AVG - What happens if I buy a new computer?

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  • earthstorm
    earthstorm Posts: 2,134 Forumite
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    closed wrote: »
    marketing by av companies, not by you.

    and yes it does.
    so you are another MSE user than knows more than the company offering a product does.

    i would rather believe what a company says than someone from a online forum
  • closed
    closed Posts: 10,886 Forumite
    edited 10 August 2013 at 6:14PM
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    what are you referring to, your link to the avast comparison doesn't mention what I'm talking about.
    earthstorm wrote: »
    so you dont need to

    Stop unsecure links and files

    Avast free stops access to dodgy websites (if it knows of them) before you hit them, and stops execution of viruses like any other AV. I don't need a link to know that, as I've seen it happen with my own two eyes, from links posted on this very forum.
    !!
    > . !!!! ----> .
  • earthstorm
    earthstorm Posts: 2,134 Forumite
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    closed wrote: »
    what are you referring to, your link doesn't mention what I'm talking about.



    Avast free stops access to dodgy websites (if it knows of them) before you hit them, and stops execution of viruses like any other AV.
    the avast like compares all their plans from free to their Premir. their free only does

    Blocks viruses & spyware
    Lets a friend help remotely if you have trouble

    Routers and basic firewalls are not enough protection these days
  • closed
    closed Posts: 10,886 Forumite
    edited 10 August 2013 at 6:49PM
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    The list of extra features in free/paid for comparison tables is marketing, if there were no differences, no-one would buy it, but the overriding purpose of an antivirus product is to protect against viruses, and the free versions do exactly that, the rest is of dubious or no value, but some people will inevitably stump up the cash without knowing that, that's their choice, but if it's a choice based on fear or ignorance, then it's an unwise choice.

    Meanwhile millions of people and probably a high percentage of moneysavingexpert readers are surfing away quite happily with the free version, with more cash in their pocket, year on year.

    Routers with nat (which nearly everyone uses nowadays), discard all unsolicited connections automatically, the AV does the rest.
    !!
    > . !!!! ----> .
  • johnmc
    johnmc Posts: 1,265 Forumite
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    For business use you will need to pay. There are no free options here. Select the software that best suits your use.

    Like earthstorm I have used Kaspersky for years. I am very happy with it.

    It doesn't cost me anything. I have a Barclays bank account that I turn over a couple of quid a year and I get KIS for free.

    Investigate your own bank and see if they have a similar offering. If they don't then open an account with Barclays and just keep it active with very little in it.

    I agree with closed. For personal use there are numerous free options. Avast provides the antivirus, MS provides a firewall, as does your router.

    If you are inteligent enough to select the free options and know how to load them on your PC why on earth would anyone on this forum pay for it?

    Perhaps we should be discussing what £50 would buy you;
    Secures online banking and purchases
    Lets you surf risky websites
    Runs risky programs safely
    Blocks hacker attacks
    Secures personal data
    Secures your identity
    Stops annoying SPAM
    Blocks phishing scams
    Keeps your programs updated automatically
    Lets you access your PC from remote locations
    Can securely wipe your hard drive when needed

    Anyone want to pick up what half of these actually mean? Most is just marketing hype and is provided FOC by your ISP, bank etc.

    Having your AV suppier repeat the process simply slows it down and is inviting conflicts.
  • Kargo
    Kargo Posts: 152 Forumite
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    You can be just as safe online with a Free anti virus then someone who has bought a paid suite. It's all about how safe YOU are online and how vulnerable you are on what you click on.

    Whilst its true, the software you pay for will have additional features such as an outbound Firewall and Anti Malware built in, but just like Free AV software, there are free alternatives to those as well.

    The last time I paid for an Anti Virus site (ESET Internet Security), my iTunes account was hacked into. Now this doesn't mean to say this was due to the security on my PC but there is always that possibility. I decided not to renew my subscription when I read the latest AVTest results and saw that the likes of Avast, AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials were actually outperforming the software I had paid for.

    I now use Avast for my Anti Virus and Malware protection and for a Firewall I've installed the free TinyWall to boost the built in Windows Firewall and give me outbound protection.

    The comparison tables you see ARE marketing techniques, if you do some homework you can get all of those features without paying a penny by using a combination of free software and browser extensions.

    A browser extension such as WOT will also beef up your security by telling you which websites you can trust for safe surfing and buying online.

    But there's only so much Software can help you with, a lot of it is common sense. For example If you click on a link that says you've won £1,000,000 then alarm bells should already be ringing.
    2013 - Buffalo 500GB Portable Hard Drive, £15 iTunes card, Cadbury's Selection box
    2012 - Creative Boombox Bluetooth Speaker, Spotify 6 Month Premium Subscription
    2011 - Engraved iPad, Eurovision 2011 CD, ONE Mi Digital & FM Radio
  • pineapple
    pineapple Posts: 6,931 Forumite
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    I use free versions of everything - including sandboxie. Which imo is a belt and braces approach. There is no need for a home user to pay for products if you add this to your protection.
    Particularly as sandboxie puts all your surfing in a sandbox - as it says on a tin. Before shutting down I delete the sandbox contents - nothing is going to get through to screw up the system
    http://www.sandboxie.com/
  • Deru
    Deru Posts: 621 Forumite
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    Bedsit Bob, do you bank with any of the following?

    Barclays - They give you Kaspersky Internet Security (3x licenses).
    First Direct - AVG Antivirus
    HSBC - McAfee
    MBNA Card - McAfee.
  • Weird_Nev
    Weird_Nev Posts: 1,383 Forumite
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    For personal use you need no more than avast.
    It's free, it works, and you can put it into "silent" mode so it does not annoy with announcements or sounds.
    I have used it now for 4 years across seven or eight family laptops and all remain virus free despite uses who will click on any link.

    Paying anything is wasted money for a home user.
    for a business, then obviously you need to carefully audit what your actual requirements are before making a decision.
  • wealdroam
    wealdroam Posts: 19,181 Forumite
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    edited 13 August 2013 at 11:33AM
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    Kernel_Sanders wrote: »
    In rip-off Britain, that's priceless! In fact, I'm going to make it my new signature.
    Excellent idea. :D

    Sort of renders forums unnecessary, doesn't it?
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