[chirp_users] [OT] Re: Problems with Norton etc.

[Dennis Smith]

Dump 3rd party AV suites and use the OS provided AV tools. In order for
antivirus software to work, it needs to install hooks into the OS,
introducing weaknesses into the OS that were not there before. For an AV to
work they need to do all the things a virus does such as man in the middle
attacks EG reading your communications, even secured communications. The OS
developers know where the right places to install it's own AV without
weakening the OS.

It's hard to know where a virus ends and the AV starts because they both do
the same thing to get installed starting with the similar social
and psychological tricks to get you to install them. And once installed
they both use these same tricks (but in different ways) to make you keep
them installed, or to prevent uninstallation. A bit like different
political parties!

As previously mentions, the best AV is UNcommon sense! Think before you
click, ask the following questions :

Who gains from this? Is there ulterior motive such as gaining personal
information?
*Did I ask for this? Unsolicited files or offers are not free, nothing is
free except risk.
*Do I want this? -- Does the file come with an anything extra you didn't
want
*Why are they asking me for this? -- EG do they need my credit card number?
All I need in some cases is a name, half a telephone number or
postcode/town name and I can with reasonable certainty find someone and dig
really deep in to their personal life (I had to do this for a job I had,
I'm no expert but I always got my target, a professional will always get
you).
*Is this really the file I wanted? -- Do you know how to check the file for
tampering by checking the MD5 checksum?

And more importantly a good, tested backup system known to be reliable and
accessible is the minimum safety you should have. I mirror my drive and
have copies made stored in my safe, and at a remote location. The remote
variant is in a uniquely sealed bag, but that's just me. For many this is
overkill. However, I can be up and running from a dead PC in 20 minutes
from exactly where I left off.

I have not had a successful virus or malware attack in 10 years since
adopting this method. SSD's instead of spinning rust drives are vastly
faster, and for the most part just as reliable, but with the back ups it
makes them even better. Also it's fair to say this method works equally as
well for Windows and Linux, and probably Macs but since adding things like
extra drives is almost impossible, I have my doubts!

</RANT>

Dennis Smith
M1DLG

On 29 January 2018 at 08:53, Dave B via chirp_users <
chirp_users at intrepid.danplanet.com> wrote:

> Quite honestly, I'm amazed anyone still thinks running Norton AV is an
> acceptable solution to a perceived problem.
>
> It itself is riddled with inconsistencies and other funnies, plus has a
> hair trigger for false positives.  "Not seen by many users" is NOT a good
> metric to judge if something is bad or not.
>
> Windows own Windows Defender, in conjunction with whatever "Security
> Essentials" is now called is more than adequate for 90+% of users, and the
> price is right.
>
> Coupled with the use of "uBlock Origin" in your web browsers, to block the
> obnoxious nasties in on-line add's, and you'll have a slick fast and more
> than safe enough system.   (Heck, that is even in the MS app store now, as
> well as Chrome's webstore.)
>
> The single best AV tool, is common sense...   Never, and I mean NEVER
> *NEVER*  Click on a popup you didn't expect*, or go to a site or download
> something *YOU DID NOT YOURSELF ASK OR GO LOOKING FOR*!
>
> And Never EVER respond to anything in unsolicited (spam) email's, however
> attractive the proposition may look.
>
> (* Not even any 'X' close button, that only confirms that they've found a
> human, and may not even remove the popup.   Back out of that
> website/restart the browser and find another with what you want.)
>
> Norton AV used to be good, it's now just more bloat-ware, with
> questionable practices, and not in truth a particularly good user
> experience.
>
> As above, the best AV tool, is the wet stuff between your ears.   As in
> all life, if something appears to be too good to be true, it probably is
> bad for you, your PC, and/or your bank account!
>
> 73.
>
> Dave G0WBX.
>
>
>
>
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