Avast lacks anti-phishing protection

[bilpo]

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.

[Pondus]

avast AIS only
http://www.avast.com/en-no/free-antivirus-download#tab3

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

Comprehensive spam and phishing filter, which works as a plug-in to MS Outlook and a generic POP3/IMAP4 proxy for other email clients.

[bilpo]

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.

[Pondus]

avast is blocking lots of urls...is there one you feel should be blocked ?

[bilpo]

avast currently only blocks sites that are infected with malware. It does not however block phishing sites.

[Asyn]

avast currently only blocks sites that are infected with malware. It does not however block phishing sites.

You're wrong here.

[Pondus]

http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=455#idt_13


https://www.phish-no-phish.com/default.aspx

[bilpo]

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

[DavidR]

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.

[bilpo]

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.

[Nesivos]

The best protection against "social engineering techniques" is good old plain common sense.

[Asyn]

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
You have no idea, what you're talking about.

[antrox]

Avira 2012 Free have web-shield with anti-phishing protection!
Avast 7 must also have its in Free version.

[Gargamel360]

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

[MayuraDeSilva]

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

+1