Silverfox

Last I read, Microsoft reporting that they still have a ton of Windows 7 users that have not bowed down to Windows 10 yet.
I guess Many of the businesses that have compatible software and a bunch of Employee's that would have to relearn how to use the Windows 10 OS and do not want to deal with the Massive Disruption.
That leaves Microsoft offering them a way to extend the time for the Change.
Maybe they will do what I did.
I have 2 New Dell OptiPlex computers that I ordered right at the very end of production with Windows 7 Pro factory installed and licensed for Windows 10, and the other one with Windows 10 factory installed and Internet Explorer11 installed .
That way I can switch back and forth to learn Windows 10 while still being able to access Windows 7 Pro that I know 10 times better and can make the comparisons as well as blend them together for user friendliness.
One thing I do not like is Microsoft's New Browser Edge, so I can still stick with Internet Explorer11 and Windows 10 which makes the change much easier to live with. Those people Windows 10 who use Chrome can do the same thing.

Silverfox

sleeper

Silverfox- I think you are correct Sir. And it makes sense.

(Small world) I have an OptiPlex® as well, (love it) my IT guy & friend loaded with licensed Win 10 Pro. I agree with you about Microsoft Edge, not for me.................

I much prefer Firefox® & am running their latest version 73.0 Which to me is quite user friendly.

The Mrs likes Internet Explorer, so she uses it on hers..

One can use any browser one likes, on Win 10, so I understand.

Casa Del Gatos

As VP of Tech Services for an IT security company and a 40-year IT pro, I have experience with all the products mentioned and can speak with a pretty good level of assurance.

Regarding browsers, the big three are pretty equal, with MS Edge being the best in my opinion. However, I also use Chrome and Firefox for various sites and extensions they have.
Internet Explorer is no longer supported or updated and is simply not a viable browser anymore for safe internet use. The newest version of Edge is Chromium-based and is very similar to Chrome.

Anti-Virus:
Kaspersky (the company) is known to have connections to Russian intelligence concerns and is not to be trusted in a secure business sense.
AVG and Avast (same company, BTW) are notorious resource hogs and often cause more problems than they solve.
They are also of Eastern European provenance and may be suspect for the same reasons as Kaspersky.
Trend Micro is a terrible product, as is McAfee. Symantec makes a decent AV, but it is too pricey and heavy-handed, IMHO.

eSet (any version, but I prefer Endpoint) is hands down the best AV product out there in my experience and it is quite affordable, even for the Server variants.
It is what I use for all corporate needs and is easily managed and has a very small footprint.

However, for the private home user, a 3-pronged approach with free software works quite well.
MS Windows Defender (or whatever they call it this month) combined with Malware Bytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) and Super Anti Spyware (SAS) using some semblance of a regular process can protect you well.
Watch for deals on MBAM Professional and you can sometimes get a great price for a lifetime license. I got a 3-pack of them years ago for about $30 and have never been sorry.

The thing is, you need to schedule time weekly to run the updates and scans with MBAM and SAS, unless you get the pro versions.

You also - more importantly - need to train yourself to recognize risky behavior and avoid it. For example, if you get an email from Wells Fargo and you do not bank, or have a mortgage with them, you should obviously delete it.
Also, do not ever click on a link in an email or on a website without first hovering your mouse over the link and looking at the bottom of the window to see where it actually points to.
Watch for slight misspellings and bad grammar or usage of common English terms as signs that things are questionable as well.

In short, use common sense and back up your critical documents and cherished pictures to a removable hard drive or a large thumb drive and you will be able to recover from pretty much everything.
That assumes you REMOVE the drive when you are finished backing up! Ransomware will hit everything it can see, so your backups must be offline.

You can take what I say as you like, but my company has been protecting data for US businesses for 24 years.
In addition to Corporate America, we work with government and DOD contracts and contractors on a regular basis and have NEVER had a negative security event.

(By the way, the days of Apple computers being risk-free are long gone. According to several sources, the threats to Macs have finally eclipsed those of Windows.)

Silverfox

"Regarding browsers, the big three are pretty equal, with MS Edge being the best in my opinion. However, I also use Chrome and Firefox for various sites and extensions they have.
Internet Explorer is no longer supported or updated and is simply not a viable browser anymore for safe internet use. The newest version of Edge is Chromium-based and is very similar to Chrome."


Just to let you know … Microsoft has told me that Internet Explorer 11 will follow the MS Operating system you have chosen. That should mean with updates with there Extended Pay for program.

Dell told me that if I decide to change from Windows 7 Pro with 10 licensing that was factory installed, it would come as Windows 10 with Internet Explorer embedded. I would hope That is not something Dell would be doing if there was no Security Support without telling their customers.
I do wonder how long they can justify this statement without issues.

I use Windows Defender which is still supported and Dell Support/Assist and CC Cleaner. I keep all updates current.
Support/Assist is great for the amateur like me as it updates Drivers and Bios as well as Tunes your PC. It is also a Free download on Dell Computers..
I may add MBAM as well as The Security Environment is not getting any Better

I must admit that I am Over Cautious when using my computer.
Never have entered my SS number on any forms
Do not Bank on line.
Screen every E Mail carefully.
I am the only user.
Etc. Etc.


