorial right half of my brain asks "Who and why?"
On the other hand, there are no-load mutual funds with zero sales charge. They make their money by having higher management fees. There are discount stock brokers who make their money by automating everything. What good is a regular stock broker who is always trying to get you to buy what his firm is liquidating? I wouldn't ask for his advice, and I wouldn't follow it if given. Both mutual fund and the broker provide an excellent product with the appearance of reduced cost. There are kitchen remodelers who work much cheaper than the going rate. The hidden cost there is that they do not have business or contractor licenses, they do not speak english (ours was from Arkansas), and there will be quality problems several years downstream. I'm glad we didn't get a brake job from them!
If you want the truth, follow the money!
Free vs. Paid
by cotton_candy - 6/2/07 7:20 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
They both run about the same although I have paid . Avg is pretty simple . But the fact it doesn't have a fire wall keeps me away from it . And although they do have zone alarm out there its still not the greatest protection aginst hackers . If you chat in places like yahoo they will walk right threw zone alarm . I seen it happen . The ones that they have a problem with are the paid ones and Im not talking norton or mcafee. I guess I would worry about the fire wall more than a virus protection . There are plunty of online scans to help you with the virus part of your computer . housecall.com bitdefender.com are a couple I know . With spybot you have to know what you are looking at and what you are deleting other wise it ends up deleting things you need . Yet a top notch program if you know what you are doing . So depending on your skill level on the internet and these programs would be depending on free or paid . I make my mom go for paid. Also It depeneds if you want them in one neat pack or all seprate. Have a great day !!!!!!!
Free vs, paid security software
by capis - 6/2/07 7:23 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been using a computer home computer since 1984, my first was a 25 mb Epson. After years of trials , headaches, frustration, and anger with some of these purchased AV software packages, i.e., Norton, McAfee, Computer Associates, I gave up. I still received an occasional virus that damaged the computer's ability to function properly. I took matters in to my own hands by doing a ton of research. I rely on CNET Download.com for information and a few other sites where people provide their opinion, professionally & non.
Best AV to date: free AVG7.5, great program, captures anything that has been a threat so far. It updates automatically daily prior to scanning, which I have scheduled for daily scanning during my sleeping hours. All I have to do is to check the scan log from time-to-time to be sure it is working. (NEVER HAVE MORE THAN ONE AV INSTALLED ON THE COMPUTER--IT CREATES CONFLICTS THAT ARE NOT RESOLVABLE!!!)
Spyware: I have Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot, which are free. I did buy Spyware Doctor which has performed phenomenally. You will need more than one Spyware since all of them do not capture the same things. What I liked about the Spyware Doctor, it reads my e-mail incoming & outgoing for any potential problems, just as the AVG AV does; yet it never slows down the computer's speed.
Registry Cleaner: Freebies just don't work here. I have tried many, settling on Registry Mechanic. I then decided to use another registry cleaner and uninstalled Mechanic, what a mistake. I reinstalled RM and have not had any problems since with the computer slowing down. You may have to run the reg cleaner a few times to get everything back in order, but that is okay.
Good luck!
Douglas Johns, L.I.F.A.
Centurion Asset Protection Group, Inc.
Why pay for something which doesn't always work
by seafm - 6/2/07 7:27 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Jasmine,
When I first set myself up for internet 3-4 years ago just like any other computer rookie I went out and bought an antivirus progam. The one I chose was called VET which is part of Computer Associates for $50 aust. It was reccomended to me by others and the price was pretty cheap compared to Norton etc.Initially I thought it worked fine because I paid for it of course. Anything that's free is rubbish,right?
I became involved in filesharing programs like Kazaa etc and was foolish enough to visit some of those naughty sites that are generally considered off limits and things started going wrong. Slow computer,annoying popups and things basically not working the way they're supposed to.
A friend said he could help me out and I gave him my HDD to scan.I made him aware that I had paid antivirus installed and he gave me the funniest look."Do you actually pay for your antivirus?"he said.He then scanned my HDD with Avast and found over 50 items that the paid stuff didn't even know was there.After that experience VET promptly got hit with the delete button and got replaced with Avast.
