Has SUPERAntiSpware partnered with Avira?

I usually install SUPERAntiSpyware just to scan for tracking cookies. Today after installing it, I noticed the update progress which is usually just one bar looks different:




The version number is still at 8.0.1052 so that didn't change from the last time I installed it but I also noticed an Avira Updater in the Program files where SUPERAntiSpyware is installed:



Not sure what's the deal here as there's nothing mentioned about it on their website but if they did in fact partner with Avira for their file scanning engine then that is great news since their file scanner was useless and was no good for anything but detecting tracking cookies. This is also good news for those who have a lifetime subscription if this was true.

@anon

 

...

 

All I can say is I have a lifetime subscription to SAS installed on this machine and I do NOT have any reference to, or any of those Avira files in my SUPERAntiSpyware folder.

So I can only suggest to help pay the bills, SAS has made a revenue earning agreement with Avira with their free/trial version of SAS, like the one you are using.

 

Spartan- Yes, they are dealing with Avira. As you pointed out, the AV update module is signed by Avira, and malware detection is identical with Avira.

To verify, there is a malicious file that, although widely detected by the majority of AV products, is undetected by SAS but is detected by Avira as "TR/AD.RansomHeur.oiyco" -a term unique to Avira.

Running the malicious file after installing SAS results in a detection of (you guessed it): TR/AD.RansomHeur.oiyco.

Although the adding of Avira is definitely an upgrade as SAS detections have been absolutely wretched, this addition can be likened to putting earrings on a pig as Avira has its own issues.

 

I have 2 lifetime licenses for this but the last time I tried to activate it after a reformat it refused. I didn't want to hassle with reaching out to them yet again so I uninstalled and that was the end of it. I'm seriously surprised people still use this. It's probably been a decade since I last attempted to install it. It's probably been longer than that since it was a relevant product.

 

I had that once. I reached out to them and they quickly unblocked my license. Now, before I format, I go to HELP > DE-ACTIVATE License. That way. you'll never have an issue re-activating it.

 

I agree. I only use it because (1) I have a lifetime license and (2), I got the license for free years ago.

I won't say it is useless but the fact is nearly all (if not all) antimalware solutions already look for malicious spyware, so a program dedication for that is just redundant. But it does not interfere with other programs and is not a resource hog, so I leave it installed.

 

I only use it for tracking cookies removal

 

It can be useful in that case, like I use HitmanPro. It's helpful when/if I forget to set my browser to block third party cookies, or in limited cases, when that setting mysteriously changes to allow them (yes it's happened before).

So, nothing wrong with that. I just wouldn't depend on it for advanced malware detection anymore. It was great back in the day, though.

 

For as long as I can remember SAS is basically just been serving most users as a Novelty of sorts for Tracking Cookies. Once Upon A Time early on for some seasons, SAS would dig up leftovers from droppers and such where the main malware got eaten up by another security solution but left registry keys or values, and even a folder or file or two already rendered INERT.

 

But you don't need a separate program for that. Windows own Disk Cleanup cleans out tracking cookies. If you already have CCleaner installed, it cleans out tracking cookies.

As an experiment, I just ran Quick Scan with SAS. It reported I had not run it for 163 days. It found 342 "threats". I did not clean them. I then ran CCleaner - which I have configured to keep cookies for sites I visit regularly (a fantastic feature, BTW!). It found about the same number of "Cookies" (it did not call them threats). I let CCleaner clean everything it found. I then ran SAS and it found 1 "threat". And it was a cookie from NewEgg - definitely NOT a threat.

This also demonstrates what I don't like about SAS - it reports just about everything it finds as "threats" when the vast majority are not threatening at all. Even calling many of those cookies "tracking" cookies is misleading. They don't "track" what we are doing. That would imply each of those "tracking" cookies has code actively running on our systems! Not happening!

The vast majority simply hold recurring information needed to make our next visit to that site easier and faster. And that's a good thing - not a threatening thing.

 

Thanks for this detailed explanation, I guess I will just need to add the myriad of sites I'm logged into the exceptions of CCleaner then and not bother with SAS

 

You can also try intelligent scan option to whitelist some of them quickly. Just go to Options - Cookies - right click and select Intelligent scan.

 

i dont think SAS has ever climbed up to the mediocre level of detection as far s malware is concerned so to say. It is only cookie detector. So they should probably change their name to COOKIE detector

 

SUPERAnti-Cookieware??

 

good suggestion

 

Hmm... if they have really partnered with Avira, your post may be out of date.

 

If Avira is actually partnered with SAS then their own intentions might be seen by some as to WHY?

For what purpose?

 

Maybe it is too late for sas

 

I'm assume Avira merely licensed SAS to use their sigs -- possibly their engine, also. Many AVs do this. Why? To make $$.

 

I'm surprised where the money comes from...SAS is a dead product

 

Your icon suits the post. SAS is alive, as witnessed by its smart move of hooking into Avira.

 

Not in my SAS install!

 

Yeah, it seems it is only in the free version. You, like me, have the "LIFETIME Professional Subscription". As such, no barking for revenue in our versions.

Smart move? I guess that's a matter of opinion. Frankly, if ANY program attempts to "foist" any unsolicited and unwanted program on me - especially without my knowledge or consent, I call that being deceitful at best. And if that is being done by a security program (supposedly the "good guys"), that is NOT being smart at all.

 

https://i.imgur.com/ixhWvM3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZtduCgU.jpg