I work in cyber for a Fortune 200 company and do a lot of network forensics and malware related forensics. No AV will catch everything as they are all more or less using pattern matching. They do have some intelligence for catching new stuff, but that always scores low by comparison. However, Kaspersky does a great job of keeping the defs up to date with what they find in their honeypots, and what is submitted to them, and with low false positive rates. In all the professional testing sites, free to review, and ones that are not, they are always a top contender, if not on top. I always suggest that people run an anti-exploit tool, such as EMET (no longer really available/updated since Windows 10) as added protection.
No AV will catch everything. So what do you do to minimize risk on Windows and Mac?
1) If you did not go looking for it, do not click/install it. I do not care if it is your favorite website and it says you need to update flash... do not do it on that site! Go to Adobe and do it, or better yet get rid of Flash, oh and Java!
2) If you get an email that seems urgent, do not click the link or open the attachment. Call the business that "sent it" and ask them. OR, use a saved link to login and check your account. IF there is an issue they will tell you there.
3) Keep your machine patched. Windows, Mac, and yes, even Linux can be exploited. I am a Linux fan boy...
4) Use a link rating tool (Kaspersky has one with this product) to give you some level of confidence that the link is safe. Not perfect, but better than a guess.
5) Use Check Point's SandBlast Agent for Browser (still free) - it watches for phishing sites - just trust me, it works well, in case you did not listen in step 2 and its a link (Or a link in the attachment). It looks at the website you land on, not documents.
6) Use a good name brand AV on Windows AND Mac (popularity has made it a target). I boot my Linux box to an AV cd every now and again, and scan it that way. No harm, and it verifies what I already know.
What about iPhones/Pads and Android systems?
1) Do not jail brake the phone/tablet.
2) Do not install apps outside of the official repository.
3) Do not install a ton of apps, especially from unknowns. Yeah, its cool to have a ton of apps that do cool things, but even popular apps have turned out to be evil. Take a wait and see attitude, and let others be the guine pig.
4) Run a name brand AV. Not these weird ones from unknowns. I think Apple might have pulled AV from the store, so you might be out of luck on Apple mobile devices.
5) Keep the system patched. When your cell provider stops updating that version of phone, upgrade to a newer model. This is one area Apple is better at, at least for the iPads. They support older products longer, but they just slow them down to get you to upgrade... Not sure who updates the iPhones, the cell provider or just Apple. I do not use them.
The best way:
Switch to Linux. Linux files that get downloaded are not executable by default. (Windows users: this means that secretly downloaded .exe file would could not just be double clicked and run, or told to run by some code - without you changing settings to the file to make it executable, and getting past the UAC). This makes it very hard to run malware on a Linux system without getting a lot of human interaction. Provided your patched...
Summary:
Stay safe, and follow some simple steps to minimize, not eliminate, your risk to malware/phishing, and other evils on the net. Check out Linux (Ubuntu would be your best bet as a Noob).
Kaspersky Plus Internet Security 2024 | 3 Devices | 2 Years | Anti-Phishing and Firewall | Unlimited VPN | Password Manager |
4.6
| 1,061 ratingsPrice: 38.99
Last update: 06-02-2024
About this item
SECURITY: Multi-layered protection designed to prevent and neutralise viruses and malware.
SECURITY: Tools to prevent unauthorised access to – or hijacking of – your computer, including anti-phishing and firewall tools.
PRIVACY: Tools to prevent unauthorised online tracking, unauthorised ads appearing, or anyone using your peripherals.
PRIVACY: Unlimited & fast VPN.
PRIVACY: Protects your banking apps and activities and keeps your login details safe on hand.
PRIVACY: Password Manager to securely store and sync your passwords across your devices.
PERFORMANCE: Tools to help you manage your device storage space, perform HDD health checks, boost devices speed and prevent any loss of your data.
PERFORMANCE: Allows you to watch movies, play games, or use full-screen apps without any interference – all at the maximum speed.
SECURITY: Tools to prevent unauthorised access to – or hijacking of – your computer, including anti-phishing and firewall tools.
PRIVACY: Tools to prevent unauthorised online tracking, unauthorised ads appearing, or anyone using your peripherals.
PRIVACY: Unlimited & fast VPN.
PRIVACY: Protects your banking apps and activities and keeps your login details safe on hand.
PRIVACY: Password Manager to securely store and sync your passwords across your devices.
PERFORMANCE: Tools to help you manage your device storage space, perform HDD health checks, boost devices speed and prevent any loss of your data.
PERFORMANCE: Allows you to watch movies, play games, or use full-screen apps without any interference – all at the maximum speed.