Why use a standalone spyware program if Avast has built-in spyware protection?

[Texas-Hansen]

I noticed that a lot of folks seem to run both Avast and standalone 3rd party spyware program, and I'm curious as to why folks do that since Avast lists an anti-spyware component as part of it's features.

[wyrmrider]

Great Question  PERSONAL OPINIONS FOLLOW

did you find anything with a search?
Any reason to think that you might be infected
everything up to date? have you run Secunia for instance?

Now IMHO
no one program can possibly do everything and if it did it would be so big as to be impractical
Avast uses a general-signature method
other methods such as heuristics are equally valid
although they may produce more false positives ALL of these programs may produce false positives
so quarantine/ place in chest/ vault do not remove/delete any hits
that said

On line scanners are a good back up to Avasts fine method
BitDefender has a reputation with its heiristics and Kaspersky has a reputation with first day detections

as for antispyware
Few if ANY of the free versions have any real time load at startup protection- so they cannot conflict with AVAST in any case
Malwarebytes AntiMalware MBAM
Super Anti SPY SAS
Spybot Search and Destroy
all have their places and can be run on an as needed basis
Spybot does have a T-timer option which does have real time capabilities- check it out at the spybot forum at safernetworking  new version out which is lighter on resources  SPybod also has a SD helper option to block changes to internet explorer- it will not conflict and especially useful if you only use IE on rare occasions for those programs that require active X support

now
SPyware Blaster or equivalent is a given if you have IE installed as it blocks malicious Active X
A host file will block lots of ads and help prevent baddies from phoning home
SPybot Immunize function is useful- update and eimmunize every wed or after updating your host file

Scotty the Win Patrol watchdog takes little nourishment from your cpu and will alert you to many system changes  good dog to have on patrol

any more than this gets into process guard, system safety monitor type programs which is a completely
different subject

Firefox has a script blocker and anti spam
If you use IE there are threads showing you how to lock it down to protect yourself

which firewall do you use?

[Texas-Hansen]

Thanks.  I'm currently using Comodo.  Just installed it yesterday

[wyrmrider]

good choice

[DavidR]

I noticed that a lot of folks seem to run both Avast and standalone 3rd party spyware program, and I'm curious as to why folks do that since Avast lists an anti-spyware component as part of it's features.

Well there is a differences, in that there are specialist anti-spyware applications and they incorporate registry scanning as part of their on-demand scan. Whereas avast doesn't scan the registry as part of its routine on-access scanning or on-demand scan. When avast detects a spyware infected file it will look in the registry to see if there are any associated registry entries and it will delete those entries.

Having a multi application approach to your security is likely to provide an overall higher detection rate, but those applications should be chosen so as not to conflict. You can a resident anti-virus and a resident anti-spyware as they are slightly different in how they work and generally won't conflict. But, you shouldn't have more than one resident application by type, e.g. 1 resident AV not 2 and 1 resident AS not 2, to this you could add on-demand scanners are they aren't resident and shouldn't conflict with the resident application.

[Texas-Hansen]

Thanks.  Very helpful information.    Of those suggested, Malwarebytes AntiMalware MBAM, Super Anti SPY SAS, Spybot Search and Destroy, which is the best spyware to use then with Avast?  I'm using IE 7 for internet browsing.  Is on demand or real time scanning better?  I don't want to use up tons of system resources but do want to avoid headaches caused by spyware, etc.  Need a nice balance of protection, ease of use (automation), and low impact on system resources. 

[wyrmrider]

IMHO time again
If you are using IE it is more important to be running
Spyware Blaster
Spybot's SD Helper and Immunize
and a Hosts file such as MVPS hosts or HP hosts
also do some searching and find some posts on locking down IE

strategy
Update Spybot every Wednesday manually, re immunize and run a scan once a week if you want to
Re-immunize after an update of your Hosts file

THERE IS A NEW T-TIMER IN BETA HOLD OFF TILL RELEASED
try spybot t-timer for real time protection of changes to your registry and IE
there is a switch between low resources and speed of initialization  name your poison
if you think it slows your system down- we'll they are working on it - put up with it for the protection
if unacceptable  post in their forum

an alternative is WinPatrol but it is reactive not proactive
as far as I know there is NO FREE LUNCH
Counterspy and Spysweeper also take lots of cycles when run in real time

Here is an IE Tweek I use
go to spybot mode>advanced>tools> and select IE Tweeks and turn on all of the misc locks
now
if you are in IE and go to Internet Options IT WILL NOT WORK for you or from hacks by the bad guys
not to worry
go to control panel >rt click on internet options and put a shortcut to internet options on your desktop
let the damn hackers try and figure that one out

The other thing more important than which scanner is to keep all your software up to date

getting started I'd also run a MBAM scan just to provide a baseline
of course if it or spybot does find anything quarantine do not delete/remove and hurry right back here

[dallas7]

Firefox has a script blocker and anti spam

These aren't built in.  You mean Firefox Extensions like NoScript, right?

[wyrmrider]

right
thanks

[sandeep108]

In my case, I am mostly using FF and running as a limited user (for daily use) and avast! has shown my PC to be clean, is there any real necessity (since avast! does check for spyware and rootkits) to bother with anti-spyware?

[wyrmrider]

See DavidR's message in post above
as for me answer is yes

[olddog]

sandeep108,

DavidR has already given an answer to that question earlier in this thread. Using FF instead of IE7 does not guarantee protection against the type of threats present today.  

 

[Spiritsongs]

   Hi Texas :

 I would not touch Spybot with a 10-foot pole; it has NOT been a top
 antiSPYWARE/antiTROJAN program for the last couple of years . Best to use
 the programs recommended by CERTIFIED "Malware-Fighter" "Mr Charlie" at
 http://forums.maddoktor2.com/index.php?showtopic=9590  .
 You will notice Spybot is NOT One of his recommendations .

[DavidR]

Considering this topic you refer to dates from 15 May 2007, there is no edit (like in our forums when a post is edited) in the post to indicate it has been updated, though its reference to malware bytes anti-malware that is relatively recent.

So it could be well out of date as much of the recommended software will have changed. Any malware fighter would tell you no doubt out of date information is almost worse than no data.

Whilst I no longer use S&D it has had a recent update and by all accounts that improved its effectiveness so as a secondary anti-spyware there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

[wyrmrider]

Depends on the infection
Spybot fond some hits yesterday on a computer already scanned by MBAM and SAS
Spybot does not scan the hard drive file by file but checks each malware item in its database against known infection points- a completely different method than the other scanners.

If we were talking about Ad-Aware I'd agree with you

did you see Polonus post today
One of the things I'd known but not recalled recently

Spyware Doctor Free Basic Edition:
http://pack.google.com/intl/en/pack_inst...
Its free with Google pack, untick all boxes except Spyware Doctor. Download install, update and run.

one of the few ways to get FREE real time protection from an Anti-spyware
Except Spybot's t-timer-
do you know of any others?