Avast WEBforum

Other => General Topics => Topic started by: polonus on October 06, 2006, 11:53:54 AM

Title: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: polonus on October 06, 2006, 11:53:54 AM
Hi malware fighters,

One can have one resident av-scanner, but additional scanning with other online or non-resident scanners is a must, because one av engine is not enough. One scanner can be good at catching worms, others is better for finding trojans.
Read why here: http://security.ittoolbox.com/pub/ST110703.pdf#search=%22why%20one%20virus%20engine%20is%20not%20good%20enough%22

polonus
Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: bob3160 on October 06, 2006, 03:35:05 PM
One of the reasons why ClamWin (http://www.clamwin.com/) has been sitting in my system tray for a long time.  :)
Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: toasale on October 06, 2006, 03:44:03 PM
BUT - - - are we susceptible to one package protecting Windows files and another package imprinting a different finger print on the same file, thereby causing possible corruption? :)
Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: polonus on October 06, 2006, 03:58:23 PM
Hi toasale,

No we are not you can combine one resident av scanner with more than one online scanner or a non resident scanner (non resident scanners). I use avast as a non resident, I have ClamWin (non resident) installed, and use DrWebCureIt as non resident, and have DrWeb anti virus link scanner (plug-in service) installed inside the Firefox or Flock or IE browser. The vulnerability gap is closed that way or only open at a minimal jar. Don't forget to patch and update all the software of your OS and on your OS and you are done.
There are online scanners that have not protected there definitions so that for instance Panda online can give strange finds and problems using the Avast resident av solution.

polonus
Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: drhayden1 on October 06, 2006, 11:29:07 PM
hey polonus....the two online scanners i use besides my avast! home edition are:

http://www.kaspersky.com/kos/english/kavwebscan.html
kaspersky online scanner

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
trendmicro housecall

any others suggestions- i have never had any problems with the two mentioned above ::)


Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: polonus on October 07, 2006, 12:09:56 AM
Hi drhayden1,

Well your taste of scanning is excellent, Kav has the best to none update rate, DrWeb is also pretty close at a good second place, sometimes  once in a while I will have the latest free scan with the stinger.exe scanner from MacAfee. My experience is that  Bitdefender from Romania is not a bad scanner at all, actually I like this beast very much, best online scanner in my option, but it is also the feel of it.
I have ClamWin on a USB stick as a non resident because it has quite another group of av people open source volunteers) working on the daily based definitions, so this would almost cover the whole range of the malware spectrum.
Spyware scanning goes with Ad-aware, protection from SpywareBlaster, and the regular sweep from Webroot Spysweeper. and on suggestion of Bob3160, who gave me some very good advice occasionally, the gmer rootkit revealer, a Polish proggie.
Sometimes I use other scans for various reasons SmartDreck, HijackThis etc. toolbarcop, and I leak monitor my Flock and Firefox browser lately as I always have been recommending in-browser security, the use of the DrWeb in-browser pre-hyperlink scanning plug-in was basically introduced here by little old me, I even asked DrWeb to make a Flock version, and I got it from Eugene Kouzmin, the developer within the fortnight. Very original & creative people those Russians are, serdecni ludzi (friendly people) Russians. Well that is it in a sum up. Stay secure my friend and keep the malware out,

Damian
Title: Re: Why one av engine is not enough?
Post by: drhayden1 on October 07, 2006, 01:01:04 AM
thanks for the info Damian

take care my friend ;)