BleepingComputer.com: Setup recommendations

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Setup recommendations so many choices...

#1 User is offline   pheyos 

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Posted 19 November 2009 - 12:48 AM

Hi all,

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum to post in, or if there is a tutorial I should be reading instead. My old computer recently got deep sixed and I wasn't able to get it fixed. I'm getting a new system (about time anyways) and want to ask about a recommended set up once I get it.

I've read the suggestions here, and would like to know what you all think. I have access to Sophos Antivirus, and would like to know what else I should install. Which firewall would you recommend?

I will restrict the Active-X settings before I ever get it connected to the internet. Is there anything else I should look out for?

Thank you in advance.

pheyos

#2 User is offline   JamesFrance 

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Posted 20 November 2009 - 06:24 AM

The article by ChrisRLG was written 4 years ago and security software available has moved on a lot since then.

I think there are much better firewalls available now than those shown and would suggest you consider Comodo or OnlineArmor for example.
James

#3 User is offline   quietman7 

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Posted 20 November 2009 - 12:39 PM

Choosing a firewall is a matter of personal preference, your technical ability/experience, features offered, the amount of resources utilized, how it may affect system performance and what will work best for your system. A particular firewall that works well for one person may not work as well for another. There is no universal "one size fits all" solution that works for everyone. You may need to experiment and find the one most suitable for your use.

Since have questions about using a firewall, you may want to read:
Microsoft MVP - Consumer Security 2007-2012 Posted Image
Member of UNITE, Unified Network of Instructors and Trusted Eliminators

#4 User is offline   Stang777 

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Posted 21 November 2009 - 01:52 AM

Personally, I swear by the ZoneAlarm firewall. Their free one is great but I prefer the one that comes with the paid antivirus program, as it provides a firewall for the operating system.

You can always try out a few different ones and see which one you like best.

#5 User is offline   pheyos 

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Posted 21 November 2009 - 02:52 AM

JamesFrance, quietman7, Stang777,

Thank you all very much for your input. You've given me great resources and firewalls to try out. First stop for the new system!

How many other programs do you think would be sufficient, without bogging the system down? Along with Sophos I was thinking Microsoft Security Essentials. I have used Malwarebytes Anti-malware in the past, but couldn't judge how well it worked (computer died not too long after).

Thank you again for your help.

pheyos

#6 User is offline   Someones 

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Posted 21 November 2009 - 03:03 AM

You could also check out the free security software recommendations here.

#7 User is offline   pheyos 

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Posted 23 November 2009 - 02:55 AM

Thank you as well Someones! Excellent resource and suggestions from the quiz. May I ask what you use?

#8 User is offline   JamesFrance 

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Posted 23 November 2009 - 04:55 AM

Hi pheyos,

You would not want to run Microsoft Security Essentials as well as Sophos anti virus as you could get conflicts with two installed antivirus applications.

Personally I have used Comodo Internet Security for over a year now with no infections. I do the occasional scan with MalwareBytes and Superantispyware as a check, but so far they have found nothing apart from a MalwareBytes false positive, which was promptly removed from their database when I reported it.

There is a new cloud Antivirus, Immunet Protect, which is designed to run alongside your installed antivirus and I am trying that recently as well, without any sign of problems or reduced performance.
James

#9 User is offline   pheyos 

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Posted 24 November 2009 - 01:54 AM

Hi James,

Thank you for the tip. I guess it looks like I'll run Sophos plus one of the firewalls mentioned. If I decide to go with the slightly higher-end (pay for) ZoneAlarm Antivirus or Comodo Internet Security Pro, I'm guessing there might be a conflict as well if both anti-virus programs want to run in the background?

Immunet Protect sounds real interesting. Great to hear it isn't conflicting with your setup or slowing you down. Think I'll give that a run as well!

Thanks again,

pheyos

#10 User is offline   JamesFrance 

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Posted 24 November 2009 - 03:55 AM

There is no need to pay for Comodo Internet Security. The Pro version just adds Trustconnect secure wifi and remote assistance, so if you ever get a problem they will sort it out for you by connecting to your computer remotely. The security is just the same.

As you said you could not run that with Sophos anyway, but if you wanted their firewall you can deselect the antivirus during installation after downloading the installer..

Immunet is very interesting as you can see what files are added to your computer every day. It is surprising how much changes daily.

This post has been edited by JamesFrance: 24 November 2009 - 03:58 AM

James

#11 User is offline   pheyos 

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Posted 26 November 2009 - 02:13 AM

Thanks again for your advice. I've got a much better idea now of what I could do with the system (which should be here soon). The system has Windows 7 on it. Any known incompatibilities to watch out for?

pheyos

#12 User is offline   JamesFrance 

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Posted 26 November 2009 - 03:52 AM

Comodo CIS is OK for Windows 7, you need to choose to download either the 32 bit or 64 bit version depending on your system.
James

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