Resident Protection

[Magnetics]

I was curious to know if the resident protection also protects against spyware attacks? I'm only aware that it protects against virus attacks.

[Lisandro]

Now, on version 4.8, avast is antivirus + antispyware.
The answer is yes, you're protected now of both attacks and also from rootkits.
Welcome to avast forums.

[Magnetics]

Thank you for your expeditious reply & for the hospitality 

[CharleyO]

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Welcome to the forums, Magnetics.   

On this forum, you will usually find quick and friendly advice.

Please come back often, learn more, and maybe help others.


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[larrymcg]

Is there a description of the new (4.8 Home Edition) anti-spyware and rootkit protection?
And is there any info on whether this new stuff conflicts with Spybot S&D and Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 2007?
--Larry

[CharleyO]

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It works well with Spybot - S&D as I also use it without problems. I stopped using Ad-Aware 2 years ago as it became ineffective.

A visit to the avast! website will give you the information you ask for.

http://www.avast.com/eng/what-is-new-in-avast-4-8.html

and here ...

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-4-home_pro-revision-history.html


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[larrymcg]

Thanks for the reply.  I had read those essentially one sentence descriptions.  I guess I was looking for something more detailed with info on how to configure, etc.  As far as I can tell the word "spyware" does not occur in the avast! help facility and "rootkit" appears once where you can learn how to disable it (curiously in the Troubleshooting facility).
I guess the simple interface truly is simple and gives you very little control and insight into what's going on.
--Larry

[larrymcg]

....  I guess I was looking for something more detailed with info on how to configure, etc. 

Well, how about a more specific question:  Does anti-spyware include doing something about the so called tracking cookies?  If so, what and when?  And how would I know something was done?

I guess I'm not very satisfied with a feature that has no description of what it does and does not do......

--Larry

[DavidR]

Cookies, tracking or otherwise are a privacy issue rather than a security one and not the big deal some anti-spyware programs make of them. I know many class them as critical which is absolute bull.

But to answer your question avast isn't looking for tracking cookies, as far as I'm aware.

I would suggest a secondary anti-spyware, on-demand like SAS that will monitor and remove tracking cookies on its scan, SUPERantispyware On-Demand only in free version.

[ky331]

Hi.   My first post here (just switched from avg to avast).

now that avast! 4.8 introduced resident anti-spyware (& anti-rootkit) protection, are there any concerns about simultaneously running other resident anti-spyware programs [specifically, windows defender] that (presumably) could have been run alongside of previous avast versions??

likewise, how about avast with the PAID versions of SAS or MBAM (MalwareBytes AntiMalware) that each offer resident protection [the MBAM people say not to run Defender with theirs].   

any other known conflicts that you might care to elaborate on?

thanks in advance.

[DavidR]

Windows defender and avast are no problem together, though I don't use it and don't rate it very highly either.

The SAS free is my anti-spyware of choice currently as I'm not unduly concerned with it being an on-demand scanner (I update and run it once a week). I don't know if the price for resident protection and auto signature updates is worth it based on the risk (certainly on my system). There is also SpywareTerminator free which provides resident protection.

Generally it is not a good idea to have two specialist resident scanners in any category, categories being a) anti-virus, b) anti-spyware. So that case of not running defender with the resident MBAM is valid and I would also rate the MBAM higher on reputation than defender. So the resident anti-spyware generally shouldn't be a problem.

Obviously when you have something classed as anti-malware the edges get blured, but I doubt you would have a problem with MBAM and avast.