Can things avoid anti-virus scans?

[The Mighty Hog 526]

I've got a sneaking suspicion that there are some nasties lucking on my PC that are managing to avoid getting picked up by anti-virus and spyware detectors. Is there any way to find out if this is happening?

[Jimbo 175]

I've chopped and changed between virus checkers over the years and I've found some pick up viruses that others miss.

 

None seem to be perfect, but Nod32 is the best I've tried thus far.

[peasepud 59]

Yup I agree.

 

Most antiviruses work by hunting out specific signatures within files, this can only be done after the virus has been identified and analysed. The likes of NOD32 works by some weird shit called heuristics which I believe means that it guesses (bit more complicated than that I suppose but thats the basis of it) and it seems to work. NOD32 can therefore identify programs as potential viruses without ever being told they exist.

[Fop 1]

I've got a sneaking suspicion that there are some nasties lucking on my PC that are managing to avoid getting picked up by anti-virus and spyware detectors. Is there any way to find out if this is happening?

 

 

Much like STDs, the best method is avoiding them in the first place, rather than getting them and then trying to cure them.

 

Probably those that offer rootkit and boot/offline scans will give you your best bet though although NOD32 tends to get the highest detection rates in most tests.

[The Mighty Hog 526]

Thats strange, I had Nod 32 when it looks like all things appeared and it didn't catch any of them. It wasn't til i swapped back to AVG and started using Adaware again that things got caught.

[The Fish 10962]

I downloaded and installed Nod32, now my computer loads windows and two applications then freezes. Can't open any apps, can't Ctrl, Alt Del, can't open Start Menu or anything.

 

Utterly buggered.

 

Tried uninstalling it, tried restoring to last working settings and the problem persists...

 

dunno what to do

[Craig 6700]

I've got a sneaking suspicion that there are some nasties lucking on my PC that are managing to avoid getting picked up by anti-virus and spyware detectors. Is there any way to find out if this is happening?

 

 

Much like STDs, the best method is avoiding them in the first place, rather than getting them and then trying to cure them.

 

Probably those that offer rootkit and boot/offline scans will give you your best bet though although NOD32 tends to get the highest detection rates in most tests.

 

 

I bet you're one of those blokes who avoid going out in Winter to make sure he doesn't catch a cold off someone, aren't you?

[Fop 1]

I downloaded and installed Nod32, now my computer loads windows and two applications then freezes. Can't open any apps, can't Ctrl, Alt Del, can't open Start Menu or anything.

 

Utterly buggered.

 

Tried uninstalling it, tried restoring to last working settings and the problem persists...

 

dunno what to do

 

Install Linux, you don't need to worry about stuff like that then.

[Fop 1]

I've got a sneaking suspicion that there are some nasties lucking on my PC that are managing to avoid getting picked up by anti-virus and spyware detectors. Is there any way to find out if this is happening?

 

 

Much like STDs, the best method is avoiding them in the first place, rather than getting them and then trying to cure them.

 

Probably those that offer rootkit and boot/offline scans will give you your best bet though although NOD32 tends to get the highest detection rates in most tests.

 

 

I bet you're one of those blokes who avoid going out in Winter to make sure he doesn't catch a cold off someone, aren't you?

 

 

Not really, I would probably avoid going into a tuberculosis ward though.

 

 

The fact is though if you are smart (and that might be the problem ) you can minimise your risk to computer malware/virus to almost nothing, purely through your own behaviour (with the possible exception of Sony root-kit examples, but then that is illegal).

 

There's nothing "mystical" or "paranoid" about this; it's simply the best way.

 

 

 

If you must do things that expose you to risk then you should have the knowledge to minimise things in other ways - if you don't then you're likely in trouble already.