Webroot questions

[Giannis]

Hello, I've never used Webroot before and I have some questions. I've been using ESS 8 and EIS 10 (still have licenses for both) all this time and I can say that they are both great products. They have some disadvantages, like for example it takes a while for the EIS GUI to show up and so on. I am a casual home user and I am mostly interested in gaming and communicating (Skype etc), I don't download malware samples or anything similar to that. I would like to ask if Webroot is enough for protection and if it has anti-exploit modules included or should it be paired with a program such as MBAE premium (I have a license for that already)? Also, I've heard that Webroot doesn't offer protection against RATs, is that true? I was thinking of pairing Webroot (talking about Antivirus only, not interested in phone protection etc) with MBAM Premium for more protection but I saw that once I did it, MBAM Premium used more than 100 MB of RAM and kind of slowed down my pc a bit (i5 processor, 8 gigs of RAM). I've also noticed that Webroot has identity shield which I can add processes like Skype for further security. I guess it would be wise to add it, right? Last question is, if Webroot doesn't offer anti-exploit modules and I'll have to pair it with MBAE Premium, should I add Skype to custom shield for further protection? And should I keep settings by default (on MBAE) or tick all objects? The changes I've already done myself to Webroot is to set heuristics to high (enable maximum heuristics). I haven't enabled their extension because I find it pointless to since I have WOT for that already.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jamescv7]

Webroot can be really capable to be a standalone Antivirus or to be companion on other security products, regarding in anti-exploit then yes it included and no problem if you add MBAE but remember update your browsers, PDF and others to avoid vulnerabilities.

https://community.webroot.com/t5/We...omplete/Malwarebytes-Anti-Exploit/td-p/121178

For RAT (Remote Access Tool) and Keylogger as much as possible Webroot can capable protect like other security software does, however prevalence of file and lack of information makes them bypass so nearly not 100%

https://community.webroot.com/t5/We...-keylogging-detection-and-removal/td-p/152501

 

[LabZero]

Webroot has some problems to detect keyloggers and RATs, rogue software but no antivirus is 100% safe.
You can use Webroot with other antivirus without problem and use SpyShelter Anti-Keylogger and Malwarebytes in the same time.The anti-exploit protection works intercepting viruses of new release.
When a new file is identified or detected modification of an existing, Webroot compare the file instantly with the cloud data to prove the actual danger. In the case of new release malware, the "Zero Day" , Webroot is not able to identify the danger, thus the spear running inside a sandbox protected area to examine its behavior. At this point, all his actions are recorded and, if the file is later judged to be a threat, all done in the meantime can be reset by returning the device state prior infection.

 

[Petrovic]

Will Webroot SecureAnywhere slow down my PC?
No. It is very different to other security products as it has been designed to be extremely
quick and unobtrusive, with a high level of protection. It is small at less than 1 megabyte,
and downloads in seconds. It is also extremely light, having minimal impact on the speed
of your PC.

Do I still need to use my existing antivirus software?
The choice is yours. Webroot SecureAnywhere can either replace or work alongside your
existing antivirus software.
Webroot SecureAnywhere is fully compatible with other mainstream antivirus products and
will work alongside any existing antivirus software to detect and remove any threats it
misses, and to protect your financial and personal information.
You will not be asked to uninstall your existing antivirus when installing Webroot
SecureAnywhere.

What extra protection is offered by Identity Shield?
The Identity Shield protects all the details you share with an internet bank. It protects
information like login details, passwords, account numbers, credit card details and
personal information such as addresses, dates of birth etc. It also adds a second layer of
protection against highly targeted banking and information stealing Trojans to ensure your
identity and online activities are fully secure.
Webroot SecureAnywhere protects you in these ways:
• Identifies if a website you visit is the genuine site making sure it’s not a false
banking (phishing) site
• Ensures your login information is only entered into the website it’s intended
for
• Protects your personal information, even if there’s already unidentified
malicious software on your PC
• Automatically protects your web browser, cookies and saved website data
• Prevents browser attacks from keyloggers and screengrabbers that try to
peer into your banking activity
• Protects clipboard data from theft and stops URL grabbing attacks
• Blocks browser modification attempts and any suspicious access to browser
windows

 

[FleischmannTV]

Well thank you for your hard work, Petrovic. It must have been exhausting to type all that. Oh wait, just CTRL+C and CTRL+V, like 99% of the posts at the Webroot community. Please be so kind to post the picture of WIN cloud, as that apparently is the answer to everything. I am completely flabbergasted you left that one out.

