Battle Kaspersky Free Antivirus or Avast Free Antivirus for Default-Deny Protection?

[Wraith]

So guys this setup will be for one of my friends who is just an average Joe. He had his laptop infected with all sorts of malware and god knows what I had to do to restore the laptop. I flashed the BIOS, Secure Erased the HDD using Parted Magic, reset the Router to its defaults and then installed Windows 10 Home 64-bit ver 1809. I need to minimise the attack vectors. So far I've installed SysHardener(applied the tweaks)and OSArmor 1.4.2(just in case some malware manages to revert the changes made by SH). I had installed hard_configurator but it was too much of a hassle for my friend since he is unable to execute his softwares which he is downloading from the web. Maybe I'll try Comodo Firewall but that too I think will be too much for my friend since he is not so geeky. So it comes down to Avast free or Kaspersky Free. I like the System Watcher in KAF but it only jumps into action after any malicious activity is performed. I'm considering Avast just because of the Hardened Mode(Aggressive) since it will prevent any unknown file from executing. So what's your opinion guys? In this scenario which one should I choose? Avast or Kaspersky?

 

[LDogg]

My point is that one has both features, while the other only has one of them in its free version. That's how you compare hardened mode to system watcher, system watcher is alone and they don't offer you the hardened mode equivalent.

@harlan4096 help me here xD

~LDogg

 

[DSD27]

Having Behavior Shield and Hardened Mode is better than only having System Watcher. I think we can all agree on that, or not?

 

[harlan4096]

I will go further, and yeah still in paid versions, but TAM not only blocks exe files and other executable files, but scripts and dlls, the same goes to the tweak I already mentioned (unknowns app to UnTrusted in AC)

 

[Andy Ful]

yep, I'm sure, he was using moderate, aggressive is better. Great video btw...
...

I am sure that both moderate and aggressive mode can display notifications, because I can see them several times a week on my testing machines (I often use aggressive mode for testing). You probably use the Avast silent mode which does not display notifications and alerts.

 

[DSD27]

I will go further, and yeah still in paid versions, but TAM not only blocks exe files and other executable files, but scripts and dlls, the same goes to the tweak I already mentioned (unknowns app to UnTrusted in AC)

yeah.. but that's the problem right there.

I am sure that both moderate and aggressive mode can display notifications, because I can see them several times a week on my testing machines (I often use aggressive mode for testing). You probably use the Avast silent mode which does not display notifications and alerts.

Nop, never used silent mode. Game mode also hides everything, when you're using the programs added to it, If for some reason you don't want the rare notification, then your problem is solved with silent mode... I think it's unlikely that you will have a file which Aggressive mode won't find on Avast's cloud database and won't know what to do, considering how huge its user base is.
Using Avast with HM for 5 days, no notifications whatsoever

 

[Andy Ful]

...
Nop, never used silent mode. Game mode also hides everything, when you're using the programs added to it, If for some reason you don't want the rare notification, then your problem is solved with silent mode... I think it's unlikely that you will have a file which Aggressive mode won't find on Avast's cloud database and won't know what to do, considering how huge its user number is.
Using Avast with HM for 5 days, no notifications whatsoever

Believe me, I know Avast very well (for years). I am a developer, so it is not a problem for me to make an application that is blocked by Avast Hardened Mode Aggressive. In fact, any Hard_Configurator executables are blocked by Avast Hardened Mode Aggressive, until I send them to Avast for whitelisting. The silent mode can be chosen while installing Avast, or later via the menu. Normally, Avast always shows a notification when blocking something via Hardened Mode Aggressive. Please do not ask me to send the screenshots, but rather look at your settings carefully.

Edit.
It is also possible that you use the applications that are whitelisted in Avast.
You can check the below program, which is blocked by Avast Hardened Mode (Moderate or Aggressive):

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Compression-tools/Archive-collectively-operation-utility.shtml#download

 

[stefanos]

Believe me, I know Avast very well (for years). I am a developer, so it is not a problem for me to make an application that is blocked by Avast Hardened Mode Aggressive. In fact, any Hard_Configurator executables are blocked by Avast Hardened Mode Aggressive, until I send them to Avast for whitelisting. The silent mode can be chosen while installing Avast, or later via the menu. Normally, Avast always shows a notification when blocking something via Hardened Mode Aggressive. Please do not ask me to send the screenshots, but rather look at your settings carefully.

