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Free Malwarebytes anti-malware Vs other free antispyware scanners


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Hi

I am writing an article on Free Malwarebytes anti-malware Vs other free antispyware scanners. Please don't take into consideration on access scanning that is offered by these scanners.

When there are so many antispyware scanners available, why should people use Free Malwarebytes anti-malware?

thanks,

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Greetings and welcome ;) .

The way I view it, the key to Malwarebytes' is the fact that it really isn't an anti-spyware scanner exactly, it's an anti-trojan, anti-rootkit, anti-spyware, anti-adware and in some cases, even an anti-virus application because it is designed to catch the newest threats on the net, and the hardest to remove infections that mainstream anti-viruses either fail to detect, fail to remove, or both ;) . It gets updated multiple times daily and also has excellent heuristics for detecting new variants of threats already in its database. It has an incredibly efficient scanning engine that can detect 99.99% of the malware that's in its database with nothing more than a quick scan which usually only takes a few minutes or less on most systems. The support system as well as the forum are very quick to help users, even those who haven't purchased a license for the paid version and the developers are always actively working on improving the program's detection rates as well as working to make sure it's compatible with most other security software. It's a tool built and used by those who have been on the front line of the fight against malware in all its forms for a long time and is quickly becoming one of the main go-to products that experts and novices alike turn to when their other security softwares have failed them, in fact, it's developed such a strong reputation that it is now a common target of the malware makers themselves and they will often block access to this site and others that host it as well as attempt to block it from running if it's already installed on a user's system :P .

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Hi exile360

you quoted as

it's developed such a strong reputation that it is now a common target of the malware makers themselves and they will often block access to this site and others that host it as well as attempt to block it from running if it's already installed on a user's system.

Why should I install, if this software is regularly targeted by malware writers in this way? They would easily unload this from the memory, to run their malware!

Hemanth

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Correct, it could be blocked (by name specifically), but so are most, if not all, of the other anti-malware apps and av's out there. It's just funny because lately they've really gone after MBAM, most likely because it's so effective at fighting rogues (which are notorious for using such dirty tactics, ie blocking legitimate security tools from running). To answer your question, there are ways around it and with the expert free help offered here on the forum as well as the wealth of information already posted here users can get the help they need even if the tools they have won't run or have been disabled. Malicious software makers have been using this tactic for years, but again, I think it really says something that they've been targetting it regarding MBAM's effectiveness.

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Hi Exile,

you quoted as,

It has an incredibly efficient scanning engine that can detect 99.99% of the malware that's in its database with nothing more than a quick scan which usually only takes a few minutes or less on most systems.

Do you have a reference for this. I mean could you please cite this?

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Good day hnyaji and Exile360,

I just found a review of Malwarebytes on PC Mag. Look into the review and judge for yourself if it's correct or not. From this review I understand that Malwarebytes is very good in detecting and removing 'rogue programs', its serious weakness is in detecting/removing rootkits(contrary to what Exile360 told me). In general, its overall grade in detection of malware (spyware,rootkits,rogues combined) was 8.3/10 it was compared with Norton 360, Spyware Doctor and Webroot which got 9.2, 7.8 and 8.3 respectively. In removal of the same the grades were 6.5,7.3,6.7 and 6.8 respectively. Of course this was an independent review and this is according to PC Mag. The thing that most bothers me here is that Malwarebytes has to be improved in detection and removal of rootkits and, Exile360 could you please supply a review or information which could counter this review by PC Mag?

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Here's a key point to remember, as I stated earlier: Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware isn't an anti-virus software and is not designed to detect every threat out there, just the ones that anti-virus vendors are missing or failing to remove. This isn't an all-in-one tool designed to be the only protection for any system, it is a supplemental application designed to fill in the gaps that the av vendors miss. Your first line of defense as far as security software goes should be your anti-virus while programs like Malwarebytes' are designed to try and catch the stuff that your av might let slip through. It isn't a dedicated rootkit, rogue or any other type of specific removal tool. It's made to find the stuff the big guys (the av companies) miss. It's detection and removal routines are improved daily, most often multiple times daily as new threats and variants are analyzed by the threat researchers. The response time from a sample being received to it being included in the definitions is staggering, sometimes within minutes, depending on the nature of the threat.

@Utopian, as I told you before, there are dedicated, and more effective specific anti-rootkit tools out there, but they are not for use by those who don't have a high level of technical understanding of PC's otherwise they can cause damage. For normal users, your av software along with tools like Malwarebytes' are a much safer alternative. If you actually believe you might be infected by a rootkit, post in a forum like our own Malware Removal - HijackThis Logs area and you will get guidance from a malware removal specialist and they will guide you on what tools to use and instructions on what to do to remove an infection if one is present.

@hnyaji, there are many good tools out there and each certainly has its place. I use several myself as I believe in a somewhat paranoid layered approach to security. The reason I back Malwarebytes' so strongly is because I've seen first hand what it can do. It catches and removes nasties that I've seen most other vendors fail to time after time when I've used it and many other scanners cleaning up PC's. If you want a true-to-life detection review that will really put MBAM through its paces, get a test box and infect it with current malware (and YES, I did say INFECT IT), meaning the malware on the system will be active). Update MBAM and do a quick scan and see how well it does compared to the others out there. The trouble with most testers is that they don't understand how Malwarebytes' works and what it is designed to do, namely to detect and remove ACTIVE threats from a system that aren't detected by your av, and at this it is quite successful. It is not a normal file scanner designed to check the hash and checksum of every file on the system the way an av does in order to detect malware, that's why MBAM's heuristics are so good, it can even detect many new variants of threats in its database without the new variant being added to definitions, the majority of av tools do not have this capability because they go after a specific file signature. They lose in the battle against threats that "morph" or change form frequently, while MBAM has proven to be quite successful in dealing with many of these threats (Vundo/Virtumonde is a great example).

Hopefully someone else will jump in with their info and opinions for you because I'm sure you want more than one source for your article, I just wanted to try and answer some of the questions raised here with my views on the subject. Best of luck with your review, I hope it goes well :P .

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Hi hnyaji

Just read this thread tonight.

Don't know if you're still collecting opinions on MBAM but you might like to take a look at an article by Dennis O'Reilly on the Windows Secrets newsletter for 16 April 2009, "Tech support likes Malwarebytes' antispyware" - Microsoft tech support seem as impressed with MBAM as a whole lot more of us not-so-technical people.

I personally am a bit security paranoid so MBAM is one of several programs that I use. Probably like many other MBAM fans, I installed this program when I hit a problem that my main security program couldn't seem to sort out. I have found the forum support excellent and fast - just what you need when you've got a computer problem

This is the Windows Secrets link if you want to take a look anyway. http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/090416

Flapjack

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Ryan Russell is one of those who advocate not enabling Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) as he is a bit paranoid about Microsoft snooping around so why doesn't he switch to one of the Linux distros?

I guess taking his advice would increase MBAM's business though.

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I regularly check in on what's left of the Dell Forums :P and learned about MBAM from those regulars who remain. They have been very helpful with introducing and explaining various security products over the years. I have yet to have MBAM make a detection of anything on either one of my computers. I also use WD, SAS, Spyware Blaster, Avast AV, Online Armor Firewall, A Squared Free on one computer and the full version on the other free of charge thanks to a special promo they ran, and finally Win Patrol and Spybot S&D!!! Whew!!

So I run a rather full load of products partly because of the paranoia...the bad guys are really clever, creative, and relentless...and because I like to help test these things out. As presently constituted, there are no apparent conflicts or excessive use of resources from this line up of programs.

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