New Feature in Emsisoft

[GTP]

Quote...
"Contrary to most self proclaimed anti-ransomware specialist tools out there, Emsisoft Anti-Malware and Emsisoft Internet Security are able to block ransomware before it even encrypts the first data file."

http://blog.emsisoft.com/2017/05/31/new-in-2017-5-anti-ransomware/

 

[TechLady]

Hmmmm. I'd like to see some testing data on this.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Because of Emsisoft's dependence on choices the user makes, it ranks second-last in AV-Comparatives' April 2017 tests. I find their credibility lacking and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to my customers -- ransomware defense claims notwithstanding.

 

[GTP]

Because of Emsisoft's dependence on choices the user makes, it ranks second-last in AV-Comparatives' April 2017 tests. I find their credibility lacking and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to my customers -- ransomware defense claims notwithstanding.

So @Larry Sabo what do you recommend to your clients?
I've sold over 200 copies of Emsisoft to my clients, just over half of those through intergration with Kabuto and have had no problems to speak of.
I do take the time to adjust the default settings and I add my own custom hosts file to the program as well.
To be quite truthful, I haven't had to do a virus removal from any of my customers since I started selling it.
Re "ransomware" I have on several occasions been notified about cryptomalware being blocked by Emsisoft.
A few CryptoLocker and Cryptowall and one instance of WannaCry recently.
I have no hesitation in recommending it to my clients because I know it works by the evidence I see daily - not because of AV Comparitives results.

 

[Larry Sabo]

@Barcelona, I use and sell Avira Anti-Virus Pro, mainly, and like you, almost never get calls from my users for virus infections . The calls I do get are usually "Microsoft scam" cases, which I blame on social engineering and undisciplined user behaviour ("lets click/open this and see what it's about"). I set Avira for maximum Heuristic protection, and to clean then delete what it can't clean for the System Scanner.

I understood that Emsisoft requests the user to make a decision when something nasty is encountered, but if it's more a question of the tech setting prudent options at installation time, then I apologize for my condemnation and should give it another try. I prefer security software to be completely transparent and immune to the end user. If they have to make a decision, it will eventually be wrong.

 

[Your PCMD]

I like Emsisoft. Which is why I am a re-seller and I have sold so far over 300 stand alone copies and have yet to hear anything. I used to sell Kaspersky, Norton and McAfee but quite those because they are either system resource hogs or they don't catch malware at times. Dont get me wrong, absolutely no anti virus/malware is 100% and most of the time its not the software's fault but the person behind the keyboard.

 

[Archon Prime]

I use Emsisoft and it's great. Sold it to several clients and they love it. I threw some ransomware files at my test machine a few days ago. Emsisoft was on top of that like a fat kid on cake. I was quite impressed.

 

[TechLady]

@Barcelona, I use and sell Avira Anti-Virus Pro, mainly, and like you, almost never get calls from my users for virus infections . The calls I do get are usually "Microsoft scam" cases, which I blame on social engineering and undisciplined user behaviour ("lets click/open this and see what it's about"). I set Avira for maximum Heuristic protection, and to clean then delete what it can't clean for the System Scanner.

I understood that Emsisoft requests the user to make a decision when something nasty is encountered, but if it's more a question of the tech setting prudent options at installation time, then I apologize for my condemnation and should give it another try. I prefer security software to be completely transparent and immune to the end user. If they have to make a decision, it will eventually be wrong.

These are precisely my concerns. It's hard for me to get behind something that needs that much adjustment just to do what other antivirus does from the get-go...

Fat kid on cake, lol.

 

[GTP]

that much adjustment

It's only a couple of settings. More "tweaks" really. One of those tweaks is to turn off annoying popups about recommended news blogs and the other is to tweak the "permissions" settings to stop the EU from meddling! Everything else is as it comes.
Setting my own hosts file is my choice, it not mandatory and the software works fine without it.

 

[GTP]

I understood that Emsisoft requests the user to make a decision when something nasty is encountered, but if it's more a question of the tech setting prudent options at installation time

Like most, if not all AV programs Emsisoft does pop up a box asking to "allow once/allow always/deny once/deny always" on certain downloaded programs.
But those are rare as the software checks against a database of known programs and its only those obscure, "dodgy" programs that are not in the database that get the interrogation box.
But there is no user input when a malware/virus is encountered. It simply quarantines the item and - depending on settings - (default is no alerts) whether it alerts the EU or not.
The software does display a total count of anything found/caught etc on its main user interface page.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

A/V is not the answer to Ransomware...a good backup plan and end user education is.

 

[TechPJC]

A/V is not the answer to Ransomware...a good backup plan and end user education is.

True, but lazy customers are not eager to educate themselves.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

True, but lazy customers are not eager to educate themselves.

...and all to eager to fall for marketing ploys. Granted, Emsisoft may be able to block some ransomware, it surely won't block them all. That is why I mentioned the backup plan. It's fool-proof against dumb end-users who like to clickety clack on everything.

 

[GTP]

...and all to eager to fall for marketing ploys. Granted, Emsisoft may be able to block some ransomware, it surely won't block them all. That is why I mentioned the backup plan. It's fool-proof against dumb end-users who like to clickety clack on everything.

Nothing stops everything, even a tank can be blown up, but for dumb end users who have no idea - it's a start.

True, but lazy customers are not eager to educate themselves.

I'm not sure whether they are so much "too lazy" as they don't really get it?
I've seen how their eyes glaze over when I try to explain things, and not just about malware.

 

[Your PCMD]

've seen how their eyes glaze over when I try to explain things, and not just about malware.

That reminds me of a story a couple weeks back. Had a customer that clicked an ad on FB, got the ransomeware screen (you know, the fake one). I told them I could get it off there for just $75 - lower than my usual removal cost, but it was the last job of the day and I wanted to get home.

Anyway, I get inside their house, they are cussing up a storm at their machine. Asked me how this could happen and then said, give it to me straight, we can take it. To which I said "you clicked on s**t you weren't suppose to and f**ed it up". 5 mins later I was leaving to go home. Easiest $75 I ever made and made a life long client as they said they would always call me since I was honest and blunt with them.

 

[cypress]

The policy you set in Kabuto for Emsisoft really helps with the nagging issues. I installed a copy of Emsisoft after the policy feature was rolled out on my laptop. I Had no issues with anything coming up. The only thing that did come up was the warning when inserting a flash drive which you can always modify.

Layered approach and good education will always be the best approach, but having a Malware and virus removal combo in Emsisoft certainly helps.

 

[Archon Prime]

"you clicked on s**t you weren't suppose to and f**ed it up".

In those exact words? Cause I LOLed hard.

 

[TechLady]

That reminds me of a story a couple weeks back. Had a customer that clicked an ad on FB, got the ransomeware screen (you know, the fake one). I told them I could get it off there for just $75 - lower than my usual removal cost, but it was the last job of the day and I wanted to get home.

Errrm...you charged them $75 to force-close Chrome and leave??

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Errrm...you charged them $75 to force-close Chrome and leave??

I don't know what @Your PCMD does, but we never just close Chrome and call it good. We always run a scan or two of the machine to make sure there is nothing else going on. 9/10 on new clients they have other issues and we upsell them on virus removals or tune ups or whatever else they need.

 

[Your PCMD]

Errrm...you charged them $75 to force-close Chrome and leave??

Well yeah. I had to drive nearly 40 miles for the service. You don't think I would travel there, do the job and travel back for $20 do you? And 5 mins was a figure of speech, and of course I scanned it and it came up clean. But I was there no more than 30 mins.