SpywareGuard Updates

[amoeba]

Hi All!
Just wondering what the info stated in the "Definitions Information" box should say in version 2.2 .

Mine says "1/22/04".
Is this the latest definitions version available?
Thanks,Rich

[Nick]

That's correct, you have the latest update.

[snowbound]

Post was a little O/T so i split it into a new thread for further attention. Follow the link,

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=23885



snowbound

[amoeba]

So,being ignorant of the usual update process,I'd like to know if it's normal for so much time to pass between updates?

My definitions date shows 1/22/04,some 40 odd days since the last update.That may be normal,but I have no way of knowing this.I am used to antivirus and trojan programs,which both update at least weekly,sometimes daily.Is there some other way to know that I have the latest update,besides clicking the Live Update link,then assuming it works?

Please understand,I'm not complaining,just want to be more informed.Thanks!
Rich

[LowWaterMark]

Hi amoeba,

The reason for less frequent updates with SpywareGuard is that much of its detection abilities are heuristics in nature. (Basically this means it doesn't need a specific signature for every spyware it catches, simply an overall pattern or approach-used, which it can identify and then trigger off of.) So, SpywareGuard works for many of the newer versions of the same spyware installers even without adding "signatures" for them.

An update is made when there are new items coming out that are not detected that way.

[amoeba]

Thanks for the fast reply!
Helps to give me a better understanding of the software I'm using. Rich

[MikeBCda]

-{ Quote: " quoting: LowWaterMark link=board=34;threadid=23885;start=0#msg141000 date=1078695405]
Hi amoeba,
An update is made when there are new items coming out that are not detected that way.
" }-

If I might make one addition to LWM's (excellent, of course) explanation? In practice, the last two updates were each on the order of about 2 months after the previous one. Somewhere "official" (maybe in SG's Help?) there's a recommendation that you check for updates about once a month.

[tigbroad]

Have just been checking for the latest updates and the date is still at 1/22/04. Is this correct as it seems quite a long time since for it not to be updated. Would it be possible to be able to go to a page somewhere to make sure we have the latest updates - say on the SpywareGaurd homepage ?. I am not criticising but as I am new to computing I dont know all the ins and outs things like this.

[snowbound]

-{ Quote: "Have just been checking for the latest updates and the date is still at 1/22/04. Is this correct as it seems quite a long time since for it not to be updated." }-

Yes, that date u posted is correct for the latest Spywareguard Defs.

The reasons why it is not updated very often is explained in LWM's post #5 in case u didn't see it. ;)

Hope this helps. :)

snowbound

[tigbroad]

Thanks Snowbound. Have read the other reference which you kindly pointed out to me and I think I understand the gist of it !! Will rely on the powers that be to keep us updated as and when its needed. Thanks again. Tig

[snowbound]

Your welcome tigbroad. ;) ;D


snowbound

[howdy1]

just a related question...

my DOESN'T say the last update was 1/22/04, but rather it says the last update 8/30/03.

is this strange? I mean everyone else seems to have January as their last update but mine is August even though I've updated my definitions many times.

[dog]

Hi Howdy1, ;)

Is your Spyware Guard ver. 2.2? ... if not here's a Link (http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sgdownload.html) ... yes, the latest def's should be 1/22/04

dog - *puppy*

[howdy1]

thanks dog :)

I just shut down the program and restarted the computer (for an unrelated reason) and checked the definitions date on it again, and it now says January.

woohoo. :D

[Joakim Agren]

Hello!

I have read the explaination why SG is not updated very often but now it seems to be almost ridiculus how long it has been since new definitions was added, it is now soon 14 months since it was updated. It must be some spywares by now that has evolved to avoid detection by SG so if that is the case is SG useless as protection by now??

Has the program been discontinued as far as development is concerned??

It sure seems like it!!

Sincerely Joakim Agren!!

[ffx]

I agree wth Joakim Agren...

Is possible to have an answer about it?

