How Avast is performing these days?

Is it still light in version 2015? Any problems with NG hardware virtualization? Is Dyna gen fully working now? (it should be)

I want to do some free security setup to my friend's computer and Avast seems to be a good fit there.


Thanks

 

I've removed NG via custom install, since it won't run properly for me: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=157653.msg1149565#msg1149565

But, I'm not missing too much according to RejZoR: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thre...10-0-2206-released.369494/page-5#post-2429911

Otherwise, it is running quite well as one of my many layers.

 

Well, it's always better if you analyze the file yourself with NG than rely on others.

 

Thanks, I will run it with Ublock + Open DNS + Malwarebytes Anti Exploit Free

 

Honestly,its a mixed bag for them.It seems like they are a runner who ran 50 miles and has to run another 10 miles.They is no fuel in the tank and avast is obviously performing at sub-par scores.

So not recommended right now.Use Avira/COMODO/360 IS.

 

It's light but detection is mediocre. Overall I think it's ok for free.

 

I see, thanks for the info. I thought that version 2015 was gonna to change things to better ...

 

Well they did improve a lot according to them! but it isn't showing up anywhere so how can we prove they improved?

 

Hi true indian, where did you expect it to show up?
The November round of tests (AV-Test, AV-Comparatives etc) hasn't been published yet -- that's what you meant, or something else?

Thanks
Vlk

 

Well, for starters we never got any info if Dyna-Gen is actually operational now. We just got some cryptic info on backend stuff going up few days/week after the release and that was it.

And while official tests aren't out yet, there were strange Youtube videos. While I admit don't know what were the variables (was it in run in VM, was it using NG on a capable system), but stuff that was malware or suspicious at least didn't even trigger DeepScreen. Now, I'm wondering how that may be. If the file is trusted, then it won't trigger it. If it isn't, how come it got executed without going through DeepScreen? One would assume you're using same logic as used for the Aggressive Hardened Mode. But apparently that isn't the case for DS trigger. It's not an evidence of anything, but it just shows sometimes weird things that shouldn't be happening. Maybe this is the case here...

 

I would like to see a real test of NG, I install it on all the Avast installs I do (which is a lot) and haven't had any issues with it at all. I can understand if Avast's file scanning might miss something, as if you had a folder full of 1,000 malicious .exe's and it only detected 900 of them, but when you actually execute them NG should detect close to if not 100% of them according to how it is supposed to work.

 

Until recently Avast was my Go To AV when I did not know which other I wanted. However, in AVC tests it has performed poorly compared to the top few, that I lost interest in it. I hope it comes back. I always thought it was the best of the free until recently.
Jerry

 

That's the theory. Reality however was a bit different from what i've seen... It analyzes the files and doesn't detect anything or it just skipps DeepScreen altogether...

 

OK.We will see...The results should speak for itself.Thanks for the info.

 

The November av-comparatives.org results are now up... There is definitely an improvement visible here (with the 2015 version), although it still needs some final polish to get to the 100%... will be interesting to watch the results from more sources and across a longer period of time.

BTW Av-comparatives.org also tested the 2014 version in parallel to the 2015 version, and the results were in line with what we see in the previous months.



Thanks
Vlk

 

Thanks for the update!!!

 

Thanks Vlk, much appreciated.

 

Well yeah..They performed well in november round of test.But I think we have to wait until final polish!

 

@vlk: And the FPs - the same for 2014 and 2015?

 

There was only 1 FP and I think it it applied to both v2014 and v2015....

Thanks
Vlk

 

I'd love to hear what's the percentage of detection groups in such tests. Ie, how many were regular signatures, how many were file heuristics (Heur and/or Susp), how many were Evo-Gen, how many were pure cloud detections (FileRepMetagen etc) and how many of them were positive DeepScreen detections. Just to get kind of perspective on what technologies are prevalent in real-world tests when it comes to actual protection.

 

A new feature has come into avast just a couple days ago.Its called drep detection.

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=163221.msg1164286#msg1164286

 

wow that sounds a bit extreme. Do they have friends in the signing industry or what ?

 

Wallpapers,Its necessary for the file to meet all the 3 conditions in order to get drep detection.And all 3 conditions are only possible when a file is unknown/very new or malware.

 

There are many homegrown utilities that meet this criteria of being very new, not frequently used and not signed. The aren't necessarily malware.
Hope there will be a way to still use these utilities without too much trouble.