Advice Request ESET IS 10 with HMPA and Emsisoft AntiMalware

[HarborFront]

I know HMPA and EAM work perfectly together for I'm using them in another system. Now, I want to combine them with ESET IS 10

Let's start with HMPA first

Prior to installing HMPA I disable the webcam protection in ESET since it's a duplicate in HMPA. I then install HMPA.

Upon starting my chrome browser HMPA prompt an interception message which prevented my chrome browser from starting. This is an exploit protection compatibility issue. I had this with Dr Web Katana before and the advise is to disable HMPA's exploit protection for my chrome browser. It worked since Katana do NOT have a check box to disable its exploit protection.

It also work for ESET that I can start my chrome browser. However, I cannot key anything in the address bar.

Also, I tried disabled ESET's exploit blocker and still I cannot key anything in the address bar

Here's a description of what ESET exploit blocker does

Exploit Blocker is designed to fortify often exploited application types on users’ systems, such as web browsers, PDF readers, email client or MS office components. It adds another layer of protection by using a completely different technology, compared to techniques focusing on detection of malicious files themselves...

Instead, it monitors behavior of processes and watches for suspicious activities that are typical for exploits. When triggered, the suspicious behavior is analyzed and the threat might be blocked immediately on the machine. Certain suspicious activities are processed further in our cloud systems, which gives Exploit Blocker the potential to protect users against targeted attacks and previously unknown exploits, so called zero-day attacks.

ESET :: About ESET :: ESET Technology

Is it possible to have the ESET exploit blocker working in harmony with HMPA's exploit feature to provide a layered protection? Or do I need to disable ESET's exploit blocker? I believe HMPA's exploit feature protects more than ESET's exploit blocker which comes under its HIPS.

Any help here? Thanks

 

[CMLew]

Can't help it but I need to ask why? EAM + HMPA not sufficient enough? So add in sum more ESET? What's next? Malwarebytes?

 

[XhenEd]

Can't help it but I need to ask why? EAM + HMPA not sufficient enough? So add in sum more ESET? What's next? Malwarebytes?

I think the OP means that he is choosing between ESET (with HMP.A) and Emsisoft AntiMalware, not combining them all together.

 

[HarborFront]

Can't help it but I need to ask why? EAM + HMPA not sufficient enough? So add in sum more ESET? What's next? Malwarebytes?

EAM + HMPA is on another system. No FW & network protection here

Trying ESET IS + HMPA + EAM on this system with FW + HIPS

 

[HarborFront]

I think the OP means that he is choosing between ESET (with HMP.A) and Emsisoft AntiMalware, not combining them all together.

I want ALL 3 together. The title says very clearly

 

[XhenEd]

I want ALL 3 together. The title says very clearly

No, it's not clear. It can be interpreted in different ways.
I didn't read the very first paragraph, though, which would have clarified what you meant. I apologize for that.

Anyway, if you want them all together, then the combination is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. EAM stopped being a companion AV/AM several months ago. And so, if you combine it with ESET (together with HMP.A), then incompatibilities may happen, visible or not.

In the past, though, it would be okay to combine EAM with ESET. I, myself, tested this combination. But currently, according to what Fabian said, the Emsisoft team decided to make EAM not just a companion AV/AM, but a main AV/AM.

 

[Sunshine-boy]

I want to have 3 Gf at the same time.
is it possible? Nah they have a conflict :notworthy:
I don't like to use Hitman pro alert with Eset because I can't see any reason for that.Just combine Eset with an Anti-exe software.

 

[AlanOstaszewski]

with an Anti-exe software...

like Hard_Configurator

 

[CMLew]

No, it's not clear. It can be interpreted in different ways.
I didn't read the very first paragraph, though, which would have clarified what you meant. I apologize for that.

Anyway, if you want them all together, then the combination is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. EAM stopped being a companion AV/AM several months ago. And so, if you combine it with ESET (together with HMP.A), then incompatibilities may happen, visible or not.

