Latest AV-Comparatives: avast last but one!

[sys-eng]

Avast is not stopping rogue security programs and optimizers.  This is the majority of infections I see.

Well, it should if it is really an infection.
The nature of rogue is the most difficult to detect. It could be legit and it could be rogue.
Not the majority of the optimizers and tweaks are rogue afaik.

Security companies must constantly work at staying ahead of the bad guys.

And what makes you think we're not?

I absolutely agree that the rogues are the most difficult to detect.  They are also much more difficult to remove and repair.  Infections (sometimes just persistent scary pop-up messages) are released but the bad guys usually cannot profit from that directly; therefore, they setup several (I have seen more than 15) websites which look very  professional and legitimate to remove and fix the damage.  People with infected computers search Google with the error message and more than half of the links on the first two search results pages are sites ran by the same people who released the infection.  People use their credit card to buy the repair or security program.  They discover that the repair program does not work.  Several weeks later they discover that someone has abused their credit card or stolen their identity. 


Read carefully, I never said that Avast is NOT working to improve.  I simply said that Avast is not staying ahead of the bad guys - - at least not as much as some competitors.  Malwarebytes IP Blocker helps a lot but it cannot protect when a good website has been hacked and now downloads a rogue program.

Perhaps an organization equivalent to US-CERT could maintain a list.  I don't know the answer but I am not in the security product business.  I am in the install & repair business, and I know from experience that these rogue programs are the #1 problem by a wide margin.

[sys-eng]

I forgot to add something.  One thing that Avast has done very well is participating in this forum.  There is some really good help to be found here usually without waiting for days.

[Dch48]

You have AIS 6.0.1367 SAS Pro, MBAM Pro, Spyware Blaster 4.5 protecting you. 

1. AIS Failed at hxxp://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge/results.php ,
scoring only "15%/ 3 out of 10" on Firewall Leak Tests (allows data... to sneak by/transmit).
  a. PC-Tools IS "firewall" scored well (9 of 10), but their anti-virus causes a Serious performance slowdown & low detection rate (cnet review).

2. SAS failed all 4 of their tests at another site/Compromised.

As has been said many times, Matousec does not test AV's and only products that use HIPS will score well in their tests. Avast does not employ any form of HIPS, thank God, and therefore will never score well there. Matousec is irrelevant.

[true indian]

I was referring to both the free version and pro version for customers.  I have been running the Pro version for about 5 years. 

Same thing...pro AV and free AV are not for business uses...avast business security is a good choice..

[claprood]

I started using avast after problems with avira..I had to turn it off to run some everyday programs because it was such a load. Then it managed to allow a fake avira virus to infect my computer...The real world results tell the story. Avast has stopped several intrusions and blocked web sites I wouldn't have dreamed were malicous...I also don't think the others have a boot scan option which makes me feel comfortable after an intrusion..

[akama1]

avast free soo far the best and lightest and most complete antivirus program ive ever used... highly recommend it...  avast detection rates may have gone down a lot these past few results... it will shoot up to the top when avast 7 has been released and stabilised...as avast 5 was just development avast 6 was the  final product and now avast 7 they are trying to boost the level of protection as version 4.8 did not have much heuristics and relied on signatures a lot... avast has also the fastest update time among all the other antiviruses i see....

[true indian]

avast free soo far the best and lightest and most complete antivirus program ive ever used... highly recommend it...  avast detection rates may have gone down a lot these past few results... it will shoot up to the top when avast 7 has been released and stabilised...as avast 5 was just development avast 6 was the  final product and now avast 7 they are trying to boost the level of protection as version 4.8 did not have much heuristics and relied on signatures a lot... avast has also the fastest update time among all the other antiviruses i see....

agree 

[akama1]

i think lah the real version where avast will be very implemented with tonnes of detection technology that gives 99.99% no false positives might be version 10
:/ correct me if im wrong

[Asyn]

...technology that gives 99.99% no false positives...

That's impossible.

[akama1]

mmmm pretty right there make that 95%

[Hellion]

Hi all,

Sorry to scratch open an old wound here, but I would like to add my view on this.

I believe strongly in test results, especially if they are from reliable sources.

In the AV tests (av-comparatives/Avtest.org) I can see avast is not doing so well, but then we must keep things in perspective!

first we ignore the paid Av's because we are getting Avast for FREE and that's a big +1 for me!

Second we look at the main contenders here Avira and AVG.

Avira is consistently scoring much higher than Avast, but then you must remember that the free Avira Does not scan E-mail, does not check sites, Does not check Scripts! it's basically only a scanner and file shield! (Don't forget their Horrifically aggressive intrusive advertising campaign)

AVG offers a little more than Avira and it consistently scores lower than Avast, AVG was never very good.

Here's a link to AV comparatives 2011 comparison. - http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart2.php
(Set it from Jan to Dec and sort via detection rates and notice Avast had a bad year and still Owned 5 other products, plus a 95.6% detection rate is still very good!

[dagrev]

While I believe legit tests do say something, I haven't given up on Avast because of them.  In fact I just paid again for another year of AIS.  For me the concern is the slip in testing. 

Jan-Mar 1.2% detection compared with Sept-Nov 3.7% (3rd from the bottom). 

It's not a huge drop but it's the slipping thats a little concerning.  People paying for an AV and doing any research will think carefully about actually paying for a product that is at the bottom of the list (and it's the paying customers that are keeping the lights on).  If nothing else it's not good PR.

I'm hopeful that Ver 7 will stop this trend and turn this around (as VLK has indicated).  Really looking forward to the Beta.

[nsm0220]

Hi all,

Sorry to scratch open an old wound here, but I would like to add my view on this.

I believe strongly in test results, especially if they are from reliable sources.

In the AV tests (av-comparatives/Avtest.org) I can see avast is not doing so well, but then we must keep things in perspective!

first we ignore the paid Av's because we are getting Avast for FREE and that's a big +1 for me!

Second we look at the main contenders here Avira and AVG.

Avira is consistently scoring much higher than Avast, but then you must remember that the free Avira Does not scan E-mail, does not check sites, Does not check Scripts! it's basically only a scanner and file shield! (Don't forget their Horrifically aggressive intrusive advertising campaign)

AVG offers a little more than Avira and it consistently scores lower than Avast, AVG was never very good.

Here's a link to AV comparatives 2011 comparison. - http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart2.php
(Set it from Jan to Dec and sort via detection rates and notice Avast had a bad year and still Owned 5 other products, plus a 95.6% detection rate is still very good!

but thats not good for gdata because avast is have a bad year

[bob3160]

but thats not good for gdata because avast is have a bad year

I see you're back on your Gdata bandwagon. This is the avast! Forum. 

[true indian]

As said earlier i know nsm from youtube itself...

nsm has been opposing avast! even in his/her youtube comments...I dont know why nsm should post .the gdata crap on avast! forum.[no offense to gdata]