[JiM35]

'Lo,

Sorry for may poor english, I'm french...

THX a lot for these explanations about SGuard updating.
I also wondered how it could be updated with a last update on 04/04.

I understand now.

THX a lot.

PS : my computer is protected with SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster, PestPatrol, a² and spybot. Antivirus : KAV as resident, and BitDefender Free as complement for ananlysis of downloaded files.
In one year, while surfing on warez boards and downloading with emule and torrent, ZERO problem.

THX a lot for your explanations,
for these excellent softwares.

[Anonypuss]

I agree,

What's up with this software? Is it discontinued?

At least have the guts to admit it !

[somebody]

How come there isn't a way to manually update the definitions for SpywareGuard? I mean going on the Internet and being able to click on a link that provides the actual update. I'm thinking this because i'm currently fixing up my computer and then I can't be able to use the liveupdate yet because my firewall is in the way and I want to stay on my limited account (I have Windows Xp) so that I can stay on the internet and make sure that spyware don't wreck my computer. Other programs have been able to do this on their website, why can't yours?

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "How come there isn't a way to manually update the definitions for SpywareGuard?" }-There is a way....simply visit the link below and look in the section dealing with Manually Updating SpywareGuard

This link---> Recent problems updating SpywareGuard or accessing the website... (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=25749)

[scuro]

Today is November 13, 2005 - the latest update is 1/22/04? I read the thread about it using heuristic scans, but surely there has been something new in 21 months?

[MikeS]

I've noticed that Spyware Guard's definitions update date has been 1/22/04 for forever and there is never any updates available when checking. But I do remember when there were updates available and I did ADD SpywareBlaster after I added SpywareGuard so it is possible that SpywareGuard uses the SpyBlaster DB somehow thus not needing anymore updates after I added SpywareBlaster.

I have wondered about whether it was still supported but as I said I finally kind of assumed that for those who have SpywareBlaster the update is taken care of since I have been always checking this program for updates and maybe Spyware Guard uses this DB beyond the hueristics programing that it uses.

I've kind of wondered if I were to not check for updates on Spyware Blaster would the Spyware Guard then give me an update ? But the problem is I never know when SpywareBlaster has an update until it is already updating so I cannot check the manual update for Spyware Guard ahead of time to really find that out.

Is there anyone that actually ONLY uses SpywareGuard WITHOUT SpywareBlaster ? If this were the case then this would rule out my suggestion.

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "it is possible that SpywareGuard uses the SpyBlaster DB somehow thus not needing anymore updates after I added SpywareBlaster.
" }-SpywareGuard and Spywareblaster are two totally different programs(apples and oranges). Neither program feeds off the other programs database. SpywareGuards latest database update was 1/22/04. If a user only had SpywareGuard installed they would be receiving the same exact protection, updates....etc....that a user of both programs receive.

[MikeBCda]

-{ Quote: "If a user only had SpywareGuard installed they would be receiving the same exact protection, updates....etc....that a user of both programs receive." }-

If I may, Bubba, your wording was a little misleading (at least to me) ...

By "same exact protection, updates ... etc." you mean with regard to SpywareGuard itself -- i.e., SpywareBlaster wouldn't give you the same thing but updated more frequently. That's pretty well spelled out in the first part of your post, but this part might be a little confusing, particularly to a newcomer.

Best, as usual,
Mike

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "By "same exact protection, updates ... etc." you mean with regard to SpywareGuard itself" }-Yes....SpywareGuard files(def1.dtb, def2.dtb, dlbdata1.dtb and dlbdata2.dtb) can only be downloaded via the program or by following the above mentioned Manually Updating SpywareGuard link.

[scuro]

Bubba,

Are the manual updates newer than 1/22/04?

[bigc73542]

1/22/04 are the latest updates for spywareguard;)

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "Are the manual updates newer than 1/22/04?" }-Nope....they are the same 1/22/04 files whether one downloads them manually or a new user installs SpywareGuard and then performs an update.

