Hello,

I just gave the MWB 1.41 trial version a run and was impressed that it found 4 problems that had not been found by the current version of McAfee's Security Center. But a friend told me that MWB checks for Trojans and Adware, but not Viruses - is this true? Better yet, maybe I should ask if there is any kind of "bad boy" that MWB ignores.

Thanks, Bill

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is meant as an anti-malware tool, with optional premium protection. While malware technically means any malicious software, we tend to not focus our efforts on things that anti-virus software is already good at, but instead our research and development teams dive headfirst into the nastiest of malicious software that everyone else has trouble with.

If you are looking for a good anti-virus software, We always recommend AntiVir.

Note that the new Microsoft Security Essentials is also surprisingly good.

A broader question: If malware technically means "any" malicious software, and as you note (and I agree), "anti-virus" software generally does a good job, my question to you is how should we define or differentiate malware vs viruses? There are viruses that are relatively benign, and there is malware that is relatively destructive, and vice versa. The line is fuzzy at times...

It should also be noted that in my own humble opinion (and experience), MWB is the best product I've found for exactly the problem you described, the "nastiest of malicious software that everyone else has trouble with". It also points out that we need to continue using multiple levels of protection, there is no magic bullet that will protect us from everything out there, viruses, malware, spyware, etc etc.

elaine
charlottesville, va

Malware: Malicious computer software that interferes with normal computer
functions or sends personal data about the user to unauthorized
parties over the Internet.

Virus: a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally
in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system
or network.

Thanks for the information everyone! I guess when my copy of McAfee expires next June, I'll need to need to install AVG or the MS anti-virus programs to go along with MWB.

BTW - I have had one problem with MWB that I've been unable to resolve on my own. I've just started a thread in the "False Positive" forum which explains what's going on. I'd post a link to that thread here, but this forum either doesn't have this capability or it's not yet been made available to me.

Thanks, Bill

True enough, but I believe that the lines get blurred at times nowadays as the badboys get smarter and smarter

<sigh>

elaine

Technically, there is no dividing line. Viruses are malware. Anything malicious is malware. The only line we draw here at Malwarebytes is the one between what everyone else is already good at, and what they are not.

Badboys are always one step ahead. That's their atitude.

Although viruses are one of the most common forms, not all anti-virus programs will remove malware. There are, however, all-in-one internet security suites that claim to fight all types of infections. Aside from an anti-virus application, a genuine malware tool is the best way to detect and eliminate the wide range of threats this type of infection presents. These programs having a better chance of detecting harmful programs your virus scanner may have missed.