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  3. Why do everyone uses antivirus ?

Why do everyone uses antivirus ?

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  • L Lost User

    Not the same; You cannot guarantee no one is in the house if you don't know what windows are open, which doors are locked - but if you close all, then someone would have to tear down a wall to get in there. :)

    Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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    Lost User
    wrote on last edited by
    #22

    Does the house even exist if you're not there though? :laugh:

    How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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    • L Lost User

      If you need to scan to see whether something is infected, you are already behind the curve and at risk. Update your hostsfile, check the startup folder, turn on UAC and DEP..

      Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #23

      Eddy Vluggen wrote:

      f you need to scan to see whether something is infected, you are already behind the curve and at risk.

      Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh: There isn't one guy on the planet who can plan today against every current and future threat out there. We pass this responsibility onto other teams (anti-virus software companies) so that we can get on with our day-to-day jobs.

      How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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      • A amagitech

        7.Qihoo 360 Technology

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        CHill60
        wrote on last edited by
        #24

        Most of their revenue is from selling advertising space, and from products other than AV Software - which they (at least previously used to) provide free of charge.

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        • K Kevin Marois

          My AV is set to scan every morning at 2 am and it's set to automatically remove threats.

          If it's not broken, fix it until it is

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          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #25

          If there's software running, as admin, then your AV might be gone in the morning :)

          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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          • L Lost User

            Eddy Vluggen wrote:

            f you need to scan to see whether something is infected, you are already behind the curve and at risk.

            Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh: There isn't one guy on the planet who can plan today against every current and future threat out there. We pass this responsibility onto other teams (anti-virus software companies) so that we can get on with our day-to-day jobs.

            How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #26

            Brent Jenkins wrote:

            Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh:

            I am rather paranoid about my computer; the victim is the one that believes to be protected when he is not protected enough.

            Brent Jenkins wrote:

            There isn't one guy on the planet who can plan today against every current and future threat out there.

            I do not have to; I merely need to be able to control what is on my machine :)

            Brent Jenkins wrote:

            We pass this responsibility onto other teams

            That is your choice. "We" don't - if you want something done good, you (learn to) do it yourself :)

            Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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            • A amagitech

              http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/[^] An antivirus company is the fastest growing company about computer programming. I don't use antivirus last 4 year. Do you use it? Does it work?

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              KarstenK
              wrote on last edited by
              #27

              I like "feeling save" :rolleyes:

              Press F1 for help or google it. Greetings from Germany

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              • L Lost User

                Brent Jenkins wrote:

                Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh:

                I am rather paranoid about my computer; the victim is the one that believes to be protected when he is not protected enough.

                Brent Jenkins wrote:

                There isn't one guy on the planet who can plan today against every current and future threat out there.

                I do not have to; I merely need to be able to control what is on my machine :)

                Brent Jenkins wrote:

                We pass this responsibility onto other teams

                That is your choice. "We" don't - if you want something done good, you (learn to) do it yourself :)

                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                Lost User
                wrote on last edited by
                #28

                Even though you think that you have you machine covered, you don't. Companies like Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, and the like all have teams of hundreds (if not more) of guys working on dealing with security threats every hour of every day. No matter how good you may be, you simply can't match that. And even with all of their resources, they slip up pretty often too. Still, it's you machine, so your choice.. :)

                How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                • L Lost User

                  Even though you think that you have you machine covered, you don't. Companies like Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, and the like all have teams of hundreds (if not more) of guys working on dealing with security threats every hour of every day. No matter how good you may be, you simply can't match that. And even with all of their resources, they slip up pretty often too. Still, it's you machine, so your choice.. :)

                  How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                  Lost User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #29

                  Brent Jenkins wrote:

                  Even though you think that you have you machine covered, you don't.

                  Again, 100% coverage is not realistic. No AV claims that percentage.

                  Brent Jenkins wrote:

                  Companies like Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, and the like all have teams of hundreds (if not more) of guys working on dealing with security threats every hour of every day.

                  No, not with security in general, but with detecting malicious code. If you have malicious code on your machine, then who is going to guarantee the integrity of the scanner itself?

                  Brent Jenkins wrote:

                  No matter how good you may be, you simply can't match that.

                  Learning to protect your machine is not the same as knowing every virus and making a living out of that. I'm preaching hygiene; not claiming to be better than the doctor - but with sufficient hygiene, you will visit your doctor somewhat less often.

