real-time protection: does it really protect or not ? or not?

I thought that ewido's real-time protection did really protect me against malware - but now I am not so sure...
I did a scan with Adaware plus and with Spybot: both told me I was free of malware. Then I did a scan with Ewido ( I hadn't done it for some weeks): it found 72 tracking cookies. So, ewido's scanner is better. But...
But my real-time protection being always active - what the heck does it protect me from?

 

The guard does not yet detect tracking cookies... Simple reason: There is no option to automatically block the cookies, you would get a warning message every few minutes or even seconds when browsing the web. Version 4.0 will have that btw.

 

This response to FAQ from Ewido will explain the tracking cookies:

"Why do I still get malware on my computer when I have the guard activated?

To be compatible with all other security programs and due to performance reasons, the guard of ewido anti-malware scans starting applications only. If a malicious program gets on your computer but never manages to start, it won't get detected by the guard. Also, at this time, the so called Tracking-Cookies are not blocked automatically by the guard. However, we plan to introduce these features in upcoming versions."
(emphasis added)

Ewido's guard is designed to protect against Trojan Horses, Backdoors, Keyloggers and other dangerous programs-but as you can see from the above, they too can get on-Ewido's guard will catch them when opened.

For instance-many Firefox users end up with "Tacoda" cookies. Since Tacoda piggybacks on first party cookies, these keep coming back.

One poster here learned that to stop them permanently one must go to the folder and open them individually and the guard will come up and then a "clean and block" can be done.

 

OK, thank you for exhaustive answer - I'm looking out to version 4!
By the way, ALL the tracking cookies came from Firefox, none from Opera,
which is my default browser. Hmmm.

 

I don't have any cookies from Firefox, because Firefox has a setting to prevent cookies.

 

In every browser you can protect yourself from cookies, Firefox is no exception buddy.

 

BTW, what harm can be caused by these so-called tracking cookies? Of course u get them on every surfing session. I will rather like to set Ewido not to scan for them but I don,t find any option.

 

Absolutely no harm can come from Cookies in the sense that they are simple .txt files that cannot be 'executed' and therefore cannot be trojans etc. However they can be written to and read from and thus may be used to determine something of your surfing habits - hence Cookies are a privacy issue.

In the present version of ewido the Guard cannot be set to look for Cookies but the demand scanner can - just click Scanner/Settings/scan for tracking-cookies.

 

Yes but I want to know it is going to harm me. Why should I bother to clean cookies after every hour.

 

It's a personal choice, some people absolutely do not like to think they are giving out info about their surfing habits which can be collected, anonamously or otherwise, and used for marketing or other purposes.

Others couldn't care less, in which case they won't feel 'harmed' by the practice. Naturally it is a good idea to clear out junk from your PC from time to time, but you don't have to do that every hour!

 

I will rather like to do it automatically by some browser settings or some other thing like that, if ever I went for thhis. BTW, if somebody is so concerned, he should know you can,t avoid it. If u clear cookies after 24 hours, what about the 24 hours period when you were still having these cookies on your system, no privacy at that time sure!
Infact I really hate that to run some scanners and getting an alarming message, you have 50( any no. I mean) threats on your PC and when you click for details it gives a long list that consists of only cookies.