[dba-Tech] Win 10 virus protection

[John R Bartow]

Hi Tina,
Disclaimer: we're all very technical people on these lists so my discussion
does reflect people that know what they're doing. ;-)

I haven't abandoned Vipre. After being sold/spun off for the third time in
about 1/2 dozen years, I expected there may have been some staff drainage at
Vipre HQ. But et, I've had no problems with it in my client base. But then I
also don't rely on one program to secure my clients. (Layering is a must.)
Vipre seems to be better than Bitdefender at blocking the annoying crapware
add-ons like conduit based toolbars and such. But Bitdefender had a better
solution for preventing ransomware and that is currently the most damaging
exploit there is and is only getting worse. All it takes is to click on one
email attachment that starts the process and a disaster begins. But even
where I am replacing Vipre on PCs, if they have a server Vipre will stay on
it. That's two AMs scanning the same files. 

For instance I like to have Vipre and HitmanPro web alert. It seems to be
very effective (either that or I have very smart clients) at blocking web
born exploits. Also CryptoPrevent is a good product for small businesses to
aid in resisting ransomware (and there is a free version.) It coexists
nicely with the normal AM like Vipre or BitDefender. And for clients that
have gateways with malware scanning support, it is usually Kaspersky or
Sophos AM scanners.

No AMs can stop the latest exploits immediately, there's a reaction curve.
The problem is the users. Specifically users being duped into doing
something they shouldn't. That is the #1 cause of problems and it's hard to
get people to stop clicking on attachments, advertisements, fake update
pop-ups etc. So, we try to block all of that stuff. For every solution there
is a reaction from the bad guys and the circle continues. I insist on popup
blockers in browsers - currently I install AdBlockPlus on all browsers
because it is the only free solution I know of that works easily, and
supports IE, FF and Chrome. (Most of my client base still have to use IE for
some websites.)

Also mail filtering is SO important. Currently mail filters should remove
any attachment with embedded javascript as that is the latest attack vector
of ransomware exploits. And it needs to strip the, by now, run of the mill
fake UPS or FedEx email with the infected attachments that have been duping
people for decades.

But the biggest thing people need to have is disconnected backup. Sticking
an external drive onto a PC, backing up to it every day and thinking that
will save has been outmoded since the inception of ransomware, encrypting
exploits. Anything they can get to now, they encrypt, including external
devices, mapped and unmapped networks shares,
DropBox/OneDrive/GoogleDrive/SugarSync synchronizations folders (and hence
their cloud counterparts). Disconnected backup includes the old rotational
backups and/or true cloud backup solutions. 

Prevention is much less expensive than reactionary remediation.

I still get a lot of PCs to clean up for people that aren't my RMS clients.
They come in with all sorts of "security" programs installed and mostly
ignored. Hence my attitude towards "free" security solutions. They're only
free until I have to get the PC ;-)

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-Tech [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
Tina Norris Fields
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 10:05 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Win 10 virus protection

"Bitdefender is what I replaced Vipre with"

Hi John,

Is this just for Windows 10, or have you abandoned Vipre altogether?

TNF

Tina Norris Fields
tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com
231-322-2787

On 03/14/16 5:46 PM, John R Bartow wrote:
> Bitdefender is what I replaced Vipre with. Always keep a copy of MWB 
> free onboard for a second opinion.
>
>

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