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Thread: Norton Security Just Brought Our Workstations to Their Knees!

  1. #1
    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Thumbs down Norton Security Just Brought Our Workstations to Their Knees!

    So at work we had been been using AVG Free anti-virus for our software security needs for years without problems until just 2 days ago when it falsely detected our third-party vendor's software as "suspicious" and quarantined it, effectively locking us our of our systems. So we uninstalled that noise and decided to go with one of the paid solutions our vendor recommended: ESET NOD32 or Norton. I've heard good things about ESET, I know one of the techs who worked on my aunt's laptop recommended it for her and she's said its saved her from a couple nasty trojans she'd accidentally tried to download a couple times, but I was more familiar with Norton having had good experience with Norton Internet Security, which was the first line of products from Symantec that they finally streamlined and removed most of the bloat that had plagued earlier versions of Norton. But they're phasing out NIS in favor of just plain "Norton Security", their new "comprehensive" security suite that's basically Norton 360 on steroids.

    Well, let me tell you: the BLOAT is back! IN FORCE! These old systems run alright when Norton Security is idle, but once it starts a "background" scan, look out! Takes over a minute to even pull up a customer's record, let alone print something. Even disabling the auto-scan and setting it to "manual scheduling only" at night still doesn't stop it from popping up nagging warnings from its "Smart" Firewall component about suspicious Internet activity by our vendor's software, which we have to keep manually saying "Allow" or it won't communicate with remote servers. Disabling the Smart Firewall altogether only makes the software scream about how "you're not fully protected" and nag city. Worst of all, the entire fucking package is over 331MB large! We only have 4GB of RAM in these 7-year-old 2.6GHz Athlon systems running Windows Vista Business (32-bit), and Windows Shitsta and our vendor's software takes up most of that, so there is serious hard drive gnashing as the system keeps running out of RAM, especially when booting up. So fuck that shit, we've fallen back to Microsoft Security Essentials (only 22MB) which doesn't provide much security, but at least its free with few "false positives" and relatively easy on system resources and overhead. We might give ESET a try, but the boss is a bit gun-shy now of trying another paid package. What we really need to do is upgrade our systems hardware, but its a mom-and-pop operation, and he's not eager to spend thousands again like it cost to set these things up in the first place. I'm trying to convince him that we could spend just $700 each on two new Core i7-4770 systems with 8GB RAM running Windows 7 Pro which would blow our current "solution" out of the water, but he's a cheap-skate and just wants to run with these things until they die.

    But fuck Symantec. If they ever try to force me to "upgrade" from NIS at home to NS before my 2-year subscription expires, I will demand a fucking refund. Quite frankly, I'm about getting ready to jump ship on Microshaft and all associated products altogether once I finish school and don't need Microsoft Office any more, and I refuse to pay an annual fee for web-based Office 365 after already shelling out $200 for Office 2013 Pro Plus. Windows 10 is looking to be just as sucky as 8 was, with no hope on the horizon. Once Windows 7 Professional support gets yanked in 2022, I think it might be time to say bye-bye for good. Hopefully by then Linux will have some decent third-party driver support for things like multi-function printer/fax/scanners and other odd-ball things like police radar detector software/map upgrading programs and what not, as that's been my main reservation so far -- that, and what few first-person games I still play on occasion, of course. But if Linux ever really catches on, hackers will start targeting it with more and more malware as well, so an anti-virus program is always going to be needed.

    What do you guys use on older hardware? Are there any other freebie solutions that do a decent job but don't hog system resources? Is ESET NOD32 worth giving a try, even if it does cost $50/year to license? Seems like they all got some flaws and disadvantages these days... no one perfect solution, unless you are running bleeding-edge hardware and can handle all the bloat.
    Last edited by LAGC; 02-22-2015 at 03:54 AM.
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

  2. #2
    Guns Network Lifetime Member #2

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    I use Avast and Superantispyware, malwarebytes is a good addon too. I used Norton many many years ago and quickly decided to never use their crap again.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

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    Avast.

    Norton was good until Peter sold out to Symantec...it's been shite since then.

    I run Avast, Comodo firewall, and peerblock. I ran malwarebytes for the first time in six months a week or so ago (let it update first)...it found nothin'!

    I should add...I've never had a virus in all my years in computing, and I started learning about viruses when the interwebz was books!

    Edited to add again...no viruses other than those embedded in hard drive firmware by the NSA over the last decade or so...which no one/no program can remove...
    Last edited by Oswald Bastable; 02-22-2015 at 04:26 AM.
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  4. #4
    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    ...no viruses other than those embedded in hard drive firmware by the NSA over the last decade or so...which no one/no program can remove...
    The same NSA that was peeping on your online banking activities a year ago or so?

