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Are you still using anti-virus/malware protection??

keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

I was checking my e-mail this morning like I do every day. When I opened my "Spam" folder there was a message from a well known dealer, if I named him I'm sure everyone would sit up. So I figured it was trust-worthy and I opened it only to discover it was BS spam so I immediately deleted it. The incident irked me a little but also made me think about how we operate here as collectors.

Though we form friendships/partnerships/business relationships via this single resource, by and large we never meet, yet we tend to trust each other implicitly. We visit countless web-pages, e-mail/text and pass along/open links all the time with a feeling of relative impunity. I'm not on a cell phone, my work is always at my home PC. Perhaps 3-4 years ago when I purchased the machine I'm using now there were two occasions where I had alerts and once where there was a suspected invasion tied to my router, but nothing since. I run a scheduled "scan" every early morning as I sleep and every day prior to the first time I log into anything.

The other day I was considering a different program so I searched around. Some of what I found was enlightening. Everything everywhere seems to be Firewalled and Virus/Malware protected. Windows 10 comes front loaded and Microsoft can "patch" anything earlier with Defender. I expect that my service provider, Spectrum, has all sorts of stuff running, but I still use my protection. Also, I'd expect every provider and large/small corporation is also self-protected

Does everyone here still regularly use Virus/Malware protection or am I old school and it's no longer necessary?? I figure it never hurts to be safe.

Al H.

Comments

  • cointimecointime Posts: 2,013 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes, I still do and just recently paid for another year's subscription :)

    Ken

    My Washington Type B/C Set

  • braddickbraddick Posts: 24,222 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I use "Wipr" for my Mac and never have an issue. It even blocks YouTube ads.

    peacockcoins

  • silverpopsilverpop Posts: 6,700 ✭✭✭✭✭

    yeah i use a anti-virus/malware program on my computer

    COINS FOR SALE
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  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I feel safer already!! :)

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,878 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:
    The message in your spam folder was likely not from the well known dealer, but was rather a spam or malicious message with the "from" field spoofed to grab a contact from your email contact list or from your saved inbox addresses. This is a common strategy to get folks to open emails that they should not open.

    I agree, except that as far as I know it could also mean that either the dealer's computer or that of one of his other customers (if all email addresses are normally included on the dealer's outgoing emails) was compromised.

    If you had clicked on the sender's name in the "from" line it would have expanded to show the actual email address of the sender.

  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,444 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I use Lysol.

  • JimTylerJimTyler Posts: 3,500 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you had clicked on the sender's name in the "from" line it would have expanded to show the actual email address of the sender.

    I do that all the time.

  • SmEagle1795SmEagle1795 Posts: 2,180 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm a 20+ year veteran and current executive in the cybersecurity industry. It is indeed very necessary to use antivirus/antimalware protection: your ISP's filtering will not be anywhere near adequate.

    That said, much to the chagrin of many of us, Microsoft Defender has become a formidable offering and, for many users, is sufficient especially when used alongside a sandboxed browser like Chrome.

    Happy to help answer any questions, here or via PM.

    Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
  • ctf_error_coinsctf_error_coins Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No I never have used it, ever.

    I use an iMac.

  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 12,396 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Why did my anti-virus kick on when I opened this thread?

    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

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  • CatbertCatbert Posts: 7,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is keets a virus? ;)

    Seated Half Society member #38
    "Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
  • SkyManSkyMan Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭✭✭

    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Toned Franklins

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  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

  • ctf_error_coinsctf_error_coins Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 9, 2021 11:19AM

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,989 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JimTyler said:

    If you had clicked on the sender's name in the "from" line it would have expanded to show the actual email address of the sender.

    I do that all the time.

    "Clicked" or hovered over?

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    ha> @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    I had never seen one in 30 years of using a PC...and then there was a trojan attached to a website.

  • ctf_error_coinsctf_error_coins Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    I had never seen one in 30 years of using a PC...and then there was a trojan attached to a website.

    well then, you probably shouldn't be going on those websites ;)

  • moursundmoursund Posts: 3,207 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    I had never seen one in 30 years of using a PC...and then there was a trojan attached to a website.

    well then, you probably shouldn't be going on those websites ;)

    At least they used trojans...

    100th pint of blood donated 7/19/2022 B) . Transactions with WilliamF, Relaxn, LukeMarshal, jclovescoins, braddick, JWP, Weather11am, Fairlaneman, Dscoins, lordmarcovan, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, JimW. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
  • ThreeCentSilverFLThreeCentSilverFL Posts: 1,694 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes sir, I sure do. Multiple levels.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @SkyMan said:
    People who don't use anti-virus/malware software, including for Macs, are at greater risk for all sorts of computer nastiness than those who do. Of course, my personal information is out there on the dark web, including my fingerprints (from when I worked at NASA), courtesy of our ever capable US Government databases being hacked.

