Running Win XP newly reformated. Running great so far
From what I've read here...it's HIGHLY recommended that I protect myself with AV and a Firewall....
I'm seeing on the posts here that the "over-all" best is PC-Cillen... BUT, I've mentioned it to a few friends and the instant response is..."oh no dude, that messes with your system pretty bad."
Knowing these guys aren't Systems gurus etc... is there any truth to this advice?
What is the most recommened AV and Firewall?
___________________________________________
I also get SPAM. SPAM with viruses as well! I've tried "SpamKiller" a year ago and it seemed to work quite well.
Now that it's been a year... I'm looking for your advice and comments on what is the BEST Anti Spam program....and does a person REALLY need one?
Thanks to ALL in advance! This forum has no doubt been a wonderful God Send!
Full Version: Anti Virus, Firewall, Spam question...
Hi there gtrplayer...Happy New Year!
Our security expert, Interceptor, has written a series of comparisons on the effectiveness of AV programs and firewalls. I'm sure he'll be around later to direct you to them, or offer his advice. You'll find articles on spam in other security forums here.
I use eTrust and ZoneAlarm on my WinXP machine, and AVG only on my Win95 system (it's locked down so tight with various tweaks, I don't need a firewall.)
For spam I use MailWasher. This is a great little freebie that allows you to view emails on the mail server, before you download them. You can bounce them back, blacklist them, filter content to blacklist etc..
HTH. Interceptor should be along later to post links to his write-ups. I can't seem to find them at the moment.
Our security expert, Interceptor, has written a series of comparisons on the effectiveness of AV programs and firewalls. I'm sure he'll be around later to direct you to them, or offer his advice. You'll find articles on spam in other security forums here.
I use eTrust and ZoneAlarm on my WinXP machine, and AVG only on my Win95 system (it's locked down so tight with various tweaks, I don't need a firewall.)
For spam I use MailWasher. This is a great little freebie that allows you to view emails on the mail server, before you download them. You can bounce them back, blacklist them, filter content to blacklist etc..
HTH. Interceptor should be along later to post links to his write-ups. I can't seem to find them at the moment.
Hi,
PC-cillin is highly effective. It has been consistent in it's ability to detect viruses. However, it, like most av programs, has its quirks. It does not play well with all systems and makes this evident the moment it's installed. This is not because it's a bad program. This excerpt from an earlier thread will explain:
".....In recent months, users have seen definition updates in a variety of well known antivirus programs cause a multitude of system glitches, from system slowdowns to application and operating software errors, and system failures. This is because antivirus programs and their detection methods work on a low level basis out of necessity, interacting with all of the most important, or crucial parts of a system. Because of this, it's not uncommon for these areas to become inaccessible or damaged. Only after the software is released to the public are vendors really sure if there are going to be problems or not, and the time frame that involves this process can extend for weeks....."
Fortunately, this is fairly uncommon and you should have no problems with it. I also recommend Sophos antivirus. You'll find links for these in THIS thread along with tons of other programs and utilities.
As far as a firewall is concerned, most regular users will find that ZoneAlarm or Outpost will work very well for them with a minimal amount of effort and maintainance. I would rather new users do a little bit of work and become accustomed to using Outpost because of it's advanced configuration potential. This is in case you find you enjoy learning how to create your own rules for the program without it leaving your system unguarded while you go thru the learning process. These are also located in the aforementioned link.
Ed is correct. MailWasher is prolly the easiest and fastest way for you to get a handle on spam. I would use it.
PC-cillin is highly effective. It has been consistent in it's ability to detect viruses. However, it, like most av programs, has its quirks. It does not play well with all systems and makes this evident the moment it's installed. This is not because it's a bad program. This excerpt from an earlier thread will explain:
".....In recent months, users have seen definition updates in a variety of well known antivirus programs cause a multitude of system glitches, from system slowdowns to application and operating software errors, and system failures. This is because antivirus programs and their detection methods work on a low level basis out of necessity, interacting with all of the most important, or crucial parts of a system. Because of this, it's not uncommon for these areas to become inaccessible or damaged. Only after the software is released to the public are vendors really sure if there are going to be problems or not, and the time frame that involves this process can extend for weeks....."
Fortunately, this is fairly uncommon and you should have no problems with it. I also recommend Sophos antivirus. You'll find links for these in THIS thread along with tons of other programs and utilities.
As far as a firewall is concerned, most regular users will find that ZoneAlarm or Outpost will work very well for them with a minimal amount of effort and maintainance. I would rather new users do a little bit of work and become accustomed to using Outpost because of it's advanced configuration potential. This is in case you find you enjoy learning how to create your own rules for the program without it leaving your system unguarded while you go thru the learning process. These are also located in the aforementioned link.
Ed is correct. MailWasher is prolly the easiest and fastest way for you to get a handle on spam. I would use it.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.