Topic: Antivirus Compared

Many thanks to AV-Comparatives for doing regular, independent AntiVirus comparisons, using a standardized methodology(explained here). http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … dology.pdf  For example, here is their Feb2011 'False-Alarm' test. http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … eb2011.pdf  I don't think i'd personally want Qihoo Antivirus on My system!

The latest 'Whole-Dynamic Test' is here. http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … ic2010.pdf  A new 'Whole-Dynamic Test' will be released in july.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews cool cool

Last edited by TechDud (2011-05-26 20:14:27)

Re: Antivirus Compared

Useful info! Thanks for posting it! I'm still using Avast and searching for something better.

STOP SPAM

Re: Antivirus Compared

Thanks for the info!

Re: Antivirus Compared

Hi there,Its nice to know,I am using McAfee and it is good but not as much.It seldom fails to stop malware .I will try out this one.Thanks.

SPAM link removed by moderator

Re: Antivirus Compared

Well thanks for the info, but I think Kasperskay is the best antivirus nowadays. Since people demand for the Kasperskay. What you say.

No Spam!

Re: Antivirus Compared

I like the Kaspersky Rescue CD http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk
However; i'm not much of a fan of how it leaves a kaspersky folder on the target drive.  Just a minor annoyance.

Actually, i really like the concept of AntiVirus Rescue CD's in general (there are several available).  Fix & remove windows virus' without running Windows.
Always best to image a drive before cleaning, just in case. big_smile

Re: Antivirus Compared

Beware, the Ask.com toolbar may be transmitting location info & recording IP addresses, even after declining their license agreement.

Location data was recorded in my registry here --> [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ask.com.tmp]
  as well as a pair of log files in my %temp% folder.  Funny thing is, they got my location wrong!  They were close, though.

This was my experience upon install of the latest version of ImgBurn & Avira AntiVirus Free (collected without choice of accept/decline) sad
They insist that i should not be using Spybot instead of their WebGuard (powered by Ask.com - Don't Ask), yet they have yet to elaborate.
Edit:  one moderator on their forum suggests that it is up to the user.  http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?pa … ost1117580
         allegedly Ask.com gets paid for each install of toolbar http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?pa … ost1111180
         formerly discovered targetting children with ads 2005 http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/insta … es-banner/
       put that together with collection of geolocation data could potentially spell doom for any company partnering with Ask.com's Toolbar in it's present form.

If you do not want the toolbar, yet you like the software that it is bundled with, simply disconnect from the internet, install the program,
deselect any options associated with Ask, Finish; reconnect to internet. big_smile
Edit:  the former procedure has yet to be confirmed to prevent or stop geo-location.

http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?pa … dID=136682   http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?pa … dID=136708

This behavior may be enough to have Ask toolbar classified as 'malware' once again.  The ball is in Spybot's court now. cool

Last edited by TechDud (2011-10-09 09:30:38)

Re: Antivirus Compared

Here's a link to AV-Comparative's Weblog:  http://www.av-comparatives.org/weblog/

   Whole Product Dynamic Tests (June 2k11) --> http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … 1_1_en.pdf
   False Alarm Test (Aug 2k11) --> http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … ug2011.pdf
   On-Demand Comparative - Detection Tests (Aug 2k11) --> http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … ug2011.pdf
   Performance Test Security Suites (Aug 2k11) --> http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … g_2011.pdf
   Corporate Review (Complete Report) (Sept 2k11) --> http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … w_2011.pdf big_smile


I note that Netcraft's Toolbar shows forum.driverpacks.net as the 14610th most popular site on the internet.  big_smile
   driverpacks.net is rated 44256th.  http://toolbar.netcraft.com/stats/topsites

Last edited by TechDud (2011-10-09 09:44:58)

Re: Antivirus Compared

"A little birdy" told me that in order for Ask.com to resolve a person's geographical location, they would need to collect one's IP address, and process it using a database.
This behavior occurs 'behind the scenes', before a user has a chance to view any EULA, nor Privacy Policy.  Head's up to any military service-people, those in witness-protection programs, or women trying to get away from an abusive spouse; Ask may help rat-out your physical location.

Ask.com:  EPIC FAIL

Re: Antivirus Compared

Tired of being redirected by every Tiny Url you see?  The following may be of assistance to firefox users (maybe chrome too) by uncovering 182 short Url services.  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo … lease-mod/ big_smile

A mass ASP.NET attack is underway, beware.  SQL is being injected almost as often as fuel through an internal combustion engine.  I wish i was making this stuff up.  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/14 … ion_grows/

Dan Goodin wrote:

just six of the top 43 antivirus providers detected the attack

Beware the link at the bottom of the 'VirusTotal' analysis, it links to malignant code for research purposes.  Verify the link with either of the following free scanners:

http://sitecheck.sucuri.net/scanner/
https://www.virustotal.com/index.html

Odd, 'VirusTotal' now says that 0/43 recognize this, yet 'sitecheck.securi' insists it is still active malware?!? hmm
Anyway, they have toolbars for popular browsers and an API, too. http://www.virustotal.com/advanced.html#browser-addons

There are other signature based services, such as the ones mentioned here: http://www.h-online.com/security/featur … tml?page=2

ThreatExpert, from PC-Tools, the makers of ThreatFire (a free behavior-based AV), is a behavior-based detection service for files at http://www.threatexpert.com/submit.aspx cool

If you want to clean an infected system, there are some rescueCD's available.  Notably absent from the following site is Avira's & AVG's rescueCD's.  Other rescue platforms mentioned are worth looking at for data recovery.  http://www.h-online.com/open/features/S … 83726.html

Now, if only i could find an integrated solution for my smokin' new smarf meter, to protect from malware & worms, without resorting to tin-foil.

