Powertech Antivirus and ClamAV: A Detection Rate Comparison
Antivirus solutions are like a water filter for your IT environment – they catch impurities that can poison your system. This is what makes detection rates such an important consideration when Linux IT security professionals are choosing an antivirus solution. These ratings analyze not only how much an antivirus solution catches, but also what it catches. In order to provide your organization with the data in needs to make an informed decision, Fortra enlisted the independent reviewer, AVTest, to conduct a detection rate test between our enterprise solution, Powertech Antivirus, and the most widely used open source Linux antivirus, Clam AntiVirus. Read on to find out the results of this detection rate test.
Total Linux Malware
Powertech Antivirus detected 1.3x more pieces of Linux malware then ClamAV.
Native Linux solutions are those that are developed on and intended for use on Linux machines. When using a server-side antivirus, native Linux antivirus solutions tend to perform better than PC based solutions. They don’t require scanning the server from a PC and are faster and more reliable than PC-based antivirus solutions. With the recent discovery of 21 new Linux malware families, native solutions are more important than ever.
Total Windows Malware
Powertech Antivirus detected 2.5x more pieces of Windows malware than ClamAV.
Since Linux servers operate in conjunction with Windows workstations, it is equally important for Linux antivirus solutions to be able to detect Windows malware. There are far more types of Windows malware, which is usually attributed to the fact that there are simply far fewer Linux users, making Windows a more tempting target.
Backdoor & Trojan Horses
Powertech Antivirus detected 2.4x more backdoor and trojan horses than ClamAV.
Trojan Horses are a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate piece of software. Once activated, it can unleash any number of attacks on the host system. As implied by the name, backdoor Trojans create alternate entrances that don’t require traditional authentication methods for the attacker to get through and are often left open for additional attacks to be made later. For example, the backdoor Trojan Code Red II was later exploited by the Nimda worm.
Malware Hidden in Archives
Powertech Antivirus detected 1.7x more malware hidden in archives than ClamAV.
Hiding malware in archives, files that are combined and compressed for easier storage and transfer, is a strategy that attackers use to transmit malicious entities undetected. They embed malware into these archived files, usually attached to emails, only for them to deploy once the compressed file is extracted.
Detecting the Right Antivirus Solution
Aside from detection rates, there are other criteria to examine when considering antivirus solutions. Ease of use, set up, performance, support, scalability, centralized management – these are all important factors to evaluate in order to make the best decision for your organization. The only thing you shouldn’t consider is going without antivirus altogether.
In addition to its excellent detection rates, Powertech Antivirus provides behavioral analysis and detection, discovering new variants of malware or previously unknown viruses. It simplifies your protection with automatic updating and the flexibility of real time or on demand scanning. It also offers the power and defenses of the industry leading scan engines while supporting the specific features of your operating system.