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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: 2009boy on March 23, 2009, 10:06:38 PM

Title: Approximately, how many malware signatures does Avast have in its database?
Post by: 2009boy on March 23, 2009, 10:06:38 PM

Does it reach one million?

Title: Re: Approximately, how many malware signatures does Avast have in its database?
Post by: DavidR on March 23, 2009, 10:17:32 PM

Numbers are totally irrelevant as:
a) they are no use for comparison, as each AV company has a different database and no doubt a different method of counting.
b) avast also uses generic and algorithmic and these are designed to detect multiple varients of malware including some not previously detected.

However the number isn't near a million, it is however 23MB plus in physical size if you want to download it.

Title: Re: Approximately, how many malware signatures does Avast have in its database?
Post by: Lisandro on March 23, 2009, 10:25:43 PM

This was discussed a lot in the past...

1. There are a marketing issue involved. Companies estimate the number of viruses by high.
2. There are different counts possible: variants, etc.
3. There is not an international rule for virus naming, so same virus could be consider one or more by other company.
4. Scanning settings are very important.
5. Active viruses (ITW) are really more important then the whole number.
6. Generic signatures and heuristic detections cannot be really counted as 'virus detection'.

Well, etc. etc.
Trust avast!

Title: Re: Approximately, how many malware signatures does Avast have in its database?
Post by: polonus on March 23, 2009, 10:38:58 PM

Hi 2009boy, DavidR and Tech,

And yes the accent of the database is slowly shifting to keep it actual. Because no anti malware solution detects all, it is good practice to have a combination of one resident av solution and some non-resident scanners (I have the latest versions of DrWebCureIt, stinger.exe and ClamWin non-resident open software anti virus solution, then I have RUBotted, MBAM and SAS, a-squared, SpywareBlaster, so a cocktail of free solutions to close the vulnerability window as good as I can. This cocktail is topped of with a software firewall.
Furthermore I use the following security extensions to protect me in the Firefox and Flock browser: NoScript, an extension that blocks all scripts inside the browser, so also the malicious scripts (you can allow trusted sites on a temporary basis), Perpectives to veryfy encrypted websites, ReguestPolicy, an extension to control what cross-site-requests are allowed, firekeeper, sort of an intrusion detection extension working following Snort-rules (so you can block access temporarily or permanently), Netcraft anti phishing toolbar, and Local IP to see what IP I have landed on, and I have the Passive Recon add-on, this is  a Powerful Security Assessment Reconnaissance Tool, CSP (Content Security Policy) to enforce security policies how a browser should behave (and what it expects of how the server to react),
I have no doubt that this will keep me secure online,

polonus