Please Critique My Security Setup

Antivirus: avast!

Antispyware: SUPERantispyware

Considering:

Avira. Does it still have an issue with long updates and that nagging window to upgrade? If not, it is the most thorough on-demand scanner, right? So I assume it'll be the most thorough real-time as well? And it's just an antivirus and nothing else, right? I'm really considering this antivirus.

AVG: Too bloated and less thorough than avast! and Avira?

SpywareBlaster: I think avast! has its own real-time antispyware feature, so would this be redundant? I guess if I go with Avira, I might need this.

Windows Defender. Is this a pointless software? Never did anything for me in the past except constantly update itself.

And just in case anybody is wondering why I didn't list any firewalls, it's because Windows built-in never failed me and it is always compatible with all my software. So please, no firewall recommendations.

Running Windows XP w/ SP2.

Thanks for any input!

 

Av : Avira

Firewall : Windows Firewall

Spyware : Windows defender

would be ideal for an average user.

 

Antivirus: Get rid of avast completely and get Avira Antivir, it still has the update ad but for the added security it's worth it.

Don't get spy-ware blaster, get Super anti-spyware, the best anti-spyware out right now.

Windows defender is pretty pointless software as you said so don't use it.

 

Does Avira still take forever to update?

As for SpywareBlaster, isn't it a real-time spyware scanner, so it prevents it from getting installing in the first place while SUPERantispyware is an on-demand scanner? Is it best to have one of both worlds?

Thank you so much for all the answers everybody!

Edit: After some research, it seems Avira also provides real-time antispyware protection too? Can someone please confirm this?

 

Yes, Avira provides real-time antivirus, but it doesn't have antispyware, only antirootkit.

 

So, SUPER anti-spyware is the best? Just how good is the detection and cleaning? I've been using webroot for a couple years now and loved it, but I'm just tired of paying yearly for the subscription so since it already expired I want to use a FREE anti spyware program with excellent detection system and cleaning. Does this program monitor keyloggers in realtime too? Is there some sort of comparison chart of various antispyware programs? The best spyware/firewall thread is informative but I'm just looking for opinions.

 

SUPERAntispyware doesn't have any real-time scanners in the free version. It's just a very good on-demand scanner. For real-time, you can use a program like SpywareBlaster.

 

Threatfire will block most spyware or viruses from installing on your computer.

I have Avira, Comodo, SUPERantispyware, and Threatfire.

 

Do you use Avira as your on-demand scanner and Threatfire as the active protection against virus and malware?

 

Isn't there a way to remove that ad when avira updates? I found it and it works indeed. I just forgot where I got the tip. Google it. Mine updates silently -- no ad, no progress window.

I think Windows Defender is useful when that 'Join with an Advanced Membership' is checked, as it informs you of changes you might not be aware of and you can block them if they're bad. Also, it's actually detected 4 threats in my desktop [it's found nothing so far on my laptop].

Also, ThreatFire is a good anti-spyware with real-time protection. I suggest getting it, as having more than one anti-spyware isn't as bad as having multiple anti-virus programs. I have both ThreatFire and Windows Defender.

I think, too, that AVG has become too bloated for its own good since it launched 8.0. I use it on my desktop and I've found out it now uses more resources than avira on my laptop. I think I'll be switching to avira on my desktop, too.

 

I personally Have AVG 8.0 with it's built in antispyware scanner as my real time protection + it's antivirus, then windows firewall, and I think I am going to try Super-antispyware instead of my old combo of spybot and adaware. (Would Super-antispyware be a reasonable substitute for the two?)

 

IMO, SAS is definitely better than spybot and ad-aware.

 

SAS free doesn't have real time spyware protection and this is needed for active protection.