Avast WEBforum

Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: bilpo on October 25, 2011, 07:33:36 PM

Title: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 25, 2011, 07:33:36 PM
I would like to know why avast does not have phishing protection. Nearly all other security suites have some sort of protection against fake scam sites that try to trick you into revealing your details.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Pondus on October 25, 2011, 07:38:16 PM
avast AIS only
http://www.avast.com/en-no/free-antivirus-download#tab3

http://www.avast.com/en-no/internet-security

Quote
Comprehensive spam and phishing filter, which works as a plug-in to MS Outlook and a generic POP3/IMAP4 proxy for other email clients.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 25, 2011, 07:44:01 PM
I already know that avast blocks phishing mails via its spam filter. However i would like to see avast block phishing sites directly through the webbrowser.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Pondus on October 25, 2011, 07:45:38 PM
avast is blocking lots of urls...is there one you feel should be blocked ?
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 25, 2011, 07:48:54 PM
avast currently only blocks sites that are infected with malware. It does not however block phishing sites.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Asyn on October 25, 2011, 07:50:38 PM
avast currently only blocks sites that are infected with malware. It does not however block phishing sites.

You're wrong here. ;)
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Pondus on October 25, 2011, 07:52:48 PM
http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=455#idt_13


https://www.phish-no-phish.com/default.aspx
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 25, 2011, 07:55:47 PM
avast currently only blocks sites that are infected with malware. It does not however block phishing sites.

You're wrong here. ;)

Avast blocks phishing mails via it spam filter. But it doesn't block phishing sites. If it did then it would have been tested in the av comparatives anti phishing test.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/phishing/antiphishing2011.pdf
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: DavidR on October 25, 2011, 08:08:12 PM
It doesn't specifically block phishing sites, but many such sites would also fall under the malicious sites list of the network shield. Many phishing sites would also be using scripting to facilitate driveby downloads, etc. and the web shield and script shield provides protection against that also.

So I do think avast provides protection on phishing sites in general but isn't specifically looking for them.

I use firefox, which also has phishing and malicious site protection, this same protection is available in the major browsers. You can also use OpenDNS as your DNS server and that too has phishing protection. If you use firefox, you can use AdBlockPlus and there are additional filters for phishing sites.

All in all there are more anti-phishing tools than you can shake a stick at, so personally I feel with the avast shields it currently has it doesn't need a specific anti-phishing check.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 26, 2011, 06:04:32 PM
if avast did have phishing protection it would have a more complete overall protection. What's more since avast relies on the community for better detection it would probably surpass the phishing protection provided by firefox,opendns,adblock plus all combined together. Not all phishing web sites facilitate drive by downloads or are actively malicious (so as to invade being caught by avast network and scripting shields)

Moreover nearly all users who bank and shop online in ais do it through safezone. Safezone does not use firefox and it also bypasses opendns which mean that the only phishing protection that you get against phishing sites in safezone is through the chromium web browser. If avast had phishing protection in safezone it would be a million times better than the one provided by google chrome.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Nesivos on October 26, 2011, 06:32:25 PM
The best protection against "social engineering techniques" is good old plain common sense.

Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Asyn on October 26, 2011, 09:10:26 PM
Moreover nearly all users who bank and shop online in ais do it through safezone. Safezone does not use firefox and it also bypasses opendns which mean that the only phishing protection that you get against phishing sites in safezone is through the chromium web browser. If avast had phishing protection in safezone it would be a million times better than the one provided by google chrome.

OMG :o ::)
You have no idea, what you're talking about. :P
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: antrox on October 26, 2011, 09:38:18 PM
Avira 2012 Free have web-shield with anti-phishing protection!
Avast 7 must also have its in Free version.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Gargamel360 on October 26, 2011, 09:50:34 PM
Avira 2012 Free have web-shield with anti-phishing protection!
Avast 7 must also have its in Free version.
Avast! 6 Free has an autosandbox!
Avira Free must also have its in Free version.

yes, lets just clone features across all vendors till everything looks the same, why not, the browser vendors are all doing it

Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: MayuraDeSilva on October 26, 2011, 09:56:14 PM

Avast! 6 Free has an autosandbox!
Avira Free must also have its in Free version.


