Looking for an alternative to Kaspersky Antivirus

[Daylight]

I was using Kaspersky antivirus 4.0.7.0 but it seems that it has become very resource hungry. Especially when setting the option to scan all files it takes too long to open windows explorer. I am looking for another antivirus program that can also handle trojans
(i had read that kaspersky did very well in detecting trojans). I was thinking of DrWeb. I would like to have you opinions about this antivirus or any other similar keeping always in mind trojan detection. I don't want to use two separate programs. Thanks!!

[Technodrome]

You should try these:

F-Secure http://www.f-secure.com
RAV http://www.ravantivirus.com
McAfee (good unpackers) http://www.nai.com
AVK12 http://www.g-data.de
DrWeb http://www.dials.ru


Technodrome

[Madsen DK]

Hi Tech & others
Have you tried RAV or using it?
Looks like a okay AV product.
Regards Ole :)

[Technodrome]

With RAV I had good experience! RAV has excellent detection capabilities. This AV program is updated on daily basis. RAV is very good on Backdoors/Trojans, zoo virues, itw etc. I should mention that RAV has very good unpacking and heuristic engine too. Comes packed with features such as: Multi Layer Embedded Scanning, Integrity Checker, MS office scanner, Browser integration, Outlook Virus Scan (it scans other email clients on-fly) etc.

I'd recommend RAV to anyone!



Technodorme

[Madsen DK]

Hi Tech.
Thanks for your answer.
Very impressive database too. More than 75000 defs. :o
Regards Ole

[Technodrome]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Madsen DK link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#39977 date=1041884351]
Hi Tech.
Thanks for your answer.
Very impressive database too. More than 75000 defs. :o
Regards Ole
" }-

No problem!

They've dropped (removed) a few thousand viruses(old ones) like 5 weeks ago!



Technodrome

[wizard]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Madsen DK link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#39977 date=1041884351]
Very impressive database too. More than 75000 defs. :o" }-

No. These "total" numbers are just marketing garbage and do not say anything about the quality of a software. Take as an example Kaspersky Anti Virus. This one unpacks more than 120 runtime packers. So if there is a new trojan (or worm) out Kaspersky adds only one signature. Other AVs that do not have an unpacking engine need to add up 120 different signatures to get the same detection level as KAV. So do you think that the last one is really the better av?

Not to be misunderstood: RAV is a very good antivirus program - the information above was more general not to trust these "total" figures.

wizard

[Smokey]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Technodrome link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#39931 date=1041866715]
You should try these:

F-Secure http://www.f-secure.com
RAV http://www.ravantivirus.com
McAfee (good unpackers) http://www.nai.com
AVK12 http://www.g-data.de
DrWeb http://www.dials.ru
" }-

I am missing here AVG Antivirus by Grisoft.

Are there any reliable experiences with AVG?

[Technodrome]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Smokey link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#40001 date=1041891834]

I am missing here AVG Antivirus by Grisoft.

Are there any reliable experiences with AVG?
" }-

AVG can't compete with these av products! AVG simple lacks some features that are offered by listed products!


Technodrome

[Smokey]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Technodrome link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#40049 date=1041915059]
-{ Quote: " quoting: Smokey link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#40001 date=1041891834]

AVG can't compete with these av products! AVG simple lacks some features that are offered by listed products!

" }-

Hi Technodrome!

Can you be a little bit more specific about what features AVG lacks?

I only know the price of AVG is $/€ 39,95.

Much informatition about AVG is (on internet) not available!" }-

[solarpowered candle]

Daylite I noticed you are running a 4.0.7.0 version of kaspersky lite . There has been an update out now for some months and the next version is 4.0.7.1 . This may make an improvement to how things flow on your system. I do understand though as theres nothing lite about it. I run a lite also and i choose to only run with that and a firewall loaded, and its kept me safe and for me its great all round virus, trojan, worm protection for $20 regards, robert

[Firefighter]

To Daylight!

