Customer ask's.."what AV should I run??"

For my residential base, I use Webroot. Nice browser integration (so you don't get that call three days later b/c their re-infected). Full disclosure here, we are a reseller/parter.

My business base is completely different. Primarily, I would offer up a full UTM solution using a Fortigate, or SonicWall where the client software integrates the AV/SW/MW and also includes VPN client side. They also have a lot of policy options for the connected clients and integrate into the existing infrastructure very well. I tend to lean to the Fortigate, because their Forticlient is very light-weight and efficient. If the hardware decisions are not made, I have been using Trend Micro "Worry Free" cloud based services and that has worked out well both from technical and cost perspectives.

IMHO
 
Friends and family get a recommendation for the Norton Security w/ Backup. 10 seats for $44 on Ebay or Amazon!

In the past I believed "free" AV products could do the job. Now I believe in the old bumper sticker, "Gas, grass, or a$$... nobody rides for free!"

Lot of people here still hate on Norton for their practices 10 years ago. It is currently not the same product you remember and it is now consistently rated one the best in real-world detection and efficient use of machine resources.

I no longer recommend free AV products because they all have warts. I personally use Norton Security for my own devices and I use the Toolbar for URL reputation monitoring and I use the Identity Safe for keeping track of Web-resource passwords.

I made a conscious decision when I got into business for myself to NOT be a parts or software reseller. (I wanted to avoid the tax consequences!) I leave money on the table but I also am not responsible for maintaining or providing warranty support. I get paid for my advice and for my time installing and configuring what ever product the customer chooses.

For a number of years I would recommend a "free" product. I've used AVG, Avast, Panda, Avira, and good 'ol Security Essentials. Over the years I've had customers bring back their machines because one of these products I had recommended would get screwed up and/or they would get re-infected. I wasn't obligated to, but I would usually fix their machines for free or at a reduced rate because my recommendation didn't work out.

I should have joined a reputable product's reseller program and better protected my customers. I would have seen fewer returns and better margins on the original work.
 
As far a freebies go I would say Microsoft Security Essentials, but decent sized businesses should be able to afford something like ESET.
 
Calx said:
You might want to check the latest independent test results for free antivirus. MSE has really slipped in the rankings. 87% overall compared to industry standard of around 98%

https://www.av-test.org/en/
Click to expand...

As true as this is...for the clients who don't want to pay the small amount for AV (I charge $25 for BitDefender/pc) they either:
-Don't need much as all they do is go to Yahoo and browse the news and check email
-Are cheap and therefore I don't want to install Avast for them and have them call me asking why it's asking for an account.

I'd sooner leave these people to Microsoft's product. I always educate on why a decent paid alternative is better - but some will not listen. I will not discount any product...they can go ahead and install whatever...but *I* will only populate a PC with MSE if they want a freebie. I mean most ISPs give at least McAfee/Norton which is a better solution for the cheapo clients.
 
We used to resell Bitdefender through a distributor but now are using NinjaRMM and reselling it to our residential clients as our "Virus Protection Plan" we are able to make good money on top of the per machine, per month cost. No complaints as of yet. I also suggest Kabuto as well for anyone trying to hit the residential market for recurring revenue.
 
SpaceSquad said:
As true as this is...for the clients who don't want to pay the small amount for AV (I charge $25 for BitDefender/pc) they either:
-Don't need much as all they do is go to Yahoo and browse the news and check email
Click to expand...

Less than a year ago Yahoo ads were compromised and infected many users. Just throwing that out there as a useful selling point to the clients that say something along those lines.
 
Reading this thread nobody has mentioned yet that Comcast internet customers are entitled to full versions of Norton Internet Security for up to 7 systems. I have a small home based tech support business, and I recommend that all my Comcast customers take advantage of that offer. It's surprising to me how few people know about it, and how many are already paying for a Norton subscription. BTW I used to despise Norton but I think it's well known that the newer versions are much improved. Regardless, for home users who are paying for Comcast there's no better deal. The license is tied to the Comcast router (or their log in, but I am a Comcast user so my router supersedes that), so I can't install it for them for systems dropped off with me. For those clients I will install MSE and send them home with an instructional handout about uninstalling MSE and installing the Comcast version of Norton.

For my clients using a different ISP than Comcast (typically Verizon) I recommend a paid solution, none of which I sell. My current recommendations are ESET, Kaspersky, or Norton. However, no matter which they chose I tell them to keep in mind that any AV solution can be compared to a flu shot - it SHOULD keep you safe from infection, but it's only as good as the latest definitions, the viruses are always trying to stay a step ahead of it, and it's not going to protect you if you go hang out with a lot of sick people and never wash your hands!
 
@carmen617 no offence intended here but Norton?! Seriously?.

I think you will find the vast majority of techs on here despise Norton with a passion.

Bad detection rates, slowness of systems. Stops other programs working. The list is endless.

We remove it,mans install something a lot better.

