BoClean review by TechSupport

This tech guy is reviewing BOClean( a truely signature based AT) as a HIPS.
I will not say anything more.

http://techsupportalert.com/Security Tests/Security Tests - Comodo BoClean 4.23.htm

 

LOL, I will join you and let the silence speak for it self

 

http://forums.comodo.com/index.php/topic,9105.0.html

It seems Kevin is familiar with this guy. Read his reply #9.

 

Obviously BOClean has a loyal following on this forum. However I've seen some respected users state that it is over hyped. While it is a good product there are obviously better alternatives out there. Then again we all have our own idea of what is best, don't we?

 

It's not really in character for me to downplay popular security apps but i absolutely must fall in line with that sentiment myself. I fell for all the hype and was falsely enthusiastic over it's free release only to find it incredibly lacking in every way and not at all up to even some expectations i expected to find. Needless to say dismissal was an easy decision to make.

 

I would like to see some tests of Boclean whether Kevin has an issue with the person or not.

I bought Boclean based on anecdotal evidence from members of this forum.

I think objective testing would be useful as there are few reviews around.

I understand the testing methodology may be wrong but something is better than nothing.

Hopefully, it will push Boclean towards some form of regular testing as A-Vs are tested regularly by Comparatives et al.

I currently have Antivir PE, Defensewall, Winpatrol + and Boclean and I'm thinking of losing Boclean because I'm not sure it is necessary and also because it spikes CPU 5-10% every 5secs or so.

Ian

 

At Comodo forum,link provided by innerpeace,i read :

Given the FACT that BoClean IS working fine and still does on every computer where its been installed including mine- apart the FP idiocy which occurred recently,the only unfortunate event in four years- I
certainly need more than a few rantings or amateurish tests to change my mind about an excellent software.

 

Just to add that this thing makes me remember when a few years ago some people were throwing up all sorts of insults about the detection capabilities of Antivir ,a free software, when shelves of city vendors were full of Nortons, McAffees and the sort , which very very very authoritative and 'independent' TESTS were exhalting.
Many people bought these ,instead of keeping Antivir, because they were saying Antivir detected just 65% of viruses ,whereas Norton.......
Where the truth was ,clearly appeared only 3 years later for those who believed those TESTS....

 

Hi, folks: Another hired gun trying to terroize users? Any impartial review should not make any extreme recommendations such as: strong buy, or do not use etc. Is this guy thinking an average pc user is just a body with toddler's IQ ? He is deadly wrong. We use this product days in and days out, and he just gives it a quick glance and then comes up with a review after a ransom fails to come forward. How low can his soul can go? Another textbook style of tea time material--read it, laugh at it and shred it w/o any possible traces left. What will be his next mastersh--t ?

 

Gizmo's newsletter is "the National Enquirer" of software reviews.

 

Hi, I’m Ian Richards, the guy that has just been flamed here over my BoClean review.

Years ago when I started out writing about computers, the editor of a street computer magazine took me to lunch to give me some advice. He told me a lot that has proved valuable including this adage: “Never run truly negative reviews. The vendors will crucify you personally. They will attack you, your publisher anything in an attempt to distract from the poor showing of their product. And even if you are lucky and the vendors don’t crucify you, the users who have already bought the product will”

Sage advice it seems.

I’m not going to even attempt to address the scuttlebutt about me in this forum. All I can say is that I have never been paid to write a favorable review in my life. Period. Quite the contrary; most of the software products I recommend in my newsletter are freeware. Nice irony that.

All these personal accusations are just attempted distraction from the poor showing of BoClean. So let’s put the spotlight back on the product and what I said about it.

I’ve made the claim that BoClean can be easily terminated - even with Windows Task Manager. This is a statement of fact – try it yourself.

I’ve made the claim that BoClean is listed on the hit-list of standard security program termination modules bundled with modern malware. This is a statement of fact. Go to a black hat site and download some AV Killer type programs and see for yourself.

I’ve made the claim that not only can BoClean be terminated by some malware, it is terminated. I’ve mentioned some products that do it in my review lab notes. Try them yourself.

As far as I’m concerned this termination weakness is sufficient to preclude BoClean from recommendation. But it gets worse …

BoClean doesn’t protect memory, doesn’t detect process injection of running processes, has weak text string based signature detection and allows system termination. Furthermore it can’t detect rootkit cloaked processes. These are serious flaws for a memory monitor.

Most worrying of all BoClean failed in my tests to protect against most of the actual real-life malware I tried it against. It also failed to protect against drive-by download sites.

And I don’t buy the argument that BoClean is “an anti-trojan” and shouldn’t be expected to protect you against other malware. Modern malware can no longer be neatly categorized into viruses, worms, trojans and spyware etc. Today’s malware combines multiple components. Modern security software needs to be able to handle this new situation. The best products do; BoClean doesn’t.

A few years back BoClean was the best memory monitor around. That is no longer the case. Time for a reality check folks; skip the personal attacks aimed at distraction and simply focus on the product itself.

 

Gizmo,

Are you saying that you don't receive payment for writing reviews, good or bad?

You rely on people subscribing to your premium newsletter and sponsor adverts?

I actually look forward to receiving your free newsletter and just want to be sure that you truly are an independent reviewer as I have always believed you say what you think without concern of financial loss.

If I may be so bold to enquire whether the website is your sole source of income?

Thanks,
Ian

 

Far be it from me to be critical of any application that I have not tried or have any good test data on.

