CounterSpy v2 versus SuperAntispyware Pro

Hi all,

Could anyone explain whether the size of the signatures database is relevant ?

Excerpts from Counterspy and SuperantiSpyware websites :

CounterSpy :
[... * Heavy-duty Anti-Spyware protection, but light on CPU and Memory.
* Kernel-level Active Protection™ guards you 24/7.
* Hybrid design combines Anti-Malware technology with our award-winning spyware detection and removal.
* Deep-rooted malware is exterminated at boot time, before Windows loads.
* Small, regular definition updates greatly reduce update downloading time.
* Well over 1,500,000 threat definitions!
* Vista compatible: Integrates seamlessly with the Vista Windows Security Center. ...]


SuperAntispyware :
[... Easily remove over 100,000 pests such as AntiVirGear, VirusProtectPro, DriveCleaner, SmitFraud, Vundo, WinFixer, SpyAxe, SpyFalcon, WinAntiVirus, AntiVermins, AntiSpyGolden and thousands more! ...]


Thus, should I give CounterSpy the edge over SuperAntispyware Pro ?

Thanks for your enlightenment

 

its a hard choose since both are excellent apps.
dont go by signiture count thou since most likely they are counted differently.
try both and see which one you prefer.
lodore

 

Just my 2 cents(albeit limited and some would say biased)

CS is a quality ASW software with a more broadbased strong defensive capability(ie integrated HIBS type approach+blacklist) to defence.Catch unknown etc

This is both a big plus from a security perspective although annoying to the layman as it will bombard you with alerts when anything new is installed.Some folks are cool with this approach where as others become desensitized to alerts because of frequency and in some cases i have seen folks deactivate this part of the software for that very reason.

SAS PRO is the no thrills approach suitable for the non techie type,only alerts in realtime if malicious code is caught,limitations being *unknown new* code will bypass SAS until it is added to the target database but advantages of not being perpetually bombarded by alerts etc

Resource usage is a funny thing to guage but IME whenever i have compared or seen compared CS vs SAS then SAS has less noticable performance hit on the installed enviroment/pc operation.

RAM used is actually not streight forward or a clear indicator of how efficient a software is.The way windows swaps memory in/out is not taken into consideration nor is the system resource use by the drivers of these softwares at the end of the day.
Also another factor is how the respective software interacts with other softwares that are installed as this will also provide possible performance hit/conflict etc.

That said in IME SAS has less system impact then CS in reallife installs reguardless of what various tools(Taskmanager&ilk) report etc but since both softwares offer fully working trials then this is easily checkable

Technology(under the hood)SAS has for some time now been able to see *malware* that CS has been blind too.SAS holds the crown on all *botkiller* software for antirootkit capability(detection and removal).I have extensively used rootkit malware as a testbed when testing antispyware softwares since my emphasis is on what dose'nt get detected being the weakest link of any software strategy.

VIPRE versus Smart rules

VIPRE is a great addition to the CS targeting stategy but again in my experience as a malware hunter.SAS has been able to identify higher percentage of malicious code when it is 0-day then VIPRE.
Z-lob & Vundo are 2 flavours of malware where this can be observed frequently

Frequency of target database update and product developement.
Both softwares are probaly the 2 best in the botkiller(Antispyware) category for this and both have fantastic customer support(Just ask Nick or Eric for help )


Finally which would i reccomend(now here's the surprise).....

It depends on the end user capabilities....
Techie(learned person)= CS
Average Joe= SAS

HTH

 

Thanks for this very instructive input

I myself consider as an average user and according to your description, I will first trial SuperAntispyware.

Cheers

 

Iv'e used both SAS and CounterSpy and CS has had less of a performance hit on my system than SAS thou the results of others may differ. CS has not bombarded me with alerts when installing new software. I'v'e had a few alerts when installing software but CS will not induce alert fatigue. As for user capabilities I'm as average as they come. As to who detects what and how well, all I can say is I'm comfortable with CS although SAS is fine also I'm sure.

 

Don't be so hard on yourself, nearly 2.5 yrs membership at these great forums with nearing 2000 posts would suggest anything but average

 

Both are good programs, just find out which fits you and your computer better, for me I use SAS Pro.