Silverfox

Silverfox

As a Follow Up to the above post....

Here is the info in more detail concerning Internet Explorer no longer supported.


Google on high alert.

Edge felt surprisingly stable when I trialed the browser last month, and the addition of Chromium add-ons puts it miles ahead of the current version. Now Microsoft is making some big moves to differentiate Edge from its competitors and shape it into a compelling alternative to Chrome for consumers and organizations alike.Here are the most exciting new features Microsoft announced for Edge at Build 2019.

IE Mode

IE Mode is a feature designed to help businesses transition from Internet Explorer to the new browser. IE Mode integrates Internet Explorer directly into Edge via a tab, so workplaces can continue using legacy apps, even after they make the switch.

Microsoft says 60% of businesses use multiple web browsers, a problem that slows down productivity and creates confusion. With IE Mode, big organizations reluctant to upgrade their technology in fear of facing compatibility issues with legacy apps no longer have to worry. That same fear is why so many users continue to use Windows 7, a trend Microsoft is desperate to avoid with Edge.

Silverfox

sleeper

Casa Del Gatos - Thanks for chiming in. We're getting a lot of good info here.

donbrew

Exactly what is involved with the home user "learning" to use an OS?
My wife had absolutely no trouble using Linux when I threw a really old computer at her in an emergency. She never noticed when I upgraded her computer from Vista at Win 7. Her current machine is not capable of running win 10. To the casual user the OS is not something to worry about, especially in Point of Sale and commercial uses. The IT guys are the only ones that care.

The Edge browser that just came out last week is very nearly a copy of Chrome Browser. I doubt most people even know what browser they are using.
ALL of the AV programs screw my computers up. Everything from slowing already old, slow machines down to glacial speeds to up and deleting files with no notice because they think they are a threat.

I have 5 computers that are always on and connected to the internet with no firewall or AV for the last 20 years. The only problem I have had is when the wife clicked on one of those "you have email" popups. I am constantly sharing torrents and use a bunch of "pirate" ware programs.

geg

Casa Del Gatos! Buddy! All Russian products, including gas and wheat, are associated with Russian special services. Russian rocket engines for NASA, titan for a Boeing - all under the control of special services.
Just as everything American is connected with American intelligence agencies. Russian and American intelligence agencies do not hide this.
Is it possible to trust? Everyone makes this decision independently.
I am not campaigning my interlocutors right now. Just some thoughts:
1. I freely use American software. I know that I am not a terrorist, not a criminal, not fagot, and on my computer there are no corporate secrets or nude photos. Do I know that my correspondence can go to the FBI or the CIA? I am sure that they keep my every letter. But let them read, they have a big budget for all sorts of stupid things. It is unlikely that I will be useful to them.
2. I freely use Russian software with the same thoughts. Let them read too. For the Russian special services, I’m probably a more attractive object than the Americans. Just because I'm sitting close.

And most importantly: as long as your conscience is clear, if you do not indulge in shameful vices and do not upload your perversions to the network to boast - you can safely spit on any special service. Of course, corporate secrets also need to be kept away from home.

Maybe I'm reasoning as an amateur? I don’t know what? Correct me.

Doc brown

I'm also in IT, 25 years. I've been a Systems Admin for the better part of 20, and did security for a bank for 5 of the 9 years I worked there. Casa Del Gatos is spot on. I will add that when it comes to effectiveness of anti-malware software you can read all the ratings and comparisons until you are blue in the face. The reality is they are all about the same when it comes to effectiveness. They are all signature based scanners. What that means is they can only catch what they know about. Being that there are thousands of new variants out there every week, they can only catch so much. Because this is not nearly enough to protect from new and very sophisticated attacks, corporate IT departments augment protection with very expensive, very sophisticated next generation firewalls (web filtering) and other security appliances. Also next generation anti-malware protection on the workstation, companies like Carbon Black, Palo Alto, CrowdStrike, and Sentinel One.

Well, none of this stuff is available to home users. At least not in any affordable way. So what can you do? I strongly recommend using web filtering from OpenDNS. It's free for home users and crazy effective. You can block by category and also whitelist and blacklist specific sites. The best part is that the antimalware and phishing sites are blocked at a level that can't be accomplished by anti-malware software.

I also recommend going over the tool box list from Brian Krebs security blog.

Just for emphasis, I'll quote Casa Del Gatos, "need to train yourself to recognize risky behavior and avoid it. For example, if you get an email from Wells Fargo and you do not bank, or have a mortgage with them, you should obviously delete it.
Also, do not ever click on a link in an email or on a website without first hovering your mouse over the link and looking at the bottom of the win". This is probably one of the best ways you can protect yourself.

Now my opinion on browsers. I use Chrome. For my needs it works the best. Occasionally I have to use Firefox at work and at home due some compatibility issue. I hate Edge. Watch for MS's new Edge. It's Chromium based. Yes, it uses the same code that Chrome is built on. We'll see how good it really is but I have high hopes for it.

geg

it's true
I totally agree