What AV does the experts here use?

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by Toulmin, Aug 10, 2005.

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  1. Paranoid2000

    Paranoid2000 Registered Member

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    Actually that's not so dumb an answer at all - the chances of encountering malware do vary greatly depending on online behaviour. If you stick to mainstream websites with a locked-down browser (preferably non-IE) and only receive small amounts of email then you are very unlikely to encounter anything not recognised by standard AV-software. If, on the other hand, you download cracks and warez from anonymous sources (P2P, IRC, etc), you will encounter malware in spades, much of it encrypted, compressed or edited to slip past AV scanners.

    It is therefore important for people to assess their risk profile and choose an appropriate solution - low risk users can stick with a single mainstream AV while high risk should consider multiple scanners (AV/AT) along with process protection (Process Guard, SSM, etc). Of course, a firewall should be deployed in every case due to the number of automated probes/attacks going on.

    In other words, the ideal AV for an individual is one that will detect the threats that they will encounter.
     
  2. Brian N

    Brian N Registered Member

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    It took about 2 months before I finally made my decision on which AV I should purchase - And I asked myself the very same questions as Paranoid2000 pointed out in the post above.

    I researched alot, looked at statistics, downloaded trials and read independent reviews here and there. I consider myself a 'safe surfer' and therefor I do not need the "biggest and best" AV out there, due to the fact that I know what I'm doing and speed/resource use is also a top priority to me.

    If I just ignored my personal preferences, I would probably buy product X because someone told me it's the best... :blink:
     
  3. mnosteele

    mnosteele Registered Member

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    I used to think the same way, but in this day and age of spyware and drive by installs it doesn't matter what you use your pc for you are susceptible to anything. For example, my God Father was just recently a victim of someone trying to install Radmin to remotely control his pc, if it wasn't for KAV someone could have taken control maliciously. He is a devout Christian (so no porn sites) and does not download ANY software, he only visits a few websites on a regular basis and uses email. I have him setup with Kerio Firewall, IE (locked down) along with KAV 5, Ad-Aware, SpyBot, SpywareBlaster and Ewido.... only KAV detected and removed it.

    The reason I hate the statement "it depends on your needs", is because your "needs" are to stay malware free..... nothing else. One wrong website or accidental click of a mouse and your infected.

    :)
     
  4. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

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    well the point is that a safe surfer could get away with a free AV like avast while a high-risk user would have greater benefit of KAV. this is simply because a low risk user is less likeley to encounter or download a rare and unknown virus, u also have to consider that hundrends and thousands of computer and software configs out there. while product x may work on one comp, it may spit out a bsod on another. that same program may also run well on one comp and slow down a different comp to molasses.
     
  5. Blackspear

    Blackspear Global Moderator

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    If he had process Guard installed nothing would have installed without his permission.

    Cheers :D
     
  6. Rattlesnake

    Rattlesnake Guest

    I´m using now McAfee VSE 8.0i + Antispyware Ent. and I´m very confortable with it... light on resourses and great detection rates...but I´m looking to NOD32, and it seems prety good...

    Both are light and stable on my system, and I don´t know which one has better detection rates...some days ago I would say virusscan, but nod32 has implemented its signatures database a lot...so can you show me the light?
     
  7. Rattlesnake

    Rattlesnake Guest

    May IBK tell us how NOD32 and McAfee are going on the August on-demand test?
     
  8. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

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    i suppose u could wait for the next av comparative tests but for now just use whatever software u like better, both offer great protection against malware.
     
