Spybot 2.0: modularity concepts

In the next weeks, I'll try to use the blog to announce a few things of Spybot - Search & Destroy 2.0, on topics where we would love feedback.

One important change in Spybot-S&D 2.0 will be that the functionality will be much more modularized. Not just one big .exe, but various smaller ones.

A few arguments:

Resources: you do not need everything Spybot offers all at the same time. By loading only those parts you need when you need them, Spybot can run faster, use less system memory, and on older 9x/ME systems, can use less of the precious GDI/user handles.

Speed: the app will simply show much faster.

Interaction: a challenge is to present it to the user in a way that is not affecting his ease of use; on the contrary, it should help him getting things done by presenting only that which he currently needs, at the same time allowing him to easily go to another part.

Updates & Maintenance: by having functionality separated, new functions or bug fixs mean that testing can concentrate on one module, and possibly those depending on it, but not on the full package, leading to faster and more stable updates.

Scripting/Scheduling: if you want to automate things, you can restrict that to the modules that offer the functionality you want to script, without the need to load the full, slow loading old app all the time.

The Modules:
  • Main Scanner (actually two new modules, a new scanner librabry and its user interface)
  • File Scanner (already known, improved by removal offer and some more features)
  • Cleaner (actually various parts to improve the cleaning capability, but visible to the user in only one instance)
  • Immunization (some may already know this from demonstration versions)
  • Settings (with a lot of legacy options removed)
  • Tools (the full capability as known from RunAlyzer, but sped up to have no waiting delay when opening it)
  • Quarantine (formerly known as Recovery)
  • Update (different from the 1.x one)
  • Shredder (similar to how its already moved out now)
Internally, there are even more modules, but this is what you might notice from a users side.

Do you have any comments on other good or bad sides of htis approach? Let us know!

Finally, a few screenshots not really saying that much since the user interface question will be part of another blog post and will still receive more attention before becoming final: Settings, Quarantine, Immunization.
 
Hello,

It would be great if Spybot scans the PC, "track wise" and not "signature wise". I mean to say that instead of using the detection signatures as the reference point (a particular files gets repeatedly scanned for different malware signatures). Rather scan a file and compare it with the list of detection signature.

It's the technique that most AV/AS software uses.
 
When any web browser is installed after spy-bot has already been installed, it doesn't get immunized. I need to install all my browsers before installing spy bot. also after removing a browser its entry remains in the spy bot.
 
@xpsunny: thanks for posting something on topic :)

The scan method becomes more and more of a mix of both. Scanning specific files is already possible with the file scanner, and the next big increase in increasing the number of detected threats will go a huge step towards a more homogenous mix. There are a lot of technical reasons (like this one) for needing some kind of pattern-based progress.
 
Ideas for 2.0 version is great, and I like them.

First I hope that in instalation of spybot 2.0 I can choose for example not to install Teatimer at all, and then expect no teatimer.exe in spybot instalation directory.This is not the case now.

And maybe you can call Main Scanner, Cleaner, Settings, Update and Quarantine something like Core components, and the other modules should be optional and then spybot directory will be smaller if user wants to install only core components/modules.

And it would be nice if speed of scanning is fast as in 1.6 beta1.
 
Much would depend on the user being in 'tune' with this approach, but breaking it down only seems more complex if the interface is less than clear in how objectives are achieved and what those objectives are. Indeed separating the workload among a crew of specialized skills, each working at an optimized level is highly advantageous. Lol, profiling for optimization according to needs and habits comes to mind - my SSD2 "personal assistant" helper to aid me in a threat assessment for gaming (can be risky), surfing (it all depends) and offline (almost nil). Looking forward to more news of advanced yet useable features :)
 
personally i would love it if s&d inc a restart function after scanning where the user could choose to let s&d automaticly restart after a scan

as i let s&d and other security software run at night due to the time scans take (not humming about time) if it finds nothing bar tracks off my comp ussage then a restart function to me would be usefull as the tracks arnt fully removed until i restart.

if i am way off here sorry.
 
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Hört sich doch alles schon mal ganz gut an. :)

Ich habe da mal eine Frage:

Ist ein Tool geplant, welches die aktiven Prozesse und Änderungen an der registry in Echtzeit überwacht und gefährliche Prozesse anhand einer Verhaltensanalyse stoppt, bevor sie ausgeführt werden??
 
About TeaTimer "replacement":
I've saw somewhere that you want change TeaTimer resident name into Coffee Lounge.
Is this true?
 
Are there any plans to transform the immunization feature as a browser plugin? Of course the plugin should be made "read-only" to prevent deletion...;)
 
Hmmm... which advantages should a plugin have? It would mean that the system cannot be immunized in whole, but just by browser, possibly by browser profile only, meaning more work for the user. And it would mean maintaining second plugins for all browsers instead of just one application for us.

And then, to immunize a browser, you would have to open and use it first.

The whole thing about immunization is that is does not need to run in the browserü but uses a passive approach.

More browser plugins are planed and a 2.0 concept will make them easier - but these will be for active blocking, not for immunization.
 
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