That was some 3 years ago and I am still using Avast today.It is free for personal use and most importantly it works.The interface is easy to work with and updating is automatic,it even tells you if a new version is available.A few weeks back I saw a CNET forum comment from an IT Manager who also swears by Avast.The network he maintains uses the paid version of Avast and he uses the free one at home so it must be pretty good if a proffesional reccomends it .
I also use Adaware Se and Spybot to keep the hackers and trackers in check. Again these programs are free and they work.
I do not live in the U.S.but I do know that in the 1950's Ford proudly released a new model car that they thought was their crowning glory.People parted with their hard earned money to buy an Edsel.It was a lemon wasn't it?
The same goes for paid antivirus,just because it has lots of bells and whistles and costs money doesn't necessarily mean it's good.If the free stuff can do just as good a job or better I know which way I choose to go.
Free vs Paid
by mustang-usa - 6/2/07 7:29 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi, I also used the free AVG antivirus until my computer got a Trojan which was removed by the McAfee Security Center that I purchased.If free software works as good or better than what you can buy then why is McAfee & Norton still in business?You & your computer send personal information to every web site you go to.Are these sites harmless?You still get what you pay for.Free is not always best but that's the choice you make.
VIRUS ????
by ksue4664 - 6/2/07 10:27 AM In reply to: Free vs Paid by mustang-usaAfter reading through this thread, I tried to download AdAware SE from the link in CNET downloads.
Just as the download was completed, I got a pop-up from my AVG 7.5 free antivirus ...in the Virus Vault it has it listed as infected.
I can not find the download anywhere so I guess it wasn't completed ? and:
1..so don't have to worry?
2...Did AVG 7.5 stop it from downloading?
3...how could the AdAware SE contain a virus if I'm downloading it c from CNET's downloads?
Finally...What should I do next?
A bit of answers...
by Forte Lambardi - 6/2/07 10:33 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well, I've asked the same question in another forum, and I got one answer that may be very true: it really depends upon your environment setting.
If you're at home, you can get away with using freeware. I, personally, use freeware and I have had little problems. Of course, before you decide to download any freeware program, it's a good idea to research about the product first. I'd enter it in something like Google to see what kind of reviews are on it, and what people say about the product. Of course, freeware isn't, by any means, obligated to offer you great support; however, you may not need the support if you do not have problems with your product. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that your software will be up-to-date. That normally isn't a problem if you're keeping track of how current your software is, and if you check for updates (or updates for virus/spyware definition files). I don't see any real problem using freeware though. As I already said, there are some great freeware software items on the net, but I won't say (as I am going to agree with someone else who said this) that freeware is actually better than commercial software.
If you're in a professional/workforce setting it's better to use commercial software. Why? Because you have better protection than you would with freeware. I am not saying that freeware is bad security: it can be good security, but you would not have some of the support that commercial software would offer you. With paid software, you also know that you're getting as good as you paid for; therefore, you can assume that you're getting a "bang for your buck". Just a bit of advice from me, I wouldn't suggest using Norton. :P You don't have to follow what I say, but you can try it out for yourself (if you have the cash).
Not A Problem for over a Year.
by 01archie - 6/2/07 11:11 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
To Jasmine:
In the last upgrade to a new DVD-R and filling up the last slot for 1.6g of RAM I asked the tech. who has worked on our PC for the past 2 years; to take the following out:
Fretrust Mail washer Pro fee
Firetrust .b9 I was a BETA tester, and got this NO CHARGE
AD-Aware/ SP
Spy Bot
AVG (free)
Outpost by Agnitum fee
Tauscan (anti trojan) fee
And install:
Avast! free AV program
Crap Cleaner free
Mindows Defender comes with MS XP Upgrade
Leave Windows Firewall and ensure upgrade(free)
Ive used a Gateway router for awhile
And Ive had a gammit of other addons free and 'fee' based programs. Symantech, Bit Defender ( couldnt get House call to install with OutPost. even after UNinstalling it. And, there was no tool to rub it out. The scrubbing (wipe) data was the only way to kill it ALL.
I beleive I'd really rather to network for dialy avtivitees and not "pc servicing work".
