AVG LinkScanner... Needed?

I've tried to think through this, but simply don't have the knowledge or something - I can't decide if it's important to have as protection. Used it for long, but running Opera, I don't feel very targeted, partly because things like ActiveX atleast I think is disabled. Only times that I've run into things where it would be the one blocking, and that half-heartedly (it would still let me go on to buy a rogue, which this was about), it would be when testing a site of a rogue which was posted, I think in the SpywareBlaster forums. Otherwise it's been the AM-front that I have.

What are your thoughts? Do I really need it to be secure, or is it just a waste of resources and compatibility? Sure... it's been first when going to new rogues and such, but the malware, the real-deal, is what probably would be a job for my AM software - if I would guess.

 

I'm running it for many months and there hasn't been any warning But I'm rarely using Google, maybe that's the reason?!

Did you ever get a warning?

 

Like I said - when testing a rogue - but I don't recall any other time I think. That's why I'm thinking through if I should still keep it and would like some thoughts.

 

IMHO AVG LinkScanner is quite useful and if it doesn't drag down your system to a noticeable extent there's no harm in using it.

 

the only alerts ive gotten from linkscanner are pages that have already been flagged by firefox itself :/

 

Yeah, and those browsers (FF, Opera, etc.) are less prone to exploits I believe - even if the popularity of FF is only rising every day. Speaking of which, IE still has lots and lots of serious exploits left untouched by Microsoft according to the report over at Secunia.

I can see the usefulness in the software, but will discontinue to use it for now as a decision till proven more useful to me, just like SpywareBlaster. I don't think SB provides more protection for FF than tracking cookies, so WTF.

 

i keep SpywareBlaster even if only for that, its on-demand so i dont mind keeping it i wish they wuld make a linkscanner thats a firefox add-on instead of something u have to run with ur system...

 

Yeah, I agree with that.

 

Give WOT a try

 

If it's easy to setup for Opera, I might.

 

Oh I think they only have a firefox plugin and IE addon come to think of it.
That is shame too because it is an excellent link checker.

 

Does LinkScanner still detect Starware and ThemeXP as 'safe'? The reason I ask is because Cloudeight Information Avenue performed an informal test with four URL scanners in March, and LinkScanner was the only one that marked these two as safe.

 

Yes, I've heard good things about it. Thanks, Johnny. I think there's some way to make it work in Opera too, but from how I understand it, not as good or seemless.

 

I think I know what ThemeXP you mean... you mean the site FILLED with malware in every file, right?

 

Well, for what I know LinkScanner, mostly, will protect you against domains trying to exploit your system, though it also makes use of a malicious domain blacklist.

So, that's why you should use some other rating tool, like WOT (http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/www.themexp.org).

As you say ThemeXP site isn't rated orange or red by LinkScanner (http://www.avg.com.au/index.cfm?section=avg&action=onlinescan)

PC Tools Browser Defender also rates it red http://www.browserdefender.com/site/themexp.org/

So, as you see, there's no perfect tool. I remember someone created a thread, sometime ago, and I believe it was about Browser Defender, and I showed a few examples where LinkScanner stood its ground, and Browser Defender was rating them green.

 

I was just checking that site on google. WOT flagged it red and had a lot of bad user comments about it. Open DNS blocked me from going to the site.

 

Depends what your looking for it to do !


#1
As far as remote code execution ( aka drive-by-downloads) , I think Opera would have much less vunerabilties than say IE6.
If fact I think there never has been an Opera vunerabilty in this regards
So using it to give warnings of sites which host such code is not really needed.


#2
If your looking at it as a "rating tool" to see if a website is trustworthy , in terms of you personally downloading and installing a program on it , then I have no real view.


#3
In terms of using it to scan such downloads before execution , I guess it would be the same as AVG itself.


#4
It may have some other code to check for other web page exploits , which don't involve a download attempt.
Again , as for 1 , I don't think Opera is vunerable to those.

 

Hehe - happy user of OpenDNS too. Do you know if I should turn it off if using COMODO's secure DNS? I obviously think I should...

Do you've OpenDNS set to only block phishing which is default or do you've any other settings which makes it more secure?

 

Yeah IMO I would turn one of them off and just have one. I have Open DNS blocking phishing and adware. In the advanced settings I have everything checked including enable botnet protection.

 

Thanks for the information.

EDIT: Luckily the Botnet Protection seems to be default.

 

There's also vulnerabilities in plugins, such as PDF readers, flash, java which LinkScanner might detect.

I don't think LinkScanner uses the AVG Antivirus engine?

 

Agree with both comments.

The Adobe exploit one will work in Opera's default config (PDF set up to open automatically ) .

I'm think the other other exploits only the plugin when running in IE. Only 50% sure on that though.

I think the best way of handling exploits that use those things is updating the plugins , via Secunia , or not using common plugins.

 

It was the adware protection that blocked the themxp site.

 

Okay, nice. It's a shame it doesn't have a "Malware" as it would still improve its usefulness for protection considerably - it doesn't have to detect it all to bolster the user's protection.

 

Linkscanner basically has EVERY link as "Green and ok" WOT rates the sites that Linkscanner says are ok as yellow and red. You can also have WOT block the sites for free. IIRC Linkscanner makes you play to block it.