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| Is Anti-Virus software essential? |
| Yes, for everyone |
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58% |
[ 20 ] |
| Yes, for most people |
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38% |
[ 13 ] |
| Usually better off without |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| Absolutely not |
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0% |
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| Total Votes : 34 |
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Snib
Trooper
Joined: Jun 25, 2004
Posts: 14
Location: USA
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 Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | FYI...
AV vendor AvSoft site hacked....
... |
I can't find any information to see if Firefox, Opera or another relatively "safe" browser is vulnerable to this attack....personally I disable iFrames universally, since most sites just use them to display ads.
But I see your point. It can happen to anyone. Being safe (using a secure browser, subscribing to a mainstream security provider, etc) would probably reduce the chance of it affecting you, but the chance is always there.
Personally, with all my stuff backed up, I'm willing to go without an AV. I can rebuild my computer in about a half-hour if necessary, and my programs & files can be easily restored from a backup. But usually any malware can be effectively removed with the proper tools in a matter of minutes.
| Quote: | I keep hearing that Linux and Macs are bulletproof... well Superman was bulletproof too and look what happened to him!  |
Oh there have been viruses for Mac and *nix...the chances getting infected are a bit slimmer since there are not as many attacks on non-Windows machines, but the same principles apply, really: Safe browsing reduces the chances. No one is perfect, but in at least some cases, an on-access scanner really does not seem necessary. I would say certainly not on a Mac or *nix machine.
But, if you're not willing to take the chance, go for an AV. It doesn't seem to me like it would help enough to be worth the money and resources, but if you're extremely security-conscious, I'll admit an AV can help in some situations. Just not enough to make it worth it IMO
Cheers
snib
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AplusWebMaster
General
Joined: Mar 14, 2004
Posts: 4807
Location: USA
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beversoll
Trooper
Joined: Mar 13, 2008
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:19 am Post subject: my two cents |
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Being a casual user (browsing, and Blackboard for school) I need AV protection. Reading through this post I did not understand some of the terms and concepts (sandbox, online scanners, etc). I agree that safe-browsing is the best way to avoid problems. I rarely download off of the internet, unless I am positive it is safe. I think it depends on your knowledge of maliscious content. If I had no protection (Trend) I would be very vulernanble due to my lack of knowledge.
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Mister2
SRT Team Lead
Premium Member
Joined: Oct 28, 2004
Posts: 7326
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:03 am Post subject: |
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Hi beversoll,
I have to agree that safe surfing is an important (and often overlooked) side of computing. As with most things, moderation is the key - there is a lot of good content on the internet that may get overlooked if one is too hesitant.
I use the Firefox browser with the Site Advisor plugin. Any time I search on Google the results are classified as safe, malicious or unknown. That helps me steer clear of the baddies (unless I need to visit for a specific reason).
A sandbox is a method of running your computer in a totally safe environment. In theory, whatever you do in a sandbox is lost when you switch off (though there are ways round that), so anything malicious can't interact with your system and disappears when you're done. Compare it with kids playing in a sandbox and leaving everything behind when they come in for dinner.
Online scans refer to sites such as this or this . They are safe and very effective - they tend to be bang up to date and work well, though they take a little time to run.
Using a good AV, anti-spyware and firewall along with a dose of common sense should keep you clear of most things.
Happy computing! 
_________________
Never stop learning
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AplusWebMaster
General
Joined: Mar 14, 2004
Posts: 4807
Location: USA
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innerpeace
Captain
Premium Member
Joined: Mar 27, 2006
Posts: 398
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:15 am Post subject: |
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| Mister2 wrote: | | A sandbox is a method of running your computer in a totally safe environment. In theory, whatever you do in a sandbox is lost when you switch off (though there are ways round that), so anything malicious can't interact with your system and disappears when you're done. Compare it with kids playing in a sandbox and leaving everything behind when they come in for dinner. |
I'm very interested in the ways around a sandbox's protection. Specifically the virtualization type of sandbox like Sandboxie. I understand that nothing is perfect and the bad guys will persist, but it's pretty darn good if you take the time to understand it a little.
I have it set to block access to my D: and E: partitions and only allow internet access to firefox and winamp. Either should help if a keylogger should find it's way into the sandbox and is able to run. I also scan everything I download and restore from the sandbox and keep everything up to date.
_________________
Being sane is enough to drive anyone crazy.
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ErikAlbert
Warnings : 3
Captain
Joined: Jan 20, 2005
Posts: 424
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Mister2 wrote: |
A sandbox is a method of running your computer in a totally safe environment. In theory, whatever you do in a sandbox is lost when you switch off (though there are ways round that), so anything malicious can't interact with your system and disappears when you're done.
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Hmm.... I think to be accurate, I think in this context, one isn't running the whole computer in a "safe environment" but rather selected programs/processes. (Though there are virtualization
type proggies like Retunril that do "sandbox" the whole computer)
Sandboxed processes/programs are restricted from carrying out dangerous activities that can affect system intergrity. So they can be run safely, and when they try to harm the system they will fail.
On the market , there are roughly 2 types of sandboxes (of the type we are discussing)...
Policy based sandboxes, which is basically the standard type of sandbox discussed
and sandboxes with virtualization.
The later allows "virtualized" changes by processes in the sandbox, which can then be reversed/removed by emptying the sandbox....
The former does not do so....
Sandbox +
It doesn't necessarily disappear from your system though.
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ErikAlbert
Warnings : 3
Captain
Joined: Jan 20, 2005
Posts: 424
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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| quacker wrote: | | Just when I thought I was invincible, the [insert zero-day vulnerability here] came and happened to me... |
One of the biggest misconceptions is that your AV can effectively stop zero-day vulnerabilities....
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blade007
Trooper
Joined: Oct 29, 2007
Posts: 22
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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For me, yes, I download lots of freeware off of download sites, and I would get a virus about once a week.
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Alvaro
Trooper
Joined: Jan 28, 2008
Posts: 31
Location: Reno, NV (USA)
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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[snark]
I am bulletproof against zero-day attacks - I am running Windows 95 and software released before 1998 so... Plus my AV is also pre-1999 so I'm protected against Y2K as a bonus.
[/snark]
More seriously... There's no better mark than one feeling secure. Don't trust me, trust the pros: no system is invulnerable.
I love the Returnil approach also.
Not mentioned here yet, but BartPE is another, more spartan alternative to the sandbox approach, i.e. by booting from a (read-only) CD/DVD.
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