Re: Somewhat Off Topic- Recommendation for Malware Detection

"Bud" wrote in message news:MN2dnWepzeX0SkzanZ2dnUVZ_qOknZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just listed some without comment and forgot an old favorite of many. I'll say more that might help you in making a decision..or not. LOL!
Comodo's BOClean which is touted to be good re: trojans and gets many good reviews. It does lack on-demand scanning

True. It is only an on-access scanner.

and real time protection

Um, on-access (real-time) protection is what it DOES provide.

but is said to just lay there and go into action to stop a Trojan from running if one is downloaded.

There are few database updates to BOClean anymore. Even the author admits that the heuristics are antiquated. Don't expect it to find many trojans anymore when compared to even the freebie anti-virus scanners available now. If you visit the Comodo forums (which acquired BOClean), it hasn't been updated in years and is not considered adequate or even feasible anti-trojan protection anymore. Comodo does intend to include portions of BOClean's algorithms into version 3 of their free anti-virus program. Alas, version 2 of Comodo's anti-virus program has less than 45% coverage of known pests (i.e., it is a very poor AV program) and has remained in beta status throughouts its existence (so Comodo can divert any indepedent testing of their AV program under the guise of "its still beta"). Version 2 will always remain beta until version 3 comes out (that will include HIPS); however, if version 3 remains beta for more than a couple months then figure it will suffer the same fate as version 2 and be low in coverage and discarded as a viable free AV alternative.

FWIW I also have the old versions of AdAware, The Cleaner and Spybot.

Never used Cleaner. Although I still have Ad-Aware (free) and Spybot S&D installed, I don't consider these as top-notch detectors anymore. I use them like you use caulk around a window: doesn't block the major problem but might fill in the holes. They're free and I do NOT run them as on-access scanner but only as on-demand scanners.

I'm using the pay version of AVGAnti-spyware.

This product used to be called ewido. Then Grisoft (under their AVG product family brand) grabbed it and renamed it. It's good. Although you download the trial version, it becomes a free version after the 30-day trial. That is, it does not fully cripple itself after the trial period but instead just disables the on-access scanner, so it is still a viable on-demand scanner. Grisoft also has their AntiRootkit (also free).

In any case unless you're really hard up for disk space I'd get and install Spywareblaster, SpywareGuard and BOClean.

While I still use SpywareBlaster to add AX disable registry keys for known malware along with their bad sites list that gets added to the Restricted Sites zone which, unlike a hosts file, still lets you visit the site but neuters it, I wouldn't bother with SpywareGuard anymore. Its algorithms are very antiquated. Even Microsoft's Windows Defender is better (but not for pest coverage and instead as a monitor to check with system changes are made). There hasn't been a database update for SpywareGuard since 1/22/2004. You expect a security product with 4 year-old signatures to find any pests that you encounter today? Dump SpywareGuard as it won't protect you. Signatures are too old. Heuristic algorithms are even more ancient.

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