After last summer I have used full versions of Kaspersky Pro 4.06, RAV 8.6, F-Secure 5.40, Pc-cillin 2003, DrWeb 4.29b, McAfee Pro 7.0, Norton 2003, NOD32, Avast 3 Home Version, AVG 6.0, AntiVir for Windows XP and at last Avast 4 Pro. In my PC there is now Avast 4 Pro as my resident scanner and DrWeb 4.29b as my first backup and F-Secure as my second backup scanner. I have used with my oldest son during Christmas holiday Avast 4.0 over 200 hours in the net active surfing and downloading from the crack sites and from Imesh and Kazaa all the time. One virus infect has detected by Avast 4 Pro and my backups didn't detect that (it was a true Trojan in a corrupted archive). It is almost as capable archive scanner as F-Secure, which is one of the very best (after KAV). From my PC, F-Secure found 105 000 files , Avast 4 Pro 96 000 and DrWeb 81 000, all programs in best full settings. With default settings and without any resident scanner, DrWeb found 25 700 files at the average scanning speed of 1250 files/min, F-Secure 31 000 files at the speed of 690 files/min, but Avast Pro 4 found totally 48 300 files at average speed of 3 400 files/min, I think that is something. It is maybe fact, that F-Secure 5.40 is nr. 1. in the Zoo virus scanning (look at AV-test.org tests and the Technodrome site test on May 2002). But Avast 4 Pro has a brand new kernel and many other new features like Script blocking which really works and many othes. So it isn't the same unstable program as the old Avast v. 3.0 (and KAV 4.0 Pro). It is capable to scan far more trojans than before and is almost as fast as NOD32, which is capable to scan only limited amount of all files from our PC, far below than DrWeb 4.29b. I think, Avast 4 Pro is far better than NOD in true Zoo virus test and it's in the Wild capability was 100% in last two year 2002 Virus Bulletin tests with even the former program version. In the Wild test is very important, because for instance the email server company that I used detected in one month over 21000 infected mails, 53 % was infected by only one virus, 4 most common infections were 98 % of all infections and the total amount of all viruses were a bit over 450. By the way, the answer, which is the best antivirus, it's yourself, the second in my case is Outpost Pro Firewall with all capable add-plugins and the third is at last an antivirus you are satisfied with. That is why I have got no viruses to my PC in six months after I left Pc-cillin 2000 and started to use the ultimate best firewall, Outpost Pro, (I have them all, Norton PFW, McAfee PFW, Kerio 2.14 and 3 beta 5, Sygate Pro, Zone Alarm Pro, Look'n'stop 2.0 and only Outpost Pro and Free passed all PcFlank's tests and Steve Gibson's Leak test). PS. If you have problem with port 5000, load the fix program "unpnp.exe" from Steve Gibson.

[Technodrome]

-{ Quote: "-{ Quote: " quoting: Smokey link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#40085 date=1041935803]

Hi Technodrome!

Can you be a little bit more specific about what features AVG lacks?

I only know the price of AVG is $/€ 39,95.

Much informatition about AVG is (on internet) not available!" }-
" }-

Poor detection of Trojans/Backdoors, an avarage ZOO viruses detection, missing good unpacking engine.

AVG 7 might fix that. We'll see...


Technodrome

[root]

Hi Firefighter and welcome to Wilders.
Just a friendly suggestion. It is very difficult for my tired old eyes to read one long paragraph like that. If you could make use of seperate paragraph, it would help make the reading easier.
Also, I dare say most of the participants of this board take a very dim view of cracks and warez, so making reference to such things around here is generally not in ones best interest.
This is offered in a friendly spirit, as it looks like you have done a lot of homework, and I believe you have much you can contribute to this forum.

[Madsen DK]

Wizard.
THX for explaining it to me.
I didnt know that.
Regards Ole ;)

[Firefighter]

To Root from Firefighter today!


Thanks to you advicing me about paragraphs!

I slept only 5 hrs last night and I was a bit of tired and busy to make a good sight on my writing.

In Finland we have a very old phrase, "as a finn, you don't believe anything before you have seen it all by yourself". That's why we have had under last 500 years over 10 wars against Russian Empire, which have 30 times more people! And my forefathers have been within them all, believe me, I can count and name them all and still I am alive. Fortunately we were occupied only twice, but unfortunately the last took almost 110 years to the year 1917. That's about the history.

But now to the point itself. When you want to make a good "home gallup" about real viruses, your must go to "streets", that means today cracks and wareses. Before last summer with Pc-cillin 2000 and without any firewall, we had plenty of viruses in our PC, but now none with first McAfee, then DrWeb and then F-secure and at last with Avast 4 Pro. All that time we used Outpost Firewall both Free and Pro.

I have backup scanned my PC several times with many good AV:s: KAV, F-secure, RAV, DrWeb and McAfee and I can quarantee that there are no viruses anymore. A good firewall is the most important thing.

By the way, to add my first writing, in 58 000 scanning files DrWeb made 134 errors by format mode and scanning all arhcives (it couldn’t scan with those settings, not false positives, the both made no false positives in those scans) and Avast 4 Pro did only 5 in 48 000 scanning files on default settings. Still I believe that DrWeb is among the top 5, and there are sure no US-origin programs in top 5. (I count KAV, eScan, swiss AVP, AVK 12 and F-Secure to one program, because they all have at least 1 Kaspersky engine).

Why East European programs are so good, let's look at where are the best chess players origin, there is the answer. That's the correlation why the very best mathematicians are almost all the time from Eastern Europe origin. In US the names behind US AV:s are also very often from the same origin. That's it!

The lesson is that you must go to the streets, if you want understand the life, that's what my 17 year old son means, when he says that, "hey dad, I think you need an update! 8)

[root]

Hi Firefighter.
Please believe me when I say, I understand the need to be Street smart on the web and you don't get that by going to disneyland. Meatgrinder taught me how to stay out of trouble and there aren't many places I don't go. I just don't talk about it around here. ;D
I like your choice of Firewalls and I'm using DrWeb as resident, and so far I like it a lot. AVP 3.5 is my backup but I don't care for the higher versions that try to be XP friendly.
Come visit me at Agnitum Outpost forum if you get bored.

