Windows XP Home SP3
Firefox 3.0.10, IE8 8.6001.18702
I run avast! 4.8 Home Edition and have been absolutely delighted with its performance since I switched from AVG Anti-Virus about 18 months ago. Resident Protection using On Access Protection Control runs at ‘Normal’ sensitivity and I have had no virus infections since the software was installed.
Given the depth of protection that avast! offers I was wondering what, if any, additional real time anti-spyware protection is required. I currently use Windows Defender real time (I recognise it’s very limited) with on demand scanning from Spybot, Super Anti-Spyware and Malawarebytes Anti-Malaware but feel this could be improved. Any suggestions/comments will be gratefully received.
My experience is somewhat similar, and I don’t remember the other applications I have running actually detecting/stopping anything that Avast hadn’t previously stopped. (Usually the webshield. Haven’t had actual malware in yonks.)
First thing I’d recommend is a two way firewall, if you don’t have one installed, for control of outbound connections.
Second is to uses something like SpywareBlaster for a bit of immunity from known bad sites. Something like a Hosts file can also be useful, and also block quite a few ads. (There is more than one hosts file available; that is one example.)
Apart from the lack of an outbound control (2 way firewall) you look in pretty good shape to me. I’d definitely hang on to the demand scanners. No one security application can stop them all, every time, and MBAM and SAS might be useful one day to nab something that maybe Avast can’t. Although I’ve found the blocking ability of Avast particularly good, there are types of malware that reports indicate it can’t deal well with.
I also use Threatfire for its behaviour blocking ability, but haven’t tested it in anger. Never happened across a nasty that wasn’t detected by something else first (touch wood,) and don’t go looking for them, either.
Apologies, in my first message I should have given a fuller picture of my internet security set-up. Here it is:
Windows XP SP3 fully patched
Firefox 3.0.10, with NoScripts and Web of Trust add-ons
IE8 8.6001.18702
Zone Alarm firewall
avast! 4.8 Home Edition
SpywareBlaster
Spybot S&D
Windows Defender real time protection enabled
WinPatrol
PSI on demand scanner (great for finding software updates and patches)
MBAM & SAS on demand.
Given that lot (!!) I wonder if Windows Defender is redundant. I know it’s not always well thought of and, if not needed, is a drag on memory. Also does avast! give me sufficient stand alone real time spyware protection? I’d prefer not to run Pro versions of MBAM or SAS in parallel if I can avoid it. Comments/opinions welcome!
As an aside I also found this link elsewhere on the forum layers-of-computer-protection which, I think gives some sound advice. What do others think?
There is such a thing as getting too much of a good thing and this includes security software or you spend your life keeping it up to date rather than it serving you, you serve it.
Doesn’t WinPatrol do much that windows defender does, with the exception of real-time (unless you buy the Plus version).
I would tend to go for one resident AS and a back-up on-demand one (see my signature) given that avast also provides AS protection.
SpywareBlaster is passive and no problem, I use it too, Spybot S&D with all the others is overkill and not as good as either SAS or MBAM (IMHO). So I would also consider getting rid of windows defender, but your system your choice.
You’re right (well nearly) about being paranoid but with a couple of teenagers who like ‘dubious’ gaming sites I’ve found it pays to be careful! Seriously, though, real time protection is limited to avast!, and Windows Defender with small elements of S&D and WinPatrol. I agree that S&D is pretty well redundant and may go in the next house-keeping.
I have noticed in your signature that you are using SAS Pro which offers real time protection and takes me neatly back to the main point of this thread. Do people consider that avast! offers sufficient real time spyware protection on its own. If it did SAS and MBAM Pro would be luxuries I could do without.
I think yes, avast is enough.
But, of course, it could fail, it’s not perfect. In this case, if you have to choose, I’ll pick MBAM as resident. I know David won’t agree with me
Personally I chose SAS Pro because that was what I had been using for some time before using MBAM, SAS is also more configurable in my mind and I like the Repairs function (limited in the free version I believe). But they are both fine programs, the good point on both is that the paid version is a one off fee no annual subscriptions…
avast is generally fine for your real-time AS protection, but for me it isn’t a specialist AS application, but the on-demand AS programs run periodically (I run them weekly as part of my weekly system maintenance) should bolster that.
Since you have winpatrol, you also have the option of the Plus paid option for real-time functionality I don’t know if that would be cheaper than SAS or MBAM paid options or if it is an annual subscription.
