Avast latest update.

G_M

esuhl wrote: »

The idea is that MalwareBytes stops the virus getting on to your system in the first place. Hence, no need for an antivirus.

If it "stops the virus getting on to your system" then it must be an anti virus software programme.



Is that not precisely the definition of 'anti virus'?? :think:

esuhl

agrinnall wrote: »

But that's what AV does, are you suggesting that MB stops viruses from being downloaded? If so then surely it is acting as an AV too.

G_M wrote: »

If it "stops the virus getting on to your system" then it must be an anti virus software programme.

Not according to MalwareBytes. Have a look at their release announcement:


https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/12/announcing-malwarebytes-3-0-a-next-generation-antivirus-replacement/

G_M wrote: »

Is that not precisely the definition of 'anti virus'?? :think:

Thinking about it, I don't suppose there is a precise definition of an antivirus. Originally, an antivirus was a non-resident scanner that would detect viruses.


I came across my first ever PC infection around 1990. The antivirus provided a phone number, and I had to speak to a real person to be guided through the process of modifying memory contents with a hex-editor and shuffling files around.



Viruses are rare these days, so today's "antiviruses" have evolved into scanners for all sorts of other threats: worms, trojan horses, rootkits, ransomware, spyware, etc.



They often remain resident, scan files on access, run periodic background scans, and have browser and email client components to scan and block scripts, malicious domains, and drive-by-downloads scan downloads, etc.



As I understand it, MalwareBytes Premium doesn't scan files through any resident process (except for the ad-hoc scheduled scans). Instead it blocks malware from coming on to your PC in the first place.