Internet Security - no idea

movingon

Hi, OH and I have Windows Defender installed on laptops and as far as I can tell there is no form of security at all on our phones or tablets. I have just joined SSE broadband and got connected today. It comes with free Internet Security Suite (SSE.netintelligence.com), but being a complete novice, I cant tell if this is better, worse or necessary to use in conjunction with Windows Defender, or instead of.
Could someone please advise- should I install this on all our devices that use this internet connection?
Thank you:o

RumRat

Personally, I wouldn't use it. Most of the ISP's offer some form of 'Security'. I've only ever found that they slow down things.
using two antivirus programs is not recommended
What Operating system do you have on your laptops?
What do you use your laptops for?

movingon

Hi
Thanks for replying. We have windows 10 on one, windows 8 on another and the tablets are android.
We just browse/ check e mails/ occasionally download films or music.
I have banking on mine (Windows 10)

RumRat

You can check in the android store for your tablet anti-virus.
For your Laptops you could carry on as you are or install a free antivirus that would be better than Windows defender, although these days it's fine for a bit of general surfing etc.
for the least hassle, if you want to try a third party AV try Bitdefender free edition. It won't blind you with science or nag you constantly.
Other people will have their own ideas, but, that's mine for what it's worth.:)

Richie-from-the-Boro

MS has come a long way since the bad old days [CodeRed, ILoveYou," and Nimda] to name a few of 10 years ago when we had more worms than my lawn on a very warm wet day.



User activity has much to do with exploited vulnerability, that is in the particular what AV is there for - to protect us from our own stupidity. Having said that many Web app developers don't know to build software with security in mind, a veteran like MS certainly does, and pays partners to help, and continues to do so, including the apps we run on mobiles. For myself I've not used a paid for or a free AV product on any win operating system since Win7. Again my opinion MS is better than any free AV.

I've made may posts going back many years on this forum on AV starting with the wonderful Rapport which banks including mine were insisting you used Rapport was in fact Phorm put out by the Okie Trading Company and was a key logger. I would never install any from Virgin for example and certainly never from a bank. You be responsible for your own machine and make your own decisions - for myself MS does a good enough job - is free - and works for me.

bsod

ms is a company not an antivirus product

if they are so good at security, what are all those windows updates for, why does antivirus software exist, and why does every other antivirus product have a better detection rate than defender in independent tests

it's time this idea of it's the stupid users fault was put to rest, general surfing still needs a good antivirus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34541915

Fightsback

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

MS has come a long way since the bad old days [CodeRed, ILoveYou," and Nimda] to name a few of 10 years ago when we had more worms than my lawn on a very warm wet day.

Not too sure about that Richie and besides I trust MS marketing bumpf as much as I'd trust Dracula promoting the blood transfusion service. "Get the facts" and "Scroogled" are two hilarious examples. Online fraud is costing a fortune.

Microsoft still do some pretty stupid things like re-cycling old code from donkeys ago even though it was poor programming practice years ago, a good case and point is font parsing in the kernel, font parsing in the kernel for goodness sake ! For having the default user profile run with admin privileges they deserve a dam good slippering, running as a standard user mitigates over 90% of RCE vulnerabilities.

However soon Microsoft will be the least of your worries with idiots making toasters, fridges, bath time rubber ducks and G0d knows what else internet connected that will most unlikely ever be patched against flaws and have their security set up by a YTS kid.

edited after nanny filter mauled the post.

wongataa

bsod wrote: »

ms is a company not an antivirus product

if they are so good at security, what are all those windows updates for,

All software has bugs. Some of them are potentially serious. Would you rather the company that writes the software doesn't fix any bugs or not? I know what the sensible answer is. Be glad that MS do supply security updates like a responsible company should do.

bsod

you seem to have completely missed the context

and

poorly written software released without adequate testing has bugs, not all software.

AndyPix

You do not need antivirus on a phone or tablet.

Viruses do not and cannot exist on these devices (unless rooted)

Malware exists, but you don't even need antimalware
You simply need to exercise a little care as to what you install, and install from the official store.

Phone/tablet antivirus stuff is complete snake oil of the highest order

smudger1964

AndyPix wrote: »

You do not need antivirus on a phone or tablet.

Viruses do not and cannot exist on these devices (unless rooted)



Phone/tablet antivirus stuff is complete snake oil of the highest order

I agree totally all they do is use up valuable battery life and that is precious on a modern smartphone