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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: sampler on May 04, 2009, 06:49:35 PM

Title: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: sampler on May 04, 2009, 06:49:35 PM
Don't know if this is already posted, but Avast! was once again tested by Malware Research Group and it scored 99.2% detection rate on 395.844 malware samples. Avast! got a better result then Kaspersky, Norton, BitDefender, Nod32, F-Secure, McAfee.........

The full test results are available on http://malwareresearchgroup.com/?page_id=2

Once again a great result from Avast, keep it going guys :)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: DavidR on May 04, 2009, 08:57:26 PM
Yes it has ;D
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Omid Farhang on May 04, 2009, 09:01:54 PM
hope version 5 break that %99.6 and then go up and up, I know it would never be %100 in real, no one cannot, but hope we see %99.99  ;)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: dansorin on May 04, 2009, 09:38:25 PM
the malware samples is quite small. I trust nothing else but av-comparatives.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 05, 2009, 12:21:15 AM
Another test... following its own methodology... and so on...
avast is not bad eh? ;)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: gery on May 05, 2009, 07:09:10 AM
can't see the page for some reasons is there any other way to see it? but soo good to know this. what about avg how did it score ;D ;D
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Pondus on May 05, 2009, 08:09:41 AM
Quote
can't see the page for some reasons is there any other way to see it? but soo good to know this. what about avg how did it score 

Avira 99.6
AVG  96.9
Norton 99
McAfee 98.1
NOD32 97.6
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: gery on May 05, 2009, 11:46:12 AM
thank you very much
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Mike Buxton on May 05, 2009, 12:16:49 PM
Hi,

Factually, the top 5 were:
99.6% 1st a-squared
99.6% 1st Avira
99.4% 3rd G Data
99.2% 4th Avast
99.0% 5th Norton

Visit:
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/scanner/
for a more recent (and for many a controversial) test. 

My regards
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: YoKenny on May 05, 2009, 01:55:12 PM
Hi,

Factually, the top 5 were:
99.6% 1st a-squared
99.6% 1st Avira
99.4% 3rd G Data
99.2% 4th Avast
99.0% 5th Norton

Visit:
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/scanner/
for a more recent (and for many a controversial) test. 

My regards

I would believe those results about the same as the results of a test of Norton anti virus by Symantec.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 05, 2009, 01:59:22 PM
for many a controversial test
Not independent, for sure...
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Mike Buxton on May 05, 2009, 02:22:06 PM
Hi,

YoKenny, the order of the top players is identical in both tests except that Kaspersky comes in 4th in the second test. The real question is about methodology and interpretation - not belief.

Tech, I, at least, had hoped for some intelligent and helpful commentary from your good self.

My regards

Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 05, 2009, 02:30:13 PM
Tech, I, at least, had hoped for some intelligent and helpful commentary from your good self.
Mike, what should I have written? I did not read the test methodology in details, but, as far I'm seeing, it's conducted by the winner of the test. Should we really think it's independent?
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Mike Buxton on May 05, 2009, 02:48:40 PM
Hi Tech,

"Note

This test was an Emsi Software internal comparison and does not represent an objective assessment of the detection performance of a-squared Anti-Malware. It stands to reason that our own in-house product will produce the best detection rate against our own Malware samples."

The above is a verbatim extract (except that the word "Note" was more prominent).

If you do not have the time, or the inclination, to read the report there is no point in your adding another comment.

My regards
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 05, 2009, 03:00:33 PM
This test was an Emsi Software internal comparison and does not represent an objective assessment of the detection performance of a-squared Anti-Malware. It stands to reason that our own in-house product will produce the best detection rate against our own Malware samples."

The above is a verbatim extract (except that the word "Note" was more prominent).
Makes sense.

If you do not have the time, or the inclination, to read the report there is no point in your adding another comment.
Sorry, it was not my intend to upset, bore, bug   or hassle...
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: sampler on May 06, 2009, 05:04:18 PM
Hi,

Factually, the top 5 were:
99.6% 1st a-squared
99.6% 1st Avira
99.4% 3rd G Data
99.2% 4th Avast
99.0% 5th Norton

Visit:
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/scanner/
for a more recent (and for many a controversial) test. 

