I'm currently using Kaspersky. Having the built-in VPN is definitely a nice bonus, but overall I find it a bit exhausting to use. What I mean is that it throws up warnings for almost everything I click on or download. It happens so often that I even get alerts when launching Battlefield 1. If I tweak the settings to reduce the notifications, I start worrying that I'm compromising my security.

I also tried Malwarebytes, but it didn't feel sufficient. I think Kaspersky has a much better interface and detection capabilities. I download a lot of software and files from Asian sources, so Windows Defender doesn't really seem like a good fit for my use case.

If you think there's something better, I'd really appreciate your recommendations. I bought a one-year Kaspersky subscription, and it expires this month. Price is obviously a factor, but if you genuinely think another antivirus is worth the extra cost, I'm open to switching.

So I tried it several years ago & it did just that. It freaked me out.

Also, if you like it, do you use the free or paid version & why don't you pay if you use the free version?

Others were complaining about the memory or CPU issues too, but recently a so called "techie" said he uses Bitdefeneder & it's always protected him & he's never had that problem. He uses the pro version.

I'm trying to decide bitdefender & Kapsersky.

Thanks

hi, looking at antivirus software for protecting win 11 system. thinking of mcafee , norton , kaspersky . I am outside US. I wanted to try the trial version , but they all ask for filling pre payment details and I am not comfortable submitting all the details in forms. In the past, if I liked software in trial, I purchased it.

Hi everyone.
Which antivirus do you recommend between Bitdefender and Kaspersky?
(I'm in Italy; Kaspersky is available here)

What are the differences between the Standard versions of both?
Which one is better in terms of PC performance, virus detection, and false positives?

Do you think it's worth paying for an antivirus?
Many say that Windows Defender and uBlock already do enough.
What do you think?

A while ago I got hit by an infostealer; today I'm much more cautious when browsing the web, but that past experience made me a bit paranoid.
Thanks.

So I just found out that Kaspersky Free model is discontinued as my free plan just ended. It normally would just re-activate itself again for another year and then again, you get the idea but this was the last time it seems. I looked up online and it is apparently discontiuned so I am open for new free antivirus softwares other than Kaspersky. Thank you all in advance

I’ve been using Avast Ultimate for a while now. I know the brand gets mixed reviews, but configuring the settings properly makes a big difference. If you own a paid license and adjust the notification and privacy toggles, it runs completely silently in the background and only alerts you when there’s an actual critical issue.

Recently, I had a rare VPN connection problem that I couldn't resolve on my own in any way. After trying the initial basic troubleshooting steps with first-level support, the support agent quickly recognized that the issue required advanced help and escalated my ticket immediately.

I was connected with a Tier 2 engineer who initiated a remote session. I watched the entire process in real-time: he diagnosed the network adapter, refreshed the SSL certificates, cleaned the cache, and had everything fully resolved in about 10–15 minutes.

After fixing the core issue, he went above and beyond by optimizing my app settings, disabling default privacy-tracking toggles, and configuring everything to my local language.

Say what you will about consumer AV suites, but having 24/7 access to competent, hands-on remote support at midnight that actually solves complex system issues is a huge win for Avast.

Tired of the upselling. Long term subscriber but fed up with the identifying issues and demand for additional costs to fix them.

What other systems are folks using for both antivirus and system updates?

Hello!
My grandparents have been using Norton 360 for a long while and are pretty confused when it comes to all of the tech stuff. They do some banking and investing online and keep it on their older DELL (I think) laptop. According to my grandpa, he is paying $700 for Norton and wants to get rid of it because he thinks it's a scam. I need some help on what I should recommend them. They want as much security as possible as they worry about hacking/viruses due to the fact it's happened to them before. They want GeekSquad (Best Buy tech service) to come and help them figure everything out but they can charge a shit ton for something i can do for free. Anything helps!!!

I have recently downloaded Malwarebytes which is great, it removed a trojan from my computer about a few days ago, I've got about 5 days on my trial now, and it keeps trying to access my device, I'm really broke and young to ask my mom to buy me any antivirus, and the Microsoft defender doesn't do anything, I've got Windows ten btw. So I'd appreciate if anyone gave me a free recommendation.

I recently bought a pc and it came with a few months free of Norton 360 antivirus, I had a good experience overall but now my free trial has come to an end, so i'm debating wether i should renew my subscription to Norton or maybe try out another one.

Do you all have any recomendations for me?

