BOClean vs. A-Squared IDS?

[acr1965]

Do these two programs offer similar protection? I have A2 but am needing something different so I am considering Comodo's BOClean. The reason for the needed switch is because I cannot get Ad Muncher to work properly with A2 installed and running. Is either of these products recommended over the other? From what I have read they are both highly rated.

A-Squared IDS-

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/ids/

Comodo's BOClean-

http://www.comodo.com/boclean/boclean.html

[QBgreen]

To make things easier for you, keep A2 as an on demand scanner, but disallow the guard and auto updates. It's a good product. BOClean should serve you well enough for on access duties. From my personal experience, it shouldn't interfere with Ad Muncher.

[acr1965]

Running the Comodo BOClean now and Ad Muncher is working fine without issue. BOClean is also running lighter than I figured it would- boc423.exe and bocore.exe combine for about 15.5 MB RAM. A2 weighed in about 60MB+ to keep active.

[muf]

I've used Boclean and Ad Muncher together for over 12 months without issue. Currently using the free Comodo Boclean with Ad Muncher and no problems.

muf

[profhsg]

I also can't run Ad Muncher when I'm running A2. When I contacted Emsisoft support they told me that it was a "known issue" and they were "working on it."

-{ Quote: "Do these two programs offer similar protection? I have A2 but am needing something different so I am considering Comodo's BOClean. The reason for the needed switch is because I cannot get Ad Muncher to work properly with A2 installed and running. Is either of these products recommended over the other? From what I have read they are both highly rated.

A-Squared IDS-

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/ids/

Comodo's BOClean-

http://www.comodo.com/boclean/boclean.html" }-

[duke1959]

Software conflicts aside, why wouldn't a squared be better than BOClean for RealTime Protection?

[QBgreen]

-{ Quote: "Software conflicts aside, why wouldn't a squared be better than BOClean for RealTime Protection?" }-

Conflicts aside and considering what it actually does, A2's on access guard does offer better protection overall than BOClean.

[Andreas Haak]

Though I am not an employee of Emsi Software anymore and stopped working on a-squared a while ago I might help with the AdMuncher problem.

AdMuncher uses WinSock hooks that are quite similar to the ones a-squared uses. Hooking one and the same API more than once is in general a bad idea and is considered dangerous by most developers. Maybe AdMuncher detects the API as being hooked already by a-squared and will refuse from hooking. This will result in AdMuncher being non functional.

To make AdMuncher work again simply tell a-squared not to hook your browser. To do this simply create an application rule telling a-squared to "Always allow this application" as described in the Online Help (http://www.emsisoft.de/en/info/a2/idsconfig.htm).

[acr1965]

I tried the "always allow" option. What happens now is that I can use Ad Muncher if I have it enabled when I start my web browser. But that's only if A2 is disabled. Then after starting my browser I start A2 and everything is fine for that browser window. If I open new windows AM will not work in the new windows. By opening new windows I am not talking about opening new tabs.

Online Armore has the same problem with AM and I had to disable its HIPS to get AM to work.

[acr1965]

-{ Quote: "Conflicts aside and considering what it actually does, A2's on access guard does offer better protection overall than BOClean." }-

Would you provide more detail to your post? Are you going off test results or personal experience or reading about the two programs?
Thanks

[lucas1985]

If you have Online Armor, import the Bluetack's ads blacklist.

[JerryM]

With the absence of test that most here would consider reliable, how would one determine which gives the better detection????

Are we just giving opinions due to the fact that we have not had an infection? Even if one or the other did detect and remove malware how would you determine that the other would not have done just as well?

It is interesting to me that Jotti has included a-squared, and today is the first time that I have noticed it detected anything. I have not been diligent in checking so there could have been more.

Regards,
Jerry

[acr1965]

-{ Quote: "If you have Online Armor, import the Bluetack's ads blacklist." }-
All I can run with Online Armor v2 is the firewall, nothing else. The issue is complicated because I trialed AM a while back and that trial ran out before I got OA2. I bought AM and now see that it conflicts with other programs.

[lucas1985]

-{ Quote: "All I can run with Online Armor v2 is the firewall, nothing else." }-
Review by Stem (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=169119)

[Andreas Haak]

-{ Quote: "I tried the "always allow" option. What happens now is that I can use Ad Muncher if I have it enabled when I start my web browser. But that's only if A2 is disabled. Then after starting my browser I start A2 and everything is fine for that browser window. If I open new windows AM will not work in the new windows. By opening new windows I am not talking about opening new tabs." }-

Can you please take a screenshot of the a-squared application rules? Just in case to be sure everything is ok.

[acr1965]

-{ Quote: "Review by Stem (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=169119)" }-

Thanks Lucas. I think OA2 told me they would be looking into the ad muncher issue soon. I won't need to import the bluetack list if OA2 they get it fixed will I? Or should I import the list anyway?

I am assuming you are suggesting me adding the bluetack list and run OA2 with its full protection and not run Ad Muncher? But I am running SSM full, OA2's firewall and AM right now. Or do you think I should add the bluetack list anyway.

[lucas1985]

-{ Quote: "I won't need to import the bluetack list if OA2 they get it fixed will I?
Or should I import the list anyway?" }-
There are various methods regarding ad blocking: host file, IP blacklist (Bluetack), proxies (Proxomitron), browser plug-in (Adblock Plus). If you really like Ad Muncher, you should wait for a fix. If this bug is can't be fixed, you can use the blacklist function of OA and add the ad blacklist.
-{ Quote: "Or do you think I should add the bluetack list anyway." }-
If you do P2P, add the Level 1 blacklist which blocks tracking IPs (RIAA, MPAA, etc)

[TopperID]

-{ Quote: "With the absence of test that most here would consider reliable, how would one determine which gives the better detection?" }-
Very true; but the benefit of the doubt, unless proven otherwise, goes to A2 'cos of its IDS feature.
-{ Quote: "It is interesting to me that Jotti has included a-squared, and today is the first time that I have noticed it detected anything. I have not been diligent in checking so there could have been more." }-
The point being that if A2's sigs miss something, the IDS in the Guard still offers protection. If BOClean's sigs miss something, it offers no protection - it simply misses!

[JerryM]

-{ Quote: "Very true; but the benefit of the doubt, unless proven otherwise, goes to A2 'cos of its IDS feature.

The point being that if A2's sigs miss something, the IDS in the Guard still offers protection. If BOClean's sigs miss something, it offers no protection - it simply misses!" }-

I did not really expect a-squared to do well at Jotti, as it is a different type application than the AVs.

I continue to think that with some AVs like Avast a-squared would be a good addition. However, I don't think it is necessary with the top AVs such as KAV or Avira.
Now, I do not "put my money where my mouth is." I still like to have SAS or AVG AS or a-squared as an additional layer, even with Avira or KAV. Probably not needed, but it does not cost me anything in the area of system slowdown.

Regards,
Jerry

[QBgreen]

-{ Quote: "Would you provide more detail to your post? Are you going off test results or personal experience or reading about the two programs?
Thanks" }-

I'm talking about functionality and personal experience. Running a2's on access guard picked up a lame dropper that BOClean (and my AV) missed. a2's guard is designed to do more than BOClean, but there has been in my situation a number of false positives. I'm not taking anything away from BOClean as it has always been a quality piece of software and has flagged actual trojans on my systems more than once. Now that it's free, it's a very good idea to run.