Routine Security Maintenance? as a Sticky?

Kailua

Hello

I wondered if it would be possible to have some sort of routine maintenance sticky. I have been helped out a lot by the kind people on this forum when I have had a problem. It might be good practice to have some sort of regular (weekly, monthly, yearly) maintenance set out by someone who knows their stuff. It might raise awareness with us novices about the importance of routine security maintenance and might reduce some of the queries. Do the computer experts on this forum have their own routine security maintenance that they carry out on their own computers that could be shared with novices? The more clued up the novice computer user is the less chance viruses and like have of spreading?

For example, how often should I run a full scan with my anti virus software?

I understand that one programme cannot catch every kind of virus/trojan, etc. so should I be running Malwarebyte every week? month?
What about Hijack this or combo fix?
Should I be running an online scanner every couple of months or so just to be sure?

What do people think? Bad idea or Good idea?

Kind Regards
Kailua

aliEnRIK

Theres so many different ways of going about it im loathe to suggest a sticky
COMBOFIX shouldnt EVER be used by the novice. if things get so bad they feel they need to run it then they should post for advice anyways
Main problem I see is that most people dont have a clue whats running on their computers which might affect the computer in different ways and putting more security on (If they followed the 'sticky' say) could make matters worse
Thats said, as there already is a 'guide' perhaps that should be removed and something a litle better now put in its place

spud17

Also security solutions are ever changing, so it would need almost a weekly update/rewrite.

E.g. look how Free AVG has dropped out of the frame, and Microsoft Security Essentials has appeared, almost out of nowhere.

Only a few weeks back who would have thought MSE would be a success?

Main problem I see is that most people dont have a clue whats running on their computers

Or even which OS, quick survey at work, 2 didn't know, 2 had Windows, 1 had XP (didn't know version) and 1 had XP Pro.

Richie-from-the-Boro

aliEnRIK & spud17 and other who come along later, are on the money.

It's a too fast moving target that because of the nature of the individuals capacity to undertake instruction from someone like aliEnRIK could never be kept up to date.

Each scenario is different, and changed each month by ' script kiddies ', software vendors, KB's from MS etc.

It really can't be advised upon unless it's in ' real time ' the capacity to destruct / destroy your O/S using these tools is only an accidental key press away from the successful outcome desired.

Sorry Kailua, it needs to be 1 on 1

NB aliEnRIK's idea that the 'guide' perhaps should be removed and something a litle better now put in its place, I fully subscribe to.

Kailua

Thanks, everyone for the replies

Good to hear what the experts think.

I'll stick to regular antivirus updates and regular full scans (and leave the complicated bits to the experts)

Kind Regards
Kailua