Security → Re: Kobra's Antivirus SHOWDOWN results.

Greetings folks. There have been some updates to the test results. I've re-tested a few products with different switches and settings on the prodding of the users of those products.

* CAT Quickheal was retested, and yielded the same results, the developer is investigating.

* Avast was retested with different command line switches, and improved to 299 Detections. Bumping Panda down one notch.

* Kaspersky5.0 was re-tested with "Extended Database" downloaded and in place, and was upgraded with only 1 miss.

*Ahn V3 Pro was requested to be tested, I tested it, and it detected only 109 out of the 321 samples for a 33.95% rating. (although the options and interface rocked. Heh)

1) eXtendia AVK - 321/321 0 Missed - 100%
2) Kaspersky 5.0 - 320/321 1 Missed - 99.70% (with Extended Database ON)
2) McAfee VirusScan 8.0 - 319/321 + 2 (2 found as joke programs - heuristically) - 99%
3) F-Secure - 319/321 2 Missed - 99.37%
4) GData AVK - 317/321 4 Missed - 98.75%
5) RAV + Norton (2 way tie) - 315/321 6 Missed - 98.13%
6) Dr.Web - 310/321 11 Missed - 96.57%
7) CommandAV + F-Prot + BitDefender (3 Way Tie) - 309/321 12 Missed - 96.26%
8) ETrust - 301/321 20 Missed - 93.76%
9) Trend - 300/321 21 Missed - 93.45%
10) Avast! Pro - 299/321 22 Missed - 93.14%
11) Panda - 298/321 23 Missed - 92.83%
12) KingSoft - 288/321 33 Missed - 89.71%
13) NOD32 - 285/321 36 Missed (results identical with or without advanced heuristics) - 88.78%
14) AVG Pro - 275/321 46 Missed - 85.66%
15) AntiVIR - 268/321 53 Missed - 83.48%
16) ClamWIN - 247/321 74 Missed - 76.94%
17) UNA - 222/321 99 Missed - 69.15%
18) Norman - 215/321 106 Missed - 66.97%
19) Solo - 182/321 139 Missed - 56.69%
20) V3 Pro - 109/321 212 Missed - 33.95%
21) Proland - 73/321 248 Missed - 22.74%
22) Sophos - 50/321 271 Missed - 15.57%
23) Hauri - 49/321 272 Missed - 15.26%
24) CAT Quickheal - 21/321 300 Missed - 6%
25) Ikarus - Crashed on first virus. - 0%

Ironically, since doing this test, i've checked around, and my results aren't really all that different than some of the independant test houses. What *IS* very different, are how places like Virus Bulletin can rate something like CAT Quickheal at having 90% range detection, when it can't find the most simplest bug I throw at it. Ironically, the most recent test of NOD32 scored it in the 80 percentile range, exactly where it fell in my testing.

As for eXtendia AVK, its quite a feature rich and configurable product, and probably offers the only true 100% detection ability out there. Both engines cranking away, sweeping everything, and with each engine having its own 100,000ish definition database comparing with each other, double heuristics doing comparatives.. I think its pretty safe to say, your chances of infection are zero? I've personally run into a couple of bugs that Kaspersky missed, and the RAV side of AVK picked it up. So I do believe the product works, and provides an incredible level of layered protection for its price.

Keeping in mind though, AVK does use the KAV+RAV engine, and you can run either/or in any configuration you want, so for example you could run RAV for on-access to get the speed, and run KAV+RAV Double-Mode for on-demand to get the incredible depth of scans. Also, my testing showed AVK updates directly from their sources, i've seen it update 8-10 times per day if you set it to "Hourly" in the configurations. But I will tell you this, after running NOD32 for 3 months, I installed AVK and found 5 trojans - so don't be surprised if it finds something on your box if you were running one of the other AV's.

I'd say my personal choices are KAV5.0 or AVK. I can't wait to see what KAV5-Pro looks like, its not due till September though.

Regards

PS: I don't test for a living, this was done to satisfy my OWN curiosity about which AV product would be best for me to run. I got tired of paying cash for products like Norton and NOD32 and being horribly dissappointed - and in fact being left to reformat due to infections! Also, i'm a bit sick of magazines and websites talking really lousy products. So much misleading information out there its quite annoying. Agree with my test results or not, its up to you, but its strictly done to satisfy my own curiosity, and was posted merely because I thought others might benefit.

