Anti Virus For Chromebook?

[paulyron]

So I use chromebook for web browsing sites and downloading adult videos and files.  I also stream sports, movies and tv shows through dodgy sites with the chromebook.  I do this since I won't do that with my windows 11 laptop.

 

 

The thing is I do not access online banking or any of my primary email on this chromebook.  I have several dummy google accounts that I log in to that is for entertainment use.

 

 

Now let say I want to access my primary email on the chromebook or a financial site like online banking on the same chromebook.  Is that safe or not?  Reason being I downloaded a ton of adult videos and files from forums and obviously they could possibly have malware/virus.  However even if the chromebook has malware or virus, I heard you can powerwash it and then it would be like it is new.  However, I would not want to do this because I have lot of files on the chromebook so I don't want it to be wiped out.  Now, is there any antivirus I could download on chromebook?  I know on the google play store, there is malwarebytes and AVG.  But do those scan your chromebook 100% like as well as kaspersky total or bitdefender on windows?  I always heard people say chromebook doesn't need antivirus and it's already built in.  However, is it safe for me to visit say online banking on a chromebook or my primary google account after doing these things on my chromebook?  

[Somerandomtechyboi]

59 minutes ago, paulyron said:

I downloaded a ton of adult videos and files

You didnt really have to specify that much yk

 

Linux still dont got as much market share as windows os wise so unlikely that youd be affected by any sort of virus since theyre mostly just windows viruses

 

Think you are still fine though cause again windows viruses but you are using linux and basically neutralising any viruses you may have downloaded

 

 

Also if you are gonna look at sus content problably a good idea to use a vpn or tor to mask your ip

[jaslion]

Chromebooks use a fork of linux so by default the chance of malicious software is very low.

 

As for anti virus there doesnt really seem to be any good ones that and depending on the hardware in your chromebook installing one may cripple its performance to unuseable levels when its running.

 

They do have some built in safety features which is enough for most but since you are downloading historically risky files it may not be enough. Even with an anti virus id simply not use this as anything else but a downloader machine

[paulyron]

So are you saying the chromebook that I"m using where i have streamed from sites and downloaded adult video and pictures on forums... my chromebook has no malware at all?  Or it can have?  But if this was a windows laptop, then it could?  I ask this because I want to do some financial things on my chromebook now such as use online banking and few other things but is it safe to do that now currently on a chromebook where I use it to visit dangerous sites?  Now I would not go to dangerous sites on a windows laptop and do financial things on it.

[paulyron]

So it would seem the safe thing would be powerwash my chromebook.  Then do financial things on it.  Then once I am done with that, powerwash it again.  Then go back to what I usually do on the chromebook which is web browse, download adult video and pictures from forums and that is fine?  Again these videos and files and pictures are from forums so not sure if they have malware or virus or not.  Now I wouldn't download this on a windows laptop but do this on a chromebook because I use it strictly for that and web browsing and streaming sites etc.  But it isn't safe for me to do some financial things on the chromebook right now then?  The thing is I only have to do a few things on it and that is it.  Thus imagine I have to do a few things for a few days and that is all.  

 

 

Then I powerwash it.  Then go back to my old chromebook ways?

 

 

So it isn't safe to just do financial things on my chromebook now the way it is?

[PopsCurling]

There have never been any cases of viruses on Chromebooks so you should be fine

[paulyron]

So it is fine logging into a banking site then while using the same chromebook which has downloaded adult videos and pictures that were downloaded from public forums?

 

 

I know the safer way would be to power wash the chromebook... then go on chromebook and go to banking site and once I am done... then use the chromebook for downloading adult videos and things like that?  The thing is I only have to use the banking site and financial things for a few days only.  

 

 

Or is it safe powerwashing it?  It doesn't seem that safe to use it while you are on an active google account with adult videos in it?

