questions about antispyware apps

[CArceneau]

I have some questions about antispyware apps:

1. I know you're not supposed to run 2 antivirus apps at once, but that you CAN run 2 scanner-only antispyware apps at once. But should you not run 2 real-time-protection antispyware apps at once?

2. Other than the fact that spyware "spies", just what is the difference between a virus and a spyware app? In other words, why can you run one antivirus app at the same time as a real-time-protection antispyware app?

3. Do all antispyware that offer real-time protection constantly run in the background to prevent the installation of malware, whenever an attempt is made to open a file or launch an application? Do they all also offer manual and/or scheduled system scans?

4. Does Comodo AntiVirus + Firewall include antispyware functionality?

5. Does Spyware Terminator include antivirus functionality?

 

[kjv1611]

Before we all go answering your questions again, I suggest you need to bring some sort of resolution to your other threads. In other words, in each thread, give some sort of post stating what you ended up doing/finding, what was or was not helpful in each thread. So far, you've started 5 threads, and replied once in each of 2 of the 5. We're all here to help and be helped, but each of us AT LEAST need to give some sort of follow-up to our own threads.

Here's your thread posting history:

http://www.tek-tips.com/userinfo.cfm?member=CArceneau

Here are the threads you've started. Be sure to clarify your final position on each of the threads. If someone posted something helpful in any of them, make it known. If it wasn't helpful, give some clue as to why not.

http://www.tek-tips.com/userthreads.cfm?pid=760&handle=CArceneau

 

[CArceneau]

Attention, kjv1611:

I had a rootkit infection. Because certain experts (including the University of Minnesota's Center for Safe Computing) said that it was impossible to be completely certain that a rootkit was successfully removed, I reformatted my disk and started over. My 4 posts since that time are entirely about investigating security software to ensure that this fiasco never occurs again. I repeat: I have no current malware problem. And by exercising due diligence, I hope to never have such a problem again.

 

[kjv1611]

I think you misunderstood my response. Basically, do everyone a favor for future research purposes - so when folks search the forums for their answers in the future - they will be able to read your follow-ups to your own posts, and see that yes, there was some resolution - either of your own understanding, or your particular issue(s) at hand.

Of course, due diligence is wonderful, but so is completion.

 

[sggaunt]

He's right but to answer your questions.

1. Certainly do not run two 'real time shield' type applications at the same time.
You could run two, one time scans at the same time, but doing that will not speed things up and might cause problems so why bother.

2. Well you said it Spy-ware spies, a virus replicates and does damage, it might Spy as well. But there is a subtle difference that is exploited by the way security applications 'look' for an infection.
What this means is that yes most Spy-ware scanner and AV tools can co-exist, but that doesn't meant there cannot be conflicts, if you look at the support forums for most Security software you will see many posts (or even separate forums) about what works with what.

3. Some do but you cannot assume this is always the case its up to you to check the specs.

4. Commodo does not include anti-spy-ware as such, but its 'Defense+' system will almost certainly detect activity by such malware.

5. No. Spy-ware terminator is database driven i.e it compares incoming data and data in the binaries of Running process to Spy-ware signatures in a database that it maintains. It does not look for registry changes, file cloning or service hijacks, the sort of low level attack that a virus might make.



Steve: N.M.N.F.
If something is popular, it must be wrong: Mark Twain