[Straight Shooter]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Technodrome link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=0#39967 date=1041881062]
With RAV I had good experience! RAV has excellent detection capabilities. This AV program is updated on daily basis. RAV is very good on Backdoors/Trojans, zoo virues, itw etc. I should mention that RAV has very good unpacking and heuristic engine too. Comes packed with features such as: Multi Layer Embedded Scanning, Integrity Checker, MS office scanner, Browser integration, Outlook Virus Scan (it scans other email clients on-fly) etc.

I'd recommend RAV to anyone!



Technodorme

" }-

Hello,

After trying the NOD beta, it really messes me up when I get an email virus (crashes Outlook Express at email viruses) I have been investigating other AV's, just in case NOD32 Ver 2 is something I can't work with.. Does it check zipped files? Archives? Etc? How did it do in Virus Bulletin?

I am intrigued with it.. I will check out their site.. Just in case..

I had it pretty set in my mind that if I were to replace NOD32 I would get escan, but RAV's Website looks very well put together, very informative...

Thanks

[Smokey]

-{ Quote: " quoting: Firefighter link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=15#40222 date=1041973746]
To Root from Firefighter today!

Thanks to you advicing me about paragraphs!

" }-
Hi Firefighter!

Just like Root explained, "It is very difficult for my tired old eyes to read one long paragraph like that", for my eyes the same, but I got your message ;)

Your opinion about avast! was for me an interesting one, and therefore I'm testing today avast! for the very first time.

Normally I'm using KAV, it is a good product but my machine is soooooooooooo sloooooooooooow with KAV that I decided to try another virusscanner. ::)

Before I used KAV I have tried everything available on the market except AVG and avast! so let's have fun today wih avast!.

First impression of avast! is, it looks pretty well, and, more important, it functionates very well which is the most important issue of a virusscanner.

Till yet it is functionating in a way I like, f.e. comparing avast! with KAV it is like comparing a F1-car with a F3-vehicle. ;D

After one day of using avast! I can't give a detailled opinion about the program, but it has potential to be a good virusscanner, I will test the program some more time to get a really good impression of it but after today I have good hope that avast! will be one of the better virusscanners, the first indications are very promising :)

[Technodrome]

@Straight Shooter

As I said before, RAV is capable to deal with a large number of unpackers and yes it scans archives.

Check out http://www.virusbtn.com
http://www.av-test.com
http://www.trojaner-info.de



Technodrome

[Straight Shooter]

;)
Well, Thanks Techno.. I downloaded RAV, Uninstalled NOD and am trying it out..

Seems good so far! Actually, I have it set to scan all files, seems to be almost as fast as NOD!

Very good results in AV-TEST.. They won 4 times in Virus Bulletin but lost 18! Growing Pains, maybe?

Irregardless, I will wait to see how it handle my next virus, which should only be a matter of days..

It seems to be very well on resources, too...
I use XP Home with Service Pack 1..
Thanks for the tip...

[Technodrome]

No problem Straight Shooter ;)


Technodrome

[root]

Hey Techie, that's a nasty looking virus you got there. ;D

[Technodrome]

-{ Quote: " quoting: root link=board=24;threadid=6017;start=15#40693 date=1042133144]
Hey Techie, that's a nasty looking virus you got there. ;D
" }-

No AV program can detect it(yet)! ;D ;D ;D


Technodrome

[deepenigma]

I use AVG and it is really good..never had any problems..but i think AVP is the best..no one come close to this great AV...

[muf]

Simple answer. There isn't an alternative, well not one that compares to it in terms of combined virus and trojan protection. Sure, there's faster AV's at scanning. There's resident monitors that take up less resource. There's AV's that are easier to configure. But at what price do you trade in KAV for another AV? Simple... protection! You'll have a faster pc, and spend less time waiting for your scan to end but you won't be as well protected.

Btw, this is only my opinion. I've used all the main AV's and even the lesser one's. And all the main & little trojan detectors. It may not be the quickest, smallest or the most beautiful. But it's damn good at detecting those little nasty things we call viruses & trojans. And remember i am stating it's ability at virus AND trojan detection. So until some1 can find a piece of software that does as good a job at BOTH then i'll stick with KAV.

muf

[Firefighter]

To Muf from firefighter!

"There is no alternative" said our Secretary of the Treasury about ten years ago. Now we have about 15 % unemployment (unofficial, not what the Gowernment says) in Finland.

We have sure different needs, the resourses that an av needs let's say when you are surfing in the net, is an important issue for someone, that's why I use RAV. 8)

Regards,
Firefighter!

[solarpowered candle]

Thats good practical knowing there Muf. Iv been playing around with looking at the addition of a another product , to run , with my Kav lite as back up .But when its all said and done "I dont need it " And a product that provides good anti virus and anti trojon , worm , malware protection , that maybe slows my pc or maybe it dont, when its all said an done , I have not had a virus or worm or trojon or whatever since having Kavlite. They also update daily , even hourly , which shows me someone is back there working quietly as they should.