Symantec's Hall says free antivirus is for chumps

Don't use anti-virus, and never will. Haven't gotten a virus in years.

Its called common sense people. Don't download suspicious files, and don't click on suspicious links.

I have tried most free Anti-virus programs over the years and had settled on one,,,,Avast4free for the last few years. But now I was lucky to be able to get Microsofts new Security Essentials anti-virus/malware protection. Yes it is in beta version but I am finding that this maybe MS's apology for having to put up with them. I,ve been using it along with Vista firewall ( I added the free outgoing protection Vista Firewall Control) and haven't had a single problem yet. And yet I agree that if you don't keep up with updates no matter what you use you will hear someone complain about freeware being crummy......
Free is Good.....
Kenn.....

Fact is, most power users (of XP, at least) have gotten accustomed to occasional format+reinstalls if Windows grinds to a halt, virus or no virus - if your system files and backups are well organized it's tedious, but quicker than trying to repair Microsoft's autobloating OS. Reasonably large USB drives cost less than a copy of NAV these days, after all.

If W7 hits the spot - like Vista didn't - there'll be corporate clients aplenty willing to be suckered into the Norton or MacAfee crippleware business model. After sex, paranoia is the best selling point.

There are a lot of great free tools to protect your computer from various threats, be it viruses, malware, or whatever else. Of course the trouble with those is you need to know what to look for - if you're not familiar with the type of software, Google's first results might not always be the best. Then there's of course the problem of downloading all these various tools if you want to have full protection, as well as maintaining them (i.e. keeping up to date) and actually using them - not everybody can keep up a regular schedule of running 3-5 different tools to scan/clean one's computer.

This is not an issue for "techies", i.e. the sort of people reading download squad, but for the regular joe user, that's a lot of hassle. So, I think there is a place for paid protection software that offer complete "360" solutions with simple interface, easy scheduling, and sort of "click one button to fix all" kinds of tools.

But as I said, it should be a full solution, not the kinda crap like norton or mcafee pull with their "basic", and "plus", and "premium" packages (not actual package names) - if I'm gonna pay for this kinda software there better be just one package that protects me from everything.

Of courses prices have to be reasonable as well. Basic norton anti-virus software costs $40 for 1-year subscription. My free AVG does everything that basic norton package does, but it's free with "life-time" subscription. I mean, that's just bad business on Norton's side - isn't it part of "business 101" to learn to offer extra services if you demand a premium over competition.

This is of course on top of what everyone here knows - norton's and especially mcafee's software are bloated pieces of crap. Worst part is, perhaps their latest versions are actually not half-bad, but their reputation has already been soiled by the bad choices they made in the past. Only way they can save themselves is by doing a complete 180, but given what Mr. Hall there says, I don't see that happening.

The comment is only as good as the product they SELL. I remember once I installed the suite to be screwed so royally that I had to spend 2 days just to clean up the mess. That was without a virus.

this whole business is one giant protection racket anyway.

nobody knows that better than you, Mr. Hall. so give me a break, will ya?

Symantec still can't beat Avira Antivir...

http://u.nu/7g6h

Avast + Comodo Firewall + Spyware Terminator (scan once a month) + common sense (i.e. don't click yes before you think) = all free

Pffft, I still can't believe I spent money on Norton 5 years ago when I was a newbie... there are still remnants of Norton on my PC to this day.

Although, playing devil's advocate, I was an AVG user but I switched to NOD32 recently and I can say quite confidently that NOD32 is a lot better than AVG...

I've not had any antivirus protection on any of my computers for the past 7 years. I've had no issues with viruses. Just be careful about which sites you go too and what you download. I do run CCleaner and Spybots or AdAware every once and a while, but I've always been in tip top shape. I think your all suckers for even wasting time with any antivirus programs that hog your memory.

I always was under the impression that virus writers are being supported by anti-virus companies.

I've been working in computers for a long time now, and I have to say that the only anti-virus software which I'll trust is Avast. The only time a client with Avast got a virus is when they failed to register (after I explained to them about registration -- I don't think they'll fail to register again). I did end up registering them, and charging them for the trouble.

Haven't used AVG much. If it turns out not to cover as much as Avast, I wouldn't know.

With regards to Norton and McAfee -- I always tell everyone to get rid of it. Not only because you don't pay for alternatives like Avast, but also because the coverage and memory/cpu cost is way too high for the level of protection involved. I still kick myself over recommending McAfee years ago to clients. What a waist of money.

As for the comment of never using AV software at all: been there, done that. Only reason I use AV software now is because if I screw up and get some nasty virus, I'm not the only person that'll pay for it. Client data, passwords, and all sorts of backups are right there for the taking if someone gets through my security. When I was a student with a low-powered machine, I never bothered.

It's funny - Norton and McAfee started out by giving their software away for free. Back in the day, you could grab it right off of their website, and when they removed the web links, you could still ftp and get their software for free as well for another year or so.

Then they started making money, bringing in employees and soon found that they HAD to keep the money wheel turning to support their infrastructure. Hence, lots of bloatware and a marketing campaign that is trying to convince you that you need these extra apps to spin wheels, use up memory and give you the impression that you're actually doing something good for your computer.

I have run my own IT consulting practice in Chicago for the past seven years, and have been providing frontline support for technology for over 25 years. I've seen/tried loads of different antivirus and all of them have their faults. I can't count the number of times that I got a new client because Norton or McAfee blocked access to apps, their printer or local network due to unintuitive popups that the average end user doesn't know how to interpret.

Norton's home user protection is a bloated piece of crap. McAfee used to provide a solid product but now they are one step behind Norton. It's all about the $ for these guys - desktop real estate and constant presence on your computer to make you think that it is actually doing something useful for you.

A good antivirus/malware app runs quietly in the background and provides solid protection against the types of virii or spyware that is found in the well trod portions of the internet. It should only alert you if there is an issue that you need to provide counsel on. Anyone who surfs the seedier parts of the internet will definitely find themselves getting screwed in short time, regardless of the application providing protection.

I've installed AVG free on hundreds of computers over the past five years - I keep looking for another program that is as no-frills as it, but have yet to find one. I admit, I need to have another go through to test out the latest available free antivirus, but I have a feeling that I will stick with AVG as it has provided all of my clients with great protection for years, and that's what I need to keep my clients happy. The less they have to call me, the happier they are!

I must confess, however, that I do encourage large environments to purchase Symantec corporate antivirus because it is easily managed, deployed, and does run quietly in the background and provides great protection.

hnk