[A non]

No-one really answered the question of whether this software is effectively discontinued (as the latest update of January 04 suggests) and likely to be ineffective against the latest Spyware. If so, we can all remove it from taking up memory in our system tray, and stick to Spyware Blaster ...

It's all free, so it's fair enough if you've had to let it slide. But can we have an honest answer as to whether the software is still effective with no update for nearly 2 years?

Cheers.

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "can we have an honest answer as to whether the software is still effective with no update for nearly 2 years?" }-Perhaps you did not read the post on page 1 (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=141000&postcount=5) which sums up the effectiveness of SpywareGuard fairly well given the age of the last update. Also....if you are not a regular visitor to the Forum you probably also missed a post by Javacool (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=360351&postcount=2) commenting on this same matter.

[A non]

Thanks for the reply. I had read the post on page 1, but noticed that others had asked several months later if it was now ineffective, given the ever increasing gap since last update.

I hadn't read the one by Javacool though.

I guess the message is it's still worth leaving SG installed.

Thanks again

[hOOk]

I agree with post #29, that noone really answered if Spyware Guard still is effective to guard against spyware.

The answer from Bubba told to read post #1 - which in no doubt is a good explanation - but please keep in mind that the answer in post #1 is a very old answer back in march 2004! ... So that still leads to say the question is unanswered if it should have any value added to it here in late december 2005. So the question many still wants answered is if Spyware Guard this day 17 December 2005 is still effective?!

Was I to conclude anything on my own (which I think is all we are left to do) - then I would say... Spyware Guard is no longer effective in protecting your computer! Then the answer and discussions could be all in the area about heuristic or not - still... If it really can protect against spyware so looong after last update (01/22/04), then why at all make the program able to update in the first place?! It's like having a gun with no bullets ;) ;)

This is _not_ a complain - it is a free program! - But still if it should have any value (why else make a program and distribute it?!) - I think we the users are allowed to know - how exactly this program can protect us... But what do you conclude yourself (as you can see from earlier posts this is what you are left to do).

Merry Xmas

[SwordOfSecurity]

-{ Quote: "Hi amoeba,

The reason for less frequent updates with SpywareGuard is that much of its detection abilities are heuristics in nature. (Basically this means it doesn't need a specific signature for every spyware it catches, simply an overall pattern or approach-used, which it can identify and then trigger off of.) So, SpywareGuard works for many of the newer versions of the same spyware installers even without adding "signatures" for them.

An update is made when there are new items coming out that are not detected that way." }-

well i think that method should be changed, to me it doesnt seem as effective. spyware is everchanging and even the ones your software can detect will eventually be changed. spyware that isnt changed is often ones that are old and ridiculously easy to remove on almost any program. the complex, popular ones people find today are up todate and are everchanging! if you do not post updates for signatures regularly, i suggest you post updates on your heuristics because you can't keep relying on that one factor and leaving it out of date! (i find that dangerous).

even so i think you should also improve your databases because you must have a lot of spyawre signatures or something because it seems odd to not even update for so long.also, the should not just consist of a few general rules, they should also have a lot more valuable information or something to ensure proper removal and blocking. i can already tell you a LOT of new spyware has come out and my doubts on spyguard are increasing...

i'm trying not to be offensive here--this is more of a suggestion. but don't get me wrong, i like spy guard though! i just hope it will further progress to be one of the well known, very effective real-time protection for spyware because i see a lot of potential in it..anyway i've researched and observed a bit on other software's real-time protection and most of them are quite primitive and horrible..

[old software]

The post on DSLReports says it all. It's outdated and won't work on a lot of new spyware.

Seeing as how I use two other programs that have been updated in the last couple of months, SG will be removed from my system.

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "The post on DSLReports says it all" }-I agree....in particular a portion of Javacool's post.

-{ Quote: "It isn't a catch-all or an end-all (nothing is), but it's meant to be an effective layer. The choice, as always, is left up to the user. I just give them that option (for free)" }-