My regards


There is no doubt that a-squared has very good detection, but they did use their own samples so therefore the results should be looked at from place 2. One thing that caused controversy in that test was the fact that they used MalwareBytes in it, which was not welcomed by some >:(
The good thing for Avast is that it got a very good result in that test also ;)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 06, 2009, 05:28:34 PM
which was not welcomed by some >:(
Can you elaborate? ???
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 06, 2009, 05:34:52 PM
Another MBAM opinion... http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=44983.msg376642#msg376642
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: sampler on May 06, 2009, 06:43:47 PM
which was not welcomed by some >:(
Can you elaborate? ???

Well some users think that MBAM is the best Anti-Malware program, and other don't. I saw that many fans of MalwareBytes didn't like so see their favorite program get only 1.5% detection ratio in that test...
Now what is confusing here is that nobody knows what this program is really for (well I do ;D) , some say a removal tool, others say that it is a full Anti-Malware program and @ the end many people remain confused ???
Lets take Avast for example, it is a FULL Anti-Malware program, in my opinion at least :P
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: gery on May 06, 2009, 09:36:25 PM
which was not welcomed by some >:(
Can you elaborate? ???

Well some users think that MBAM is the best Anti-Malware program, and other don't. I saw that many fans of MalwareBytes didn't like so see their favorite program get only 1.5% detection ratio in that test...
Now what is confusing here is that nobody knows what this program is really for (well I do ;D) , some say a removal tool, others say that it is a full Anti-Malware program and @ the end many people remain confused ???

correct
Lets take Avast for example, it is a FULL Anti-Malware program, in my opinion at least :P
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 08, 2009, 01:58:27 PM
nobody knows what this program is really for (well I do ;D) , some say a removal tool, others say that it is a full Anti-Malware program and @ the end many people remain confused ???
From their site...

Quote
Have you ever considered what makes an anti-malware application effective? We at Malwarebytes have created an easy-to-use, simple, and effective anti-malware application. Whether you know it or not your computer is always at risk of becoming infected with viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, dialers, spyware, and malware that are constantly evolving and becoming harder to detect and remove. Only the most sophisticated anti-malware techniques can detect and remove these malicious programs from your computer.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is considered to be the next step in the detection and removal of malware. In our product we have compiled a number of new technologies that are designed to quickly detect, destroy, and prevent malware. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they even start. The Realtime Protection Module uses our advanced heuristic scanning technology which monitors your system to keep it safe and secure. In addition, we have implemented a threats center which will allow you to keep up to date with the latest malware threats.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: gery on May 08, 2009, 03:19:22 PM
p removed SAS from my computer and from my laptop and will not have them anymore or at list do not need them. if i ever would like to have a scan i will download and install scan and uninstall again. Something really irritating happens every time i start the laptop and it hangs a few seconds 30 - 40 maybe because of SAS starting screen . they found nothing anyway
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Diazruanova on May 08, 2009, 03:51:23 PM
removed SAS from my computer and from my laptop and will not have them anymore or at list do not need them. if i ever would like to have a scan i will download and install scan and uninstall again. Something really irritating happens every time i start the laptop and it hangs a few seconds 30 - 40 maybe because of SAS starting screen . they found nothing anyway

