Anti-virus advice please.

jockey

jockey

jockey

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Hi, very new to PC gaming, well in fact just bought my son one for Christmas. He’s 14. Also new to this forum, although it helped me purchase the PC.

Would appreciate some advice on security for it please. Have read through the sticky above, but not sure how dated the info is.

Is there a general consensus on anti-virus? What do I need to download? Is there a decent free one? Are paid for better? Does it need a vpn? Looks like a minefield to me when I look at them all.

He currently has nothing on there, will be mostly playing Fortnite and using it for social and some homework

Thanks in advance
 
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You'll be pleased to hear that, thankfully, nowadays there's zero need to do anything beyond make sure the built-in Windows Defender is up to date.

:edit: I'll clarify, part of the reason there are so many added value options in paid for security software is because their core offering now gives essentially zero benefit over Defender. If you want a password manager, or a vpn, or whatever else, fair enough, but don't feel pressured at all as it's down to your requirements.
 
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Thank you for that. After researching for a while, I did realise that Defender is decent. Having had a chat with my son about using his ‘common sense’ ‍ also, hopefully all will be ok.
 
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jockey said:
Would appreciate some advice on security for it please.
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Do follow @mysticsniper's advice and create a restricted account for your son. The key is safe browsing. Don't click on dodgy links and don't install dodgy software. The thing is, your son is 14 and is not going to do either. He's not going to recognise a dodgy link. He's not going to recognise dodgy software. So I do recommend installing additional anti-malware software as an additional layer of defence and I suggest Malwarebytes. You should also set up the parental controls in Edge to block age-inappropriate content.
 
Quartz said:
Do follow @mysticsniper's advice and create a restricted account for your son. The key is safe browsing. Don't click on dodgy links and don't install dodgy software. The thing is, your son is 14 and is not going to do either. He's not going to recognise a dodgy link. He's not going to recognise dodgy software. So I do recommend installing additional anti-malware software as an additional layer of defence and I suggest Malwarebytes. You should also set up the parental controls in Edge to block age-inappropriate content.
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Thank you for the advice, I will do this
 
i would do 2 things - standard account + setup microsoft family, we use it here & you can remote lock down apps & browsing if you need to

For example my step daughter, not done her homework? she watching netflix. not doing what shes told
restrict netflix.com

ive setup it up so every website is restricted unless manually approved,
you can restrict apps/games/website & get a weekly track of what there searching for

we also have Android Family link too, you can do the same on android

all new apps on both require approval via a phone nofification
 
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Windows defender as the main anti virus and then I also have malware bytes running too. Probably over kill but it's always worked for me so I just stick with it.

Having a life long licence helps with malware bytes.
 
smogsy said:
i would do 2 things - standard account + setup microsoft family, we use it here & you can remote lock down apps & browsing if you need to

For example my step daughter, not done her homework? she watching netflix. not doing what shes told
restrict netflix.com

ive setup it up so every website is restricted unless manually approved,
you can restrict apps/games/website & get a weekly track of what there searching for

we also have Android Family link too, you can do the same on android

all new apps on both require approval via a phone nofification
Click to expand...

Mr Power-Trip over here
 
jrwagh333 said:
Mr Power-Trip over here
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not really, we have simple rules

washing up & homework come first, then once those done she can do anything she likes.
she breaks the rules, we take away an app away from every rule break & has to earn them back.

she does somthing very bad, like trying to bunk or do somthing stupid like drinking, then we turn her phone & computer into a nokia 3310 just emergency calls only & offline encopledia.

she has agreed to this, & we rarely have to enforce rule break polices now shes used to them. so its there, but we dont need to use it.
 
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smogsy said:
not really, we have simple rules

washing up & homework come first, then once those done she can do anything she likes.
she breaks the rules, we take away an app away from every rule break & has to earn them back.

she does somthing very bad, like trying to bunk or do somthing stupid like drinking, then we turn her phone & computer into a nokia 3310 just emergency calls only & offline encopledia.

she has agreed to this, & we rarely have to enforce rule break polices now shes used to them. so its there, but we dont need to use it.
Click to expand...
This is how I manage mine.

Simple rules and clear consequences.
 
These days just windows defender is the recommended. 3rd party ones are no better and usually bloated. Certainly don't pay for one. You can block certain things using built in windows options.

Malwarebytes etc are are ok for one of scans, but leaving them running all the time will eat system resources.

Corporations still use an expensive anti-virus but the enterprise versions aren't the same and have the ability to manage ports and block USB devices, detailed logs etc.
 
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