I have been interviewing various Antivirus providers to replace our current solution that we recommend. (currently the front runner is Avast!!!).
I called Computer Associates and they were bragging that in August or September that their eTrust v8.0 and that it would include Antispyware, Antispam, and Antivirus all in one program and that it’s target price will be around the $39.00us.
I do like the idea of having an all-in-one solution. Users everywhere are getting sick and tired of having to be gurus of protecting their OS. (that is why my business has taken off, most are not gurus or know anything about protecting their OS.)
Is this something that AVAST can evolve into? Afterall it already has an email proxy in it so adding spamassassin should not be that big of a deal and it also has a resident antiviral interceptor in it so why not catch spyware as well???.
I respect your opinion. But, a lot of users here will prefer layered protection, each application doing its best, not a all-in-one.
The examples outside of antivirus-antispyware-antipopup-firewall-bloatware applications are very sad, buggy, resources hogs…
avast of course DOES catch spyware; any Backdoor Server or password-Stealer is Spyware, and avast also detects lots of lesser spyware; it’s just not a dedicated spyware-tool
avast doesn’t detect minor stuff like data miner cookies (what’s the point anyway ?)
I can understand the false sense of having “layered protection” but when you measure the amount of system resources needed to run an antiviral program, antispyware catcher, and antispam you can see that you have a total of 3 services running when AVAST is so efficient, to add a spam module would be a great advantage as well.
I use the winXP sp2 firewall and it does a good job.
Microsoft is discussing charging for their anti-spyware program so I will wait to see what comes of that.
As far as AVAST catching certain types of spyware THAT IS A GREAT THING TO KNOW! I am glad to now know this.
All in all I am impressed with what I have seen here in the forums and on the website and I have even applied for my company to be a reseller. I think this community is very smart and forward thinking. I look forward to being a part of it.
The resources will be higher in that situation and people will blame avast again. I understand that some users think it will be better and easy trust in avast, set and forget it 8)
In fact, SP2 just protect inbound attacks and not outbound protection.
With an all in one I think that the programmers will be spreading themselves too thin and the quality of the AV would fall which we don’t want and as previously stated it would bloat the programme beyond recognition… Layered defence is the best especially as things like spyware blaster and winpatrol are passive and so do not use resources. (OK Winpatrol scans the system every 3 secs or so but it is very light). Use that in conjunction with good housekeeping i.e. clearing temp and temp internet files when logging off, being aware of what you are downloading then you don’t really need an active spyware scanner. For phishing you can use the spoofstick toolbar which is a small BHO again v low overheads.
I currently use Thunderbird for my email/news client and find the internal spam filters to be quite adequate.
To be off subject now…What is the best Antispyware program on the market.
Adaware seems to be good but still misses hijackers and keyloggers.
Adware Away is good at hijackers and keyloggers but little else.
Those seem to be my most used tools but I am always looking for better.
Dave
I agree the all-in-one solution cannot work, for two people are not the same. The one thinks a good up to date anti-virus and firewall is sufficient. The other says no I want a specific anti-Trojan program, a combination of anti-spyware, anti-adware, anti-malware, anti-scumware programs (the dutch Hitman Pro with the 30-day Spysweeper on-board), a mailwasher, protection through their ISP (anti-spam, anti-virus), a history-cleaner, and what have ye?
It comes when you visit fori enough, and learn and experience from experts, what eventually will be your personal solution. I for instance am with a searchengine forum, an anti-spyware offensive, and this AVAST forum. This is the true way to educate people. Read, post, ask around, be aware. If someone wants their comps turned into zombies for the spammer-man, they do it by their own accords. Let them have it. If you are a KazaA-alot with or without Peer Guard and land on spyware-bonus-grounds, then that’s your ill luck. One big virus accident, klez e.g. later, they will learn, when they have to re-install, but do they really mind?