Maybe if you would have read the SAS help carefully, you would have discovered that on S.A.S>Preferences>General and StartUp tab>SartUp options, there is an option: Show Splash Screen on StartUp that enables or disables precisely that, what you call the Starting Screen and also, if you had visited: S.A.S>Preferences> General and StartUp tab>StartUp Scanning, you would have discovered that there is another option:Do NOT scan when S.A.S starts, which does precisely that and also on S.A.S>Preferences>Real Time Protection>Enable First Time Prevention which enables or NOT a Scan on system start-up or Shut Down you would have found that by disabling this option, your startup times would become faster, but only if you would have read the SAS help file!
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 08, 2009, 03:55:16 PM
p removed SAS from my computer and from my laptop and will not have them anymore or at list do not need them. if i ever would like to have a scan i will download and install scan and uninstall again. Something really irritating happens every time i start the laptop and it hangs a few seconds 30 - 40 maybe because of SAS starting screen . they found nothing anyway
I feel the same with SAS due to background services and drivers. But we were talking about MBAM ::)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: DavidR on May 08, 2009, 04:32:46 PM
<snip>
Maybe if you would have read the SAS help carefully, you would have discovered that on S.A.S>Preferences>General and StartUp tab>SartUp options, there is an option: Show Splash Screen on StartUp that enables or disables precisely that, what you call the Starting Screen and also, if you had visited: S.A.S>Preferences> General and StartUp tab>StartUp Scanning, you would have discovered that there is another option:Do NOT scan when S.A.S starts, which does precisely that and also on S.A.S>Preferences>Real Time Protection>Enable First Time Prevention which enables or NOT a Scan on system start-up or Shut Down you would have found that by disabling this option, your startup times would become faster, but only if you would have read the SAS help file!

Some of the options aren't available in the free version and presumably that was what gery was using.

Such as you can't switch off the startup splash screen in the free version.

Since the free version doesn't have the resident scanning, I don't believe it does a startup scan (only in the pro version) and the same with the Enable First Time Prevention a Pro version option.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 08, 2009, 04:33:31 PM
I feel the same with SAS due to background services and drivers. But we were talking about MBAM ::)

Tech: Do you mean when running SAS only on demand. I haven't found any extra services.
Which services?

Regards
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: DavidR on May 08, 2009, 04:47:23 PM
I can't recall which service runs in the free version but it most certainly does as it is used for the context menu scanning of files.

I believe you can disable that option, so there should be no need for the service, which you could set to manual. So it wouldn't start until you start SAS to do an on-demand scan.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 08, 2009, 04:48:07 PM
Tech: Do you mean when running SAS only on demand. I haven't found any extra services.
Which services?
Yes.
If I remember correctly (as I do not have SAS anymore), there was a service running in background.
Besides, there are system drivers being loaded at boot/logon time.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 08, 2009, 04:55:01 PM
@David and Tech:

I have SAS free version with context-menu scan disabled on one machine.

I can say for sure that no service that appear in services.msc belongs to SAS.
Conserning loaded drivers I really don't know, but don't care :)

Thanks
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: DavidR on May 08, 2009, 05:02:56 PM
Ye,s the service running never bothered me either (it uses negligible resources, sat idle) when I used the free version or I wouldn't have bought the Pro version with even more resources ;D

Edit, Ah just noticed all the threes, 33333.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Diazruanova on May 09, 2009, 01:37:40 AM
Some of the options aren't available in the free version and presumably that was what gery was using.

Such as you can't switch off the startup splash screen in the free version.

Since the free version doesn't have the resident scanning, I don't believe it does a startup scan (only in the pro version) and the same with the Enable First Time Prevention a Pro version option.

Thanks David for the clarification. Since Gery do not establish which version he was using and since he mentions that his laptop hangs 30 to 40 secs. when it starts, I supposed that he was using the Pro version, but in any case, SAS should not cause delays or hangings of any kind:

SAS Pro only has one process running on the background: SUPERAntiSpywar.exe and uses only 500Kb which is almost nothing and it does NOT have any service running at any time at least on my old W2K system. What it has running on the background are three kernel drivers.

Greetings
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: DavidR on May 09, 2009, 01:46:25 AM
My Pro version doesn't cause any delay in boot, so I believe there is something else in the mix.

Yes, the pro version would load drivers but loaded drivers don't show in the Task Manager so no one can say how much RAM they use as it would be lumped together under a System process.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 09, 2009, 01:54:11 AM
In SAS free version you can disable or enable startup scan as you wish. I have it disabled.

You can also disable or enable splash screen at startup.

As mentioned: No extra PROCESSES in free version when it not is scanning.

Thanks
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 09, 2009, 02:39:35 PM
No extra PROCESSES in free version when it not is scanning.
Are you using Vista?
How are you checking the running processes? From all users?
I'm in doubt here as I don't have SAS in my computer anymore...
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 09, 2009, 02:52:00 PM
Hi Tech;

I am on XP SP3 on said machine.