 

Hi,

Aside from CounterSpy v2 and SuperAntispyware Pro, what do you think of AVG Antispyware v7.5 ?
For instance, it was tested by PC World (with a well-known test lab, namely AV-Test.org) and it seems to do properly the job.


The test : AVG Antispyware v7.5

Chart : Side-by-Side Comparison (AVG versus competitors)


Thanks in advance for your comments

 

We have smart definitions that can often remove hundreds, if not thousands, of variants of spyware/malware with a single definition. There is really no way to quantify with an exact number - however if we were to "expand" out the number of possible detections, it would be in the millions, easily. The numbers really are just marketing numbers - we can adjust ours if it makes you feel better

 

The bottom line is testing the software against real threats, not theoritical threat detection and removal. In addition, no product, include CounterSpy or SUPERAntiSpyware can catch everything on a given day, so running multiple layers of protection is the real key to true protection - other than not surfing adult/warez sites

 

This is why i use both - one in real time and one on-demand.

 

Going OT but just had to chuckle at the PC mag review page....anyone spot the snafu in software classification

 

Yep.
Should be antispyware instead of antivirus.
They don't know the difference.

 

I have used Counterspy in the past including the V2. I like the V2 much better than previous versions, and would probably have bought it except that I had a lifetime license for SAS.

I would be satisfied with CS.
I do not run SAS real time due to an annnoying problem with KIS. When SAS is opened the firewall gives an alert and I have to allow it. When SAS updates the same thing happens. I am hoping that MP1 corrects that problem and the KIS firewall will "learn." If it does then I will probably run SAS realtime.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Hi Jerry

Have yot tried the Kaspersky support forums to see if they know for a working fix ?
http://forum.kaspersky.com/

All the best.

 

Hi,
The last I saw indicated that one must live with the situation until some rather major change, which I hope is MP1. It is somewhat strange to me that it cannot be fixed now, but evidently it is much more complicated that I can imagine. Of course, I know essentially zero about such.

Thanks for the reply.

Regards,
Jerry

 

hi jerry,
about the only way is to set the firewall to low and delete the rule for superantispyware.
lodore

 

Hi Lodore,
Thanks. However, I tried that and again just now and that does not work for me. Have you tried it?

Regards,
Jerry

 

it works here.
when you put the firewall to low did you remember to delete the rule for superantispyware.exe?
settings,firewall,settings,rule for applications tab. scroll down to superantispyware.exe and delete the rule.
lodore

 

Hi Lodlore,
Yes, I did so. I tired it about 3 times with no luck.

I just posed the question again on the KL forum. Don replied that there won't be a fix until V8 or if SAS changes their way of updating. smile.gif

Guess you are fortunate.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Hi again, Lodore.
I did not fully understand what you were telling me. I thought that when I deleted the SAS entries, I could then go back to the Training Mode. However, Don also told me that if I would use the Low Mode, and delete the SAS entries I would not have the alerts.
Now it is working, and sorry that I misunderstood. I knew you were smart.

I will leave it in the Low Mode.

Regards,
Jerry

 

no problem jerry
i use low mode atm.
i will most likely use training mode when i get my pc but since this pc is shared ive set it on low mode.
lodore

 

In terms of security, since this hasn't been mentioned, I would to add "where you go in the Internet". I believe this to be the single most important factor in regard to infections. With today's undetected malware, a Windows account with admin rights, and steering your IE browser into rough neighborhoods, you don't stand much of a chance. For these types of surfers, it's no wonder virtual software is catching on.

 

In my maybe somewhat outdated experience i noticed that cs had a slightly higher detection number then sas but despite the vipre cs failed alot of cleanage where sas did perfect. Also sas runs much lighter here. .

 

You and others are the ones missing something.

That is a link to return you BACK to a page dealing in AV software from which the person who posted the link had come from.

Now try THIS link
http://www.pcworld.com/product/testreport/compare?chart_id=6318&orig_url=%2Farticle%2Fid%2C136206-page%2C1%2Farticle.html&chart_title=Anti-Spyware+Software&chart_date=Tue+Aug+21+22%3A00%3A00+PDT+2007&prodid=30426&prodid=30427&prodid=30429
and you will see it says 'Return to Anti-Spyware Software' because that is where I navigated from!

Best to check to verify before.