PDA

View Full Version : Does Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware check for Virus'?


tonyseeking
April 11th, 2009, 03:47 AM
Is Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware also an Anti-Virus program?

Can I just use Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to check for spyware, trojans, virus, rootkits etc?

Thanks

L815
April 11th, 2009, 04:27 AM
I'm fairly sure it doesn't.
As from their website: "helping users remove malware from their computers".

I've always known it to be used for the "other stuff" (aside from viruses)

It is after all, an Anti-Malware application :thumb:

JRViejo
April 11th, 2009, 04:37 AM
FYI. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Detection List (http://www.malwarebytes.org/malwarenet.php).

tonyseeking
April 11th, 2009, 05:23 AM
-{ Quote: "I'm fairly sure it doesn't.
As from their website: "helping users remove malware from their computers".

I've always known it to be used for the "other stuff" (aside from viruses)

It is after all, an Anti-Malware application :thumb:" }-

But I thought malware included "everything"?:-\

Someone
April 11th, 2009, 05:29 AM
According to the developers MBAM was designed to complement an AV.

tonyseeking
April 11th, 2009, 05:40 AM
-{ Quote: "According to the developers MBAM was designed to complement an AV." }-

So I need to run another program besides MAM to check for everything?

Someone
April 11th, 2009, 05:41 AM
-{ Quote: "So I need to run another program besides MAM to check for everything?" }-
Yes, an AV. But that doesn't mean it will detect EVERYTHING of course.

tonyseeking
April 11th, 2009, 05:43 AM
-{ Quote: "Yes, an AV. But that doesn't mean it will detect EVERYTHING of course." }-

Which AV do you recommend?

Someone
April 11th, 2009, 05:44 AM
-{ Quote: "Which AV do you recommend?" }-
Most of the popular ones are very good. AntiVir in particular has very high detection rates.

EASTER
April 11th, 2009, 06:17 AM
Ilya of DW fame & product has said it many times before and it still stands true in reality. For that matter Nick the developer of SAS has echoed the exact same sentiment countless times before himself and today is no different then last year or the year before and so on.

No one application designed for PC Security can make authentic claim to capture them all because of the massive numbers of malware/viruses etc. and the classic Layered Approach bolds the highest percentage of PC safety.

I'm a stubborn soul, so when HIPS entered the scene i immediately dismissed anymore dealings with AV's and for a time thought it was the golden parachute to end intrusions for good. Problem was is that enough malware developers took on the project of whats known as unhooking system driver protection from Windows SSDT Table and found workarounds in an attempt to bypass them also.

It finally boiled down to unfortunately that, at least in my case, short of a Virtual System, viruses can be formed to evade both Av's and AS's and that you stand a better chance of protection from implimenting them both as well as a good single HIPS, not a firewall with a built in HIPS or a AS with a built in HIPS of sorts, although these new concepts have shown promise.

Now back on topic, MBAM can and does capture a fair amount of viruses as well as AV's can also capture malware/spyware so IMO they both equal out in a manner of speaking provided both are used and especially are compatible with each other.

This is a very fine line both industries work hard to make possible, but only one is simply not enough IMO, and may never be, hence Sandboxie, Returnil, and such artificial environments that try to trick the malware or viruses into thinking they are in a programmed windows platform systems, which lucky for some isn't the case.

To answer your question though, MBAM does LOOK for viruses they have samples of and that their research have proven authentic, and make adjustments the best that they can to ward them off or terminate them before they get a chance to wreak havoc on user's machines. SAS is been at this a long time and still are covered up with work that just doesn't seem to stop.

My recommendation is to use a good AS of your choice, in your case you favor good MBAM and should allow it to compliment a highly regarded AV for an even better higher percentage of protection from being caught off guard. All it takes is one entry to cost you work, time lost tracking the villanaous files down, and the rest of the time ensuring no remains are left behind.

EASTER

raven211
April 11th, 2009, 06:42 AM
Do I understand you correct that you mean a layered approach (e.g. as in my case a number of software with great BB and heuristics capability - that's AntiVir Premium, TF and Prevx 3.0) makes the best chance of preventing and/or removing malware - except, ofc, for imaging, if you're able to handle that kind of system?

Did I get what you said right?

tonyseeking
April 11th, 2009, 06:30 PM
-{ Quote: "....favor good MBAM and should allow it to compliment a highly regarded AV for an even better higher percentage of protection from being caught off guard. All it takes is one entry to cost you work, time lost tracking the villanaous files down, and the rest of the time ensuring no remains are left behind.

EASTER" }-

But I hate having an AV always running in memory taking up resources. Everything slows down, especially when I play online games like Battlefield 2142.

I wish they would make them so you don't need to install them and have them running.

Why can't they make a good AV you can just use as a program and only load and update when you want to make a scan? And then close it after the scan. Why can't they make an AV like that, so it doesn't have to keep running in RAM?

EASTER
April 11th, 2009, 06:39 PM
-{ Quote: "Do I understand you correct that you mean a layered approach (e.g. as in my case a number of software with great BB and heuristics capability - that's AntiVir Premium, TF and Prevx 3.0) makes the best chance of preventing and/or removing malware - except, ofc, for imaging, if you're able to handle that kind of system?

Did I get what you said right?" }-

IMO and experience the percentages in favor of protection certainly do increase as in any supporting elements to any main system be it an industrial machine or in our case computers, but even those layered extras are by no means a 100% guarantee of ever not becoming bypassed or affected, hence the only real fool-proof prevention which is not security prevention at all but a clean backup strategy in the event of any system failure including hardware componants.

EASTER