                  Brent Jenkins wrote:

                  And even with all of their resources, they slip up pretty often too.

                  So, no, I am not going to trust some application to clean up after me. Sorry, I am not buying the idea that simply installing an AV-suite is actually safer than thinking about your machine, consequences and risks. On the contrary; someone who relies on others tends to be less careful in other areas. :)

                  Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                  • L Lost User

                    Brent Jenkins wrote:

                    Even though you think that you have you machine covered, you don't.

                    Again, 100% coverage is not realistic. No AV claims that percentage.

                    Brent Jenkins wrote:

                    Companies like Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, and the like all have teams of hundreds (if not more) of guys working on dealing with security threats every hour of every day.

                    No, not with security in general, but with detecting malicious code. If you have malicious code on your machine, then who is going to guarantee the integrity of the scanner itself?

                    Brent Jenkins wrote:

                    No matter how good you may be, you simply can't match that.

                    Learning to protect your machine is not the same as knowing every virus and making a living out of that. I'm preaching hygiene; not claiming to be better than the doctor - but with sufficient hygiene, you will visit your doctor somewhat less often.

                    Brent Jenkins wrote:

                    And even with all of their resources, they slip up pretty often too.

                    So, no, I am not going to trust some application to clean up after me. Sorry, I am not buying the idea that simply installing an AV-suite is actually safer than thinking about your machine, consequences and risks. On the contrary; someone who relies on others tends to be less careful in other areas. :)

                    Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                    Lost User
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #30

                    I'll bet you don't wear a seatbelt when driving either? :laugh:

                    How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                    • L Lost User

                      I'll bet you don't wear a seatbelt when driving either? :laugh:

                      How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #31

                      Brent Jenkins wrote:

                      I'll bet you don't wear a seatbelt when driving either? :laugh:

                      Your comparison is still incorrect, and it seems that you are looking for arguments to defend your position :) ..but to answer, no, I don't have a car. I use the train. As for the house, I have not hired a private eye to sweep every room and closet - I only made sure that it is very hard to enter without explicit permission.

                      Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                      • L Lost User

                        Muharrem B. wrote:

                        Do you use it?

                        No, haven't used a scanner in 10 years. Haven't had a virus either.

                        Muharrem B. wrote:

                        Does it work?

                        If you are the type that runs code without knowing what it does, open executables, then yes, it works "most of the time". For companies it is different; they'll need to have one. Especially large companies would come under fire if they lost all their data over an old and outdated virus. And in large companies there is always a manager that opens the executable. Always.

                        Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                        J Offline
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                        Joan M
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #32

                        Eddy Vluggen wrote:

                        And in large ALL companies there is always a manager that opens the executable.

                        FTFY :thumbsup:

                        [www.tamautomation.com] | Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing. [YouTube channel]

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                        • A amagitech

                          http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/[^] An antivirus company is the fastest growing company about computer programming. I don't use antivirus last 4 year. Do you use it? Does it work?

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                          Joan M
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #33

                          tell us the truth... in your computer you have a sticker that reads "THIS IS SPARTA!!!!" :rolleyes:

                          [www.tamautomation.com] | Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing. [YouTube channel]

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                          • L Lost User

                            Brent Jenkins wrote:

                            I'll bet you don't wear a seatbelt when driving either? :laugh:

                            Your comparison is still incorrect, and it seems that you are looking for arguments to defend your position :) ..but to answer, no, I don't have a car. I use the train. As for the house, I have not hired a private eye to sweep every room and closet - I only made sure that it is very hard to enter without explicit permission.

                            Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                            L Offline
                            Lost User
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #34

                            That's fine, you're happy with your security arrangements and it doesn't effect me, so who cares? :laugh: As for me, I'll drive carefully as much as I can, but I'll make sure my car has airbags, side impact bars and I'll always wear my seatbelt. Of course I'll never need any of them, because I'm such a great driver..

                            How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                            • J Joan M

                              tell us the truth... in your computer you have a sticker that reads "THIS IS SPARTA!!!!" :rolleyes:

                              [www.tamautomation.com] | Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing. [YouTube channel]

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                              D Offline
                              Dan Neely
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #35

                              Joan Murt wrote:

                              in your computer you have a sticker that reads: "THIS IS SPARTA!!!! Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie."

