Windows "Standard User" protection against viruses?

F

firehawk

Veteran
As I understand, using your computer as a standard user, without admin privileges means a virus cannot install itself, right?
Considering letting my anti-virus subscription go and whenever I need to get on the internet, just use my notebook as a standard user.

What do you think? I'm using WIN 8.1
 
Install the free Microsoft virus scanner, at work our IT department went to it for the entire system. I can't remember if it is part of win 8, but it is standard in win 10.
 
I have been a full-time programmer for over 11 years. For 30 years I have been using computers and served as informal tech support for friends, family, and coworkers. I have used Mac and Windows, and I've installed and set up Linux several times on various home computers and servers.

I would say you don't need to buy third-party antivirus. Run as a Standard User, and make sure that Windows' bundled antivirus is turned on. It's called Defender.

As a final layer, I would use Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer. In Chrome, install AdBlock. I also installed a modified hosts file, http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm, but that can break a website every now and then. All of these things are free.

But also run as a Standard User instead of an Administrator. The separation of powers is a core computer concept since the 1960s. Operating systems that follow that concept normally don't use antivirus and yet do not get viruses: Unix, Linux, BSD, Mac OS X, Android, Chrome OS. You cannot install antivirus on a Chromebook, and yet a Chromebook cannot get a virus.

Antivirus software is invasive, at least back when I used it. It's almost like having a virus. It slows down your computer and can pop up windows here and there. This is counter to running your computer safely, which I think is more about having a calm, clean environment. That's partly why I recommend adblockers (the other reason is that ads can contain malware!). The atmosphere of a computer without an adblocker is one of total chaos, especially if you are also running third-party antivirus. When you're on the web, you should see the article you're trying to read and nothing else. Things should not be popping up. That kind of chaos leads to attention fatigue, and before you know it you've clicked to install a virus. In my opinion you should understand everything that appears on your computer screen. If you're having to train yourself to ignore corners of the screen because it's filled with flashing ads, you are losing control and are sort of like a drunk driver.

Understand your computer. Simplify your computer as much as possible. Turn on the operating system's own bundled security features, and you should be safe. Note that I would not have said this about Windows 95. But Windows has finally got its act together and implemented most of the things that the other operating systems have been doing since disco.
 
Last edited:
Combatentropy

Still not sure, but I recognize the logic and just changed my account from administrator to standard user.
I feel the same about virusscanners as you do, slowing down your computer and the fact these company's do benefit from viruses is a bit creepy.

After my pc was hacked, my bank adviced me to scan for viruses, microsoft defender failed, another scanner found malware, and chrome was somehow infected too. (But of course that was before I did the account changing.)

Virusscanners can give you a wrong sense of safety. In some country's 30% of the computers are infected.

I'd say do whatever you can, but hackers will invent new ways to infect computers and virusscanners will always be one step behind.
 
I stray onto this issue occasionally, its frightening how advanced modern malware can be. The newer stuff can hide remaining dormant for months before acting thus fooling anti virus software. Also software protection always slows your machine, by its very nature of having to monitor your machines activity its has to.
On new area just about to be marketed is hardware protection built into the router, its quite complex and it monitors the incoming and outgoing traffic including your ioT devices, smart fridges etc. Its probably the direction I will go.
 
firehawk said:
As I understand, using your computer as a standard user, without admin privileges means a virus cannot install itself, right?
Click to expand...

No. You couldn't be more wrong. Many (most?) of the exploits out there are to raise privs from user level to admin level so the malware can do what it wants, where it wants, when it wants.

The standard safety rules still apply no matter what level of privs you are running at the time. Keep your OS and applications fully up to date. Don't surf sites you don't trust. Don't open email attachments you didn't specifically ask for, from a source you trust. Don't give out any information to an unknown person, either in person, on the phone, or through email / message no matter how nicely they ask, or how reasonable they sound. Don't give out your login credentials to anyone, not even your IT people (if they need into your account they have the tools to do that without getting your password), not even your boss.

The vast majority of computers getting pwned comes from phishing attacks or other social engineering attacks. Privs, or the lack thereof, will not stop this. Thinking will. Vigilance will.
 
I currently run Norton 360 on all our machines, Previously under WIN 7 now under WIN 10. It has pretty low overhead and does not seem to affect performance at all. MalwareBytes was far worse in this respect.
No issues ever with any form of malware the utilities help keep your PC running at peak efficiency.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm looking at the above suggestions.
Only one of my workstations touches the internet and that is only to go to my online storage. I won't even open DVXUSER on it since I once got a virus a year or two ago and had to wipe it.
However I do need to use the internet so I use my WIN 8.1 notebook for Pond5, turbosquid, DVXUSER, youtube, some research and also....ugh..facebook because I maintain my business pages and also have a personal page where I help people with problems. So my concern is getting a virus on my notebook and then transferring it to my workstation via flash drive since I have to transfer files back and forth some.
 
firehawk said:
So my concern is getting a virus on my notebook and then transferring it to my workstation via flash drive...
Click to expand...

Don't do that. Sneakernet is so old school. This sort of bad behavior is what got 3.5 inch floppy disks a (well deserved) bad name for being a virus vector (a thousand years ago it seems, way back in the 1980s and 90s). It's like sharing needles for computers. Just don't do it.

Your computers use a network, so use the network to transfer files. Is it really so difficult?
 
Bruce Watson said:
Don't do that.
Your computers use a network, so use the network to transfer files. Is it really so difficult?
Click to expand...

Thank you much. Sounds good except if I allow my notebook and workstation to see each other on the same network if my notebook gets a virus can't it then go to my workstation? I would need hardware level protection at the router right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top