So, I hope this has given you some clue as to keeping the system up to dated regularly. My wife uses a port on the router for her LAN to her lap top with VISTA. Awesome program but with the matching router to handle the 1.5g of RAM from us both at times at the same time with no HASSLE for over a year, what can I say. I think I fell in love with our PC, once a again 
free anti virus
by michael.gillott - 6/2/07 3:47 PM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello,
I have used Avast for more than 5 years now, I have also tried other free anti virus apps on my other pc but I have to say Avast anytime. Its surprising that you can fit your computer up free with the complete range of Firewall and anti malaware apps but try them out and if they dont do what they say in the blurb or there are strings attached simply uninstall them and move on.
Mick
Check it out !!!
by Ranger7 - 6/2/07 6:58 PM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
U know what they say-sometimes you have to learn about it by doing it yourself. I know 1sthand what all of you are going thru. I've had 15yrs 2fight cancer & 2 fight all the Bugs, Viruses, Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Spyware, Hacker initiated rootkit-stealth fishing.....OK I got worked up there. BUT, here's a list of some of my favorites and a short cut to one of the Goodguys. Get Ad-Aware SE Personal, A-Squared Anti-Dialer, A-Squared Free, Spybot S&D, Spyware Blaster, Spyware Guard, Xp-Antispy, use Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird INSTEAD OF Internet Explorer or Express & Netscape. 2 Purchase, Webroot Spysweeper is top on the List. For Virus and Firewall protection I have tried them all. Free- get AVG Anti-spyware , Windows Defender, Zonealarm. 2 Pay, My Fav is Norton Systemsworks 2006 and Norton Internet Security 2006. These 2 programs are easy2use, set-n-4get, have VG rep & test scores(NOTE; at the end of yr subsrptn just pay $10.00 via net for anothr yr. Allright, now the rest of the story!!! Go to Spyware Warrior and download 52pgs of pure poetry. This group of smart whitehats have methodically shinned a big light on what is what. For every good piece of sw there are 20 that masquarade as same. All the while stabbing you in your cpu. Read and check out the links to the real goods for your PC. Good Surfin-R.J. ranger_769@hotmail.com
Paid security suite vs free security suite
by Zahid Sheikh - 6/3/07 4:42 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First trust that there are a number of individuals and companies to help those who are less fortunate and cannot afford to buy expensive commercials software. These individuals and organizations earn their living by getting donations from their users or by producing commercial and licensed versions for companies. We must appreciate and value their passion and commitment.
I recommend you to start with 'Active Security monitor' by AOL. This nice application scans your system thoroughly and suggests you about your system's security needs. This app does not protect you from security threats but it evaluates your system's security needs and the security applications that you have installed to protect your system from online threats. After a thorough scan, it rates security of your system by allocating a score on a scale of 100. It even suggests you how to improve your score to improve security of your system. This helps you to maintain and protect your system effectively.
Following is a list of my recommended applications necessary to build your own completely free security suite to protect your home computer.
1.AVG free antivirus or AVAST home edition to cater you antivirus needs. These are highly trusted, widely used and very effective antivirus programs. I personally prefer AVG free.
2.Ad-Aware SE Personal and AVG Anti-Spyware to cater you antispyware needs.
3.WinPatrol and HijackThis are fine utilities that perform multiple tasks. Both are lightweight and very effective utilities that save your system from spyware, malware and malicious software.
4.ZoneAlarm for your firewall needs. Please do not forget to turn off your built-in firewall shipped with WinXP.
5.Mozilla FireFox is a better option to cater your browsing needs as compared to IE. It saves you from the online risks and threats that are typically associated with IE.
6.Always update your operating system, browser, antivirus, antispyware and other softwares regularly and religiously.
7.Always back up your data on regular basis.
Try to avoid the following.
1.Try to avoid using Peer to peer (P2P) software. The most popular use of P2P computing is to share files over dedicated file-sharing network to download music and video files. P2P application allows another computer user to directly access your computer over a peer-to-peer network. This increases your security risk in a number of ways. Use of P2P exposes your system to viruses, spyware, malware, malicious software, unwanted file access and backdoor attacks are some of the potential risks involved.
2.Try to avoid using emailing application. Instead, decide on for web-based email applications. This saves you from several online threats.
