What do you use against viruses/malware?

[Vireo Gilvus]

Recently on this forum, there was some concern about unwanted adware. I thought this might be a good opportunity to tell you about some of the things I use to combat all those issues I encounter on my Internet travels.

First of all, my browser is Firefox, and I highly recommend you use that and the plugins Adblock, NoScript, and Ghostery. (They protect against ads, scripts, and cookies, respectively. I didn't even know about the latter until today, but it works wonders against blocking the nasty tracking cookies which certain websites secretly install.)

I protect the files on my hard drive with Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), Spybot Search and Destroy, and Malwarebytes. All of these programs are free, although there are more advanced versions of Spybot and Malwarebytes which you have to pay for. I set MSE to run a full system scan every night after I go to bed, and I scan my system regularly with the other two programs as well.

Do you folks use any different programs or strategies? I'd like to hear what you have to say on this very important subject.

[Warlock]

Chrome, on a Mac.

- HC

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

Well, I dunno. I use Firefox and have the blockers...yet most of the ads I get are of a medical nature, which indicates to me that SOMEONE got a tracking cookie into my computer, since I work, as many of you know, running my own medical billing and coding company.

Since much of what I do on the net relates to this, I get all sorts of ads about where I can buy pre-printed superbills, etc. To heck with that, my docs need Superbills, I'll sit down in front of Word and make one of my own!

I also use Advanced System Care Pro. this is awesome stuff. You have to pay for that, but they DO have a Free version with fewer tools. You might also try using Immunet in conjunction with MSE, like I do.

Immunet does not run on your computer, and it is free. It hooks you to a cloud...and when viruses are found and reported, they are added to the database Immunet has...and then, if they are found on your system...they get zapped.

So, a lot of times, with this, you get protection early, before a lot of people know about a particular virus. Because it is NOT on your computer itself, it does not "fight" with your MSE or any other virus software you may have. And it will often catch what your other software misses.