Is there a browser-only AV program?

I don't use a Micro$oft email program and I think my virus
vulnerability through that route is quite small.

However an increasing trend is for website servers to serve infected
objects.

Laptops tend to not have a lot of CPU power and AV software slows them
down dramatically - booting up and then in operation.

I have just tried both AVG and Kaspersky (the latter I use
successfully on desktops) on my dual core Thinkpad x60s and it slows
it down dramatically, even if I disable a load of features. And KAV
messes up Explorer and the auto hiding task bar no longer works, for
some reason.

I wonder if there is an "AV plugin" for say Firefox?

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:49:35 +0000, Peter ate alphabet spaghetti and shat
out:

> I don't use a Micro$oft email program and I think my virus vulnerability
> through that route is quite small.
>
> However an increasing trend is for website servers to serve infected
> objects.
>
> Laptops tend to not have a lot of CPU power and AV software slows them
> down dramatically - booting up and then in operation.
>
> I have just tried both AVG and Kaspersky (the latter I use successfully
> on desktops) on my dual core Thinkpad x60s and it slows it down
> dramatically, even if I disable a load of features. And KAV messes up
> Explorer and the auto hiding task bar no longer works, for some reason.
>
> I wonder if there is an "AV plugin" for say Firefox?


I find running Linux on the desktop cures all of those evils aimed at
Windows.......


--
political correctness: The safety net protecting deaf blind disabled
ethnic minority gays & lesbians with odd religious beliefs from reality

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:49:35 +0000, Peter wrote:

> I don't use a Micro$oft email program and I think my virus
> vulnerability through that route is quite small.
>
> However an increasing trend is for website servers to serve infected
> objects.
>
> Laptops tend to not have a lot of CPU power and AV software slows them
> down dramatically - booting up and then in operation.
>
> I have just tried both AVG and Kaspersky (the latter I use
> successfully on desktops) on my dual core Thinkpad x60s and it slows
> it down dramatically, even if I disable a load of features. And KAV
> messes up Explorer and the auto hiding task bar no longer works, for
> some reason.
>
> I wonder if there is an "AV plugin" for say Firefox?

Don't know of any that is specifically for that (there's 'cloud' AV of
course) but Avast with only Web Shield on (and possibly Network Shield)
might be a half-way solution.
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.

PeterC <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Don't know of any that is specifically for that (there's 'cloud' AV of
> course) but Avast with only Web Shield on (and possibly Network Shield)
> might be a half-way solution.

That's a better solution, since once someone has an exploit for Firefox you
can't guarantee that a putative 'AV plugin' will get to it before the
exploit is activated. It's generally better to keep the filtering and the
vulnerable system separate.

Theo

On 02/12/09 10:27, Spamtastic Spastic wrote:
> On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:49:35 +0000, Peter ate alphabet spaghetti and shat
> out:
>
>> I don't use a Micro$oft email program and I think my virus vulnerability
>> through that route is quite small.
>>
>> However an increasing trend is for website servers to serve infected
>> objects.
>>
>> Laptops tend to not have a lot of CPU power and AV software slows them
>> down dramatically - booting up and then in operation.
>>
>> I have just tried both AVG and Kaspersky (the latter I use successfully
>> on desktops) on my dual core Thinkpad x60s and it slows it down
>> dramatically, even if I disable a load of features. And KAV messes up
>> Explorer and the auto hiding task bar no longer works, for some reason.
>>
>> I wonder if there is an "AV plugin" for say Firefox?
>
>
> I find running Linux on the desktop cures all of those evils aimed at
> Windows.......

And on the laptop. I only run Windows now on a standalone laptop that
runs programming software for my 2-way radios. No Linux equivalent,
unfortunately.

Ivor

On 02/12/09 19:43, Andy Champ wrote:
> Spamtastic Spastic wrote:
>>
>> I find running Linux on the desktop cures all of those evils aimed at
>> Windows.......
>>
>
> ... leaving the smaller, but no less deadly, evils aimed at Linux...

Which are..? Never seen one here.

Ivor

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:19:49 +0000, occassionally-(E-Mail Removed)
wrote:

> PeterC <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:49:35 +0000, Peter wrote:
>>
>>> I don't use a Micro$oft email program and I think my virus
>>> vulnerability through that route is quite small.
>>>
>>> However an increasing trend is for website servers to serve infected
>>> objects.
>>>
>>> Laptops tend to not have a lot of CPU power and AV software slows them
>>> down dramatically - booting up and then in operation.
>>>
>>> I have just tried both AVG and Kaspersky (the latter I use
>>> successfully on desktops) on my dual core Thinkpad x60s and it slows
>>> it down dramatically, even if I disable a load of features. And KAV
>>> messes up Explorer and the auto hiding task bar no longer works, for
>>> some reason.
>>>
>>> I wonder if there is an "AV plugin" for say Firefox?
>>
>>Don't know of any that is specifically for that (there's 'cloud' AV of
>>course) but Avast with only Web Shield on (and possibly Network Shield)
>>might be a half-way solution.
>
> How much does Avast slow down the computer boot-up?
>
> AVG and KAV slow it down dramatically (a factor of 10).

Sorry, without stopping Avast from being started automatically and also
setting its Services to Manual I don't know (might try it just to see), but
my XP Pro, with quite a start-up list, gets to Desktop in 43s. There are,
of course, goings-on after that, but apps. are launchable in about 90s.
With fewer Shields starting, I'd expect some seconds of that.
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.

Andy Champ wrote:
> Spamtastic Spastic wrote:
>>
>> I find running Linux on the desktop cures all of those evils aimed at
>> Windows.......
>>
>
> ... leaving the smaller, but no less deadly, evils aimed at Linux...
>
care to specify ONE?

> Andy

On Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:28:00 +0000, PeterC wrote:

>> How much does Avast slow down the computer boot-up?
>>
>> AVG and KAV slow it down dramatically (a factor of 10).
>
>Sorry, without stopping Avast from being started automatically and also
>setting its Services to Manual I don't know (might try it just to see), but
>my XP Pro, with quite a start-up list, gets to Desktop in 43s. There are,
>of course, goings-on after that, but apps. are launchable in about 90s.
>With fewer Shields starting, I'd expect some seconds of that.

Avast does a scan for rootkits(name might not be right) on startup but
you can disable this in the settings. If you've also turned off the on
access scanner it shouldn't really make too much difference. I'd still
do a manual full scan fairly often though, when you can leave it to
chug along by itself.

--
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:42:39 +0000 (GMT), Rodney Pont wrote:

> On Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:28:00 +0000, PeterC wrote:
>
>>> How much does Avast slow down the computer boot-up?
>>>
>>> AVG and KAV slow it down dramatically (a factor of 10).
>>
>>Sorry, without stopping Avast from being started automatically and also
>>setting its Services to Manual I don't know (might try it just to see), but
>>my XP Pro, with quite a start-up list, gets to Desktop in 43s. There are,
>>of course, goings-on after that, but apps. are launchable in about 90s.
>>With fewer Shields starting, I'd expect some seconds of that.
>
> Avast does a scan for rootkits(name might not be right) on startup but
> you can disable this in the settings. If you've also turned off the on
> access scanner it shouldn't really make too much difference. I'd still
> do a manual full scan fairly often though, when you can leave it to
> chug along by itself.

Yes, there is some impact by the File System Shield; it depends on the
programme and how Avast 'learns' the various files, but I accept this as
worthwhile. Word 2003 opens in 3s with FSS on and 2s without; other progs.
aren't the same percentage, fortunately.
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.