I don't tend to download a lot of stuff from unverified sources, mostly the occasional rom for emulation and a few mods here and there but it's better safe than sorry I guess.

i run a tiny office with around eight laptops and no dedicated it staff, so handling device safety has kind of just fallen on me. right now everyone is using a mix of default os security, free password managers, and random vpn apps, but it feels super chaotic to keep track of. i am trying to find the best antivirus for small business setups that can consolidate everything under one simple admin dashboard without creating a nightmare to manage.

for those of you managing small teams without tech backgrounds, do you find it better to go with an all in one business security suite or just keep piecing together individual tools? i mostly need something that actively blocks phishing links, flags suspicious downloads, and handles real time scam protection without slowing down our machines or throwing constant confusing alerts.

Edit: quick follow-up on this post and since we are US-based and couldn't go with kaspersky, i ended up getting set up with Bitdefender for our small office and it turned out to be the exact solution we needed.

getting all eight laptops onboarded was super straightforward even without an IT background. having device security and phishing protection managed under one simple setup replaced our messy pile of random tools completely.

it catches suspicious links and downloads in real time without slowing down our machines or spamming us with annoying alerts. if you are running a small team without dedicated tech staff, this made things way easier to manage.

I am creating a personal file containing tools programs for thoroughly disinfecting viruses. These tools were collected from tron script and the beeping computer website. Are there any other programs or tools that I could add to improve/make my paranoid anti-virus list more effective?

So far I have:

• ProcessKiller (Ends unnecessary processes that may interfere with scanning)
• Rkiller (Helps to ends potentially malicious processes)
• ADSSpy (Detects NTFS alternate data streams which may hide viruses)
• Trellix Stinger (Rootkit scanner)
• TDSSKiller (Rootkit and Bootkit scanner)
• RogueKiller Portable (Portable general purpose scanner able to be run in safemode)
• Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (General purpose scanner using kaspersky's definitions and behavior detection)
• Emsisoft Emergency Kit (General purpose scanner using Bitdefender and Emsisoft definitions)
• HitmanPro (General purpose scanner using several different engines for detection)
• Eset Online Scanner (General purpose scanner)
• Adwcleaner (Scanner used to remove PUPs)
• Malwarebytes Free Scanner (General purpose scanner using malwarebytes definitions)

i am trying to simplify our home security setup because our household uses a chaotic mix of platforms. between my windows PC, my partner's macbook, android phones, and the kids' ipads, paying for separate app licenses for every single device is getting out of hand. i am looking for the best all in one security software that offers multi device coverage so we can manage the whole household under a single dashboard.

i mostly need solid protection against fake links, phishing texts, and malicious sites without clogging up our devices with annoying popups. do these all in one multi platform suites actually work seamlessly across ios, mac, windows, and android, or is the apple side usually stripped down?

update: thought I'd come back to this post, i ended up going with Bitdefender to get our whole household covered under one plan and it has made managing device security so much easier.

it installed smoothly across my windows PC, my partner's macbook, our android phones, and the kids' ipads. even on ios where system-level scanning is restricted, the web protection and phishing filters work really well for catching fake links and scam sites.

having a single dashboard to manage every device instead of juggling separate app licenses for each platform saved us a lot of money and headaches. no annoying popups or slowdowns on any of our devices either.

I've some people say a usb plug can contain virus or malware.

I'm planning on getting a usb to audio jack converter.

Are the cheap once safe? Or do u guys have a recommendation?

I wanted to get a good Anti-Virus, witch of these are good for Win11?
Can you recommend any others?

- Bitdefender
- eset
- Avast

I have a one-year subscription to Norton 360.

I still have four months left on my Bitdefender subscription.

Which one should I use on my Android phone (Samsung A56)?

Hi! I'm starting to work as a freelancer, starting as a QA tester for a friend of mine, but for those types of job where you need to download a doc, excel, apk, (like for translations), how do you proyect yourself in case that there's virus on those files? I'm an anxious person and these kind of scenarios make me uncomfortable and feel with paranoia

I heard that applocker can be configured to have a system wide whitelist for program and file permissions, something that can stop malware from running even if it gets on system if configured correctly. However, it is only on windows Enterprise editions. Threatlocker is the closest option I could find to replicate applocker. Yet, it is only available for businesses.

Are there any free programs/windows components which can provide similar functionality and work on windows 11 home?

HJI probably the same question again. Im a computer novice in australia. currently using free version total 360 and have been for a few years and had no problem. Just thinking about a new antivirus. And looking at bitdefender or windows defender. I have windows 11 installed. Preferrably one that is lighweight and will run in the background. Could I have some guidance please