MSE used to be good to, but according to AV comparative listing. (Check out their site) you will find MSE in last place.

I've just wrote a long post in another part of the forum, about installing free av's and why i feel you shouldn't do it.

Also if you do a search of the forum, you will find I've mentioned this numerous times.

I do like your analogy of the flu shot though. I may use that myself if you'd allow me to lol.
 
I'll note also that a lot of techs get their stats on AV effectiveness from AV Comparatives, and Norton is not one of the vendors that participated in 2015 (other perpetual punching bags like McAfee/Intel and AVG did participate). In addition to their 2015 summary report now available (Kaspersky best product, BitDefender close behind, ESET, Avira, Emsisoft, Avast, eScan also showing well) you might like the real-world chart.

If Norton can't be bothered to show up, it either says bad things about their opinion of their product or it says bad things about whether they regard perceived product quality as a significant factor.

Edit: I should simplify - not sure if it's "Our product sucks but we can sell it on name" or "We don't care what technical people care about our product, we can sell it on name."
 
Last edited:
I've seen far too many issues with Comcast Constant Guard to be able to recommend it to anybody. In my experience its got horrible detection rates. On many low end systems it brings the PC to a crawl, and I've seen it do Norton's common issue of getting corrupt and making massive Quarantine files for no reason that use up ALL the available disk space.

I'd recommend MSE over it, because with MSE it will still be a bad AV but at least it won't also wreak havoc on your system all by itself.
 
I'm not going to debate effectiveness in this thread - truthfully I read the same articles as you, but my experience is that people who know what they are doing (you and me) don't get virus infected regardless of which a/v they use, and people who don't (our client base) DO get virus infected regardless of which a/v they use. They get a lot MORE virus infections if they don't use any a/v program, or don't update what they have (gee, it came with the system when I bought it 4 years ago, I thought I was covered). The main gist of my post was to point out that there is a perfectly good "free", non-ad-based, non-nagging a/v solution available to Comcast customers, many of whom are actually paying for it without knowing they have it for free. When I tell my clients to log onto the Symantec website, cancel their autopay, uninstall that version of Norton and install the version from Comcast, and ask for a refund if they've renewed within the past 60 days, I get a very nice and warm and happy response from them.

Krynn72 said:
I've seen far too many issues with Comcast Constant Guard to be able to recommend it to anybody. In my experience its got horrible detection rates. On many low end systems it brings the PC to a crawl, and I've seen it do Norton's common issue of getting corrupt and making massive Quarantine files for no reason that use up ALL the available disk space.

I'd recommend MSE over it, because with MSE it will still be a bad AV but at least it won't also wreak havoc on your system all by itself.
Click to expand...

Constant Guard is another story. Although they now label their download page for Norton "Constant Guard" it's not that any longer, it appears to be simply an Xfinity branded copy of Norton 360. Constant Guard was a terrible add-on, which they have discontinued, thankfully. It was so bad that I published a tutorial on how to install Norton without the Constant Guard add-on.
 
We recommend Kaspersky but like some of us techs, don't see much reason to have an antivirus on my own computer. If we have a copy of ProduKey on our computer the antivirus will remove it, but it's necessary to have it on our tech bench systems.
 
This thread has good timing. Just for the simple fact that I removed Constant Guard from Norton on 4 different computers, from 2 completely different clients. I was stunned that this crap was everything. I said this before but Norton is well recognized name to even those most basic user, but it doesn't mean its good. Those computers were no slouch either, mid to high range desktops and laptops. Each one was bringing the system to a crawl and although the protection was enabled and running active it didn't stop the spyware and PUPs from getting inside. Granted these were Home business users who basically use their computers for sending e-mails and printing out invoices.

After removing the Norton, running my malware remove tools and a tune up they were back in business. I either recommend Kapersky for the break/fix or use Emisosft. Both haven't given me any problems.
 
For our customers we do a couple things, if they already have an antivirus installed, and it's up to date (which most aren't that's why they are in a repair shop), after we do a cleaning we educate the customer on the effectiveness of an antivirus. People think its good enough to have an antivirus, but don't understand that if you bypass it, or click "accept" or "ok" or "ignore" then the AV doesn't work. An antivirus is only as strong as it's user, paid or free.
Secondly, no system leaves the shop without a free AV. Most of my clients are basic web surfers and doing very limited internet usage. The features of most paid services far outweigh their usage type. This way there is no added cost to the clients, and they can / will hopefully keep their protection up to date.
Just some insight on how we do it here!

EZ Network Solutions
11197 Seminole Blvd
Largo, FL 33778
www.eznetworksolutions.com
 
We sell Bitdefender through Max, and Kaspersky (for those that want a boxed product).

We no longer recommend free AV. If they won't buy from us we tell them to check av comparatives
 
We sell Panda, a good, solid AV with fewer issues than most.

Recently tried to demo Avira Free.. never, ever again.... their stupid App makes it a nightmare..
 
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