Last edited by TechDud (2011-10-16 10:36:42)

Re: Antivirus Compared

AV-Test.org has some AntiVirus product comparisons here --> http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/test-reports/

Total malware is up, new malware is down.  http://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/malware/
Way down over the last two months!  "Sept 11" for the malware industry, hoorah!  Or was it that there was just so much of it that any significant percentage cut would appear in the stats as having been all-but destroyed?

Spam is as spam does, sit on my shelf.  Anyone for Green Eggs & Spam?  I much prefer Roast Beast! http://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/spam/

If you have a Symantec product, odds are that you have spent much time installing updates.  Hopefully it wasn't over WiFi-g. hmm  http://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/updates/

Here's a link to some free BitDefender Apps:  http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/#Free%20Apps big_smile

Last edited by TechDud (2011-10-18 01:10:06)

Re: Antivirus Compared

Wondering where most of the spam originates nowadays?  China?  Russia?  Nigeria?

the USA --> http://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/spam/ yikes
"In God we trust, all others pay cash!"

If you own a Symantec product with AntiVirus, you may have spent some time awaiting the completion of updates this previous week, again.
http://www.av-test.org/en/statistics/updates/ sad

AV-Comparatives has some new reports available:  Retrospective/Proactive Detection Tests:  Revised Nov2011 http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … ov2011.pdf
                                                                           AntiPhishing:  Revised Oct2011 http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/s … ng2011.pdf

Last edited by TechDud (2011-11-20 20:39:32)

Re: Antivirus Compared

AV-TEST.org has a new set of test results for Antivirus products.
http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/test-re … poct-2011/ big_smile
For example:  it shows no difference between Avira Internet Security 10 and the new version, 2012 on Windows XP. 
[url]http://www.av-test.org/no_cache/en/tests/test-reports/test-reports/?tx_avtestreports_pi1[report_no]=113946[/url] ???

Last edited by TechDud (2011-12-04 13:10:08)

Re: Antivirus Compared

from post above concerning posts on an official forum:  http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic. … 757#p45757

Someone deleted my topic concerning geodata collected pre-EULA  (not i - never had the privileges,; doubt anyone hacked into my account either for same reason).
I attempted to appeal to a mod as a new topic (TOU didn't explain how to start an appeal) only to have that disappear in short order.
I never violated TOU as far as i know, IMHO & used level-headed netiquette.  I even suggested that it must be a bug, rather than making accusations.
I added some new independent info that corroborated my claims, as no one had refuted unequivocally.  That's when posts started disappearing, even the whole topic back over two months.  Never received a single 'PM' about the 'takedown'.

No enlightenment seems forthcoming from that forum.  I must have struck a raw nerve.

Apparently 'Caveat Emptor' applies to 'Free AntiV-Adware', too. sad

Last edited by TechDud (2011-12-09 22:10:28)

Re: Antivirus Compared

The following link is an example of the type of behavior i had seen.
http://www.threatexpert.com/report.aspx … a8f3217810 *
Note the regkey HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ask.com.tmp & the 'location=' variables towards the bottom of the page.
Turns out to have been a mod deleting my posts due to 'false & libelous accusations' (not a direct quote, that's copyrighted by that mod).

  Is no one else willing or able to confirm or deny what i've seen occur before an EULA can be viewed?  sad


*note:  link contents generated by ThreatExpert.com

Last edited by TechDud (2011-12-10 13:31:16)

Re: Antivirus Compared

TechDud wrote:

Someone deleted my topic concerning geodata collected pre-EULA  (not i - never had the privileges,; doubt anyone hacked into my account either for same reason).
I attempted to appeal to a mod as a new topic (TOU didn't explain how to start an appeal) only to have that disappear in short order.
I never violated TOU as far as i know, IMHO & used level-headed netiquette.  I even suggested that it must be a bug, rather than making accusations.
I added some new independent info that corroborated my claims, as no one had refuted unequivocally.  That's when posts started disappearing, even the whole topic back over two months.  Never received a single 'PM' about the 'takedown'.

To be fair, we have a similar policy written into our rules:

9. Has the thread you started or participated in been moved, closed or deleted? We might have just been bored. Check with the forum moderator via forum email. Under no circumstances should a thread be started asking why other threads were moderated. Forum moderation is not up for public debate, such threads will be deleted and the thread starter warned. DriverPacks.net reserves the right to edit, delete or move posts made on this site. The previous also goes for signatures that have been modified or removed. All decisions of the DriverPacks team are final and non negotiable. So say we all...

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Re: Antivirus Compared

That is fair & understandable, & clearly written; unlike:  http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?page=Rules
A search for the term 'impartial moderator' returned no hits from their search, nor was a procedure detailed. (from section 3.7)  It is noted somewhere that moderators will not respond to support requests through PM.  I note that i'm not banned from their forum, can still login & post.  Just thought it best to pass along my eXPeriences.

I've found a bear nearby, a stick in my hand & dropped the stick & coolly walked away. yikes