I ran my laptop for about a day with Avast Pro. Then I disable it and did a scan with Spyware Doctor. It found 43 problems that were not prevented by Avast. I’m not impressed with my Avast pro test.
Erm, and what exactly were those “low risk issues”?
Things like this:
application tracking cookies
adware advertising cookies
avast! doesn’t scan for cookies (No AV does, to my knowledge). They are only a (very minor) privacy issue.
Tracking cookies don’t harm your computer. For example, if you went to a site, entered your username and password and checked automadicly log me on, its going to download a cookie so it can remember you. Don’t freak out about cookies.
Obviously Spyware Doctor DOES scan for cookies. That’s what I reported in the first post. I DID indicate they are low risk according to Spyware Doctor, but that doesn’t mean NO risk, again, according to them.
All it means is that if a virus reads your cookies, they can figure out your username and password. And if they download your cookies, they can see your password and if a site reads your cookies, they can figure out your password and username. Also credit card. Thats why avast! blocks those virus files and not cookies. Cookies do no harm but viruses can read the cookies.
You didn’t say they were cookies or low risk in your first post, just 43 problems that avast didn’t prevent.
Cookies are non-executable text files and zero security risk, they don’t store your username and password in plain text so even if something tried to look at them there is little of any use in there, they would also need to know the location and cookie name to even open it. So they pose only a minor privacy issue and contrary to their name they don’t track you where ever you go. They are set on websites and they record your activity on that site only.
If in your browser you allow third party cookies (you shouldn’t allow that) the cookies isn’t from the actual site you are visiting, then you could have the activity recorede for other sites that also have this third party cookie.
By disallowing third party cookies you would block them, by using a browser like firefox you can also use an add-on like CookieSafe also.
Hi :
Your experience is why the “Layered” Approach to security is recommended,
where One uses One antiVIRUS program, like Avast, in combination with One
or more antiSPYWARE program(s) ( the maximum of ONLY 1 providing “real-
time” protection ), like Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
( www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php ) and/or “SUPERAntiSpyware”
( www.superantispyware.com ), BOTH of which come in FREE Versions .
Would NOT have “Spyware Doctor” on my computer . I always try and keep
my computer free of “adware/tracking” cookies .
I should have said it was my second post where I gave some details.
I would like to get rid of Spyware Doctor (SD), but I also don’t want those cookies, and SD agrees. I don’t agree they have 0 risk. So I’ve been disabling SD after scanning and use Avast for the real time protection. SD hogs the CPU if left running.
Then Spiritsongs’ advice re MBAM or SUPERAntiSpyware should work well for you too.
Cookies are the last thing i’d be worrying about…
IMO…Cookies r tastY!
They r sweet tooo^^very yummy^^lol^^
BTW its not that harmful^^its just…ummm choco flavored cookies^^
-AnimeLover^^
Personally I hate this whole cookie aware business. Come on, they are just text files. Surely others may view them differently.
From Wikipedia
Cookies are subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs that run on a user's computer. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of text data that affect the operation of a web server, not the client, and do so in very specific ways. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, although cookies from certain sites are described as spyware by many anti-spyware products because they can allow users to be tracked when they visit various sites.
When I am concerned about privacy, I use “Private” mode in the browser.
Just my point of view, blocking cookies is trivial, I guess sooner or later even avast will have to block them…but I think its just a marketing hype.
I’m with the majority. Cookies are pretty much harmless. But mainly, they are very easy to remove without any special tools. Locate>right click>delete. Easy peasy.
The presence of cookies won’t slow down your computer. Nor affect the way you wish to operate a program.
Privacy is a misnomer, anyway. A chimera.
Use Google? It tracks and keeps information traceable to you on every search you have ever made.
Last but not least, quite a few programs that have not much merit seem to have gained merit and popularity on the back of being able to find lots of “threats” (cookies) and some users want a program that finds stuff, whether it’s actually a threat or not. Often on forums you see posts by users claiming that “xxx is no good because it never finds anything”. (Maybe it’s actually good for that exact reason.)
So much paranoia.
I use the apps in my signature. That may be seen as “belt and braces” by some. I’m surprised if a scan finds anything of note, because it hardly ever happens.
Marketing issue…