AV Comparatives test results- February 2007

[FreewheelinFrank]

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

[Bluesman]

Go Go Go Avast!! 

[mauserme]

A rough introduction for OneCare.

[FreewheelinFrank]

The results seem to confirm the results of the recent Computer Shopper test here in the UK, which showed avast! having a lower detection rate than AVG (one of avast!'s closet rivals) and other AV programs.

Avast: 93,86% (PUP's mediocre)
AVG: 96,37% (PUP's high)

Any comment from the avast! team as to what they're going to do to catch up?

(I know it's hard without Intel's millions!)

[IBK]

Please note that AVG Anti-Malware was tested, which differs from AVG Free a lot. While Avast Pro and Avast Free do not differ detectionwise.

[FreewheelinFrank]

I wonder if computer Shopper actually also tested the full verion of AVG?

Despite claiming to have tested the free version, which doesn't detect 'potentially unwanted programs', the magazine found AVG had the highest detection rate of 'web based threats' (broadly, adware, spyware and Trojans) of all the AV's tested. (48.6%- second highest, Kaspersky at 47.5%, with avast! at 22.4%.)

[avatar2005]

As I allways like to say there's no 100% effective AV in the World

[FreewheelinFrank]

Very true. The ironic thing about AV's is that if you're careful, you can do without one at all, but if you're careless, even the AV with the highest detection rate won't save your behind.

[Vlk]

The results seem to confirm the results of the recent Computer Shopper test here in the UK, which showed avast! having a lower detection rate than AVG (one of avast!'s closet rivals) and other AV programs.

Avast: 93,86% (PUP's mediocre)
AVG: 96,37% (PUP's high)

Any comment from the avast! team as to what they're going to do to catch up?

The comment from the avast! team is that the results do not confirm the Computer Shopper test results at all.

Computer Shopper tested AVG Free, which, according to IBK's estimate published at Wilders', would only get the "Standard" rating (roughly 90% detection) - considerably lower score than Avast (free or Pro, no difference). Also, detection-wise, AVG Pro is identical to AVG Free - but IBK tested AVG Anti-Malware which is basically a bundle of AVG Pro and ewido (also known as AVG Antispyware) which was recently acquired by Grisoft.

If you carefully read through the av-comparatives test results, you can see that avast has been constantly improving over the last 2 years - so I don't really think the question "what we're going to do to catch up" is quite well-founded in our case.


Cheers
Vlk

[Lisandro]

Vlk, any news from the implementation of a spyware module into avast 5?
Some reviews put avast into one of the best antispyware detectors... but, we're just saying that avast is an antivirus only.
Won't you do this marketing 'jump' as Grisoft?

[rdsu]

I would like to congratulate the Alwil Team for all your work to improve the detection rate on the last 2 years, even more on the last one...

Keep the very good work

[mauserme]

Vlk, any news from the implementation of a spyware module into avast 5?

And root kit detection?  I think that's a must if avast! is to remain effective.

[FreewheelinFrank]

Trojan and backdoor detection has certainly improved a lot over the last two years, so congratulations there!

In that case, keep up the good work and I expect to see avast! scoring even higher in the future.

Anyway, I thought avast! was doing things to improve the detection rate, like hiring new staff and improving the submissions process?

By the way, AVG Free does not detect 'potentially unwanted programs', and the Pro version does. Before the ewido acquisition, this used to mean adware and spyware. Now if AVG anti-malware detects adware and spyware, what does 'potentially unwanted programs' mean? I've noticed in the past that avast! detects diallers where AVG Free didn't.

I wonder if some of ewido's magic won't have rubbed off on AVG Free as well: if a Trojan is classed as a adware/spware Trojan, does this mean that AVG Free won't detect the Trojan? Who knows?

[Lisandro]

By the way, AVG Free does not detect 'potentially unwanted programs', and the Pro version does.

I wonder if some of ewido's magic won't have rubbed off on AVG Free as well: if a Trojan is classed as a adware/spware Trojan, does this mean that AVG Free won't detect the Trojan? Who knows?

This is what I call bad policy... a free antivirus that does not detect all the virus of the Pro version.
It's a bad marketing... the free version will be, again, far bellow the Pro in terms of detection.
Thinking about Grisoft this does not surprise me at all 

[FreewheelinFrank]

AVG's marketing certainly seems to be in a bit of a muddle. Potential buyers can choose between the Pro and Anti-Malware versions, and take a guess at what extra protection they get. The AVG/ewido integration also seems to have not resulted in one individual entity: when I tried the beta of the Anti-Malware version, it seemed to be a bit of a Frankenstein's monster: very slow. (AVG and ewido engines bolted together, through the neck, I suppose.)

The only thing AVG have got right is the price: AVG Pro: £20, for two years, avast! £30 for one year.