How do people feel about the security packages?

eyeb · 16. Sep 2010, 04:26 AM

How do people feel about the security packages/suites with antivirus/firewall/etc all packed together?

I mean it's nice to have access to all the settings in 1 program but doesn't using 1 system kind of compromise it also? I feel like if a virus was made to get through a particular companies flaws then it will get through all of it, firewall/AV. Using products from separate companies with different design would in essence cover each other's flaws. or are these packages just sold under a common name but developed separately from each other?

I thought to get things like Comodo/AVG/atc combo of AV and firewall, they were designed to play nicely with each other (avg av + avg firewall) but doesnt playing "nicely" mean leaving some security flaws so a virus could take advantage of and also "play nicely" with. So a combination of different products that just doesn't conflict would lack that flaw. It might not play nicely but they still put up with each other and work.

MidnightCowboy · 16. Sep 2010, 02:56 PM

This is one of those questions for which there really isn't a "one size fits all" answer because folks will make decisions based on individual need (and experience) which will be as variable as the programs available

Mostly, suites offer a form of ready made integration which (supposedly) prevents the kind of conflicts often seen when mixing separate components together. In reality, adopting a suite usually means compromising in one area or another as often there are inbuilt weaknesses. Usually this will involve the firewall but then this is where the whole suite scenario begins to get really complicated. Lets say for instance you see a firewall performance test where Bongo Internet Security is listed towards the bottom. Well, on its own maybe the firewall did perform poorly but were the other integrated components all fully enabled (or indeed considered) during the test? It's also quite possible that the tests conducted had very little to do with traffic filtering which is the primary task of a system firewall. Things designed to work together cannot be tested as separate parts and expected to perform to their best ability.

Suites have gained in popularity for two main reasons.

First the vendors have shoved these things into peoples faces to suit their own ends. Having a suite ensures a captive audience for their own brand and doesn't expose users to as much marketing from the competition as it would if they were using another AV, HIPS or firewall.

Second, because the technical demands of staying safe are increasing all the time, having a suite which achieves this for you is an attractive option for those with limited time or experience.

A quick browse of the various support forums however soon demonstrates that these things are far from foolproof. They are also full of other issues which most users could well do without. Despite the so called component integration a lot of these issues are caused by the resultant package trying to do too much. Maybe this is the demand from users in the field but in practice it's impossible to achieve 100% protection and trying to achieve 99.7 is maybe twice as difficult as settling for 99.2.

It is my belief that users can mitigate their need for a system busting solution by adopting a few other precautions before they even consider firewalls and antivirus programs. Security biased DNS services (ClearCloud/Norton), site rating software (WOT/Finjan) and Sandboxie together will eliminate most threats before you even look at anything else.

Funnily enough, there are only two suites that I've run recently which have given me zero problems or concerns of any kind and one of them is free. FortClient's performance might not be up with the leading pack but if you follow the advice in the previous paragraph and also stick WinPatrol into the mix then you won't need it.

Last but not least if you do manage to acquire an infection, although we appreciate your sharing the experience here it is the vendors who need this information most. Only by keeping the feedback flow moving in their direction can we expect the product improvements necessary to protect us against future exploits.

eyeb · 16. Sep 2010, 06:16 PM

thanks for the info. I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should get parents one of these suites because I'm leaving for college in winter so I won't be around to keep their computers clean. Like in my other post I like the Avira+Sygate+OpenDNS/Clearcloud but since I can't test this combination against the combinations of a suite, I wanted to get one that's best for them. I guess I'll stick with what I got now because I know it well enough to talk to them over the phone if they need help.

16. Sep 2010, 04:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	How do people feel about the security packages? How do people feel about the security packages/suites with antivirus/firewall/etc all packed together? I mean it's nice to have access to all the settings in 1 program but doesn't using 1 system kind of compromise it also? I feel like if a virus was made to get through a particular companies flaws then it will get through all of it, firewall/AV. Using products from separate companies with different design would in essence cover each other's flaws. or are these packages just sold under a common name but developed separately from each other? I thought to get things like Comodo/AVG/atc combo of AV and firewall, they were designed to play nicely with each other (avg av + avg firewall) but doesnt playing "nicely" mean leaving some security flaws so a virus could take advantage of and also "play nicely" with. So a combination of different products that just doesn't conflict would lack that flaw. It might not play nicely but they still put up with each other and work.

16. Sep 2010, 02:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
MidnightCowboy Site Manager Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South American Banana Republic, third bunch from the left Posts: 9,250	This is one of those questions for which there really isn't a "one size fits all" answer because folks will make decisions based on individual need (and experience) which will be as variable as the programs available Mostly, suites offer a form of ready made integration which (supposedly) prevents the kind of conflicts often seen when mixing separate components together. In reality, adopting a suite usually means compromising in one area or another as often there are inbuilt weaknesses. Usually this will involve the firewall but then this is where the whole suite scenario begins to get really complicated. Lets say for instance you see a firewall performance test where Bongo Internet Security is listed towards the bottom. Well, on its own maybe the firewall did perform poorly but were the other integrated components all fully enabled (or indeed considered) during the test? It's also quite possible that the tests conducted had very little to do with traffic filtering which is the primary task of a system firewall. Things designed to work together cannot be tested as separate parts and expected to perform to their best ability. Suites have gained in popularity for two main reasons. First the vendors have shoved these things into peoples faces to suit their own ends. Having a suite ensures a captive audience for their own brand and doesn't expose users to as much marketing from the competition as it would if they were using another AV, HIPS or firewall. Second, because the technical demands of staying safe are increasing all the time, having a suite which achieves this for you is an attractive option for those with limited time or experience. A quick browse of the various support forums however soon demonstrates that these things are far from foolproof. They are also full of other issues which most users could well do without. Despite the so called component integration a lot of these issues are caused by the resultant package trying to do too much. Maybe this is the demand from users in the field but in practice it's impossible to achieve 100% protection and trying to achieve 99.7 is maybe twice as difficult as settling for 99.2. It is my belief that users can mitigate their need for a system busting solution by adopting a few other precautions before they even consider firewalls and antivirus programs. Security biased DNS services (ClearCloud/Norton), site rating software (WOT/Finjan) and Sandboxie together will eliminate most threats before you even look at anything else. Funnily enough, there are only two suites that I've run recently which have given me zero problems or concerns of any kind and one of them is free. FortClient's performance might not be up with the leading pack but if you follow the advice in the previous paragraph and also stick WinPatrol into the mix then you won't need it. Last but not least if you do manage to acquire an infection, although we appreciate your sharing the experience here it is the vendors who need this information most. Only by keeping the feedback flow moving in their direction can we expect the product improvements necessary to protect us against future exploits. __________________ Knows nothing and cares even less

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16. Sep 2010, 06:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	thanks for the info. I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should get parents one of these suites because I'm leaving for college in winter so I won't be around to keep their computers clean. Like in my other post I like the Avira+Sygate+OpenDNS/Clearcloud but since I can't test this combination against the combinations of a suite, I wanted to get one that's best for them. I guess I'll stick with what I got now because I know it well enough to talk to them over the phone if they need help.