In the past, though, it would be okay to combine EAM with ESET. I, myself, tested this combination. But currently, according to what Fabian said, the Emsisoft team decided to make EAM not just a companion AV/AM, but a main AV/AM.

Not to mention, the amount of resources wasted to support an additional security program. Just keep it simple n clean will do.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Using 2 full-fledge AVs isn't normally recommended (Emsisoft doesn't recommend doing such things with EAM) but we had some reports than ESET + EAM is actually working properly, but as i always said "combos must be tweaked properly to avoid features conflicts"

@HarborFront about ESET "exploits blocker", seems to be (i dont use ESET so i can't be sure about it.) more an Exploit Mitigation feature like EAM does, than a real anti-exploit like HMPA.

 

[Deleted member 65228]

I know HMPA and EAM work perfectly together for I'm using them in another system. Now, I want to combine them with ESET IS 10

I advise you not to pursue this. If you ask me, it is a bad idea and is calling for problems.

Upon starting my chrome browser HMPA prompt an interception message which prevented my chrome browser from starting. This is an exploit protection compatibility issue. I had this with Dr Web Katana before and the advise is to disable HMPA's exploit protection for my chrome browser. It worked since Katana do NOT have a check box to disable its exploit protection.

I do not know the internals of HitmanPro.Alert/ESET Internet Security exploit mitigation however it is probably related to browser modification/interception to provide an additional layer of security, and then the other product turning round and saying, "Hold on a minute. We think this activity may have been performed by malicious software". Just a thought.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware: Behavior Blocker (which includes exploit protection and many other features)
ESET IS 10: HIPS + Exploit Mitigation
HitmanPro.Alert: Exploit Mitigation

Each of the three products are overlapping each other, or more or less provide the same/similar things. You don't need all three of them. In fact, I would say you probably do not need anything except for Emsisoft Anti-Malware or ESET IS 10. Alternatively, use HitmanPro.Alert alongside a simple Anti-Virus like Windows Defender or a companion Anti-Malware in real-time like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. If you want to add something, look at on-demand scanning.

There's no need to be overkill. I don't think the top 1000 malware authors globally have you noted on their victim list!

Edit: Wrote "Windows Firewall" instead of"Windows Defender". Oops.. Changed!

 

[Deleted member 178]

There's no need to be overkill. I don't think the top 1000 malware authors globally have you noted on their victim list!

That is a difficult point to make security forums' members understand.

 

[HarborFront]

I advise you not to pursue this. If you ask me, it is a bad idea and is calling for problems.


I do not know the internals of HitmanPro.Alert/ESET Internet Security exploit mitigation however it is probably related to browser modification/interception to provide an additional layer of security, and then the other product turning round and saying, "Hold on a minute. We think this activity may have been performed by malicious software". Just a thought.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware: Behavior Blocker (which includes exploit protection and many other features)
ESET IS 10: HIPS + Exploit Mitigation
HitmanPro.Alert: Exploit Mitigation

Each of the three products are overlapping each other, or more or less provide the same/similar things. You don't need all three of them. In fact, I would say you probably do not need anything except for Emsisoft Anti-Malware or ESET IS 10. Alternatively, use HitmanPro.Alert alongside a simple Anti-Virus like Windows Defender or a companion Anti-Malware in real-time like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. If you want to add something, look at on-demand scanning.

There's no need to be overkill. I don't think the top 1000 malware authors globally have you noted on their victim list!

Edit: Wrote "Windows Firewall" instead of"Windows Defender". Oops.. Changed!

QUOTE from post

Emsisoft Anti-Malware: Behavior Blocker (which includes exploit protection and many other features)
ESET IS 10: HIPS + Exploit Mitigation
HitmanPro.Alert: Exploit Mitigation

For those intereted in my progress

Exploit feature is the killer I believe in causing ESET IS 10 to be incompatible with the other 2 (when installed independently)

ESET IS 10 is definitely NOT compatible with EAM. My tablet cannot start up and now is bricked after installation of EAM (with HMPA uninstalled). Cannot even recover from the external USB drive too using Win 10 USB recovery tool....all options not working.....blue screen with one whole page of text........I think partition table corrupted.