  9. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    The AV scanner I really want, doesn't exist and when I don't get what I want, I won't pay for it either.
    I use nothing but freewares and sometimes I run the big ones (trials) out of curiosity.
    I lost my respect for the actual security solutions, it's nothing but one BIG MESS. good enough for ENDLESS tests, comparisions, evaluations, discussions, opinions, problems, questions, answers, guesses, ... and nobody knows the right answers anymore, because they don't exist, not in this chaos.
    :)
     
  10. Harvard

    Harvard Guest

    McAfee VSE is the best AV
    it´s kind of "Kaspersky detection rate" + "NOD32 slightness and stability"
     
  11. mnosteele

    mnosteele Registered Member

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    Your talking about a 72 y/o man who I'm amazed can even turn on a computer. An alert to block something would do no good since he has NO idea what to allow or not..... simple stupid is the best way to setup things for average pc users.

    :)
     
  12. cupez80

    cupez80 Registered Member

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    KAV 5 and NOD32.
     
  13. Ailric

    Ailric Guest

    mnosteele makes some very good points. When asked "what is the best antivirus" I always say Kaspersky. Between various tests and my own experience KAV is head and shoulders above the competition. Using KAV also means that you don't need an antitrojan. Very seldom (if ever) have I heard of a trojan getting by KAV only to be caught by a dedicated AT.

    I clean many friends' and relatives' computers and loading it up with HIPS, registry guards, process guards, rule based firewalls and dedicated antitrojans is out of the question. The last time I set up a friend and told him to get Kaspersky was almost a year ago. He's never called back. :(

    Another very good point.
     
  14. Starrob

    Starrob Registered Member

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    Just to interject....I just want to post just a tiny bit from what Holy Father said on one of his blogs:

    "these AV products are fooling ppl with such crap like simple 4 byte pattern for each "virus", everyone can cheat it with little binary or source code modification and make successful attack to "protected" system using these AV products
    or look at personal firewalls, 100 bugz in each offering attacker many ways how to root the machine without any problem, but common user does not know this and this is what I want to change....."

    That is a quote from Holy Father. Question...Is it true...Is my AV and Firewall worthless?

    I hate the wool being pulled over my eyes which is why I even though I don't understand everything, I still like to take a look under the hood and understand a tiny bit why things are done......and if they are not working can they be done in a better way.

    Which vendor is really going to innovate and put out a superior products?

    Or better yet when will users educate themselves to avoid these dangers?



    Starrob
     
  15. controler

    controler Guest

    Now that I had my 4 beers and two Tylanol PM's I will sleep soon.

    I hope I didn't make a mistake by showing the other side. Hacker def
    Starrob, It is good to seek knowledge. I just hope by knowing too much we do not end up like Adam & Eve :doubt:

    I always think how many believed That guy that said the world was flat.
    People actualy thought they would sail right off the earth if they sailed too far in one direction.

    Also it is now verified that Columbus didn't discover America. It was my ancesters, da Vikings.

    The root kit site is strange indeed. There are maybe more members there then here at Wilders. You have one person making a rootkit and the other trying to detect it , driving the other to make a better rootkit.

    Yes it is true as Kevin says about rootkits being around along time but I can assure you, The ones they had back in BO days were not anything close to those we see today.
    That was back in the day when the programmers sat around and smokes weed & drank wine. I wonder if they still do to this day LOL

    Ummm Why is it ok for the President to have smoked pot (CLinton )but you can never ever work for the FBI if you ever have? :cool:

    controler
     
  16. Starrob

    Starrob Registered Member

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    Nah, no mistake.....I already made those rounds before but I know many haven't. That is why I don't take any one's answer at face value. There are some in this world that like to lead others like pied pipers over the cliff but not me...that is why I seek knowledge from all sources and not just one source.


    Starrob
     
  17. Randy_Bell

    Randy_Bell Registered Member

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    You know, no offense, but I'm getting really weary of the aggressive KAV Evangelists who present this product as if it is "set-and-forget" bulletproof protection, and ignore the need for everyone to have some basic security knowledge. Some of these very same people will swear that I am vulnerable running my grossly-inferior Swiss-Cheese Norton but I have *never* been infected, not even close, and I have handled hundreds, yea thousands, of malware samples. I mean no offense but folks, quit pushing this one product as if it is the Panacea and Cure-All for the ills of the internet. Yes KAV is an excellent product, but I have news for ya, there is no such thing as bulletproof or idiot-proof protection provided by any one single security product. I note in passing {and again, no offense intended} that some of this "evangelism" and "preaching" of KAV to the faithful is coming from KAV Resellers who have an obvious economic interest here. JMHO .. again, no offense but I have felt a need to comment on this .. folks, I like KAV, really I do {and have it installed as backup scanner on two of my PCs}, but frankly I don't want your KAV Religion and Excessive Preaching of it being shoved down my throat in thread after thread ..
     
