Need an Anti-Virus program

Well now for my two cents: I was wondering on cashmonee's level of expertise in the field computers and security? Are you certified in Security+, CCNA or any of the several certifications available? Or is your expertises that of reading blogs and websites and basing your “experience” on what others have written?

I for one do not have the time or inkling to re-format my computer every time that an infection would take place. I don't care how safe your computing is; with the advent of "drive-by downloading" no one is safe. At least with any AV product, anti-spyware program, a firewall, and safe computing can you be at least a one step up.

I believe that it’s incredulous that you would advocate to users not to use any protection based on your own personal experience. How do you know, that at this very moment, you are not infected with either malware or a rootkit? How do you know that your system is not being currently used as a "bot"? So, based on your comments then, everyone should then re-format their systems every time you log off the internet, since rootkits are so prevalent.

Any AV product worth its weight will catch viruses, Trojans and such, before they have a chance to inflict any serious damage or before they can take hold of a system via a "rootkit". Granted there is still the threat of the "Zero Day Attack" so not every piece of malware could be detected 100%of the time. But I would rather stand 99.9% than none at all.

There are many naive users in the world today that would read what you have to say and take it as gospel and not install an AV on their systems. These are the people that hackers and the like target so that they can propagate their wares to the unsuspecting. If everyone would have at least some basic protection on their systems, malware you not propagate as it would.

 

My computer's that have died by virus have died by trojans I think. And anti-virus programs catch these. So you are wrong!

And I'm getting Bit-Defender for my new comp (one of the best anti-virus programs out there apparently).

 

Typically for wireless, you are behind a hardwall firewall with the router anyway.

Personally, I find the built-in XP SP2 firewall good enough, but I have heard good things about the free Comodo Personal Firewall.

Lots of people like Kerio as well, but I have heard better things about Comodo.