Anti-virus and Anti-malware??


  1. Posts : 272
    win10
       #1

    Anti-virus and Anti-malware??


    1. Do I need a particular anti-malware software , in addition to Anti-virus?

    2. Is the paid version of Avast good and sufficient enough to reduce risks?

    3. Is "malware" a collective term that includes ransomware, adware, spyware ......
    or are they all different things that require another anti-ransomware, anti-adware, or anti-spyware software alone??

    4. If I want to protect my computer from internet attacks, do I need another internet security software?


    I am so confused about what I should buy or install to minimize the risks of my PC infecting with all those bad things. I have no idea what I should get started
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,097
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 1809 (OS Build 17763.437)
       #2

    There's plenty of posts on this. Bear in mind, I'm not overly adventurous out on the internet. Following some here, I've settled on Windows Defender & Firewall with Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner. Not telling what you should do, just what I've done.

    Good luck.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #3

    Tsw88 said:
    1. Do I need a particular anti-malware software , in addition to Anti-virus?
    No, but having some other, even just for an occasional ondemand scanning, would not hurt.

    Like Emsisoft Emergency Kit or HitmanPro (it is free for scanning, runs a quick scan at startup).

    Tsw88 said:
    2. Is the paid version of Avast good and sufficient enough to reduce risks?
    Yes, but like any other AV, it is not perfect, you might still catch something.

    Tsw88 said:
    3. Is "malware" a collective term that includes ransomware, adware, spyware ......
    or are they all different things that require another anti-ransomware, anti-adware, or anti-spyware software alone??
    Yes, malware term fits them all, any AV should detect them all, but there is software, which focuses on the most dangerous one, like mentioned anti-ransomware or anti-keylogger, which might provide a better protection against that category. Its effectiveness varies.

    https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-c...lassifications

    Tsw88 said:
    4. If I want to protect my computer from internet attacks, do I need another internet security software?I am so confused about what I should buy or install to minimize the risks of my PC infecting with all those bad things. I have no idea what I should get started
    That is a though question, it depends, if you use WiFi, if you share files and etc.

    But for starters, you should pick non-ISP DNS, it is free and works ASAP:

    Top 10 Best Public DNS Servers & Fastest DNS Servers 2017

    Some good pointers are here:

    How to Stay Safe While Online | Gizmo's Freeware
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #4

    Tsw88 said:
    1. Do I need a particular anti-malware software , in addition to Anti-virus?
    The best approach is a "layered" one; i.e. Anti-Virus+Antimalware+(some other things, below)+safe practices.

    Tsw88 said:
    2. Is the paid version of Avast good and sufficient enough to reduce risks?
    Avast Free is a good; paid is good too. Malwarebytes Free is good (if you remember to run your scans manually); paid is good too.

    Tsw88 said:
    3. Is "malware" a collective term that includes ransomware, adware, spyware ......
    or are they all different things that require another anti-ransomware, anti-adware, or anti-spyware software alone??
    Ransomware is a type of malware infection.

    Tsw88 said:
    4. If I want to protect my computer from internet attacks, do I need another internet security software?
    There are a lot of things you can do to protect your computer, but the most important thing is the user interface.

    Tsw88 said:
    I am so confused about what I should buy or install to minimize the risks of my PC infecting with all those bad things. I have no idea what I should get started
    Your decision will be based on what you do with your computer:
    Do you visit unknown pages through a search?
    Do you go to a lot of sites that are questionable?
    Do you torrent?
    Do you open every single email you get without paying attention to who it's from or what's inside it?

    Anti-Virus+Anti-Malware is a good start.
    Avast and Malwarebytes are both good programs.
    Superantispyware (free or paid) will help with cookies and other nasties that might get by.
    Designating OpenDNS DNS servers on your NIC will help prevent you from navigating to known bad sites.
    ADWCleaner is a good tool for ferreting out bad stuff that sneaks in.
    WinPatrol is also another good one, but it will require you to pay attention to all the information it gives you to make decisions on whether to allow or deny stuff (gets on my nerves).

    There are lots more. But the most important thing is YOU. Safe surfing, email awareness, etc., are all up to the user. You could have all the protection in the world, but if you tell the computer to download and install a piece of software that has a virus/malware/adware/spyware in it, the computer is going to do what you tell it to do.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 30,119
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #5

    If I could add, and while it is not traditional Internet Security Software, you need a tested Backup and Restore process.

    Likely one for your data and one for your OS.

    One click on some email attachment and its happening. Even if you are being safe, someone on the network can release the dogs.

    Lots of good software out there in this category as well. Macrium Reflect for OS images and I just copy data out of my machine on a prescribed schedule.

    Ken
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,524
    Win10 Pro
       #6

    Tsw88 said:
    1. Do I need a particular anti-malware software , in addition to Anti-virus?

    2. Is the paid version of Avast good and sufficient enough to reduce risks?

    3. Is "malware" a collective term that includes ransomware, adware, spyware ......
    or are they all different things that require another anti-ransomware, anti-adware, or anti-spyware software alone??

    4. If I want to protect my computer from internet attacks, do I need another internet security software?


    I am so confused about what I should buy or install to minimize the risks of my PC infecting with all those bad things. I have no idea what I should get started
    Hi Tsw88. While you will see that everyone has their favorite antivirus software, one especially effective step that you can take, in addition to antivirus software, is to make frequent backup images and store them off line so that if you are the victim of ransomware or virus that you will be able to restore your PC from the backup. Many people here use Macrium Reflect either the paid or free version and store the images on a NAS or a USB drive. This will also protect you from bad updates or accidental loss of files. If you don't already do this you really should look into this.
      My Computers


 

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