Avast New Cloud Feature Questions?

[Lisandro]

@HS2234 post:16

Cloud services are so buggy… They stop after u put ur laptop to sleep… … I am so pissed

??? Do you want the computer work when your computer is turned off (or sleeping)? ???

[Lisandro]

@FlyingRobot post:15

Some or many at the world level though. The probability of many computers on earth being infected during such a “vulnerability window” could be 100%. However, the probability of “the average computer” falling victim to that would be much lower I think. If we’re talking about a cautious user or admin who disables automatic updates (the installs, not the notifications of availability) and is careful about what they install and from where and when, I think the probability would be much much much lower. I seriously wonder if it would even register as a threat worth worrying about.

avast! is doing exactly that: reducing the probability and increasing protection.

@FlyingRobot post:15

If by that you only mean the more frequent, “streaming updates” would count as “improvements to detection of malware once that knowledge is gained.” because they would narrow the window of vulnerability then we are on the same page. If you are (also) trying to communicate that it isn’t just a matter of how large the window of vulnerability is, I’d welcome clarification. For example, as BTIsaac just questioned, if some malware signatures/descriptors are only distributed when the cloud features are enabled that is a very important detail.

All the signatures will be released in the normal updates, just later than the streaming updates.

@FlyingRobot post:15

Yes, the uploading of information (whole files, piece of them, hashes of them, file names, URLs, hostnames, whatever) is the key concern I was referring to.

How they would manage or public this information is the key. ALL information is taken annonimously.

[RejZoR]

@HS2234 post:16

Cloud services are so buggy… They stop after u put ur laptop to sleep… … I am so pissed

I have already explained this in some other thread, possible even to you. The cloud connection will re-establish when you wake up the computer. It’s physically impossible for avast! to be connected to anything if the system is shut down or sleeping, don’t you think?

[GopherJohn]

@Jack 1000 post:18

On my Avast GUI,

It shows Streaming Updates Enabled

Connection Established

Last Update Received just has________________

Seems the cloud is connected. Since this afternoon, I got one definitions update between 4-5 I think, and the GUI seems to be checking every 4 hours like It always has. So I guess my question is:

If the cloud stuff is working and Avast says it is, what am I going to receive in the “Last Update Received” ____________?

Is it right that when I get the next “Your Virus Definitions Have Been Automatically Updated.” pop-up that I should see some data in the last update received information?

Looking for the specific difference between the time interval updates and the cloud updates? (And similarities too.)

Jack

Shortly after I turned on my machine this morning, I received the update 120225-0 applied at 7:58 AM EST US. I also have a 12022500_stream folder with a time of 8:01 AM EST US with a 19KB BIN file inside. Obviously, there was a streaming update shortly after the standard VPS update. “Last Update Received” ____________ is shown under Maintenance | Update in the AvastUI for the streaming update. I haven’t restarted Windows yet this morning, but it will likely show the streaming update in the AVastUI then.

Edit:
I did a manual VPS update check around noon and then restarted Windows. After restart, “Last Update Received” reflected the last streaming update I’d received at 8:01 AM mentioned above.

[system]

@PierreH post:14

If I understand, for Avast to be efficient we shoud stop to run other anti-malware on our PC ?

Not necessarily,many of us run Malwarebytes Pro alongside Avast,you just need to be sure that your other application and Avast do not conflict with each other, that is what exclusions are for.

[system]

@Tech post:22

@FlyingRobot post:15

Yes, the uploading of information (whole files, piece of them, hashes of them, file names, URLs, hostnames, whatever) is the key concern I was referring to.

How they would manage or public this information is the key. ALL information is taken annonimously.

One one hand I agree with you that how avast actually manages such information is key. On the other hand, I must be honest with myself and admit that I will never know enough about avast corporation, its employees, its relationships with government agencies, etc to be able to assess how they really handle the information they receive. Not even just once, let alone on an ongoing basis. That concept applies almost universally and to every single entity that develops the software I use (I’m not singling out avast at all). I have assisted in the investigation of security breaches and like events, and know that many are not appropriately reported. So I can’t assume that I’ll learn of something important even though I really do make an effort to keep up with such topics. Lastly, and as a fairly well rounded SW Engineer, I spent a great deal of time researching, discussing, and thinking through the myriad of ways in which information can be correlated with other information. I arrived at a conclusion and philosophy quite some time ago: that any packets (and the information contained within) that leave my network with one of my public IP Addresses are not anonymous in any meaningful reliable sense. So even if absolutely nothing was transmitted to avast servers except my (non-static, but still somewhat sticky) IP Address and the hash of a file, I would not consider that to be “anonymous”. Theoretically speaking, avast server’s might not even log/use the IP Address for anything but because I can never know if that is true I think it best not to assume it.

Some are in the binary “you either trust or don’t trust XYZ” camp. I’d say I’m in the “it isn’t about trusting, it’s about eliminating where possible the need to trust” camp. By that I mean I endeavor to keep my software set to a minimum and also (not|un)install, block, limit, etc specific components and features that might transmit sensitive information so that I don’t have to trust other parties to handle the information in accordance with my preferences.

[system]

I got my regular 4 hour interval update. However, cloud services although they are activated, still show no time that any cloud data has been received.

Jack

PS. I don’t have Webrep installed and have a secure Wireless Network.