Now let me comment on these helpful (i.e. misleading) pictures:

Antivirus Memory Use

Completely negligible, especially in the case of 8 GB of RAM. Programs that make use of the RAM are actually faster than those which do not. Just ask yourself what is faster? If a program has everything it needs loaded in the RAM or if has to send and receive information over the internet? No-brainer.

Antivirus Install Size

Another joke category. Who cares about that? It neither affects performance, nor did anybody ever ran out of disk space because his AV took up 300 - 1.000 MB. Something they forgot to mention: if Webroot is monitoring a lot of stuff, the WRDATA folder in C:\ProgramData may grow to several GBs of space.

Antivirus Scan Times

Next joke category. Not only is it unimportant but the information in the picture is also wrong. A quick scan with Norton and Kaspersky doesn't take 20 minutes. Unless they have compared a quick scan of Webroot with full scans of Norton and Kaspersky, which is fraudulent in my opinion. Also you have to account for that each product has a different depth of examination, hence superficial products will always fare better here.

--

But the aforementioned categories are very important for Webroot and I can tell you why. They are categories at the PassMark performance test and are the major reasons for Webroot looking so good there. If you take a look at the important categories, which actually affect performance, you will see very little difference in comparison to the powerful programs, like ESET and Kaspersky, which do much more than just checksum scanning. Just take a look at browsing speed. Kaspersky, Norton and ESET are faster there even though they examine the http stream much more intensively than Webroot does. If they removed the joke categories like installation size, installation time, memory usage and scan time, the difference between Webroot and the programs that actually DO something would not be recognizable.

 

[Alexstrasza]

I appreciate the info Petrovic, but it got some holes there.

Antivirus Memory Use
I'm gonna quote a security developer and someone I trust here: "If the antivirus is trying to keep its definitions away from memory to make it look good, it means that it hides the defs somewhere else. Usually they hide it in the disk, which actually slows down the scan process as disk access is requested every time the AV performs a scan." Not his exact words, but you get the gist.

In Webroot's case since it has no local defs, it has to request everything from the cloud - not very good for people without a constant internet connection. Not to mention that removal of certain malware can break your internet connection, which will render WSA deadmeat.

Antivirus Install Size
Doesn't make sense to compare this. Go compare something more useful, would ya?

It's only an installer - unless you have to download it with an unstable internet connection, then the installer size has no meaning to it.

Antivirus Scan Time
I wonder what kind of scan Webroot SA used in that pic comparing scan time - Emsisoft v10 products are revamped and have massively increased scanning speed, so it's outdated. Each engine has their own strength and weakness, but scan time is not one of them.

Functionalities
I don't like the sound of any "system optimizer", and you can use several extensions with your browser to keep your digital footprints minimal.

This is not to undermine WSA however - if you like it, keep going along with it. Just saying that the performance test as mentioned above is pretty much useless.

@Giannis
Personally I prefer EIS and do not mind the GUI appearance time, but if you are bothered with it then you can switch to WSA. Just keep in mind that WSA does not do well in the AM department, so you'll have to run it alongside MBAM Premium.

 

[Giannis]

Petrovic, thanks for replying to my thread but I didn't ask for any of these things, I'm aware of them already. I'll just sum up my questions here to make it easier.

1) Is Webroot's protection good enough for a casual home user (gaming-communicating).
2) Does it offer anti-exploit protection.
3) If it doesn't, can it be paired with a program such as MBAE.
4) If it offers, is MBAE and Webroot a good combination.
5) Should I touch MBAE's settings (tick all objects) or leave them at default.
6) Is it wise to include Skype on both MBAE's custom shield and Webroot's identity shield.
7) Can Webroot detect keyloggers and most of all RATs.
8) Should it be paired with MBAM premium or can it stand alone.

That's all, thanks for all the previous comments.