I am confused.

1. Why would EXtendia AVK sell all their products for only $30? (If they are really that good shouldn't they be higher.)

2. Didn't M$ buy RAV, and EXtendia AVK uses the RAV engine, so who is going to be further developing this engine? If I should purchase this software package are there going to be any updates, will it have the same quality or lack thereof.

3. You say Double Engines is the way go....Doesn't F-Secure use 3 engines??? Seems three engines would be better than 2...but I still use just one.;)

4. Why was McAfee rated 100% in the prior test and now is only rated at 99%?

Sorry for any newb sounding questions, I guess I am in the newb mood tonight.:)

That's why I'm not taking out my wallet JUST yet..LOL...

Yes, I'm concerned about the RAV updates too..

said by gt7697c:

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I am confused.

2. Didn't M$ buy RAV, and EXtendia AVK uses the RAV engine, so who is going to be further developing this engine? If I should purchase this software package are there going to be any updates, will it have the same quality or lack thereof.

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Exactly what I was wondering as well. Even at their website, they ask the question is this Microsofts future anti virus technology? (See screeny)

Its like the scan engine, or in this case one of them, is in limbo.

Keizer

said by Kobra007:

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Keeping in mind though, AVK does use the KAV+RAV engine, and you can run either/or in any configuration you want, so for example you could run RAV for on-access to get the speed, and run KAV+RAV Double-Mode for on-demand to get the incredible depth of scans.

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This seems almost too good to be true...

Why hasn't this product been more hyped?

and finally, I guess I don't understand how it can use two engines of two different products for less than those actual products themselves...again, seems to good be true...like getting two AV's for the price of 1/2 of one.

said by squatpuke:

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This seems almost too good to be true...

Why hasn't this product been more hyped?

and finally, I guess I don't understand how it can use two engines of two different products for less than those actual products themselves...again, seems to good be true...like getting two AV's for the price of 1/2 of one.

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Good question You even have the option to disable either of the 2 engines and use only one of them if that's your pleasure

said by squatpuke:

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...I guess I don't understand how it can use two engines of two different products for less than those actual products themselves...

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Buying a licensing scheme of an engine is much cheaper than having a R&D team developing and maintaining it. So, actually the engine final cost is much less for eXtendia than for KAV. And if the licensing scheme is per units sold basis - as most are -, the more they sell, the more they pay and everybody's happy.

*deletd*

said by Martinus:

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said by squatpuke:

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...I guess I don't understand how it can use two engines of two different products for less than those actual products themselves...

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Buying a licensing scheme of an engine is much cheaper than having a R&D team developing and maintaining it. So, actually the engine final cost is much less for eXtendia than for KAV. And if the licensing scheme is per units sold basis - as most are -, the more they sell, the more they pay and everybody's happy.

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Yup..and here is another new offering to throw in the pot. CyberScrub's other products are well respected.

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»www.cyberscrub.com/antiv ··· ndex.php

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»forum.gladiator-antiviru ··· ic=15767

There was no "Joke" programs in my samples, WTF you guys reading that? *ONE* AV, McAfee incorrectly labeled 2 of them as Joke programs and they were NOT, thats why McAfee doesn't get a 100%. Stop reading between the lines please.

I find it interesting that in every real-world test i've seen, some of the little "Cult" Favorite AV's just flat out don't stack up. In my own tests, they don't stack up either. Then it never fails, the cultists come out of the woodwork and attack the tester, without fail!

Thats ok, ironically, my test results are quite close to some of the more reputable testers out there. I'm building a set of 50,000 samples and will retest again in a month or so, and i'd bet my percentages will be fairly consistant. Its just basic math that tells us that.

I test because I want to know what works and what doesn't and whats hype and whats real. I'm sick of the hype and marketing BS some of these AV companies are throwing out. Talk of "100% never failed on this test" and "Fastest and most accurate scanners" and other crap, and frankly, its just that, crap. My opinion, take it or leave it.