Poll: How many use anti-virus software

[Workin']

<< You know how many people are still propogating nimda and have no idea they're doing it? >>

LOL, but I control everything that goes in or out of my computer My webserver gets at least 50 nimda probes each day from people who probably think they control everything that goes in or out of their computer.

If you are running a Windows machine that EVER connects to the internet, and you are not running an anti-virus program, then you are a menace to the greater good. There's simply no excuse not to do it. None whatsoever, and totally irresponsible as well. You're deluded if you think a virus on your machine affects only you...

 

[Rottie]

I use Norton AV 2000 on my Win2k and ZA 3.0 with Seimens Router. NAV scans every Friday.

I get email virus with attachment once a week but never got system infected at all.

I think they hate me cuz I am deaf. (sigh)

 

[Zebo]

Never have never will. I keep a tight ship- running Proxomitron, limited java, backing up regularly and ghost is my favorite program.

The problem with virus programs is your never up-to-date since macaffee or what ever is always one step behind. Virus programs steal system resources and make booting times longer (if you actuaaly use them properly). It's just not woth it to me until I get infected. Hopefully that won't happen. But then again I've never locked my car or house either. Guess I rely too much on poeples greater good so to speak.

Never run an executable from email!

- menace

 

[randomlinh]

why is AVG free anyway?

And does the email integration work in full? When i used norton, it would scan and i would know.. AVG is transparent.. but i dunno if it's working..

 

[n0cmonkey]

I just wanted to thank all of you that dont use virus protection. It would be much harder to DDoS without you

 

[Nothinman]

Never run an executable from email!

Guess you missed the IE mime-type handling bug that let web pages or email (so long as you have auto-preview on in OE) run things without asking you.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Never run an executable from email!

Guess you missed the IE mime-type handling bug that let web pages or email (so long as you have auto-preview on in OE) run things without asking you. >>



He wont install a program that does everything for him in the background, you think he is going to keep up on patches if he actually has to do the work himself?

 

[GhettoFob]

On my old system, I used to only scan weekly or whenever I download files, but now I leave it on most of the time. I don't notice any slow down so it's better safe than sorry. I only turn it off if I'm encoding divx or something.

 

[Zebo]

<< Never run an executable from email!

Guess you missed the IE mime-type handling bug that let web pages or email (so long as you have auto-preview on in OE) run things without asking you. >>



I have always used pine so the only problem I have is lack of html or the like. Look it's just one of those things pople won't agree on like locking your home. I feel the criminals will find a way no matter what you do and you feel you can prevent it with certain measures like locks and virus programs.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<<

<< Never run an executable from email!

Guess you missed the IE mime-type handling bug that let web pages or email (so long as you have auto-preview on in OE) run things without asking you. >>



I have always used pine so the only problem I have is lack of html or the like. Look it's just one of those things pople won't agree on like locking your home. I feel the criminals will find a way no matter what you do and you feel you can prevent it with certain measures like locks and virus programs. >>



The lack of fight in you is depressing.

 

[Workin']

<< why is AVG free anyway? >>

Use the personal edition for free -> maybe you'll buy the (reasonably priced, BTW) corporate or server editions.

<< And does the email integration work in full? When i used norton, it would scan and i would know.. AVG is transparent.. but i dunno if it's working.. >>

Sure, it works. If you use Outlook you can set AVG to append a message saying it was scanned, either on receipt, sending, or both.

As far as those of you saying av programs bog down your machine, the only ones I've seen that do that are McAfee (POS IMO) and Norton's bloatware. AVG has zero discernable impact on my system's responsiveness.

 

[Zebo]

<<

The lack of fight in you is depressing. >>



Visit http://www.hardforum.com for that.

 

[manly]

CarbonylXP,

I assume you download applications from web sites. Do you just blindly assume they are clean?

Furthermore, you never open any documents from colleagues or download any files from any other sources?

Any Winblows PC that accesses resources on the Internet, and saves any of them locally, shouldn't operate without some level of virus detection. While a real-time scanner does consume CPU cycles, you're mistaken on how much of a hit this is. It should be negligible on any 500 MHz CPU or better. And if the hit is that much of an issue on an older PC, you can use the demand scanner only. Also, besides the initialization of a real-time scanner, anti-virus software doesn't add any time to boot-up.

It's one thing to not lock your car door because you trust the neighborhood you live in (or even your town). It's another thing entirely to trust the Internet as a whole.

 

[nagger]

I use AV software since the DOS days, after the first virus infection, I knew that I had to protect my mum's works...

The first virus that infected my recently departed 386SX, screwed my mums CV so bad, that I had to skip classes for 2 full days to rewrite it from scratch...

I was a Mcafee user until last year, now I'm using NAV 2002 and its always running in the background.

My PC has removable HD's and last friday NAV caught 6 instances of Sircam in the HD from a friend who had that Vapouware Panda Antivirus Platinum installed...

She never updated the virus definitions and Sircam infected even the .cab files that ME uses for System Recovery.

Now her PC has Norton Internet Security 2002 installed and Live Update runs automatically every time she connects to the Internet.

