[Wishlist] For avast! 8 - Suggestions and discussion

[yowanvista]

- A native 64-bit Avast application would be better than just using some kind of x86 processes/wrapper on x64 systems.
- Tablet optimized UI, the current UI takes a whole lot of space on small screens, it should be more compact.

[Lisandro]

3) Automatically scan USB drives. 

Already there. Any malware will be scanned on open/execute.

[Lisandro]

- A native 64-bit Avast application would be better than just using some kind of x86 processes/wrapper on x64 systems.

Answered a lot of times. It won't improve, really.

[Nesivos]

Add an "Approved Program List" feature.   This is different than entering an executable in the "Exclusions List"   It would work like this.

1.   Upon the installation of avast! it would create a lits of all programs on your computer.   As part of the installation process you would see a pop-up of the programs that avast! found during the installation.   All would be approved by default. 

2.  If you wanted to delete a program that avast! found you would go to your favorite uninstaller and uninstall the program.

3.  After the installation of avast!,  avast! would check all future program installs, including silent ones, against your approved list.  If the program is not on the "Approved Program List" avast! would send a pop-up messaage asking if you want to install the program.   If yes you click on "Yes",  if you don't want the program to install, you would click on "No"

4.  If a program is uninstalled it would remain on the "Approved Program List" unless specifically removed.   This way if the user wanted to re-install the program in the future avast! would not ask the user to approve the installation, unless the user specifically removed it from the "Approved Program List"

This feature would work in conjunction with "Auto-Sandbox".   If you approved a program for install avast! would still check to see if it recommends auto-sandboxing the program.

While this is not a direct security feature, it would allow users to monitor the installation of programs.   Preventing the installation of unwanted programs even inf Malware free could improve the computer's performance especially if that unwanted proram ran a process upon "start".   The feature would indirectly improve security because the unwanted program may have some security vulnerabilities that could lead to malware infection.  It general it is a good idea to not have an unwanted programs on your computer.

This would be difference than Windows approved list of programs.   The Windows installation feature checks new program installs against a list of approved programs by Windows which includes hundreds if not thousands of programs that a user will never install.

what about vista? it already got something like this, i don't think people would want 2 pop-up asking if he/she want to install a program.

I never used Vista or what is euphmemistically referred to as Windows 7 Beta.   The feature is not in W7 or W8.    In fact I got the idea from Eugene Kaspersky. 

And so I continue with series on some of the lesser-known, fruitiest features to be found in our products. This time I’ll be concentrating on whitelisting – a completely different approach to malware protection,

http://eugene.kaspersky.com/2011/12/08/features-youd-normally-never-hear-about-part-three/

So I still vote for it.

I think what your are referring to is UAC which is not anything like what I am talking about.   UAC is an elevation protection feature which is not what I am talking about. 

User Account Control (UAC) is a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 operating systems, with a more relaxed[1] version also present in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase or elevation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Account_Control

[thug4real]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

[bob3160]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

There aren't any conflicts with avast! and the Windows Firewall.

[thug4real]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

There aren't any conflicts with avast! and the Windows Firewall.

Realy? Ok why if you make rulles to block IE it dosen't work?If you disable avast web shield the rulles works

[Para-Noid]

3) Automatically scan USB drives. 

Already there. Any malware will be scanned on open/execute.

Oh! Sorry! 

[bikemanAMD]

Agrees with Program Whitelisting, as would make it easier when I do clean install of Avast, to work with Secondlife 3D game, right now after each clean install I do, which i'll admit isn't very often, but have to manually excluse the games folders again. 

Additonally would like to see Same Lightweight feel to it with Avast 8, Not use too many resources than it currently does...

Maybe Metro Access of Avast 8 from Windows 8 Metro Start Menu would be nice,  unforuately right now I can't use Metro that much, due to Monitor resolution, but do totally like Windows 8 Pro 64bit

Otherwise keep up the great work
Been using Avast since 4.7 version here

[bob3160]

Agrees with Program Whitelisting, as would make it easier when I do clean install of Avast, to work with Secondlife 3D game, right now after each clean install I do, which i'll admit isn't very often, but have to manually excluse the games folders again. 

Additonally would like to see Same Lightweight feel to it with Avast 8, Not use too many resources than it currently does...

Maybe Metro Access of Avast 8 from Windows 8 Metro Start Menu would be nice,  unforuately right now I can't use Metro that much, due to Monitor resolution, but do totally like Windows 8 Pro 64bit

Otherwise keep up the great work
Been using Avast since 4.7 version here

You can already access avast! from the Metro desktop:

[bikemanAMD]

Ok Awesome on accesing Avast Already from Metro Desktop, (think missed that since don't use Metro all that much right now) once have proper resolution monitor to use it more, then I will, as I don't mind it at all


right now monitor resolution is 1280x720, new one i'm hoping to get at Christmas will be 1600x900, so will be fine then

[Dch48]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

There aren't any conflicts with avast! and the Windows Firewall.

Realy? Ok why if you make rulles to block IE it dosen't work?If you disable avast web shield the rulles works

Why in the world would you want to block IE?

[Dch48]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

There aren't any conflicts with avast! and the Windows Firewall.

There are if you turn on the outgoing protection of the Win 7 firewall. If you don't set the Web Shield to scan only well known browser processes, it will override any outgoing rules you have made for other applications.

[thug4real]

I would like an option in webshield, that will let windows 7 firewall to work with avast webshield. I didn't find any solution to this problem, but i don't think is fare that avast didn't put an option to be selected if you don't want to conflict with at least windows firewall.

There aren't any conflicts with avast! and the Windows Firewall.

There are if you turn on the outgoing protection of the Win 7 firewall. If you don't set the Web Shield to scan only well known browser processes, it will override any outgoing rules you have made for other applications.

Thanks! That is what i wanna say! I just make the test with IE, to see if i turn on scan traffic from well known browser, if i make a rules to block ie it will able to block, but isn't working, it's work only with the rest off the program, but with ie i don't know why it dosen't work.

[DavidR]

It isn't so much that the web shield overrides rules, but that the windows firewall can't differentiate what process is connecting through the web shield proxy and the proxy process itself.

Many firewalls are capable of identifying the process trying to make the connection, before it is redirected through the proxy. Outpost firewall is just one.