ProSecurity & Spyware Blaster versus SpySweeper

I'm interested in feedback as to using a combo of ProSecurity (an HIPS) and Spyware Blaster versus using SpySweeper by itself. Does anyone have ideas as to which is more effective/secure?

 

I would have thought that ProSecurity by itself was good enough plus running a few on demand scans every so often just to play safe.

 

Spywareblaster is great for all programs

 

Have you used ProSecurity? Do you know how it compares to SpySweeper?

 

SpySweeper is an Antispyware application and does not monitor very low level changes to your system as far as I know.
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper/benefits.html

ProSecurity is a HIPS which monitors system changes more closely whether they are good or bad. Its protection is more comprehensive than Spy Sweeper since it detects changes at a more basic system level.

http://www.proactive-hips.com/featurelist.php

 

like ccsito said, theyre different programs with different purpose.

id choose prosecurity. its lighter and gives u great protection.

 

Prosecurity offers more powerful protection as it can prevent any malware from running and doing its dirty work, the down side is you have to know what you are doing and it cannot remove malware.
Spysweeper offers a wide range of protection to prevent and remove malware, the downside is it can only protect against known malware, if something unknown get in then you are screwed.

 

Is there any reason to use both?

 

Yes I use ProSecurity. I no longer use any real time Anti-spyware. I just plan to run infrequent on demand scans to check.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I would say ProSecurity, on demand spyware scanner, antivirus and if you are NOT behind a NAT router i sould suggest a firewall. If you are behind a NAT router thats protecting your inbound then you can get by with the network protection offered by ProSecurity

WG

 

Hi, folks: ProSecurity vs SpySweeper to me is like X plus 1 generation app vs X generation app. During those days when HIPS is non heard of, signature-based AS w/ shields is hot commodity, everyone eagers to have one, virtually you can not surf net w/o it. Since signatureless HIPS come aboard, those last generation apps are gradually push back to storageroom or achive. Just cruise this Forum re HIPS and some AS, you will find out what is the current trend. And 99.9% of the time , opinions from members of this Forum is the true reflection of such. Have a nice day.

 

I think having antispyware is a good idea but ONLY on-demand. You start running realtime antispyware and a) your slowing your self down and b) it could clash if its monitoring same things that ProSecurity is monitoring maybe. But i think you should have as many on-demand apps as you want and just load them if and when because its always good to have something to fall back on incase you accidentally let e nasty into your pc

 

I think you must have missed the memo we sent out.

Prosecurity and her cousins are on their way out.

The latest trend is sandbox and virtualization!!

If Prosecurity is X+1 generation app, Defensewall and Bufferzone are X+2 generation....

Yes because members from this forums are such security experts...

 

I kind of disagree. Its like saying that antivirus are on their way out because we run HIPS. Its not accurate. We have different software for different jobs. This is the reason we have a paint package and an audio package. We dont say Lets have a paint package that can record audio and send fax. . . HIPS is great and maybe if they add very basic virtualisation for simple things, but you cant do much more than that because its a whole different type of thing. Maybe it could be useful to prevent certain programs from doing something you dont want them too or telling you indepth what the program loaded/eltered/deleted etc. If you wanted hard core protection you would use something like Fd-isr and hope something dont cripple it. I dont know what the dev of PS is doing, but i know hes working on adding more features and fixing minor bug that was reported. We still use a antivirus even though we have HIPS because they have their worth for their jobs.

HIPS i think wont really die because its so useful. However they may be better things that use BASIC protection methods by hooking functions like copy/delete/rename and some registry things but thats about it.

But i have a feeling that some people who are confused by standard HIPS will probably have an anurism if they try something that has sandboxing.

WG

 

It's isn't? Antivirus and Antispyware is on the way out. Everyone in this forum knows that!

Actually the guys supporting sandboxing and virtualization are telling everyone that sandboxing is great because it is so easy to used compared to Prosecurity/SSM etc...

 

DA,

I'm a member of the forum and I don't know that. Until users (both the folks here and typical users) can independently assess whether a file holds malicious content, there will be a need for expert-derived, signature-based security software be it blacklist, whitelist, or a composite approach. I really don't see a way around that. Right now, that role is fulfilled by an AV and I don't see that changing until an alternate approach with the same detection characteristics (high probability of correct assignment, very low/negligible false positive level) is developed or downloaded content becomes extremely tightly controlled. I don't see that latter ever occurring and HIPS/etc. are currently very far from the former.

Actually, I don't see sandboxing making serious in-roads either. Niche/minority player? Sure. Mainstay approach? I don't see it.

Blue

 

You can´t disagree on this. It´s so much easy to choose between files that will be saved or dropped that to config parent/child relationships, physical memory access, hooks, files loaded for EACH application/process

 

think about this.
if you own fort nocks, and i come with authentic ID and say i am with the government, you let me in, if i say you need to show me this area because i have to see it you let me in because you think i am ok. Once i am in i ask to have access to all locked areas for "inspection" since its "my job" . . aparently . . see where this is going ? If something looks official no "non-expert" or a basic user is going to let it do what ever it wants. If someone sees a process called msantispy.exe they will think ah great ! im protected from spyware etc. Not alwats but this has been my experience several times with people with "official like names". agree with the other guy who still thinks that sig based is a good thing to have around.

WG

 

1. All the products have their own niche. The only question is: how big it is!

2. Do sandboixes are the mainstream approach? Yes, for the end of 2007-2008 years .

 

Absolutely, and it very well may be big enough to create a very viable business. For example, almost by definition, any hobby related business is niche and some of them are quite lucrative.

I still don't see it, but that's actually a long way off when you get down to it, so who knows. Afterall, think back to 2005 versus where we are today - not in terms of solving some of the problems, but in terms of how people are trying to address them (I know - that itself speaks volumes).

Blue

 

this might happen using a classical HIPS too. All defenses can be subverted.

 

This is what i am saying. . Some people still have and get huge benifate from signature based secrity. It has its place in my opinion and will be here to stay for a long time.