Hello
Do we really need anti-virus/anti-malware software?
I have been using BitDefender Total Security (v2019), but GBP 70.00 seems expensive. Plus I am wondering how much it slows my PC down...
J
Please see the various similar discussions on Windows Defender which may help (i.e. do we need a 3rd party AV)? :
What is the best free AV software, Bitdefender or Avast?
Does windows security enough?
Windows Defender - is it THAT good?
Is Windows Defender good on Windows 10?
Should I ditch antivirus and just use Windows Defender?
J,
Windows defender is already included in Windows 10. It is not free but you have paid for it already [either directly as an OS retail purchase or indirectly within the cost of your computer].
Many of us regard Windows defender as being a sufficent anti-malware defence tool. And independent testers agree - www.avtest.org
Denis
But is it worth having a security SUITE?
Also I saw somewhere people recommending Windows Defender to be used with (I think) MalwareBytes.
What am I missing - will Windows Defender defend against "phishing" and "ransomware"? (TBH, I only have a vague idea of what they are!)
Background
I am not an advanced user. I just want something simple that I can install and more or less forget about - bar my running the occasional update...
J
Yes, it is worth having a security application. Otherwise, you'd be open to infection if, for example, you visit a normally trustworthy website and it [or its advertisements] have been booby-trapped by hackers.
You can add an additional security application if you wish but you would need to study the links you were given before if you wanted to understand what to add & how to manage them.
Windows defender does not protect against phishing. Your own actions are what protects you against phishing.
Windows defender can protect you against ransomware.
Windows defender is already in Windows 10 so you do not even need to "install and more or less forget about" it - you can simply "more or less forget about" it. And Windows update ensures that you do not even have to worry about having to take action to update it. By the way, "occasional update" is not appropriate when referring to security applications - all security applications are updated daily or even multiple times a day.
Denis
So if I'm going to get a suite, then I am tempted by "F-Secure SAFE" (or the TOTAL version) which it seems was well reviewed on av-test.org
Test F-Secure SAFE 17 for Windows 10 (192309) | AV-TEST
Any strong views?
J
No. The first line of defense is the browser, you can use extensions like:
Emsisoft Browser Security - Chrome Web Store
Bitdefender TrafficLight - Free Add-on for Secure Web Browsing
On top of it a secure DNS, blocking known malware domains, like Cleanbrowsing Security or Neustar Threat.
https://cleanbrowsing.org/ip-address#security
UltraRecursive DNS on the Global Anycast Network | Neustar
Yes.
I emphatically would NOT advise you to make a choice based on whether or not the application was a so-called "suite".
I would instead be interested in how effective it was and whether I halfway understood it and could use it as intended.
Windows Defender is likely enough unless you have an unusual case (such as regular deliberate visits to high risk web sites or other indifference to good browsing habits) or tend to be the worrying kind. If so, add on something like Malwarebytes. I do use the latter, but it rarely if ever detects anything. I continue to use it nonetheless because I am, to some extent, the worrying kind.
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