                              FTFY

                              Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

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                              • L Lost User

                                That's fine, you're happy with your security arrangements and it doesn't effect me, so who cares? :laugh: As for me, I'll drive carefully as much as I can, but I'll make sure my car has airbags, side impact bars and I'll always wear my seatbelt. Of course I'll never need any of them, because I'm such a great driver..

                                How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

                                L Offline
                                L Offline
                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #36

                                Brent Jenkins wrote:

                                Of course I'll never need any of them, because I'm such a great driver..

                                Like I already stated, your analogy is broken, and no, I did not claim to be a good driver.

                                Brent Jenkins wrote:

                                so who cares

                                The one who is infected, with 40 PC's giving the same virus-warning after the AV automatically updates the virusdefinitions :) ..and with the majority sharing their attack-vector, it could be easily prevented.

                                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                                • A amagitech

                                  http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/[^] An antivirus company is the fastest growing company about computer programming. I don't use antivirus last 4 year. Do you use it? Does it work?

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                                  Lost User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #37

                                  Interesting question and interesting responses. It seems that in general the techies do NOT use anti-virus. They are for the most part pointless. Understand what you are doing and using a firewall is what is required. Having some process hungry program listen to every change on your system is not optimal. 0 day exploits will hit you anyways, so maybe run a scan after you see something on the news or set up your system to run it periodically (got kids? a wife? Someone may have clicked something they should not). Anyway, what I find interesting is I have been asked quite a few times by relatives (being the geek in the family) what Anti virus they should buy. I stop them right there. Why would you buy it, especially when the OS maker provides you one for free? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download[^] Yes, not everyone uses Windows. However non geeks on PCs essentially do, and if it is NOT windows ask them why they chose the OS they did. If they say "because there is less viruses", tactfully explain how they are an idiot and made a purchase on a premise that is voided by itself.

                                  Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet. The interesting thing about software is it can not reproduce, until it can.

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                                  • A amagitech

                                    http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/[^] An antivirus company is the fastest growing company about computer programming. I don't use antivirus last 4 year. Do you use it? Does it work?

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                                    R Erasmus
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #38

                                    1st things 1st... I won't announce on a programmers website that I don't use anti-virus, after all, all hackers are programmers.

                                    "Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence." << please vote!! >>

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                                    • L Lost User

                                      Eddy Vluggen wrote:

                                      f you need to scan to see whether something is infected, you are already behind the curve and at risk.

                                      Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh: There isn't one guy on the planet who can plan today against every current and future threat out there. We pass this responsibility onto other teams (anti-virus software companies) so that we can get on with our day-to-day jobs.

                                      How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

                                      J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      jRaskell1
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #39

                                      Brent Jenkins wrote:

                                      Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh:

                                      I show you Norton Security.

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                                      • J jRaskell1

                                        Brent Jenkins wrote:

                                        Show me someone who claims they aren't behind the curve and I'll show you an up and coming victim.. :laugh:

                                        I show you Norton Security.

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                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #40

                                        So, what works better than an off-the-shelf security package? What do you use (obviously it has to be something you have written yourself as anyone else's software is sub-standard)? ;P

                                        How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

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                                        • A amagitech

                                          http://fortune.com/100-fastest-growing-companies/[^] An antivirus company is the fastest growing company about computer programming. I don't use antivirus last 4 year. Do you use it? Does it work?

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                                          9 Offline
                                          9082365
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #41

                                          There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that buy insurance and those that don't. Both types are equally unlikely to suffer a major loss but only one survives with their bank balance intact if they do. These two types also inhabit the computing world but for some odd reason the uninsured of this world seem to think it is their duty to bring the insured over to their way of thinking. 'It's never happened to me; I've never had a problem', they say as though that is a significant statement of truth rather than the mere statistical workings out of probability. By definition, after all, anything which affects a minority does not affect the majority. 'I already do everything in my power to prevent problems', they say as if this is isn't exactly the kind of thing that virus writers love to hear, the challenge which makes it worth getting out of bed, the smugness which they devote their lives to puncturing; as if the existence of things beyond their power is a logical impossibility. They are the people who stand on the roofs of skyscrapers welcoming the aliens in Independence Day. In short, optimists, the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Resist their evangelism, my brothers and sisters. Realists, bathe in the glory of your rationality. Pessimists, hold true to your prophetic insight. And never uninstall your defences!

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