By processes I mean using Services.msc command as an administrator.
I like to keep an eye on these now and then, so they are saved as a txt-file.  :)

Regards


Just to add: In free version of SAS I have removed the checkmark for 'start with Windows' also
and I have disabled contxt-menu scan.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 09, 2009, 02:55:53 PM
I have disabled contxt-menu scan.
According to David, that is the point.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 09, 2009, 03:03:23 PM
Hi again:

Yes, to use context-menu scan you must also checkmark 'start with Windows'.

My point, Tech is that no extra processes is used with SAS free under these conditions.
(start with Winows off and context scanning off).

Someone has claimed the opposite somewhere...

Regards
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 09, 2009, 03:04:35 PM
Someone has claimed the opposite somewhere...
I myself... I'll review future posts (if I remember this ;D).
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 09, 2009, 03:09:47 PM
Someone has claimed the opposite somewhere...
I myself... I'll review future posts (if I remember this ;D).

I didn't mention any names...   :)

BUT, perhaps this thread has gone a bit off-topic.

It started out about the very good detection-rate by Avast!   :o
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: gery on May 09, 2009, 03:30:08 PM
<snip>
Maybe if you would have read the SAS help carefully, you would have discovered that on S.A.S>Preferences>General and StartUp tab>SartUp options, there is an option: Show Splash Screen on StartUp that enables or disables precisely that, what you call the Starting Screen and also, if you had visited: S.A.S>Preferences> General and StartUp tab>StartUp Scanning, you would have discovered that there is another option:Do NOT scan when S.A.S starts, which does precisely that and also on S.A.S>Preferences>Real Time Protection>Enable First Time Prevention which enables or NOT a Scan on system start-up or Shut Down you would have found that by disabling this option, your startup times would become faster, but only if you would have read the SAS help file!

Some of the options aren't available in the free version and presumably that was what gery was using.

Such as you can't switch off the startup splash screen in the free version.

Since the free version doesn't have the resident scanning, I don't believe it does a startup scan (only in the pro version) and the same with the Enable First Time Prevention a Pro version option.


correct
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Diazruanova on May 09, 2009, 03:48:26 PM
Yes, the pro version would load drivers but loaded drivers don't show in the Task Manager so no one can say how much RAM they use as it would be lumped together under a System process.

Just for the record, the RAM used by the SASĀ“s three drivers is:

1.-SASDIFSV.sys --    9968 kb
2.-SASENUM.sys ---   7408 kb
3.-SASKUTIL.sys---- 72944 kb
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: hlecter on May 09, 2009, 04:13:09 PM

Some of the options aren't available in the free version and presumably that was what gery was using.

Such as you can't switch off the startup splash screen in the free version.

Since the free version doesn't have the resident scanning, I don't believe it does a startup scan (only in the pro version) and the same with the Enable First Time Prevention a Pro version option.


correct

not correct:

I can switch off the startup splash screen in free version.

The free version can do a startup scan if you so wish.

See my previous posts.
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: mikaelrask on May 10, 2009, 02:59:06 PM
hey my name is Mikael Rask and from Sweden and thinks avast is really good.
and a detection rate over 99+ is a really good prof of that.
anyway happy to be on board.
Keep up the good work guys/girls of avast:)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: Lisandro on May 10, 2009, 09:30:52 PM
hey my name is Mikael Rask and from Sweden and thinks avast is really good.
and a detection rate over 99+ is a really good prof of that.
anyway happy to be on board.
Keep up the good work guys/girls of avast:)
Welcome to avast forum. Feel free to come back any time you need help or just to change experiences 8)
Title: Re: Avast! scored 99.2% detection rate in the new MRG test
Post by: mikaelrask on May 11, 2009, 09:13:02 PM
hey my name is Mikael Rask and from Sweden and thinks avast is really good.
and a detection rate over 99+ is a really good prof of that.
anyway happy to be on board.
Keep up the good work guys/girls of avast:)
Welcome to avast forum. Feel free to come back any time you need help or just to change experiences 8)

sure will do that:)