My problem with BoClean is that I have not seen published test evidence that it is as good as AVGAS, a-squared, or SAS. For all I know it may be the best by far, but until I do see some test that I can believe is reliable I have no plans to install it even though it is free.

I say again, that I have absolutely no expertise in this area, but I know what I see, and what I believe. The fact that users have not had infections is little proof that it is better or as good as the afore mentioned applications.
Personally, I suspect that many users who praise it are in the same boat, and find it runs well with other applications and have had no infections, and then assume that it is the best or among the best.

One must consider the attitude that "If my favorite gets an unfavorable review then the review is seriously flawed." In this case, maybe yes or maybe no.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Well at least he thinks highly of my second choice AVG Anti-Spyware, He reviews the free version. I would only replace BOClean with the paid version for real time protection.

As far as his review of BOClean, wow all these years and BOClean is worthless...hmmmm

I'll leave it to the experts.

 

See this post http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18179500?hilite=boclean

Mike

 

So umm.....who is telling the truth?

I have no doubt that BOClean was probably the "must have" anti-trojan several years ago, but a lot has changed since then. It's like one111 claiming that TH is still the best anti-trojan available to this day. FWIW Gizmo slammed SUPERAntiSpyware with a nasty review last month IIRC.

 

A subscriber here, free edition. I always enjoyed your website, and i know you check out many programs, and try to write good reviews and to the point. It must be hard keeping up.

But i must say, i'm disapointed.

That could be close to the truth. I don't use BOClean though. I tried it when Comodo made it freeware. I also read what it is supposed to do:

Interesting, i'll wait for someone used to BOClean comment. If it is weak, that sure is a need. But it's about the only useful info i find.

All the rest is tested on the wrong basis: this is a signature based program. Any tests and simulations fall into the ridiculous category.

Even missed malware samples, one would have to read what BOClean is supposed to do: aid the AV. I've read from Kevin that he removes some detections because most AV's already detects them. How about that, you actually have to test it with an AV.
And there, small samples are meaningless

Tricky thing testing. But at least avoid the obvious. This is not a behavior blocker.

 

It's funny you mention the SAS review because today, someone at CastleCops (a new user) posted a link and information about it. Link to SAS review. I know it's a little off topic, but it gives you a comparison.
http://techsupportalert.com/Security Tests/SuperAntiSpyware Pro 3.6.1.htm

 

Interesting isn't it?

After my post virtually no comment about the BoClean defects I listed. No denial, no qualification of my comments, nothing. Instead more innuendo about me.

Let's get straight to the pointy end. Here's a set of yes/ no questions for Kevin and his defenders to answer about BoClean.

1. Can BoClean be terminated with Windows Task Manager?

2. Can BoClean be terminated by a number of malware programs currently in circulation?

3. Can BoClean protect memory space?

4. Can BoClean detect process injection of running processes?

5. Can BoClean prevent a trojan crashing the system to force a restart?

6. Does BoClean use simple text string based signature detection?

7. Can BoClean detected processes cloaked by common rootkits?

Yes/ No answers will be just fine.

OK I've made the challenge. It's now up to Kevin to respond.

And note that in the process I have not criticized anyone, just the product.

 

Ian, as you are a subscriber to my newsletter, I feel I should answer your questions:

1. I have never received payment to write any review in my newsletter, good or bad. Nor would I. I state this absolutely and without qualification.

2. I derive almost all my income from my newsletter. Most of this is from voluntary subscription donations for my Premium edition.

3. I have total separation of editorial content and ads in my newsletter. Indeed, unlike most other newsletters, any ads in my newsletter are flagged clearly as ads or sponsored links. Like every publisher I make money from these.

4. Apart from ad space, no supplier pays me for content in the newsletter. Again I state this absolutely and without qualification.


What more can I say; subject closed.

Gizmo

 

According to Kevin you have received payment in the past and he has the checks to prove it. I think someones credibility is at stake here.

 

Well, to me, these are good questions that I would like answers to.

I don't want this to slip into a face-off between two IT personalities as to whether somebody has cheques or not.

Let's be good engineers and stick to facts obtained through experimentation.

I await a reply from somebody suitably qualified to answer.

Can one of the clever bods on this forum who has the wherewithal to test and answer, please do so.

Ian

 

Never mind about it can easily be terminated with Task Manager or some forms of modern malware for that matter. As soon as it was released for public (free) distribution and i installed it, the darn app stalled and terminated itself on my XP.
I tried without remedy to add an app of mine to the EXCLUSION list and it refused it, repeately alerting from that what looked to be an old Windows 98 box at the top of the screen.
Needless to say, it must have been rushed along for release too soon or something because it certainly was not at all in line with what the fans have raved about for so long about it.

Well, gizmo!, at least they heaped some wrath your way AFTER it's release and not before like some of us who were just waiting in line to give it a try.

Some disgruntled users obviously felt betrayed by BoClean's merger/buyout and didn't mind taking out their frustration on some of us bystanders considered as freebie grabbers. The term actually expressed was a bit more aggressive.

That spoke volumes IMO, and the end result doesn't surprise me in the least, and neither does the review. I have results as proof with no need for any review. LoL

 

Gizmo

Do you actually know what this program is. I imagine from your review that you don't...


Edit: LOL I see from your previous reviews you do... gratuitous snipe snipped - Blue

 

Gizmo also reckons Sandboxie is a good product so he knows what he's talking about!

Yep, many of us here have a habit of shooting the messenger and I suppose it is a natural reaction with me being as guilty as anyone else on occassion.http://www.vocinelweb.it/faccine/mad/pag2/04.gif