[paulyron]

On 6/5/2023 at 3:43 AM, Somerandomtechyboi said:

You didnt really have to specify that much yk

 

Linux still dont got as much market share as windows os wise so unlikely that youd be affected by any sort of virus since theyre mostly just windows viruses

 

Think you are still fine though cause again windows viruses but you are using linux and basically neutralising any viruses you may have downloaded

 

 

Also if you are gonna look at sus content problably a good idea to use a vpn or tor to mask your ip

So what do you suggest if I have to use the chromebook for a short while to check some pdf documents that are sensitive?  You recommend powerwashing the chromebook now.  Then use it to open up some pdf files that are sensitive... then once I'm done with that... powerwash again?  Then go back to what I do with my chromebook?

 

 

The thing is I have to visit a financial site and open file and download file that are sensitive.  Or you are saying it's safe to do this on my chromebook right now?

[paulyron]

On 6/5/2023 at 3:57 AM, jaslion said:

Chromebooks use a fork of linux so by default the chance of malicious software is very low.

 

As for anti virus there doesnt really seem to be any good ones that and depending on the hardware in your chromebook installing one may cripple its performance to unuseable levels when its running.

 

They do have some built in safety features which is enough for most but since you are downloading historically risky files it may not be enough. Even with an anti virus id simply not use this as anything else but a downloader machine

Do you have any insight to my last 2 messages to this?

[paulyron]

Want to add to this right now. In a week or two, I have to visit a site where I normally visit it on my primary windows 11 laptop. I usually visit it once or twice a year.



I log into this site to send/receive financial documents like tax documents and things like that. Now whenever they send me a document, you always have to enter the password to open it before you can open up the document. You know what this password is because it is related to you somehow. Now previously I always just visit that website on my main windows primary laptop and send/receive documents from it and open the PDF file and send back whatever is necessary. However... my concern is in case their laptop has malware/virus... I don't want me opening that PDF file on my windows primary laptop to get malware/virus. Would you say this is a smart action to take or not? Now last time I had to open a PDF file from them, I had a really slow spare windows 10 laptop to visit that site and open the PDF file and then send whatever back was necessary. At the moment I only have my primary windows 11 laptop and my chromebook. So because of this, whenever the other party sends me documents to look at and send back, I want to do this on another computer just in case their computer/laptop has malware.

Now... would it be safe to do this on my chromebook at the state my chromebook is right now or not? I do have lot of adult videos and pictures I downloaded from forums. So obviously there is a chance these files could have malware/virus. But since it's a chromebook and not windows, does it make matter? Does it make any difference if I log into my chromebook as a guest? Or that makes no difference at all if your chromebook has malware/virus? But say 2 or 3 of your google accounts you use on the chromebook are ones you use primary for web browsing/downloading adult videos/streaming etc. And say you have 1 google account on your chromebook that is just regular web browsing. Does any of this make a difference or not because it's still the same chromebook?



So the safe thing here would be powerwash my chromebook first? Only then... go to that financial website and receive and open an PDF files and once I'm done with that... then powerwash my chromebook again? Then finally... go log in with my few google accounts and continue to do what I normally do on it?


The thing is after I visit the website and open some PDF files and then send it back, I won't have to do this again for at least 6 months or longer. Thus this isn't like something I have to do weekly. So based on this... safe thing to do is just powerwash it but make sure you save the videos and pictures to google drive or external hard drive first? Then powerwash it. Then go do any financial things on it and once you are done... only then you power wash it one more time? Then go log back into your 2 or 3 google accounts you use for the chromebook? I use a chromebook strictly for entertainment purposes and wouldn't do these things on my main laptop. So would like your advice on this. Also during the process of visiting the website and receiving PDF file and checking it and sending it back, that would take probably 2 days max. Also, can anyone here confirm that with a chromebook... you can open adobe PDF files? Thank you.

[mMontana]

Chrome open PDF files. 

If you don't feel safe about a behavior... a perfectly unknown person to you can ease it up?