 

[Petrovic]

Well thank you for your hard work, Petrovic. It must have been exhausting to type all that. Oh wait, just CTRL+C and CTRL+V, like 99% of the posts at the Webroot community.

This behaviour is unacceptable

@Giannis
Let him answer - @FleischmannTV

Enjoy

 

[Paul Lee]

Petrovic, thanks for replying to my thread but I didn't ask for any of these things, I'm aware of them already. I'll just sum up my questions here to make it easier.

1) Is Webroot's protection good enough for a casual home user (gaming-communicating).
2) Does it offer anti-exploit protection.
3) If it doesn't, can it be paired with a program such as MBAE.
4) If it offers, is MBAE and Webroot a good combination.
5) Should I touch MBAE's settings (tick all objects) or leave them at default.
6) Is it wise to include Skype on both MBAE's custom shield and Webroot's identity shield.
7) Can Webroot detect keyloggers and most of all RATs.
8) Should it be paired with MBAM premium or can it stand alone.

That's all, thanks for all the previous comments.

1: Yes
2: It should, if I'm not mistaken
3: Yes
4: Yes
5: Default will do just fine for the free version
6: Wouldn't make a difference really
7: Not most but quite a few. You could install Zemana antilogger Free if you aren't ready to take the risk.
8: Free version of MBAM is good enough

Hope this helped

 

[FleischmannTV]

This behaviour is unacceptable

What I find unacceptable is obnoxious copy and pasting of meaningless and misleading shiny pictures, without contributing anything worthwhile of your own. In my opinion this is nothing but marketing spam.

 

[Petrovic]

What I find unacceptable is obnoxious copy and pasting of meaningless and misleading shiny pictures, without contributing anything worthwhile of your own. In my opinion this is nothing but marketing spam.

 

[Tony Cole]

I was briefly reading this post and released I had to comment - FleischmannTV please leave such derogatory comments away, from this, and other posts. Petrovic is an extremely knowledgeable person, who provides very intuitive information, understood by all.

 

[Giannis]

No need for arguments or going off-topic guys. I just made a thread in this section asking for some info regarding this product, nothing else.

 

[Petrovic]

Petrovic, thanks for replying to my thread but I didn't ask for any of these things, I'm aware of them already. I'll just sum up my questions here to make it easier.

1) Is Webroot's protection good enough for a casual home user (gaming-communicating).
2) Does it offer anti-exploit protection.
3) If it doesn't, can it be paired with a program such as MBAE.
4) If it offers, is MBAE and Webroot a good combination.
5) Should I touch MBAE's settings (tick all objects) or leave them at default.
6) Is it wise to include Skype on both MBAE's custom shield and Webroot's identity shield.
7) Can Webroot detect keyloggers and most of all RATs.
8) Should it be paired with MBAM premium or can it stand alone.

That's all, thanks for all the previous comments.

1) Yes-
for example -

Webroot Antivirus for PC Gamers provides real-time protection for your PC, blocking viruses, malware, phishing attacks and identity theft without impacting gameplay.

Our unique, smart cloud technology scans fast and secures your online identity and financial information without interrupting or slowing down your online experience.

Our proprietary Webroot Intelligence Network is continuously fed with advanced threat data from 30 million worldwide users. With sophisticated behavioral analysis and real-time updates,

Webroot solutions guard against both known and brand new threats to bring total protection to your online life. Get gaming security created by PC gamers for PC gamers.

2-3-4-5) IMHO it's not needed as WSA will protect you from any payloads from any exploit and WSA has the Journaling and Rollback feature

6-7) answered #4 use identity shield

8)Webroot works well alongside other AV and anti-malware software. Webroot + Malwarebytes is a popular combo.

 

[rocky]

It is not your fault Giannis this is spilling over from another forum. Webroot = Drama right now.

 

[Petrovic]

It is not your fault Giannis this is spilling over from another forum. Webroot = Drama right now.

i know

 

[Alexstrasza]

Did something happen to Webroot?

 

[Petrovic]

Did something happen to Webroot?

no
just trolling

 

[Alexstrasza]

I mean the drama thing the previous commenter said above yours *shrug*

 

[Giannis]

Thanks for your responses so far.