1y ago

What antivirus software should i use?

It's been a long while since i used a desktop and honestly can't remember what antivirus software i used, and even then, probably the landscape has changed over the years.

Atm i've been winging it with just Windows Defender (no custom configuration) and scanning any thing that looks suspicious on VirusTotal, but probably that would be not enough.

I'm thinking on get a couple of pirated files, so i'd like to be as secure as possible.

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Just stick with Windows' built-in security. Only download from trusted pirate sites.
- FMHY has a pretty good Wiki for that kind of thing
  
  Thanks a lot for the tip! i found the site and looks extremely useful
- Thanks! Default settings or there is something i need to configure?
  
  After setting up the PC, search “defender” in the toolbar and poke around a little bit. The security settings are very intuitive, so I’m sure you can modify things to your liking.
- And use VirusTotal when in doubt.
- Exactly the same as what I did (I think it was called Microsoft Security Essentials); things are a lot more locked-down these days, never had a virus or issue in many many years (then moved back to Apple).

Windows defender is fine if you use a good adblocker and learn what is or isn't a safe download.
- That's what I had to resort to after ESET kept forcing update my cracked antivirus...

Use Common Sense™ brand antivirus. Pirated files like movies and songs are mostly ok except for executables. Those must be sourced from trusted sites. Pirating has its risks and if possible do it on another machine not used for work. Antivirus will almost always flag crackers and keygens anyways.
- I thought the same time ago and ended with a bunch of RAR files infected. I still don't know what caused it.
  Common sense is good, but have at least Windows Defender.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - have a good backup solution. If there isn't anything on your computer that can't be restored, then you're not going to feel as much pressure to protect things.
Of course there's crypto miners, identity theft, botnet stuff, all sorts of things that run undetected and don't simply render your computer unusable. But if you're absolutely sure you're not losing anything, then "nuke it from orbit" becomes a more paletteable solution for virus removal. A hassle for sure, but format and start over again becomes an option that results in no loss other than the pain of having to reinstall everything.
- To add to this, if you have the storage then a solution like Macrium Reflect (or a FOSS alternative) is a great option too. I let my PC back itself up every morning before I wake up, then if something happens to it (virus, broken driver, bad install, etc.), I can just revert it to the state it was in earlier that morning using a recovery drive.
  Windows Defender has also gotten pretty good over the past couple years - features like controlled folder access will protect sensitive data from ransomware (I just use it on my backup folder). The combination of the two has been plenty for me to deal with viruses or broken programs - I haven't had to run a clean install of Windows in 4 years.
  
  if you're doing frequent backups, make very sure to have multiple copies of backups. You get a virus into your backups, that does no good if it's your only back up.

Just Windows Defender is fine. I also use Malware Bytes but only since I have a lifetime license, otherwise I would just use Defender

Just the basic Windows Defender is a surprisingly robust AV. Default configuration is fine.

An adblocker in your browser, and using only known sites to download stuff.
- Better yet - if you can, use winget to download software
  
  That's doesn't help when pirating tho

Gonna quote myself from an earlier comment I made:
On Windows, just use the built-in Windows Defender. On Linux, I recommend ClamAV + ClamTK. On Android, Hypatia.
If you think you have malware, this is a pretty good guide to remove it.
I'd also strongly recommend using and configuring a content blocker like uBlock Origin in your browser, as well as using a DNS level blocker like NextDNS.
If you have a multilayered setup like this, then I think you're pretty good and it'll be not impossible, but much harder to get malware or be infected. Just use common sense as always.

Windows defender is the best you can get at a reasonable price. But nothing is perfect, so don’t test fate.

I've used ESET NOD32 for a long time. It costs money, but it's relatively light weight, doesn't get in the way of any of the gaming or video editing or programming work I do, and it has smacked my hand a few times clicking on risky links, blocking a few downloads (one or two, ever) and often blocking scam websites that attempt to run javascript crypto miners. Your experience may vary if you're planning on using "rescued" media or applications. I don't have have the full internet/devices subscription, just the one for personal computers that does the actual virus detection.

I use Webroot because it uses minimal system resources, and it scores highly as an antivirus. But it requires an annual subscription, so if that is a turn-off to anybody, then I'd just recommend the standard Windows Defender.

Using emsisoft on 500 systems, works great.

I’m thinking on get a couple of pirated files, so i’d like to be as secure as possible.
These are mutually exclusive.
- It is possible to take risks while reducing the possibility of a bad outcome or mitigating the consequences of said outcome
  
  So they are not mutually exclusive then
  
  Try sandbox. Allows you to test in a safe(r) way

Linux , then runt windooze in a VM if you need it.

Aside from other recommendations, not installing the latest stuff and waiting a couple of days or longer can help, since open source projects have sometimes been infected too. Especially if it's pirated files.

Linux.
Honestly, not even joking. It's just not something you have to care about when you run Linux.
One of the advantages of using a platform with like 3% userbase. But it's a great platform.
https://pop.system76.com/
- Bad advice!
  There is plenty of malware that targets Linux due to its prevalence in mission critical architecture! Also, someone who is recently returning to desktops and likely new to Linux as a whole will be more likely to blindly run windows executables with a compatibility layer like wine, which can still infect the system.
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2022/05/19/rise-in-xorddos-a-deeper-look-at-the-stealthy-ddos-malware-targeting-linux-devices/
  If you are using Linux, I recommend clamAV.
  Edit: to add, recommending Linux to someone as the end all be all to an unrelated question is just needless proselytizing and generally unhelpful.
  
  The only case where I'd use a virus scanner is when I'd host a file server for Windows systems.
  Btw, ClamAV is slow and generally awful. It has many false positives that you get spammed all the time. There are also cases where it doesn't really find the virus (false negatives). It's also buggy and it's not a good sign for security product.
  I'd still recommend Linux, if you want to be safe. Windows has never been designed with security in mind. It's not even a proper multiuser system.
  
  No it would infect wine, not Linux.
  Anyway I can see your point, but just in case the OP wants to try a different operating system where you don't have these problems, it's good to know about Linux.
  There are virus scanners for it, sure, but they are hardly used outside of enterprise environments and there is almost no virus writers targeting Linux. It's a different world.
  Once you try it, you don't want to go back to Windows.

Kaspersky is pretty good. I'm using Linux anyway, totally forgot about viruses & malware.
- Kaspersky is owned by a Russian company which subject to interference of the Russian government. This allows the government to inject code, knowingly or unknowingly to the Company, into the project.

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