Visit CNet’s AtoZ Security to make yourself aware of security issues by pointing to the following URL
http://news.com.com/The+A+to+Z+of+security/2009-7355_3-6138407.html?tag=hed.
Also pay a visit to CNet’s ‘How to use security softwares using the URL http://www.download.com/How-tos/1200-2023_4-5157516.html?tag=morehowto.
Wish you a happy and safe surfing.
Zahid Sheikh
Viva Freeware!
by gtoguy - 6/3/07 5:11 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Jasmine. You do not need to extend your subscription. The free progams you can download work just as well as the paid programs. I have been using Avast Anti-virus, Zone Alarm firewall, and Ad-Aware on my systems for years, and never have had a problem. I also put them on my customer's machines when their subscriptions run out. They are easy to install, and they update themselves when you run them. How can you go wrong? They also use less resouces than the big programs and your machine will run faster. I don't see any downside. Try them out and you will see. Jerry M.
FREE is the way to go!
by waytron - 6/3/07 5:16 AM In reply to: Free vs. paid security software by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am late getting in on this one, but I was away. I know I have said this before but I have never felt that we should be paying extra for Microsoft’s short comings or for software/protection that should have been included with Windows in the first place. But having conceded to the fact that we absolutely need additional protection installed on any computer that is connected to the internet, I have experimented with many options over the years and I will almost always go with FREE if given a choice. If you read through the reviews such as the one last month in PC World, it would appear that some of the paid products perform better at catching and removing viruses and Spyware than the Free Versions. However, these reviews do not report any information on how much each product uses for system memory and resources, which ones slow down your PC the most or which ones are most likely to cause problems or have compatibility issues with other software and hardware. I have over 100 customers now using AVG Free antivirus and many of them have been using it for more than 2 years now, including myself, with out a single virus infection. Personally I feel that with the right combination of Free products installed, you can achieve the same level of protection as the paid versions. Almost all of these customers were using Norton or McAfee antivirus until they ran into problems of one kind or another. Many gave up when they tried to renew online and things went south or found that their current version was slowing down their computers to an absolute crawl.
Yes, I usually believe that you get what you pay for, but in the case of software, there are many companies that offer slightly stripped down versions of their software to home users with hopes that you may upgrade later to their full, paid versions or purchase other products from them. Other suppliers rely on donations for their efforts. The only real disadvantage with many of the Free products is:
You do not normally get any technical support with free software.
You generally will not find any all-in-one products that include Antivirus, Antispyware, Spam protection and firewall in one suite. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, some of these all-in-one security suites can be real resource hogs, slowing down even the fastest computers.
In some cases you may have to manually update the Free versions.
CAUTION : You do have to be careful when downloading free software to make sure that you are getting legitimate products. There are many titles out there posing as the real thing but are in fact spyware and malware. Stick to the known list of Free software and research any other selections before installing. The safest place to download software is from Cnet. www.download.com
THE FREE CHOICES
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE – It is highly recommended to have ONLY ONE antivirus software installed on your computer at a time. I personally use and recommend AVG Free but there are others.
AVG Free Antivirus – http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
Avast – http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
ANTISPYWARE – It is generally recommended to have more than one Antispyware program installed. I generally use the combination of SpyBot, Defender and AdAware.
SpyBot Search and Destroy – http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Microsoft Defender -http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=435bfce7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&displaylang=en
AdAware – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=435bfce7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&displaylang=en
AVG Antispyware – http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tpl/v5
FIREWALL – I do not normally recommend the use of a software firewall other than the built-in Windows Firewall except for a few rare cases. They can be more of a problem then they are worth for the average PC user. Most users do not know how to answer the questions they pose and end up either disabling them or letting everything thru anyway. I DO recommend using a hardware firewall router with any internet connection. If you still want an addition software firewall try:
Zone Alarm Free – http://www.download.com/3000-2092-10039884.html
Comodo – http://www.download.com/Comodo-Firewall-Pro/3000-10435_4-10633448.html?tag=lst-0-1
OTHER FREE OPTIONS
There may be other ways to get your free protection.
Don’t forget, some ISP’s such as Comcast offer their members free security software.
Many Universities will also offer their students free protection.
Some companies offer their employees free home protection.
Dana
Wayland Computer
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
