OT: another question regarding my new PC - virus software

[eddief]

Do I need to purchase virus protection software? If so, what's the best budget and non-budget brand for me the basic home user?

[bikinchris]

Microsoft built in virus protection is pretty good from what I've seen,
.

[huck*this]

I echo the above. Microsoft creates the OS so they are pretty on top of the updates and vulnerability patches.

[tbike4]

Originally Posted by eddief

Do I need to purchase virus protection software? If so, what's the best budget and non-budget brand for me the basic home user?

You say you are a "basic" home user. Is that complete newb basic or do you have some knowledge for example, have you picked which web browser to use & if it's not Edge can you download and install it?
Do you know how to navigate the nasty outside world so you don't infect yourself? If you do I say no, use what comes with Windows. If you do not know anything about protecting your PC then would you know how to properly implement paid virus/malware protection?

I ask that to friends/relatives when they unbox their shiny new PC that comes with a 30 day trial of xyz virus protection. Some of them keep and pay for it but don't know what to do with it. Think mother in law for example.

In the office we manage a few hundred PCs and when we buy new ones the first thing to do is remove all the bloatware including the "free" AV software.

Learn what NOT to do on your PC. Then you should be fine. Or get a MAC.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by tbike4

You say you are a "basic" home user. Is that complete newb basic or do you have some knowledge for example, have you picked which web browser to use & if it's not Edge can you download and install it?
Do you know how to navigate the nasty outside world so you don't infect yourself? If you do I say no, use what comes with Windows. If you do not know anything about protecting your PC then would you know how to properly implement paid virus/malware protection?

I ask that to friends/relatives when they unbox their shiny new PC that comes with a 30 day trial of xyz virus protection. Some of them keep and pay for it but don't know what to do with it. Think mother in law for example.

In the office we manage a few hundred PCs and when we buy new ones the first thing to do is remove all the bloatware including the "free" AV software.

Learn what NOT to do on your PC. Then you should be fine. Or get a MAC.

How vulnerable are Macs to viruses and other malware? I have heard people say they are better, but is that still true? I often felt it was simply because the OS was less common...

[martl]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How vulnerable are Macs to viruses and other malware? I have heard people say they are better, but is that still true? I often felt it was simply because the OS was less common...

The gods of IT sent Steven Jobs to earth to allow lay people to assess the quality of IT Experts. If you run into one such and that person wont stop about how Apple products are always better, this is a tell to nod politely and disregard all further info coming from that expert.

To answer your question, Microsoft Defender is the least terrible option when it comes to virus protection on a Windows machine. The third party products add next to no benefit, but cost money, often have annoying subscription methods, and in the worst case, actually increase your exposure to being attacked.

(another tell for lay people about software companies: if a software comes as a "freebie" pre-installed, but wont stop nagging you for a subscription, your credit card details, your E-Mail etc, this means that the software is so crappy no one wants to buy it for its quality, and that the company providing the software has the ethics of a squirrel named Ponzi)

[tylercheung]

agree, stick w/ built in MS Defender. 3rd party software all bloatware w/ incessant ads. Use a good ad blocker when browsing and don't install weird software

https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock


for the truly paranoid, wipe your hard drive and install a clean install of windows over that. Install a windows virtual machine via vmware workstation or virtualbox and use that to run any software you don't trust...

[tylercheung]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How vulnerable are Macs to viruses and other malware? I have heard people say they are better, but is that still true? I often felt it was simply because the OS was less common...

That's part of it, but also the Mac security model is way more locked down w gatekeeper, sandboxing, code signing, etc, than Windows (partly bc windows priority is backwards compatibility w/ all else, partly bc Apple has been moving iOS phone security models to the Mac). Both platform's built-in malware protection reasonable these days as long as ppl don't install weird things.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How vulnerable are Macs to viruses and other malware? I have heard people say they are better, but is that still true? I often felt it was simply because the OS was less common...

I've never taken any specific precautions with my Apple devices and never had a problem.

[Likes2ridefar]

Another option is to eliminate a lot of the noise before it comes to you. Some routers offer the ability to block all ads and annoying popups before it enters your network, which greatly reduces your ability to click on dangerous stuff just generally browsing and increases network speed.

I use a device called a raspberry pi running pihole, which is more complicated but I’ve seen routers such as Eeros that do the same or similar thing albeit at a small cost usually.

You can no longer click any ad supported link…it returns as a dead link.

[tbike4]

Originally Posted by .RJ

I've never taken any specific precautions with my Apple devices and never had a problem.

Neither have I.. Users in our work organization can still screw things up on their Mac by simply clicking on links, email attachments etc that they are told PLEASE don't do that.

A browser hijacker comes to mind. Not hard to kill. It's the user that asks, "should I let this guy remote into my computer & fix it? He wants me to install Anydesk" OMG.

And how hard can it be to look at the subject of e mail that reads, "Bymy Soap its reel good" and think, hmmmm that looks suspicious, maybe I won't open it.

[Gsinill]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How vulnerable are Macs to viruses and other malware? I have heard people say they are better, but is that still true? I often felt it was simply because the OS was less common...

Originally Posted by martl

The gods of IT sent Steven Jobs to earth to allow lay people to assess the quality of IT Experts. If you run into one such and that person wont stop about how Apple products are always better, this is a tell to nod politely and disregard all further info coming from that expert.

A lot of words, but if I interpret them correctly, I am probably one of those Mac fanboys, so @vespasianos don't listen to me

On a serious note, it was probably true in the past that Macs were less targeted due to a limited user base.
Today, the market share in the US is about 25% (compared to 60% for Windows), which is more than enough for bad actors to consider them for attack.
This said, similar to what someone else mentioned, in my 20+ years on Macs, I never had to deal with any virus or malware, nor do I know anyone who did.