And i know Avast always shows a notification from HM

 

[DSD27]

I think notifications for hardened mode are important and make sense, for gaming it doesn't matter because of game mode, if you don't want them ever, use silent mode. There's no reason for much discussion about this topic, it's not an issue. Avast is far from being a notification annoying av. Kaspersky also shows notifications when it blocks something.

 

[Andy Ful]

I think notifications for hardened mode are important and make sense, for gaming it doesn't matter ebcause of game mode, if you don't want them ever, use silent mode. There's no reason for discussion about this notifications topic, it's not an issue.

It can be an issue when one thinks that his/her child is very well protected by Hardened Mode Aggressive with enabled notifications. That was the only one event when my wife was infected, by simply allowing the PUA to pass by Avast alert.

 

[DSD27]

It can be an issue when one thinks that his/her child is very well protected by Hardened Mode Aggressive with enabled notifications. That was the only one event when my wife was infected, by simply allowing the PUA to pass by Avast alert.

Then activate silent mode for her, problem solved . Notifications for HM will only matter if you use unknown programs that aren't in Avast's cloud database/whitelisted. if not, just disable the notifications and leave it alone doing its job.
What matters is that you have the option to use something that makes you really well protected.

 

[Andy Ful]

Then activate silent mode for her, problem solved . Notifications for HM will only matter if you use unknown programs that aren't in Avast's cloud database/whitelisted. if not, just disable the notifications and leave it alone doing its job.
What matters is that you have the option to use something that makes you really well protected.

You missed my point. I do not say that notifications are good or bad. Simply one has to know what to do and one has to know that by default, the notifications are enabled. Both Kaspersky free and Avast free can be configured for strong protection, except scripting malware.

 

[DSD27]

I got the point perfectly, that's why I said, if she doesn't know what do, there's the silent mode solution. Kaspersky also shows notifications by default.
Yes they can, but Kaspersky Free doesn't have Application Control, it failed the 0-day ransomware test the other user did, which only Avast with Hardened mode was able to block it and pass the test.

 

[Chri.Mi]

I would highly suggest to use kaspersky on friend pc, specially if is not geek. There is no reason to prefer HM over kaspersky. The chance to get a zero day malware are almost zero for normal/habits so there is not advantages with HM. In other hands kaspersky is realy good in terms of signatures.

 

[DSD27]

I would highly suggest to use kaspersky on friend pc, specially if is not geek. There is no reason to prefer HM over kaspersky. The chance to get a zero day malware are almost zero for normal/habits so there is not advantages with HM. In other hands kaspersky is realy good in terms of signatures.

Agreed. But almost... Better safe than sorrow, something can take longer to get into the av's databases.

 

[silversurfer]

Probably it was already said, but just to mention important point:
Avast Hardened Mode blocks only executables and cannot block files like malware as scriptors...

 

[DSD27]

Probably it was already said, but just to mention important point:
Avast Hardened Mode blocks only executables and cannot block files like malware as scriptors...

Does Avast have any other Shield or setting to block those? Is KasperskySC Free better at blocking them?

 

[Chri.Mi]

Agreed. But almost... Better safe than sorrow, something can take longer to get into the av's databases.

Old times i thought so... I changed idea when installed comodo on my father pc. It just couldn't manage it xD. From that day i started to learn that there is an antivirus for every ppl.

 

[The Ordynary]

kaspersky is superior in all aspects

 

[Chri.Mi]

Does Avast have any other Shield or setting to block those? Is KasperskySC Free better at blocking them?

Not at all for what ik. For this many ppl suggest put kaspersky with syshardener or hard configurator

 

[DSD27]

Old times i thought so... I changed idea when installed comodo on my father pc. It just couldn't manage it xD. From that day i started to learn that there is an antivirus for every ppl.

No comparison, comodo has huge amount of notifications. I've used their firewall... dear lord, never again.