If you are to use one of Qihoo's products, do not use Total Security. Total Security comes with useless features that I like to call "bloat", since they won't add anything more to your system and even maybe slow it down. Qihoo 360 TS comes with "PC Booster" features, the same features all these shady PC Boosting programs offers when telling you that they can speed up your system performance, and such. None of these programs are worth using and none of these actually work like they should. If you want your system to perform at an optimal level, you'll have to manage it manually, by doing your own tweaks. This can be done by learning how the Windows OS works and doing the proper modifications on it. Therefore, if you are to use a Qihoo product, I would go with Qihoo 360 IS since it doesn't include the useless, bloated features of Qihoo 360 TS that would slow down your system more than anything, or even harm it in someway.
But maybe did we start by asking the wrong questions as well. Is it possible for you to provide us your computer specs, as well as what kind of Antivirus product you would like to switch to, free or paid?
And concerning your main question, which is the worry about Qihoo's products recolting user data and "using" it, keep in mind that Qihoo is a Chinese product, and without being biased, with eveverything that see today in the news, it's a reasonable doubt to question Qihoo's legitimacy when it comes to their product and what they do with the data they collect. That's pretty much all I have to say about it.
Free right now doesn't mean it will be free forever. They may have a paid "pro" version in the future. They also proably collect information about you and use it for unknown purposes.
All AV software slows down and destabilizes your computer. To compete with the viruses and rootkits that they're supposed to prevent, AV software installes itself on your computer in incredibly intrusive ways. Prior to 64-bit OS's becoming popular, AV software would commit dozens of hooks and patches to various kernel functions in the hopes in intercepting malware. Problem is that the malware was right there with them patching whatever it wanted in kernel-space, so it wasn't long before ring 0 turned into a battleground and major source of sysem instability.
Once 64-Bit became populare and CPU's had some new features, Windows came with something called PatchGuard, which now protects kernel-space memory (code & structures) from any modifications from malware or AV software, and began mandating code-signing for all drivers. Malware writers didn't complain or even make a peep about these changes, whereas AV companies threw a massive tantrum and even thought about suing Microsoft because they thought Microsoft's own AV products were going to have special access into kernel-space that they would not.
McAffee published a paper where they discussed how easily PatchGuard and revealed a new bypass method, making it likely that they, as well as other AV's, are all still hacking their way into your kernel to get the power they want.
When you consider the rather massive performance losses, incredibly invasive maneuvers that lead to system instability, false flags, notifications, advertisements, errors, sketchy data collection, sketchy broweser plugins and addons, you should ask yourself what the difference really is between AV software and viruses themselves (besides the fact that many people pay good money to voluntarily have AV's molest their computers).
Luckily, you can avoid all of the above drama by simply not using any AV and just followinga few good rules:
1) Use either Firefox or Chrome. (or just use Opera and hope that Russian exploit writer Sergei Ivanovich forgot you existed)
2) Keep your software up to date. Most software these days is good at bugging you to update it. Do it. Your browser, Flash, Java, Adobe Reader plugins, and your OS.
3) Don't download sketchy things off the internet.
It's surprisingly easy to keep your computer clean and free of viruses without resorting to using an anti-virus solution, which is something i think more people should consider.
EDIT: And considering the fact that Microsoft has been doing a fine job releasing it's own AV software that you can download for free on Windows without any toolbars or other nonsense, I strongly advice people to just use whatever solution Microsoft has provided and avoid shady AV companies.
You have some good points, however BleepingComputer is a forum where you mostly see non-experienced users coming to ask for help and advice. Without insulting them, I know that these users won't be able to use a system properly without an Antivirus protection as a first layer of defense. Hence why I recommend, and I always will recommend, these users to use a decent Antivirus protection on their system. There's an Antivirus product for every computer and its user, all you have to do is find that product. Simple as that.
Edited by Aura., 18 January 2015 - 07:16 PM.
Back to top
The specs we are interested mostly is the CPU and RAM. You can see such information by right-clicking on Computer and select Properties. The System information window will open, and the CPU/RAM will be displayed in it.
