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  • #2172039

    What about antivirus?

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    by jfuller05 ·

    Jack writes about Avast!, “Well, if you need online protection (such as safe shopping), ID protection, and advanced firewall, you’ll need to drop some coin for the professional version.”

    I admit I’m a rookie IT pro, so maybe that’s why I’m confused. Do I really need the pro version of Avast to do my Amazon shopping safely? I’ve always thought AV solutions promoting their pro versions with “safe shopping” as nothing more than gimmicks to get the public to buy the paid solutions. Or maybe the paid offers a sandbox type environment which is safer?

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    • #2898955

      Clarifications

      by jfuller05 ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      Clarifications

    • #2898941
      Avatar photo

      I’m not sure jf…

      by Wizard57M-TR ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      I too thought it was just some sort of gimick. I don’t do very much online shopping,
      so very little experience. I try to “know who I’m buying from”, and look for secure
      connections. <{;-)

    • #2898934

      It depends on Web Expertice

      by coolest225 ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      As an IT-guy, I think it depends on how good at being safe online you are (Knowing a bad site when you see it). Some companies like to push additional features in their AV for more dough. I personally don’t need these features, because I find them unecessary as I am careful when browsing the web. However, they may be a smart idea for those that don’t know their way around the internet safely or around a computer in general.

    • #2898909

      I’m not sold

      by a.portman ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      I purchase quite a bit online. I think the “safe shopping” is fluff. Most of what I buy is from reputable dealers with brick and mortar stores or large operations (amazon). Outside of these companies, I search for information on the company or seller, read their reviews (ebay ratings) and then use a secured payment method. Some credit card companies offer a single use number for online transactions. You can also get a single card for online purchases with a low limit and security features. I have had a single problem with a purchase in the last ten years. My bank was happy to reverse the charges and that was the end of that.

    • #2898905

      Thanks!

      by jfuller05 ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      I appreciate the feedback from all of you and glad to know I’m not alone in thinking the paid versions are for those who don’t know their way around the web. I only buy from Amazon, which is a reputable company. I use Avast! free and use zone-alarm for my firewall and shields up! gave me a good score, so I was confused by Wallen’s comment about paid antivirus solutions.

      • #2898894
        Avatar photo

        Reponse To Answer

        by Wizard57M-TR ·

        In reply to Thanks!

        Don’t feel bad about Wallen’s confusing comments! Lately I read his blog posts
        for “entertainment value” only, for the most part. He rarely, if ever, responds in
        the comments and that makes me think he’s just throwing something up on the
        wall to see if any of it will stick.

    • #2898886

      Secure tunnels

      by robotnik2011 ·

      In reply to What about antivirus?

      Some banks offer Trusteer Rapport free of charge (see http://www.trusteer.com for a list of participating banks). As well as your banking you can customize it to protect any website, such as Amazon, which involves logging in. It’s more proactive than an antivirus, and a bit like a free (and secure) VPN for certain processes. Also I think the realtime protection mode of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro is good value.

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