    I think if they were installing hardware backdoors on hard drives and what not, a foreign government would have exposed them by now.

    Remember how much heat Microsoft took over that "NSAkey" business? That's the only good thing about having many governments, some at odds with each other, instead of one world government over the entire planet -- harder for any one government to pull something uber-sneaky off, especially something as blatant as that.
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

  5. #5
    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    I used Norton a lot a while back. Then, a message came through that said my Norton was obsolete and would no longer be supported by the company and that I had to upgrade to get it working again. I upgraded and everything went to downhill from there. It was a real bitch to get rid of, too.

    After many crashes and hang-ups, I switched to IObit Malware Fighter and it's been doing a great job ever since. I always use SuperAntiSpyware periodically and both have keep my computer clean since the switch.

    Screw Norton.
    "Valar morghulis; valar dohaeris."

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  6. #6
    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    I have used a lot of things over the years. I have had the best luck AVG. That is what I am currently using. I have also used spybot search and destroy for a long time and it seems to work good though it isn't comprehensive.

    I have also used Avast at times. It seems to work fairly well though I like AVG better. AVG seems to run faster and with less bloat so I use it.

    I tried Norton once and made the mistake of buying it on top of that. Didn't work well. It never found anything and slowed my system down. It seemed to me there were about a half dozen things I could get for free that worked better and ate up less system resources.
    Doobie Doobie Doo..

  7. #7
    Senior Member

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    I have never liked Norton. I tried it once many years ago and it just never seemed to work.
    I use mcafee total on 3 computers and have always been happy.
    sometimes you have to spend money to make it. does your boss not understand
    he is losing money?
    While no one ever listens to me,
    I am constantly being told to be quiet.

    In a world of snowflakes,
    be the heat..

  8. #8
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    I think if they were installing hardware backdoors on hard drives and what not, a foreign government would have exposed them by now.
    A former NSA employee told Reuters that people within the intelligence agency valued spying programs such as the ones discovered by Kaspersky Lab on a par with Stuxnet. Reuters also cited another former intelligence operative who confirmed that the NSA had developed the technique of hiding software in hard drives, but said he did not know which spy efforts are using it.
    http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/02/...nto-cyber-spy/

    http://securelist.com/blog/research/...alware-galaxy/

    http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/...yber-Espionage
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  9. #9
    Senior Member jet3534's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    So at work....
    I hate to say it, but you never seemed like someone who would have a real job. Now here is a question and please provide an honest answer - are you one of those EITC people who gets back a tax refund greater than what you paid in? No insult intended. Just trying to understand how the liberal mind works.

  10. #10
    Team GunsNet Bronze 10/2014

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    somehow it got into my computerlast week-end. caused all matter of trouble. i got several warnings and lots of offers for new firewall, virus, disc fighters. finally it locked up.

  11. #11
    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by jet3534 View Post
    I hate to say it, but you never seemed like someone who would have a real job.
    Well, I don't know if I'd call it a "real job" as it doesn't even pay a living wage, just a part-time gig (only 28 hours a week) to help with living expenses and keep my student loan debt down while I finish up college...

    Now here is a question and please provide an honest answer - are you one of those EITC people who gets back a tax refund greater than what you paid in? No insult intended. Just trying to understand how the liberal mind works.
    Not this year. As I told .308 in that "Christian-bashing" thread, I actually had to send money to the IRS this year for the first time in my life. I usually get a few hundred back because of the EITC, but since I made too much last year (including from another part-time work-study job that they didn't take withholding out of) I actually had to owe a few hundred instead to the Feds, along with another $100 to state.

    I would have waited until April 15 to file since there's really no hurry if you owe, but I needed to submit them ASAP to pull for my FAFSA.

    But I'm not quite a "maker" yet. I still get more in free PELL grants and the Obamacare subsidies than I pay in. But I graduate this two-bit community college in May, then just 2 more years at a 4-year school, so hopefully I won't be a "taker" for much longer.
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

  12. #12
    Senior Member JTHunter's Avatar

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    Years ago, my 98 PC had Norton and my laptop had McAfee. Norton was better but still a "resource hog".
    Now, using XP, I run Spybot, Malwarebytes, AVG, and Zonealarm. Since 1998, on all those systems, I've only had one single instance of a potential virus. And that was an Outlook Express email from a relative!
    Fortunately, the AT&T DSL tech was able to use remote control and fix my laptop. It had altered the desktop image but seemed unable to do anything else. The relative's computer, a desktop PC, was actually unable to get online.
    “I have little patience with people who take the Bill of Rights for granted. The Bill of Rights, contained in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, is every American’s guarantee of freedom.” - - President Harry S. Truman, “Years of Trial and Hope”

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