TSGL: AVG Free AV vs. Avast AV ???

[Don Penlington]

H.Davis wrote:
>It's not clear to me if AV programs detect this type of infection or if
>Anti-Malware software does it. (Or maybe nothing detects it.)
>
>Can anyone else illuminate this area better?>>


Perhaps I can add my miniscule grain of understanding here.

As you have already surmized, the boundaries between malware, spyware, and 
viruses are indeed very undefined.
It depends who's doing the defining. Last time I looked, one of the site 
newsletters (McAfee I think) had something like 28 distinct  classes of 
malware alone.

Some software will define a certain item as a virus, while another might 
define the same thing as malware, trojan, or spyware. Others might regard 
it as harmless and not flag it at all.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

For years I've used Download Accelerator Plus as my download 
manager/accelerator. It works very well, and really does accelerate 
downloads.  There's a free version and a paid version. I use the free 
version. It flashes banner ads which change every 20 seconds or so. They 
aren't intrusive. I don't even notice them. I regard it a small price to pay.

Spybot sees these ads as spyware (because the program is loading something 
without my express approval) and therefore flags DAP, whereas AdAware 
disregards it entirely.

There are two distinct types of antivirus software---proactive, and 
reactive. Proactive (of which Nod32 is the only one I'm aware of) scans 
files before you download them. That could explain why Avast is slowing 
down Lee's browsing, though I doubt it. Reactive (which is most of the 
others) scan files as they get downloaded onto your hard drive, but before 
they can be activated. Personally, I don't think it makes much difference, 
unless you are in a very high-risk environment. Others will disagree, and 
are willing to pay for a proactive system.

It's a good idea to have at least 2 anti-virus programs---one running 
actively, the other just for running an occasional scan when you see 
something that might be suspicious, or checking something you've downloaded 
from a dubious site.  As well, you should have at least 2 or 3 anti-spyware 
programs. Spybot and AdAware are the usual standards.  I'm also most 
impressed by Superantispyware which is receiving very good reports. 
(Incidentally, it also includes a free online check of all your running 
applications).   www.superantispyware.com/

All are free. I use ZoneAlarm Pro as my active anti-spyware, and run 
occasional scans with the others. They hardly ever find anything, never 
anything of any consequence, so I guess ZA Pro is doing its job OK. The 
free version of ZA does not have this facility.

When you're near the borderline, it's very much in the eye of the beholder 
as to what's allowable, what's not, and how it's defined.

Which explains why most of us, myself included, live in a state of 
perpetual confusion.

Don Penlington
 From the Beach at Surfers Paradise in sunny Queensland.
Computer tutorials, local scenery,  and other things at my website:
http://users.tpg.com.au/deepend/index1.html