Is free security software as good as paid security software? [closed]

Solution 1:

Paid security suites can often be more trouble than they are worth, they are bloated and slow and are full of bugs. Most of the time open source software is just as good, free, and has a much larger support community. The only problem is that open source software will generally require a more technically savvy user. Here is my security suite:

Update on antivirus on Windows: Microsoft Security Essentials is now at a level where it competes well with AVG and other antivirus suites.

SmoothWall (Separate computer, Linux box, easy install)
AVG 8.5 (free or paid)
ClamWin
Vidalia Bundle
Firefox w/ AdBlock Plus, No Scripts, IE Tab, AVG Safe Search, Tor button;

All of these applications are easy to install and use if you do a little bit of research first.

Solution 2:

I will give you a concrete example of where free software is likely better. Check out TrueCrypt. It is very had for me to trust encryption algorithms that are not openly available and thoroughly reviewed by the community.

Per comment: This is a good an "old" question. In the case of encryption software (and other security software), it's a matter of trust. Do you trust that a company will not buckle and sell you out when the NSA comes calling? Personally, I don't. In this case, I believe that only the distributed nature of the community, without the built-in need for self preservation on a micro-level can earn my trust. For other security software than encryption, firewalls and things of that nature, it can be less important -- unless you really distrust what a company might be doing.

Solution 3:

There are plenty of free alternatives to security applications, firewall, AV, spyware/adware scanners/removers. The problem is I've noticed that several commercial applications can find things the free ones cant, however the reverse is true, some free ones find things the commercial ones dont see.

The other issue I've had with commercial applications is they tend to be bloated and cumbersome.

I've been using Avira anti-virus for about two years now and I've not had an issue. I transitioned from AVG after the upgrade to the newest version seemed to slow my PC down.

Being a new user I cannot post more than one hyperlink, replace the *'s with t's and you can visit the sites.

• Avira
• AVG

A good alternative for spyware/adware is Spybot and Malwarebytes

• Spybot Search and Destroy
• Malwarebytes

There are plenty of commercial vendors that picked up freeware applications as well, which should tell you something about the quality of that freeware. One that comes to mind is Hijack this, it used to be an independent freeware application, that Trend Micro now owns:

• TrendMicro HijackThis

Part of the issue of keeping your system clean and running optimally is to be smart and know what you're installing/downloading or what sites your going to.

Solution 4:

Any security software is only as effective as the user of the system so protected; and if you have a user that insists on clicking on any and every link they get ... You're going to get burned.

That said, I use ClamWin AV, for scanning suspect files, and am quite happy with the results; it's not a bloated resource hog.