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Windows anti-virus software needed if only limited internet use??

R

RobColorado

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 10, 2008
10
0
Denver
I just purchased my first mac in over ten years. I have installed XP through boot camp just to run quicken. (I will attempt to get Fusion running in the next few days)

Do I need anti-virus software (for Windows) if my only internet use in Windows will be sending payments through Quicken's site, downloading transactions from banks/credit card companies and downloading updates from microsoft or quicken?

Thanks in advance.

Rob
 
RobColorado said:
Do I need anti-virus software (for Windows) if my only internet use in Windows will be sending payments through Quicken's site, downloading transactions from banks/credit card companies and downloading updates from microsoft or quicken?
Click to expand...
Depends on how much you value your Windows data and installation. Consider the worst that can happen, if you think you can handle that (data loss, Windows re-install), then I wouldn't bother with an anti-virus.

I use Windows in VMware and I don't run any anti-virus, if I were to get a virus, I'd just trash the VM and start again. Or revert back to a recent snapshot.
 
Anti Virus + Firewall

Definately get a firewall + antivirus if you intend on using it for those applications, you wont last 5 minutes without it. Especially bad idea not to use it if you are doing anything involving sensitive information such as bank accounts.
 
stomer said:
Depends on how much you value your Windows data and installation. Consider the worst that can happen, if you think you can handle that (data loss, Windows re-install), then I wouldn't bother with an anti-virus.
Click to expand...

Well, nowadays you're rather risking to join a zombi-network or catching some backdoor trojan etc., giving away your financial / banking / cc data... The underworld has been highly criminalised since a few years. They are not particular interested in destroying someone's data anymore...

Windows needs AV. Point.

sash
 
You need ANTI VIRUS software in windows.
Your router should act as a friewall, but software is well worth it in windows. there are a lot of free ones out there - i have been using pctools from pctools.com
 
Sherman Homan said:
Yes, you do! There are active virus agents constantly looking for Windows machines to infect. Use AVG, it is free and quite good:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/
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++

Also, install either Spybot Search & Destroy or Ad-Aware. Or both; even better. Set them to run at least once a week, but once each day would be even better. Also install Microsoft's own ad-/spyware removal tool. Forgot it's name, but each tool can catch things the others won't or can't. And, to repeat what the others have said: Yes, you need anti-virus software when running Windows! Thinking you don't would be foolish.

Some good advice: download the tools and Firefox when in Mac OS X and burn them on a cd-r. Then, and not any sooner, you can go ahead and install Windows. First things to do when in Windows, is installing all the software and setting Firefox to be your default browser. Only then, will you be safe to go on the internet. Otherwise, you'll probably get burned.
 
The big trick for malware writers over the past 12 months has been to hide little redirectors in legitimate sites that use Javascript to download trojans onto your computer. These trojans so far have been nearly exclusively targeted at Windows. So even if you're really careful and only go to sites you trust, you can't guarantee they haven't been compromised and that you're not downloading nasties onto your computer.

Get Kapersky Anti-Virus if you're going to pay for one. They have the fastest response times for getting signature definition files out when a new exploit is reported, and their heuristic behaviour detection is IMO better than any of the other major vendors.
 
I can't believe how gullible people are these days. You don't need anti-virus software if you browse the web smartly. All you have to do is use common sense. I've been using windows PCs for the past 10 years without ever having anti-virus, and I have never gotten a virus, ever. That's with extensive web browsing too. Anti-virus software eats up your resources like crazy, so don't use it.
 
Red Sox said:
I can't believe how gullible people are these days. You don't need anti-virus software if you browse the web smartly. All you have to do is use common sense. I've been using windows PCs for the past 10 years without ever having anti-virus, and I have never gotten a virus, ever. That's with extensive web browsing too. Anti-virus software eats up your resources like crazy, so don't use it.
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Well... I think, that really depends on how a individual uses their machine, the type of activity they get up too, I believe the type of connection he/she has also affects the system. The faster your connection, the more venerable. If your online extensively, leaving your system online when it's idle and they don't have a firewall enabled in stealth mode.. then he/she is asking for trouble!! Period.

In my honest opinion, there's nothing wrong with having extra security in windows. At least disable all the ports your not using helps alot! Prevention is the key.

Also, you have to remember, not everyone who uses a PC knows how to fix it when things go wrong... that's why service technicians can make a killing from noobs.
 
You don't need antivirus or antispyware unless you're accustomed to running random executables from strangers, you use Internet Explorer, or you have an unpatched copy of Windows and no router (letting in, for example, the Blaster worm).

As I keep repeating, I use my Windows desktop extensively, not in a 'limited' manner, and have no security software.
 
UltraNEO* said:
Well... I think, that really depends on how a individual uses their machine, the type of activity they get up too, I believe the type of connection he/she has also affects the system. The faster your connection, the more venerable. If your online extensively, leaving your system online when it's idle and they don't have a firewall enabled in stealth mode.. then he/she is asking for trouble!! Period.

In my honest opinion, there's nothing wrong with having extra security in windows. At least disable all the ports your not using helps alot! Prevention is the key.

Also, you have to remember, not everyone who uses a PC knows how to fix it when things go wrong... that's why service technicians can make a killing from noobs.
Click to expand...

I work at a college in the UK teaching IT and therefor need to follow guidlines, unfortunately old habits die hard and this follows me onto home use.
 
Thanks for all the responses--I had AV and a firewall set up on my Dell and will set up with something similar for Windows in my Mac.

Rob
 
Frankly it depends on how competent you are at using computers, I would advise every user to use Anti-virus, unless they are really sure they know what they are doing (i.e. not to open attachments/dodgy links in emails, not to visit dodgy websites, keep everything security patched etc. etc.), so I personally don't use anti-virus. I only use Windows for a little bit of software development so if it went tits up I can just reinstall and not lose too much.

However as you are using financial software/transactions I would strongly advise using anti-virus as if you did get a virus and don't have anti-virus your bank won't be sympathetic, even if you do read Arstechnica/MacRumors every day ;).
 
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