[jaslion]

12 hours ago, paulyron said:

Do you have any insight to my last 2 messages to this?

I mean nothing really exists to help you here since its deemed a almost none issue.

 

Keep in mind that if a person wants into your windows machine they WILL get in basically no matter what you do.

 

Best you can do is be catious and keep your stuff up to date.

 

Chromebooks for these types of things are the entirely wrong class of device btw. Basically see them as a phone with a keyboard and mouse on it

[paulyron]

On 9/5/2023 at 1:27 AM, mMontana said:

Chrome open PDF files. 

If you don't feel safe about a behavior... a perfectly unknown person to you can ease it up?

The person who is sending me these documents is a financial professional.  They send me tax documents and things like that.   My concern is if their computer has malware/virus but they don't know about it.

[paulyron]

On 9/5/2023 at 7:52 AM, jaslion said:

I mean nothing really exists to help you here since its deemed a almost none issue.

 

Keep in mind that if a person wants into your windows machine they WILL get in basically no matter what you do.

 

Best you can do is be catious and keep your stuff up to date.

 

Chromebooks for these types of things are the entirely wrong class of device btw. Basically see them as a phone with a keyboard and mouse on it

 

So you are saying there is no issue just visiting that financial website and opening sensitive PDF files and downloading it and sending it back while on the same chromebook with adult videos and pictures downloaded?

 

 

I am talking about doing this on the chromebook... not on my main windows laptop which is why I don't want to open the PDF files on the windows laptop.  I do visit the financial website on my windows 11 laptop when sending in documents.  But I do not want to open any PDF documents on the windows 11 laptop.

 

 

So based on this, what do you suggest?  Again when they send me some PDF documents to open, I would want to use another laptop but I don't have my other slow windows 10 laptop with me.  So the chromebook is fine as long as long as I first powerwash the chromebook first?  Then once I do visit the financial site on the chromebook and open PDF files and do what I need to do... then powerwash it again.  Then go back to what I do on my chromebook with adult video and streaming?

 

[jaslion]

9 hours ago, paulyron said:

So you are saying there is no issue just visiting that financial website and opening sensitive PDF files and downloading it and sending it back while on the same chromebook with adult videos and pictures downloaded?

You are already breaking rule 1 of online safety:

 

Dont do sketchy shit on a pc you care about/use for important stuff

 

Like if you use normal known safe sites all is fine. No need to do all the extra stuff

 

If you dig deep and use sketchy af stuff well yeah dont. Thats on you

[paulyron]

Well which computer am I suppose to do this with then?  Previously I always used my main windows laptop for visiting the financial site and then opening PDF file from that person etc.  However, I then thought that wasn't a good idea... in case they have malware/virus and they are not aware of it.  So if that is the case, any PDF files I receive from that person could contain malware/virus right?

 

 

So last time I did this, I used a very slow windows 10 laptop that I rarely use for this.  So in case there is malware when opening the PDF file, well it would affect the very slow windows 10 laptop which I rarely use.  The thing is I only have access to my main windows 11 laptop and a chromebook.  So what would be the best option here?  I don't want to risk opening PDF file on my main windows laptop in case they have malware/virus.  

 

 

So wouldn't it be best idea to just powerwash my chromebook which would make it brand new and clean?  Thus it would be free of malware and viruses even if there is any right now?  Then once I go to the financial website and open PDF files and do a few things and once I am done... then powerwash it again?  Then it would erase everything?  Then go and log into my few chromebook google accounts to do what I normally on it?  Again... I only have to visit the site and open PDF files and do a few things and once I am done with that, I won't be doing anything like this on the chromebook for at least another 6 months.  So best to do this method then?  This way, any sketchy stuff I do on the chromebook... well I won't have any financial information or files compromised so to speak?  I mean... people do buy chromebook or separate laptop for adult videos and streaming from sites right?  That is why I use a chromebook in the first place.