  18. Paranoid2000

    Paranoid2000 Registered Member

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    The question here is how did they try to install it? The wording above suggests someone sending traffic designed to exploit a Windows vulnerability which is exactly what a properly configured firewall should stop. If this is the case, then it may be that Kerio's configuration needs revising.
    Apostate! Blasphemer! :D I hereby set your penance to 30 "Hail Eugenes" and 5 Full Listings of all the Sinful Programs Cleansed by KAV (with the extended database of course...). :)

    More seriously, can you name any other AV program that covers "general" malware to the extent that KAV does? While I agree with "there is no such thing as bulletproof or idiot-proof protection provided by any one single security product", KAV comes the closest for inexperienced users and the new features of KAV 2006 should strength its hand noticeably. Other security software (firewalls, process/registry guards) have their role also but since this is an AV thread, it seems reasonable to focus on scanners.
     
  19. RejZoR

    RejZoR Lurker

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    My cousin clicks on everything so even avast!, Panda or Norton couldn't hold it back. Then i installed him KAV5 and he's clean since then. At least something :)
     
  20. YeOldeStonecat

    YeOldeStonecat Registered Member

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    Yes. IMO, NOD32, especially since verions 2.50 came out, and they've REALLY poured on the coals the past couple of months as far as definitions. It's closing the gap between NOD32 and KAV, I'd hold them quite even now...as far as detection rates go....esp when you throw out false positives and compare only legitimate baddies found.
     
  21. Paranoid2000

    Paranoid2000 Registered Member

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    Must be that trademark "disemboweled pig" screech that KAV gives... :D
     
  22. RejZoR

    RejZoR Lurker

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    Yes, the incredible PIG(TM) Technology from Kaspersky Lab saves the day once again! Forget about Advanced Heuristics. PIG(TM) is the way to go! :D
     
  23. richrf

    richrf Registered Member

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    Hi Randy,

    I looked over the thread, and I don't think anyone claim that KAV, or any other AV, was bulletproof. The question was, "What AV does [sic] the experts here use", and it seems like many use KAV, NOD32, etc. (Not unexpectedly given the polls on this forum). No one has claimed, as far as I could tell, that any of these AVs were bulletproof.

    Cya,
    Rich
     
  24. Patrician

    Patrician Registered Member

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    Sorry but they are by no means even. KAV is still way out in front as far as general malware/trojans is/are concerned. Eset might be trying but they aren't there yet.
     
  25. Mele20

    Mele20 Former Poster

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    I agree! KIS 2006 is going to be incredible once the bugs are worked out. It is only 9MB in size (amazing huh?) and uses around 7000K memory (again amazing) and comes configured quite acceptably so that little needs to be changed. I no longer need Process Guard as it has it and it has everything I could possibly need all in one nice package. Of course, at the moment, this site is absolutely awful to navigate because of bugs in KIS (dslreports is not affected but Castlecops is also as are all secured sites).

    I think KIS 2006 is going to be fabulous. ISwift is very impressive. I don't want a layered approach to security. I want one application that does it all quite well, with a light footprint, and KIS 2006 is it. I have one complaint about KAV/KIS 2006 and that is that Kaspersky still seems to think that everyone has perfect eyesight and loves 8pt fonts no matter the size/resolution of their monitors. That is posing a huge problem for me and I hope that will be corrected. At least a true/open type font is used so Clear Type corrects the fuzzies.
     
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