Another problem is that my MS tablet is SP3 which initially (I think 2 years before Win 10) was installed with Win 8 and later upgraded to Win 10. According to the repair guy I was told that he can only recover uisng Win 8 USB recovery tool and, after that, upgrading to Win 10 will require me to pay since the free grace period for Win 10 upgrading is over.

Also called MS tech support and that guy is supposed to send me instructions to recover my MS SP3. Still waitiing.

Big problem but also a challenge to get the MS SP3 back and running.

Lucky I got a MS SP4 for posting

 

[HarborFront]

Using 2 full-fledge AVs isn't normally recommended (Emsisoft doesn't recommend doing such things with EAM) but we had some reports than ESET + EAM is actually working properly, but as i always said "combos must be tweaked properly to avoid features conflicts"

@HarborFront about ESET "exploits blocker", seems to be (i dont use ESET so i can't be sure about it.) more an Exploit Mitigation feature like EAM does, than a real anti-exploit like HMPA.

Yes, I read that too and that's why I was thinking of trying. I installed and my tablet got bricked....don't even have a chance to tweak

 

[Rebsat]

we had some reports than ESET + EAM is actually working properly, but as i always said "combos must be tweaked properly to avoid features conflicts".

I would greatly appreciate it if you could post those settings and tweaks to make sure if EAM + EIS are working without conflicts. Thanks bro

 

[509322]

I would greatly appreciate it if you could post those settings and tweaks to make sure if EAM is working with EIS 10 or not? Thanks bro

You're not listening. Combining those three software are going to cause protection breakages. Just because you can get them to run side-by-side on a system does not mean there are not protection conflicts. There are protection conflicts between HMP.A and EAM for some programs. You cannot protect some programs in both simultaneously. Not to mention there will likely be hidden conflicts with ESET.

Please don't ask me what to exclude as I won't tell you. There is no need to create the combo.

 

[HarborFront]

You're not listening. Combining those three software are going to cause protection breakages. Just because you can get them to run side-by-side on a system does not mean there are not protection conflicts. There are protection conflicts between HMP.A and EAM for some programs. You cannot protect some programs in both simultaneously. Not to mention there will likely be hidden conflicts with ESET.

Please don't ask me what to exclude as I won't tell you. There is no need to create the combo.

But I thought EAM + HMPA should work properly, no? I intend to combo these two once HMPA stable irons itself out with the FCU. I'll wait for the next HMPA stable release before combo them

@Umbra any problem in the mentioned combo?

If these 2 really give problems on combo I might try AhnLab V3 365 Clinic IS Suite with HMPA

 

[Rebsat]

You're not listening. Combining those three software are going to cause protection breakages. Just because you can get them to run side-by-side on a system does not mean there are not protection conflicts. There are protection conflicts between HMP.A and EAM for some programs. You cannot protect some programs in both simultaneously. Not to mention there will likely be hidden conflicts with ESET.

Please don't ask me what to exclude as I won't tell you. There is no need to create the combo.

I am sorry bro for bothering. Sure, I have to listen and I am listening Thank you very much for your explanation and everything is now clear. Confirmed!

 

[509322]

I am sorry bro for bothering. Sure, I have to listen and I am listening Thank you very much for your explanation and everything is now clear. Confirmed!

It is pointless to pile security software on top of each other if doing so is going to cause some protections to break. That's why Emsisoft recommends not installing EAM next to other AV\security suites.

You will weaken your system protection by combining the wrong softs together. That's the point.

 

[Deleted member 178]

But I thought EAM + HMPA should work properly, no? I intend to combo these two once HMPA stable irons itself out with the FCU. I'll wait for the next HMPA stable release before combo them
@Umbra any problem in the mentioned combo?

Some users reported issues but i did use it without any problem between them (exclusions set).
Note that i didn't install the latest beta of HMPA which was buggy and created some minor issues on my side (unrelated with EAM).
Im waiting the next beta tomorrow.