    Don't poke the fanboys... ;)

    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    I had never seen one in 30 years of using a PC...and then there was a trojan attached to a website.

    well then, you probably shouldn't be going on those websites ;)

    Lol. It was Coinbase. Never again. Their security is awful

  • MrBlusterMrBluster Posts: 353 ✭✭✭

    Not anymore I use Apple IOS.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MrBluster said:
    Not anymore I use Apple IOS.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/technology/apple-software-update-spyware-nso-group.html

  • CameonutCameonut Posts: 7,314 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I use Defender on WIndows 10 - it has never found a virus.
    I also use the paid version of Malwarebytes - it finds something every couple of months.

    I am convinced you are more at risk if you boldly surf in uncharted territory.

    “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

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  • crito_is_baaackcrito_is_baaack Posts: 130 ✭✭✭

    Don't need AV software. I use Linux and am posting this right now using an unprivileged (non-admin) user account. Even if someone were to exploit it they couldn't do anything and I'd just delete the account an create another. In fact, did that just a few days ago when I accidentally visited a suspicious site, just for good measure.

  • vplite99vplite99 Posts: 1,328 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have used Windows Security. and have not had any issues since Windows 8. I believe Windows is approaching Apple security, and not just because iOS relatively unused in the corporate world (compared to Windows)

    I am a computer technician and have never had to remove a virus from a computer protected by Windows Security. I believe for most users third-party software is a waste of money. JMHO, of course.

    Vplite99
  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,736 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The last windows I used at home was XP. I have been on Linux as my primary OS since the early 90's. Work requires anti-virus to get on the VPN, so I just run clam.

    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm a cheap SOB and use the free version of AVG. Never had an issue. I used to pay for Norton until I got a virus and their support wanted to charge me big bucks($100-200) to remove it!

  • moursundmoursund Posts: 3,207 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @keets said:
    ...
    Does everyone here still regularly use Virus/Malware protection or am I old school and it's no longer necessary?? I figure it never hurts to be safe.

    Al H.

    Are you still using anti-walrus/narwhal protection??

    Gotta be careful around those Moby Dick dimes...

    100th pint of blood donated 7/19/2022 B) . Transactions with WilliamF, Relaxn, LukeMarshal, jclovescoins, braddick, JWP, Weather11am, Fairlaneman, Dscoins, lordmarcovan, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, JimW. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
  • sumduncesumdunce Posts: 1,247 ✭✭✭✭

    Antivirus for the computer. Ad blocker, and script blocker on the browser that I use to auto-open links. For sites I believe are safe (very few) I don't use the ad blocker, and script blocker.

  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,131 ✭✭✭✭✭

    been using McAfee for years....no issues here.

    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @vplite99 said:
    I have used Windows Security. and have not had any issues since Windows 8. I believe Windows is approaching Apple security, and not just because iOS relatively unused in the corporate world (compared to Windows)

    I am a computer technician and have never had to remove a virus from a computer protected by Windows Security. I believe for most users third-party software is a waste of money. JMHO, of course.

    I never had a problem until this year when there was a trojan on a website. Windows Security didn't find it. I bought McAfee which didn't find it. Finally, Bitdefender found it and removed it.

    So, I think no one has a problem until they have a problem...JMHO

  • crito_is_baaackcrito_is_baaack Posts: 130 ✭✭✭

    Even under Linux it's a good idea to run your browser isolated. I used to use a program called Firejail but now Ubuntu installs Firefox as a SNAP package by default, so no need for that. An attacker would have to escape the root jail and escalate their privileges before any harm could be done. And if they're that good (kernel-level hacker) you're not going to stop them with an AV program. For worst case scenario, nuke from orbit and reinstall is always the best way to go. You can never be 100% sure a "cleaned" system is really clean.

  • BarberianBarberian Posts: 3,786 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ErrorsOnCoins said:
    iMac, the least expensive computer on earth if you value you time.

    What is a computer virus?, I have never seen one in 25 years of using a Mac ;)

    I'll bet you've seen a lot of "bombs" though like I did using a Mac. Macs couldn't crunch large calculations or graphics based on large data files as well as PCs could back in the mid-'90s.

    3 rim nicks away from Good
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I use the Windows security... Used to have McAfee, but not necessary. All runs well... Until it doesn't. ;) Cheers, RickO

  • crito_is_baaackcrito_is_baaack Posts: 130 ✭✭✭
    edited December 10, 2021 6:56AM

    Android and iOS isolate every app, that's why they're so bulletproof. Windows was designed so you could embed functionality from one app into another, like inserting an Excel spreadsheet into the middle of a Word document (aka OLE).

    Security always comes at the expense of usability. The more of one you have the less of the other. Want your computer to be 100% secure? Encase it in concrete and deep six it to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. But FWIW, I highly recommend using Firefox with Windoze:
    https://hacks.mozilla.org/2021/05/introducing-firefox-new-site-isolation-security-architecture/

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