Using Other Malware Programs

Kerygma

How does F-Secure look upon its users employing "other" malware programs providing we do not run them in real time? For instance, on another forum of which I'm a member, many of the members use two other popular malware programs (free programs) to augment their paid-for security suites.

 

As a new user of F-Secure, I'm not wanting to do something that would hinder or conflict with the program in any way. And yet I have to wonder if F-Secure will "catch" all the tracking cookies etc.

 

Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Hi Kerygma,

Thanks for your post.

It is recommended to only have one security program running at any time. The KB article would provide you more details:
http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/support/article/kba/6752

Yes, F-Secure program would provide protection against virus, spyware, adware & cookies.

Best Regards,
Jayson

F-Secure Community Moderator

Kerygma

Hi Jayson,

 

Thanks for such a quick and thorough response. I'm still amazed at the support F-Secure provides its clients.

 

I read the KB article to which you referred me and it made perfect sense. Perhaps I need to restate my original question. I understand that two antivirus programs running at the same time will present conflicts. That is the reason I removed Norton from my computer before I installed F-Secure. I'm talking more about malware or spyware programs like Malwarebytes and Superantispyware. Both of these are only used on demand and do not run in the background (unless you pay for them). They have resident shields but not on the free versions.

 

So to restate my question: is there any value in running one of these programs in a manual mode or on demand scan to catch whatever might have slipped through OR is this unnecessary? Frankly, I don't really know the answer to the question and I'm willing to listen to what you or any others here have to say. The reason I raised the question is that members of another forum swear by doing this. The fact is... I'm a bit of a newbie at this (although I know the "right expressions" and can sound as though I know a lot... I don't).

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me and I will abide by it.

MJ-perComp

Hi,

 

the danger is to execute a malware. A non resident program can not protect you. Nevrtheless in cases where you encounter a problem and F-Secure does not alert it might be a good idea to doublecheck with a second scanner. But then clearly distiguish between files that simply "reside" on your hdd and those that are actively loaded.

 

Very often we get reports from customers that find something with a secon scanner in Temp or TempInternet or even in some other rarely used folders. These files might never have been touched (like those on your USB-Stick) or executed thus never posed a real risk. And if they are not touched they are not detected by OAS or the other modules.

 

F-Secure is putting a lot into behavior blocking and heuristics. But these modules do not "know" the malware, they monitor the execution and when they detect critical activity then they take further steps. Unfortunately this is the only way to detect a real new malware (see what it does). Already a couple of hours later the same file might be detected prior to loading using the resident tools or a online scanner or a second solution, but if you ever will touch that file again or not depends on the Application (e.g. Browser).

 

HTH

 

 

Kerygma

What you say makes perfect sense. And in truth, all these secondary malware programs have found to date are tracking cookies which are rated low in terms of security. I think to be on the safe side that I'll uninstall them just in case there is a potential conflict with F-Secure. Thanks again.

Janiashvili

Usually having more than FS antivirus is very unneccesery, because it always have same samples as others have, and usually before they got those at FS already got it. there's two main reasons - because FS is paid product and free products have new samples 80-90% of those that paids have, and second is, that FS practically doesn't have(in comparison to others) "false positives", and there's no actual need to have other products.

 

But FS has some disadventages - it not always tells you that it does something with something(like bloking some features of some things, or blocking some web pages not telling you it does, lol). And in fact usually this is known to be "o.k."

Enfcmedic384

Thanks this is just what I needed and Thanks for pointing me to this Jayson.