Author Topic: How to disable all cloud features?  (Read 7929 times)

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #15 on: July 31, 2016, 06:19:15 AM »
Think about what these know about you

-Microsoft
-Google
-Yahoo
-Your ISP
-twitter
-Facebook
-online gambling
-online gaming
-smart phone
-and many many more

Most have some or all of this without blinking and then complaining about your security program bc of a cloud feature that is there to improve security .. doh  ::)

If you don't trust your security company then you should definitely not trust being connected online

The day you connected to internet your privacy was gone! the only way to avoid it, don't use any device connected, do not use credit cards, live in a motor home in the arizona desert

To be fair, I didn't agree to shit about cloud connectivity when I got Avast!, because it was something they never used back then.  I've since uninstalled and switched to a different AV.  But as far as your list goes:
-Microsoft - The only MS product I use is for my gaming rig which has Windows 10.  I've used Spybot Anti-Beacon and disabled most services, and it's not registered in my name. 
-Google - I don't use any Google products, even the search engine.  Loved them when they were new, and now they're too invasive.
-Yahoo - Does anybody still use Yahoo! products?
-Your ISP - My ISP is fairly non-invasive, but I also connect through a VPN.  That's all they can see.
-twitter - Never used Twitter.  It seems like something teenage girls worried about their social lives would use.
-Facebook - Only use that to post funny pictures, but mostly so people I know can find me.  After that, I just give them my number.  I don't have the FB or messenger apps on my phone.
-online gambling - I go to a real casino.
-online gaming - They have no personal data on me.
-smart phone - Rooted with lots of protection and the bill isn't even in a real name.  The only reason I even have a smart phone is for the Babuser app.
-and many many more - Like what?

I have nothing to hide and don't really do anything exciting, but it's the point of the thing.  Nobody needs my data.  Some people shred their bills and receipts before throwing them away.  This is no different.  Even if I were to just order a pizza on a random and boring Tuesday night, it's not Google's business, it's not the NSA's business, it's nobody's business but mine and the guy delivering the thing.

So.. using the cloud does have risks and rewards.  So does banning Middle-Eastern people from entering the U.S., and so do other ridiculous things like the Patriot Act.  I, for one, would rather NOT sacrifice liberty and privacy for some imagined "security."  I'll take my risks.  I think that with a non-cloud AV, I won't get a virus.  I'm also not worried about terrorism or any other such nonsense.  I just want to be left the F alone by companies, corporations, and governments.

Rant aside - is there any actual way to disable this cloud crap?  I'm assuming not, so I've switched.  If there is a way, I may come back once they fix the background service issue (if they haven't already).  It's pretty much a yes/no question.

Offline Eddy

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2016, 09:23:55 AM »
Quote
To be fair, I didn't agree to shit about cloud connectivity when I got Avast!, because it was something they never used back then.
The CyberCapture is a update to the tool.
You agreed that avast can (and if they like/want) will make changes/provide updates to the tool.


About Yahoo...
"Only" several 100.000.000's people are using one or more of their services with or without realizing it.
Not all their services have Yahoo in their name.
To name some: Tumblr, Flickr, Rocketmail

Quote
Nobody needs my data.
But there are a huge amount of companies that do want it (and are collecting it one way or another).
You also forget the government, insurance companies, doctors and many more.

Offline top_stuff

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2016, 03:37:57 PM »
I don't understand why people get so defensive about a product when all that needs to be done is respect the OP's point of view and answer the damn question. The cloud/privacy issues are 100% relevant to any program, including the OS (cough windows 10 cough). So how does one disable the cloud stuff? I seriously want to know too.

btw Be aware that when you open up the Avast GUI, change settings etc, user behaviour of how the GUI is used is sent to avast servers. I wish this could be disabled also.

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2016, 03:58:03 PM »
I don't understand why people get so defensive about a product when all that needs to be done is respect the OP's point of view and answer the damn question. The cloud/privacy issues are 100% relevant to any program, including the OS (cough windows 10 cough). So how does one disable the cloud stuff? I seriously want to know too.

btw Be aware that when you open up the Avast GUI, change settings etc, user behaviour of how the GUI is used is sent to avast servers. I wish this could be disabled also.
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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2016, 05:50:37 PM »
I don't understand why people get so defensive about a product when all that needs to be done is respect the OP's point of view and answer the damn question. The cloud/privacy issues are 100% relevant to any program, including the OS (cough windows 10 cough). So how does one disable the cloud stuff? I seriously want to know too.

btw Be aware that when you open up the Avast GUI, change settings etc, user behaviour of how the GUI is used is sent to avast servers. I wish this could be disabled also.



