AntiVirus Recommendations Please - Page 3

nffc · 06-01-2005, 00:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

I don't use one because of these reasons:

1. I have never caught a virus from having the internet for 6 years
2. Why waste CPU cycles that could be re-cycled for something else (CPDN)
3. Even if I have 1.28GB memory, I hate anti-virus software doing loads of I/O activity on my drives

That's why I don't use one.

1 is an irrelevance, I've never been run over by a bus but that doesn't mean if I go out tomorrow I'm not going to get run over by a bus.

2- You have what spec PC, running a generous OS (2000 IIRC) and you're bothered about a few CPU cycles, for what?

3- You have 1.28 GB of RAM and you're moaning about a process that will take a few MB?

You're playing with fire, and anyone who plays with fire will get burnt eventually.

SOSAGES · 06-01-2005, 08:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

I don't use one because of these reasons:

1. I have never caught a virus from having the internet for 6 years
2. Why waste CPU cycles that could be re-cycled for something else (CPDN)
3. Even if I have 1.28GB memory, I hate anti-virus software doing loads of I/O activity on my drives

That's why I don't use one.

on my spare pc i didnt have any virus software for a while - complicated issues and i never use the thing and it sits behind a nice router but i did a scan the other day and it had loads ...u would be mad not to use virus software.

06-01-2005, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

on my spare pc i didnt have any virus software for a while - complicated issues and i never use the thing and it sits behind a nice router but i did a scan the other day and it had loads ...u would be mad not to use virus software.

Well my laptop which is just running the CPDN software hasn't had one for about a year and is clean

bob_builder · 06-01-2005, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Am I the only one on this forum who doesn't use Anti-Virus software?

I used to have no Anti-Virus software and never had a problem with viruses. The only reason I installed AVG was that once I had installed XP SP2 I got fed-up with XP telling me that my computer was not protected all the time.

Since, installing AVG I find it fits my requirements perfectly. It was free but XP still detected it (so stopped the annoying popups) and I only notice it is running when it tells me there are new updates to download.

SOSAGES · 06-01-2005, 10:56

u can stop the pop ups in xp sp2 just go into the security centre and click antivirus and tick the "i have a solution i will monitor my self"

- as for virus i know whats what on the web and i am very careful and patched up but some still creep through.

07-01-2005, 11:49

Well E-Trust's Anti-Virus has slown my CPDN software down to hell, so I've tried to unistall it but it keeps failing to unistall it. It's always E-Trust's Anti-Virus that fails to unistall it's self. So I've had to stop it from launching at start up and disable the service for it.

Last time I ever use E-Trust.

Paul K · 07-01-2005, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Well E-Trust's Anti-Virus has slown my CPDN software down to hell, so I've tried to unistall it but it keeps failing to unistall it. It's always E-Trust's Anti-Virus that fails to unistall it's self. So I've had to stop it from launching at start up and disable the service for it.

Last time I ever use E-Trust.

Does it give any errors when it fails to uninstall and have you tried uninstalling it while the service isn't actually running?

07-01-2005, 12:24

I tried unistalling it with everything related to it closed or disabled, and it just keeps failing to remove the service and all the files for it.

Was able to totally disable it so it doesn't run any more, and I'm giving Avast! a try. So far I prefer Avast! to E-Trust, and it doesn't slow down CPDN

Stuart · 07-01-2005, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Well my laptop which is just running the CPDN software hasn't had one for about a year and is clean

Even with a good firewall,without a good antivirus system, at some point you will get a virus. You have been lucky so far. At some point you won't be. My PC at home is behind two firewalls (one in the router, and Zonealarm Pro on the PC) and I have still had a couple of problems with Viruses. Luckily in both cases, McAfee stopped them before they did any damage.

07-01-2005, 12:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by scastle

Even with a good firewall,without a good antivirus system, at some point you will get a virus. You have been lucky so far. At some point you won't be. My PC at home is behind two firewalls (one in the router, and Zonealarm Pro on the PC) and I have still had a couple of problems with Viruses. Luckily in both cases, McAfee stopped them before they did any damage.

Well if no one uses my laptop (and I mean it's just got it's lid closed 24/7) and only has BOINC running on it, how is it going to catch a virus?

Stuart · 07-01-2005, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Well if no one uses my laptop (and I mean it's just got it's lid closed 24/7) and only has BOINC running on it, how is it going to catch a virus?

It's entirely possible they could do it through BOINC. Just because no exploits have been found in it, does not mean there are none.

07-01-2005, 12:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by scastle

It's entirely possible they could do it through BOINC. Just because no exploits have been found in it, does not mean there are none.

That's the thing with BOINC, it only uses the internet when it has to (which is every 15 hours and only for about a second) and it updates it's self automatically. So far CPDN and the people who make BOINC havn't found any type of flaw that can allow someone to send a virus or allow access to my PC threw it (as there isn't really a point, it's for Distributed Computing and nothing more).

Bifta · 07-01-2005, 12:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

That's the thing with BOINC, it only uses the internet when it has to (which is every 15 hours and only for about a second) and it updates it's self automatically. So far CPDN and the people who make BOINC havn't found any type of flaw that can allow someone to send a virus or allow access to my PC threw it (as there isn't really a point, it's for Distributed Computing and nothing more).

If BOINC allows incoming traffic for any reason on port 80 (I know it transmits on port 80 and presumably needs a connection in to verify it) then you are at risk from a number of virus's. Most of which will scan random IP's for any open ports and automatically infect the host machines.

07-01-2005, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

If BOINC allows incoming traffic for any reason on port 80 (I know it transmits on port 80 and presumably needs a connection in to verify it) then you are at risk from a number of virus's. Most of which will scan random IP's for any open ports and automatically infect the host machines.

Well I'll try Avast! on it later, I know my laptop doesn't like other things running in the back-ground

Stuart · 07-01-2005, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

That's the thing with BOINC, it only uses the internet when it has to (which is every 15 hours and only for about a second) and it updates it's self automatically. So far CPDN and the people who make BOINC havn't found any type of flaw that can allow someone to send a virus or allow access to my PC threw it (as there isn't really a point, it's for Distributed Computing and nothing more).

Actually, as the individual BOINC projects are not sandboxed (IE they have the same level of access to the system as the user that runs them), it's entirely possible that a project could be doing all sorts of nasty stuff, including install viruses.

BTW, the info about BOINC not being sandboxed comes from the BOINC website (http://boinc.berkeley.edu/security.php).

The code signing scheme they use will go some way to prevent this, but theoretically, that is breakable.Berkley also make the point (on the page above) that by running a BOINC project, you entrust the security of your system to whoever wrote the poject.

Hell, just persuaded myself never to install BOINC.

Even if you are not directly affected, it's entirely possible that a virus could install itself on the laptop then flood your network connection with attempts to infect other people. It's also entirely possible, if you are connected via a Hub (not a router) that a virus could be sitting there scanning your network for passwords, or other useful information, such as Credit Card numbers.

A virus scanner would go some way toward minimising the risk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Well I'll try Avast! on it later, I know my laptop doesn't like other things running in the back-ground

OK.. Well done!