+1 :)
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: hake on October 26, 2011, 10:00:11 PM
Use OpenDNS
See http://www.opendns.com/home/phishing

Very effective!
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 27, 2011, 10:49:32 AM
opendns dosn't work in safezone
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: DavidR on October 27, 2011, 11:48:31 AM
Correct OpenDNS doesn't work in the safezone as it is an isolated desktop, but avast has a secure DNS server which it used when in the safezone, so this should prevent DNS hijacking attacks, which can be used to redirect to phishing sites.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Lisandro on October 27, 2011, 12:21:47 PM
avast has a secure DNS server which it used when in the safezone
Which are the DNS servers?
Why aren't they available to users outside of the SafeZone?
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: DavidR on October 27, 2011, 12:32:23 PM
I don't know where the safezone DNS server is located, but cost would surely be a factor with 170+ plus users. Plus what would be the point when they don't have the safezone, there have to be differences in the free to pro and they can use the other DNS servers like OpenDNS (not their ISPs), etc.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Lisandro on October 27, 2011, 01:08:32 PM
I don't know where the safezone DNS server is located, but cost would surely be a factor with 170+ plus users.
Offer to the paid users then. The DNS servers could "check" the license as others check the login/network to add further features (OpenDNS).
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Rednose on October 27, 2011, 02:45:52 PM
Avast! uses Mailshell DNS for the SafeZone DNS lookups : http://www.mailshell.com

Greetz, Red.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Lisandro on October 27, 2011, 03:56:05 PM
Avast! uses Mailshell DNS for the SafeZone DNS lookups : http://www.mailshell.com

Greetz, Red.
Thanks.
Yeah, it seems to have much more power (encryption) and it is not available free or for common users (just companies).
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/02/prweb5064014.htm
http://www.mailshell.com/mail/client/oem2.html/step/dnssdk
http://www.mailshell.com/mailshell_dns/
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: bilpo on October 27, 2011, 05:55:03 PM
it is great to hear that avast uses mailshell which does filter out phishing sites. but i wonder why avast does not use mailshell outside of safezone for users who paid for avast.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Lisandro on October 27, 2011, 06:26:14 PM
it is great to hear that avast uses mailshell which does filter out phishing sites. but i wonder why avast does not use mailshell outside of safezone for users who paid for avast.
+1
But I suspect that is for technical reason. Maybe the "checking" of the paid license would be the problem. Just guessing.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: twins on October 28, 2011, 03:03:08 PM
On the Mailshell site we did find free servers for the public to use. We are using them now and they seem pretty fast. We wonder though just how much they differ from the Avast offering on Safezone as far as security and blocking malware etc..
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Rednose on October 28, 2011, 04:02:58 PM
I don't have the answer, but I would ask that to Mailshell if I were you :)

Greetz, Red.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: alpha1 on October 28, 2011, 06:36:08 PM
yes, lets just clone features across all vendors till everything looks the same, why not, the browser vendors are all doing it

there's probably more diversity among browsers than AVs.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: Para-Noid on October 29, 2011, 02:04:54 AM
I'm not sure about Chrome but IE and Firefox has a change of color in the address/URL bar. It changes to either green or blue. And always look for the padlock in the proper location. This helps to prevent phishing.  :)
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: alpha1 on October 29, 2011, 06:23:35 PM
I'm not sure about Chrome but IE and Firefox has a change of color in the address/URL bar. It changes to either green or blue. And always look for the padlock in the proper location. This helps to prevent phishing.  :)

that's only for https,they're not colored for http.
Title: Re: Avast lacks anti-phishing protection
Post by: hake on October 29, 2011, 08:50:46 PM
Thanks for the MailShell DNS tip, Red.  I am trying it out on one of my XP machines and it works nicely.