Advice Request Is VoodooShield enough alone to protect a computer?

[brod56]

After good time using Bitdefender Free, I decided to try some different (perhaps radical!) options to see if I like it.
Im wondering if I can use Voodoshield Free completely alone (ditch all other AVs, even Windows Defender via group policy) and have fine protection. Im not considering layered protection here.
Im scared of special threats like these exploits or this worm. Is this product capable of handling these?
What are your opinions?
Thanks in advance

 

[Arequire]

Exploits shouldn't really be a concern if you keep your software up to date. Even if you do run into one it'll still have to drop its payload which VDS should protect against in theory.

I've seen instances where malware has bypassed VDS but they're few and far between and far less often than a traditional AV. If you're practising safe computing habits then I'm betting VDS will be perfectly fine on its own.

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

After good time using Bitdefender Free, I decided to try some different (perhaps radical!) options to see if I like it.
Im wondering if I can use Voodoshield Free completely alone (ditch all other AVs, even Windows Defender via group policy) and have fine protection. Im not considering layered protection here.
Im scared of special threats like these exploits or this worm. Is this product capable of handling these?
What are your opinions?
Thanks in advance

I can't in good faith select either of those options up there, while VS can protect you, you may need additional protection for your browser, but that does not mean you need traditional AV software at all.
It depends on the user and their habits.
I myself can run VS combined with HMP.A and be just fine and often do. I can also run VS with EAM as I often do and be fine,
neither of which is a "Traditional AV"
So in essence you don't need a traditional AV to accompany VS weather you run it alone or not

 

[brod56]

I can't in good faith select either of those options up there, while VS can protect you, you may need additional protection for your browser, but that does not mean you need traditional AV software at all.
It depends on the user and their habits.
I myself can run VS combined with HMP.A and be just fine and often do. I can also run VS with EAM as I often do and be fine,
neither of which is a "Traditional AV"
So in essence you don't need a traditional AV to accompany VS weather you run it alone of not

Thanks for your opinion.
Do you think Voodoshield+uBlock (w/hpHosts) specifically are enough for everyday usage with safe habits?

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

Thanks for your opinion.
Do you think Voodoshield+uBlock (w/hpHosts) specifically are enough for everyday usage with safe habits?

Yes brother, I do.
Just have a good "on demand" scanner on standby as a precaution

 

[TheMalwareMaster]

I believe it's enough alone. However, I use it with Windows Defender. It really has no impact

 

[Evjl's Rain]

I think it would be enough but I recommend you to add avira browser safety or norton safe web to limit the chance of downloading malwares => less work for VS. Less decisions.
hphosts and other filters are only good for quite old malwares/phishings but avira and norton are much stronger

 

[Deleted member 2913]

I think, if you want to use VS standalone, Pro version would be better, customize settings like "Parent Process", etc & set "Always ON" Mode.

 

[LuciusHaydn]

I agree completely with @_CyberGhosT_ .
I am using VS Pro with Zemana Anti-Malware as an on-demand scanner only. Windows Defender IS indeed on, but only because I haven't looked into how to permanently disable it. And with Windows 10, it isn't so easy as to just turn it off. So I just ignore it admittedly.

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

I agree completely with @_CyberGhosT_ .
I am using VS Pro with Zemana Anti-Malware as an on-demand scanner only. Windows Defender IS indeed on, but only because I haven't looked into how to permanently disable it. And with Windows 10, it isn't so easy as to just turn it off. So I just ignore it admittedly.

Google how to turn it off through group policy

 

[LuciusHaydn]

@_CyberGhosT_ Thank ya much!

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

@_CyberGhosT_ Thank ya much!

No worries brother.

 

[Evjl's Rain]

I agree completely with @_CyberGhosT_ .
I am using VS Pro with Zemana Anti-Malware as an on-demand scanner only. Windows Defender IS indeed on, but only because I haven't looked into how to permanently disable it. And with Windows 10, it isn't so easy as to just turn it off. So I just ignore it admittedly.

O&O ShutUp? 1 click -> done

I'm using no primary AV (zemana and comodo firewall). WD never opens

 

[Parsh]

Voted for NO. Especially for the free version

• With or without an AV, it will be easy to blacklist files based on AI; but without an AV, it will be difficult to whitelist files among many alerts generated for safe, suspicious and malicious executables. Or a mix.
• Free version allows files that are initiated by a whitelisted parent to run without checks. A famous issue was discussed here that a malicious executable opened via Winrar was allowed (ie. not blocked and asked about) since Winrar (parent) is whitelisted
• The free version always allows executables from certain folders (like Program Files) to be executed without scans and alerts
• It automatically allows specific critical Windows processes, be those executed by safe or unsafe programs
• It has limit on file size. Mostly malicious files come in small packets, but one shouldn't neglect the big ones
• You generally need to deactivate VDS when uninstalling some program (VDS recommends this itself) and the watchman is off guard for that period

These are only some of the limitations that you'll have when using Voodoo alone.
Many recommend that if you follow safe practices, anti-exes and basic defenses are enough.
But this is not the case with VDS free and 'mostly' nobody follows 'ideally safe' practices to keep malware away in the first place.

Regarding the exploits you mentioned, that needs to be tested.
What I suggest, use a good light AV alongside, you know which. It's simple

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

Many recommend that if you follow safe practices, anti-exes and basic defenses are enough.

It may not be for you, but this is exactly the config I run, and for quite some time now, not so much as a browser jacking.
It boils down to the individual. Not everyone fits neatly into a "Predefined" box.

 

[Parsh]

It may not be for you, but this is exactly the config I run, and for quite some time now, not so much as a browser jacking.
It boils down to the individual. Not everyone fits neatly into a "Predefined" box.

You do not use a traditional AV for sure.
However, you've other guardians like HMPA or EAM mentioned that will do great complementing VDS free. You're good to go!
However, VDS free is not enough on its own, why, the screenshots say that.

@_CyberGhosT_ I started writing the answer when nobody except the OP posted in this thread and I didn't want to comment on anyone's recommendations here.
I just made a point for OP to know that somewhere sometime you'll click or get some program or wormy files that VDS Free won't even block or can't afford to handle.
If you intend to use a single software, it should cover all basic attack vectors (be it for lockdown or otherwise) but VDS free doesn't.
That's why I said - this is not the case with VDS free.

 

[Winter Soldier]

I am not expert about VS but I would like to leave WD active, especially in the next Creators Update it seems to be improved a lot.
Just my humble opinion

 

[Evjl's Rain]

I still think that using VS free even in autopilot mode is enough. Just make sure before installing VS, the PC should have no infectious files in Program files and critical windows folders
use zemana, hitmanpro, NPE before installing VS and make a snapshot
then everyone should be safe because nothing is allowed to put stuffs in program files without being scan by VS first

do not execute .exe directly from winrar or 7zip.

bypassing VS if you know how it works, strengths, weaknesses is even harder than bypassing your AVs

that's it

Still risky to use it alone

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

I still think that using VS free even in autopilot mode is enough.

I agree, I leave mine in Auto Pilot, beside HMP.A and EAM, I have had nothing but good results
I have been known to leave it in Smart Mode as well, neither has let me down.

 

[TheMalwareMaster]

initiated by a whitelisted parent to run without checks. A famous issue was discussed here that a malicious executable opened via Winrar was allowed (ie. not blocked and asked about) since Winrar (parent) is whitelisted

This is now fixed since 3.52 version