That's fairly vague and mentions nothing about the cloud.  Look, I just wanted a simple question answered, and that's obviously not going to happen for whatever F'ing reason.  I swear, forums now are more useless than they ever have been.  I'm going to assume that the cloud features are now fully integrated into Avast! and cannot be disabled.  I enjoyed Avast! for the first few years I had it, but it's off to greener pastures. 

Offline Eddy

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #20 on: July 31, 2016, 05:53:17 PM »
If you don't want to use cloud features, don't use the internet.

What often is named "the cloud" is a misnomer.
The entire internet is the cloud, not a part of it or something on a server from a company.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2016, 05:54:48 PM by Eddy »

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #21 on: July 31, 2016, 08:30:09 PM »
I don't understand why people can't just answer the OP's question.
Just uncheck the options in Avast settings. Avast community, data sharing, reputation services, cybercapture etc.
Of course this will lower your detection but if you have good security and use some common sense you really don't need all those.
This will not completely turn off cloud obviously but if you are really annoyed by cloud services then at least this is a start.

I wish products these days would use less cloud services as well like the OP but OP you have to understand that with today's security landscape cloud anti-virus is kind of a necessity and also private data collection is unavoidable now especially since you are using a free product. I do not like it but then again there's really no way around it. Just look at Windows 10 lol. it's like a data miner.

Offline top_stuff

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #22 on: July 31, 2016, 08:30:37 PM »
Quote
  I'm going to assume that the cloud features are now fully integrated into Avast! and cannot be disabled. 

Seems that way doesn't it? No answers == 'yep the cloud is stuck in there now, live with it'
btw the previous example of opting out of community and data sharing DOES NOT stop the GUI logging and sending

Offline Skakara

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #23 on: August 02, 2016, 11:58:56 AM »
Eddy being more or less an aggressive troll/flamer again. What's eating you? Can't you vent out your anger/frustration/whatever to somewhere else than this forum? You know, it's not a shame anymore to go to talk to a professional about your things. I have and millions of others have too. I respect a person who's willing to better themselves. And start respecting other users here by being nice and answering their questions, not berating them. You are a classic example of a person whose own views are the only way to live life and you treat persons with other views badly. World is not black & white. There are many shades of happiness to be found if one lets themselves.

What I don't understand about the talk in this topic is the claims that files hashes gets uploaded. What does avast do with a hash if it's a completely new one? Nothing. You all know that file hashes are just calculated short strings, right? You can't examine or decide if a file is a virus or not just from a hash if it's unique. So, the file has to be uploaded to avast. It's not just file hashes that are sent to avast. Sometimes a file is sent.

I would like to use CyberCapture so that it would ask me for my consent to send a suspected file to avast, not automatically. That way I'd be in control of my data which leaves my computer.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 12:13:19 PM by Skakara »

Offline Eddy

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #24 on: August 02, 2016, 12:28:15 PM »
If you didn't had a reading problem, you would have seen that I already gave the answer.

The Internet = the cloud.
So, to disable cloud features = not using the Internet at all.

Offline Skakara

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #25 on: August 02, 2016, 01:04:48 PM »
Trolls will be trolls, eh? I'm amazed that you're allowed to trash this forum year after year.

EDIT: And by the way, Internet IS NOT the cloud. You're wrong.

Merriam-Webster dictionary, since 1828 says:

Quote
Internet : an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world

Cloud : the computers and connections that support cloud computing <storing files in the cloud>
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 02:10:39 PM by Skakara »

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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #26 on: August 02, 2016, 02:54:51 PM »
You're expecting protection by not allowing it to work full throttle. Use ClamAV/ClamWin. Only open source AV without ANY cloud. For everything else, welcome to 2016.
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Re: How to disable all cloud features?
« Reply #27 on: August 02, 2016, 04:20:53 PM »
To be fair, maybe some users want to reduce their bandwidth usage to possibly save some money, yes this might cause some security flaw, but I think they already know the risk of disabling this feature, maybe local scan is sufficient in their opinion.