 

[Zebo]

<< I assume you download applications from web sites. Do you just blindly assume they are clean? >>



Only Microsoft corporation. No I don't assume so and I don't have time to play so I don't shareware and only download *usually* from major vendors when I need something. Even if something does have a virus my understanding was it's new and can infect vaccinated computers. So it's just not woth the subsription to me. I regularly have 3-4 ghosts images and all data files on a separate volume..
I ghost when the OS stats acting buggy which does happen to me at least every 6 months. It could be virus I don't know. But it helps for another 6+ months before It time again.

Image 1-
Microsoft OS
All hardware drivers

Image 2
Above+
All commercial applications

Image 3
Above+
All freeware, shareware etc.

Image 4
Above+
Network config, and user settings etc etc.



<< Furthermore, you never open any documents from colleagues or download any files from any other sources? >>



I regularly send and recieve email, word, autocad, pdf files to clients and colleages. NP. Yet.



<< Any Winblows PC that accesses resources on the Internet, and saves any of them locally, shouldn't operate without some level of virus detection. >>



fair enough, I think it's wishful thinking that you'll or macaffee will stop it.



<< While a real-time scanner does consume CPU cycles, you're mistaken on how much of a hit this is. It should be negligible on any 500 MHz CPU or better. And if the hit is that much of an issue on an older PC, you can use the demand scanner only. Also, besides the initialization of a real-time scanner, anti-virus software doesn't add any time to boot-up. >>



I have used them even recently on a t-bird 1.4 running XP. They do a scan upon boot, and promt you regularly for backup scanning stuff, and whenever I tried to download it scanned. Just over all an intrusive hassle which I 'did'nt care for so I uninstalled it.

 

[Nothinman]

only download *usually* from major vendors when I need something.

S3 was one of the first places to get hit and help spread nimda.

Even if something does have a virus my understanding was it's new and can infect vaccinated computers.

Depends on how long it takes for the signatures to get updated, usually they're out the same day the virus is released, sometimes earlier.

I ghost when the OS stats acting buggy which does happen to me at least every 6 months

Sounds like you have problems besides being a 'good computer using citizen'...

I regularly send and recieve email, word, autocad, pdf files to clients and colleages. NP. Yet.

Clients send us infected word docs almost regularly, they're probably the worst offenders, and these are big name companies that should know better.

fair enough, I think it's wishful thinking that you'll or macaffee will stop it.

And it's stupid to assume it won't. Just because there's a chance of something bad happening, doesn't mean you should invite it too, or you might as well commite suicide now since you're going to die eventually anyway.

Just over all an intrusive hassle which I 'did'nt care for so I uninstalled it.

Sounds like you had it poorly configured, but then again that doesn't surprise me.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Only Microsoft corporation. >>



And you think there arent viruses bouncing around on their servers? Think again. Most of the .Net viruses out there specifically target and can only infect MICROSOFT. woops.



<< I ghost when the OS stats acting buggy which does happen to me at least every 6 months. >>



Instead of fixing your computer problems? Sweet.



<< I regularly send and recieve email, word, autocad, pdf files to clients and colleages. NP. Yet. >>



You know its possible to embed a virus into a word .doc and a .pdf right?



<< fair enough, I think it's wishful thinking that you'll or macaffee will stop it. >>



You must not be a gambling man. Play the odds. The odds are *MUCH* better if you not only be intelligent about what you do, but also use an anti-virus program. You may not be the smartest guy in the world, but with a little help you should be fine. You cant stop it by yourself, and these anti-virus programs cant stop it by themselves, but together you have a chance.



<< I have used them even recently on a t-bird 1.4 running XP. They do a scan upon boot, and promt you regularly for backup scanning stuff, and whenever I tried to download it scanned. Just over all an intrusive hassle which I 'did'nt care for so I uninstalled it. >>



RTFM, or do what I do, dont reboot. Duh

 

[dakata24]

i personally run AVG/NAV plus zonealarm...

and as a last resort backup, a 9 disc ghost of my drive after installing everything the way i like it... service packs/games/apps.... lol. but as i said, last resort..

 

[Zebo]

<< Only Microsoft corporation. >>


And you think there arent viruses bouncing around on their servers? Think again. Most of the .Net viruses out there specifically target and can only infect MICROSOFT. woops.
That was a lame joke I guess. You know everytime you start to download sothing from MS they promt you with a dialog box with a radio botton that says something like... "I always trust Microsoft Corporation".


<< I ghost when the OS stats acting buggy which does happen to me at least every 6 months. >>


Instead of fixing your computer problems? Sweet.
Takes about a whole 3 mintues to ghost 4 computers and they work fluid afterwards. Saves time but not very stimulating.


<< I regularly send and recieve email, word, autocad, pdf files to clients and colleages. NP. Yet. >>


You know its possible to embed a virus into a word .doc and a .pdf right?
Yes, this is the main arguement that has me reconsidering my choice not to use antivirus software.


<< I have used them even recently on a t-bird 1.4 running XP. They do a scan upon boot, and promt you regularly for backup scanning stuff, and whenever I tried to download it scanned. Just over all an intrusive hassle which I 'did'nt care for so I uninstalled it. >>


RTFM, or do what I do, dont reboot. Duh