Comments on: Get McAfee Virus Protection FOR FREE http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/ Helping You Through Right Now Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:33:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Jon http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-28590 Jon Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:11:10 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-28590 Hey thanks for your comment, David. To each their own. If you feel better shelling out $40, then I say go for it, but you should know that the product you are recommending is not ICSA certified in any facet of Anti-virus, Anti-spyware or firewall. The ICSA is the security industry's main anti-virus testing and certification body and both McAfee and AVG (as N0ia mentioned) are certified. I was in charge of protecting 20,000 machines for over a decade in a very large international corporation. The reason that we never went with a small, unknown, uncertified product is that they don't have the resources to get a fix out when a zero day virus hit. McAfee's heuristics worked incredibly well on tracking down viruses, and they would get a fix for a zero day in a matter of hours because they have millions of dollars at stake when they fail. A smaller company may be good, but they just don't have the team of researchers backing their product like McAfee does, so fixes can take them longer to get out. I have no love for a particular company, but I know that McAfee works, it's ICSA certified, and to get it for free is a great deal. If you've done a head to head on your software versus McAfee, I'd certainly be interested in it. Hey thanks for your comment, David. To each their own. If you feel better shelling out $40, then I say go for it, but you should know that the product you are recommending is not ICSA certified in any facet of Anti-virus, Anti-spyware or firewall. The ICSA is the security industry’s main anti-virus testing and certification body and both McAfee and AVG (as N0ia mentioned) are certified.

I was in charge of protecting 20,000 machines for over a decade in a very large international corporation. The reason that we never went with a small, unknown, uncertified product is that they don’t have the resources to get a fix out when a zero day virus hit. McAfee’s heuristics worked incredibly well on tracking down viruses, and they would get a fix for a zero day in a matter of hours because they have millions of dollars at stake when they fail. A smaller company may be good, but they just don’t have the team of researchers backing their product like McAfee does, so fixes can take them longer to get out.

I have no love for a particular company, but I know that McAfee works, it’s ICSA certified, and to get it for free is a great deal. If you’ve done a head to head on your software versus McAfee, I’d certainly be interested in it.

]]> By: David http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-28582 David Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:34:20 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-28582 The problem with the theory of using McAfee (like Norton) is that when virus and worm makers create these beasts, they already know to make it so that the main programs on the line (that they and everyone else are familiar with) won't be able to detect it or get rid of it. That's why I stick with a little inexpensive virus suite by vCom called vCom System Suite. (And no, I don't work for them.) It's $40 at Wal*Mart and the best money I ever spent. And it'll find all the crap your precious McAfee left behind. Take a try sometime. The problem with the theory of using McAfee (like Norton) is that when virus and worm makers create these beasts, they already know to make it so that the main programs on the line (that they and everyone else are familiar with) won’t be able to detect it or get rid of it.

That’s why I stick with a little inexpensive virus suite by vCom called vCom System Suite. (And no, I don’t work for them.) It’s $40 at Wal*Mart and the best money I ever spent. And it’ll find all the crap your precious McAfee left behind. Take a try sometime.

]]> By: n0ia http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-27853 n0ia Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:45:27 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/10/24/get-mcafee-virus-protection-for-free/#comment-27853 I think it's great that Comcast offers a free anti-virus suite to their customers - now if only those customers would actually heed their advice and install it! I was always a big fan of AVG Antivirus. From a non-specialist of antivirus such as yourself, it seemed to do a great job, to combat the spyware I generally used Adaware, and for a firewall used Zonealarm for a short period. Then I wiped out the Windows partition and started using Linux exclusively, so I haven't had to worry about these types of things, and hopefully won't for a long while. And while I think anti-virus, etc. is great, it can't stop EVERYTHING - and thus the users have to be more educated than they are. They install anti-virus software and feel all warm and cozy because they're protected. Then you get a call from someone who opened an unknown file and who didn't think it was important to update their virus definitions. I know you feel my pain. I think it’s great that Comcast offers a free anti-virus suite to their customers - now if only those customers would actually heed their advice and install it!

I was always a big fan of AVG Antivirus. From a non-specialist of antivirus such as yourself, it seemed to do a great job, to combat the spyware I generally used Adaware, and for a firewall used Zonealarm for a short period.

Then I wiped out the Windows partition and started using Linux exclusively, so I haven’t had to worry about these types of things, and hopefully won’t for a long while.

And while I think anti-virus, etc. is great, it can’t stop EVERYTHING - and thus the users have to be more educated than they are. They install anti-virus software and feel all warm and cozy because they’re protected. Then you get a call from someone who opened an unknown file and who didn’t think it was important to update their virus definitions. I know you feel my pain.

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