Spyware Warrior

[metabolism]

Perhaps from an excess of caution (belt and suspenders approach), I am currently running several "real-time" anti-malware applications simultaneously; these include:

Spyware Blaster
ThreatFire
TeaTimer (part of Spybot Search and Destroy)
Windows Defender
Ad-Aware Ad-Watch Live

and, on some machines, Avast resident


I am unclear if this "overkill" is subjecting my machine to unnecessary performance hits, or if I'm truly achieving a higher level of security. ? Can some of these applications be safely disabled? ?Are some of these applications more robust than others? Your thoughts on this matter are appreciated.

Bill Zigrang

[Osage]

Meatabolism asks, " Spyware Blaster
ThreatFire
TeaTimer (part of Spybot Search and Destroy)
Windows Defender
Ad-Aware Ad-Watch Live

and, on some machines, Avast resident


I am unclear if this "overkill" is subjecting my machine to unnecessary performance hits, or if I'm truly achieving a higher level of security. ? Can some of these applications be safely disabled? ?Are some of these applications more robust than others? Your thoughts on this matter are appreciated.
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And I maintain that anyone who thinks any set of mere computer software will buy computer security is only deluding themselves, or that the computer hit on performance is too high a price to pay, should put themselves in my boat, as I just had my HDD drive fail due to hardware and not malware. Either way, its not fun to reconfigure everything. If nothing else, all them windows updates takes a bunch of time.

But to look at your set of software, 1 by one, spyware blaster may not be a jack of all trades swiss army knife, but because it has no computer footprint, its hit in computer performance is zero. I am not that familiar with threatfire, so I will pass on commenting. Spybot S&D with tea timer, as a freebie is still fairly good, plus, if you enable hosts files, its much better. And better yet, its does have some elements of process control. In terms of windows defender, maybe not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but because its active and a freebie, it will stop, before the fact, anything in its limited data base. As for adaware, at least the freeware version, it has nothing active, it may have been descent years ago, but, IMHO, not worth using now. Leaving Avast, not a bad freeware AV, and if you don't have an active AV on at all times, you just ask for trouble. Maybe a few people are expert enough in process control to not need an active AV, but I will not count myself in those that think they can.

Computer security is all about beforehand prevention, and hosts and hips files, a good firewall, and active AV, tightening up browser settings, process control, doing all windows updates, and overall security awareness is really what it takes. And with anything remotely resembling a modern computer system, having a excellent security system without slowing down your computer is very easy.

What you lack is mainly in the area of a firewall and process control.

[metabolism]

Osage,
Thanx for your help; as far as firewall, I'm using ZoneAlarm free (may switch to Comodo -?your opinion?

I'm not sure what you mean by "process control" - would Norton System works handle this?

Zig

[Osage]

[quote="metabolism"]Osage,
Thanx for your help; as far as firewall, I'm using ZoneAlarm free (may switch to Comodo -?your opinion?

I'm not sure what you mean by "process control" - would Norton System works handle this?
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While I have not tried the zone alarm free firewall, from what I have read, its not very good and its bloat tends to slow computers down.


In terms of a firewall, I like comodo3, but be sure to go to add remove programs and remove the aim toolbar it sneaks in. Another good firewall is online armor, the freeware version or even the paid version.

In terms of process control, I don't believe Norton systems works would do anything in that area, and because of the bloat that will really slow your computer down, I would avoid it like the plague.

In a nutshell, what a process control program does is to offer to prevent any new unknown program from starting up. Somewhat annoying when you are installing a new known good application,
as you may have to give permission multiple times, but it can be a lifesaver if some malware sneaks through your security system and it gives you not only the warning, but also the time to prevent it. Otherwise, such a malware program can install in mere milliseconds, and then start downloading malware applications to really destroy your computer.

One very good process control program is system safety monitor, which comes in a freeware and a better paid version. Another possible sort of process control for dummies is win patrol.

[datababe]

[suzi]

WinPatrol has saved me a few times when I accidently clicked on a malware file on my vm and didn't want to deal with an infection. I just got a new netbook and WinPatrol is the first thing I installed, too.
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Former Microsoft MVP 2005-2009, Consumer Security
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