What is currently the best Antivirus in your opinion?

Thank you very much everybody.

I don't mean to hog this thread but I will say that Windows Security/Defender works very well and is every bit as good as the high-powered paid AV's. It is an internal component of the Windows OS so there are no compatibility problems. Defender may not have the same methodology as a third party AV but it still does the same job of keeping malware off my computer. Defender's protection is even stronger with Andy Ful's ConfigureDefender utility. I use the new MS Edge browser which is also designed to work with Defender and Smartscreen. They all work very well together and I see no need to change anything.

The only "problem" I have had with Defender is I don't like how their Controlled Folder Access anti-ransomware module can sometimes block legitimate programs. I turned it off and do not really need it anyway. I will use the free ESET virus scanner if I ever suspect anything is wrong or once in a great while just for peace of mind. I check any suspicious files on Virus Total before anything else, but I very rarely run into anything suspicious online.

The thing I had to realize is that with "free" AV's you still pay for it with your data, and the AV still hounds you to upgrade and buy their bloated system cleaners, registry editors, software updaters and other tools that cost money and may or may not really work all that well. Even the paid AV's still send offers to upgrade and pay more for their bloated premium versions. Personally, I don't like that.

I keep my system all Microsoft with Edge, Defender, Smart Screen and when I can I use only apps/extensions from the Microsoft store. I use my head and common sense when online and try to stay well educated about what to look out for from the bad guys. I think that is the best way to keep my system clean. Defender used to be a joke back in the time of Windows 7. Not so any more, it gets tested regularly and always scores right there with the "best" paid AV's. Microsoft has a tremendously talented team working on their security, they have a huge investment and reputation to protect and I put my trust in them.

This is the end of my sermon on Defender. It is plenty good enough for me.

Jimmy

I'm in the "I don't download any viruses" camp. But I still use Windows Defender just in case, and, to protect my browser, I use Sandboxie Plus─in concert with Acronis True Image for system-wide protection as a final resort─because, when compared to a Virtual Machine (VM) such as VirtualBox or Hyper-V, for example, isolation software like Sandboxie Plus is leaps and bounds ahead in performance, which makes it ideal for typical home use in a hobbiest-like environment. I mean, my new laptop isn't a slowpoke, I am quite happy with the performance for what I need, but if I wanted to run my Windows 10 in a VM it would simply bog me down from time to time. Use Hyper-V with Docker (and Kubernetes) only at the enterprise level. You know. Always choose the right tools for the job.

Hi there
There really isn't a catch all system although WD is probably just as good (or bad) as any of them. These days though you are much more likely to get scammed than virus infected. Even well known torrent sites don't want rubbish on them any more -- bad torrents mean less traffic and less advertising revenue -- so if using torrents only download "proper files" - and avoid compressed ones especially .rar and .zip ones .rar seem to be the ones most at risk.

Never give out info on social media sites etc, avoid "cloned websites", don't open email attachments unless you know the source and avoid like the plague any "official looking sites" from Banks, Tax authorities etc offering you refunds.

Another recent scam doing the rounds is potential property buyers getting an email allegedly from their lawyers / solicitors handling the purchase saying their bank account has changed - please use this one instead. If you get one of those check up with your lawyer / solicitor before transferring any money -- with property huge big bucks can be easily lost and this is a nasty scam doing the rounds.

Keep WD up to date - but no anti virus program will protect you against these sorts of scams -- A.I (Artificial Intelligence) might but we are a long way off A.I reaching that level of sophistication -- Ms is a big player in that so don't chuck away your Ms Stock just yet. !!!

Anybody who's a good writer should write a small book on Common Scams -- there's definitely a gap in that market - you can google for absolutely complex subjects that probably only 2 people on the entire planet understand and there's a million technical books on it -- but something small like "Scams 101 and how to avoid" seems very rare !!!.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi folks
As an update to being ever aware to scams and not to get too involved in the intricacies of Computer Security (WD is good enough these days for typical home users) just read about this scam published today on the BBC's website.

Eight arrests in Royal Mail text scam investigation - BBC News

Cheers
jimbo