Anti Spyware Recommedations

**Oswald** · November 11th, 2009, 07:28 PM

What spyware would you recommend? I've read that Spyware Search & Destroy does have some problems and Spy Blaster in unreliable. I did have Webroot Sypsweeper but it's heavy on resources and made my computer run very slowly.

Thanks in advance.

**Buschi** · November 11th, 2009, 07:52 PM

All the progs u mentioned are not spyware, they remove spyware from ur comp.

I recommend a good antivirus soft with a firewall. This will catch nearly 100% of the spyware. I also use Spybot-S&D but only for a manual scan from time to time. I dont let it run permanently in the background.

Gryffon · November 11th, 2009, 08:22 PM

I got a Backdoor Trojan a few months ago and none of my anti spyware or anti virus software could remove it.

I eventually went on a help forum and was advised to try Malwarebytes free version.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Malwarebytes did what Spybots S&D, Lavasoft Adaware and my ESet NOD Antivirus couldn't, it found and removed the trojan.

It doesn't hurt to have two or three different programs to try, I always found that Spybots & Adaware frequently found different problems anyway.

**buttsie** · November 11th, 2009, 09:09 PM

as good a place as any to start

Anti-spyware programs or Security suites are only part of the solution

http://www.techsupportalert.com/how-...re-your-pc.php

The lead in spiel

Gizmo's Guide to Securing Your PC

New! Gizmo's Security Advice Wizard: Free security suggestions customized to your needs. Get started
Last Update: Sun, 06/21/2009 - 14:29 — gizmo.richards

In today's climate what is the best approach to avoiding getting your PC infected with malware? Gizmo lays out some simple steps you can take to ensure viruses, trojans, keyloggers and other nasties don't take control of your PC

After spending years testing security products I've learned an important lesson. Don't get infected by malware.

In other words, put maximum effort into preventing infection rather than detecting and removing infection.

This statement may seem bland and unremarkable but there's more to it than you think.

The traditional way of adding additional protection

Many people protect their PC's by using multiple signature scanners based on anti-viruses, anti-spywares, anti-trojans and anti-rootkits.

It is not as secure as many people think and for most folks, the cost is too high and the additional protection afforded too little.

The cost here is not so much financial though that is an issue, but rather the serious impact adding many security layers can have on the performance of your PC.

There is also a cost in complexity. The more security programs you run the more chance they will either interfere with each other or with other programs.

Each additional layer you add increases your protection but by an incremental amount only. A good anti-virus program may offer 70% protection. Adding a good anti-spyware utility may increase this to 85%. The addition of an anti-trojan may take it to 90%.

This is because today's security products overlap in function much more than they used to. A modern anti-virus program will detect a lot of spyware while a modern spyware program will detect some viruses, worms and trojans as well.

Although the protection achieved only goes up incrementally with each layer added, the processing load on your PC will rise more or less in proportion to the number of layers. So adding an anti-spyware layer to your anti-virus layer will double the load on your PC. Adding in an anti-trojan as well may well triple it.
So folks, while layering is a good thing we are faced here with a law of diminishing returns.

But that's not the only problem with the traditional layering approach to protection. If an aggressive malware program is allowed to run on your PC it may disable all your layers of protection rendering them useless.

I've seen it happen many times and it is a frightening sight to see all your security program icons disappear from the system tray.

Thankfully some security programs resist termination by hostile agents but the majority don't. And even those that do resist may well prove vulnerable to new, more advanced termination methods yet to be developed by malware programmers.

My approach these days is simple: if you allow malware programs to run on your PC don't expect your security programs to fully protect you. If you are lucky they will but with security, you shouldn't rely on luck.
So how do you prevent infection?

zenkarma · November 20th, 2009, 06:36 PM

I'm no security expert and I don't even play one on TV but I'll give my 2 cents anyway

First I'd suggest taking a look at Firefox extension NoScript https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722 This extension gives full control over the javascript content on any webpage. That way you can allow javascript for a website you trust but still block the offsite content, like banner ads, which could contain malware. This extension is not a 'fire and forget' and requires user input so it's not for everyone. I wouldn't dare call it a perfect solution but just another layer of protection.

Next get a good, read paranoid, firewall. That way should you get infected by something like a trojan you have a better chance of cutting off it's net access until you can remove it. I've been using the free version of TallEmu's Online Armor http://www.tallemu.com/ for awhile now and am quite happy with it. I especially like the program guard which lets you know pretty much every process a program starts and asks if you want to allow it. Again not a 'fire and forget' program and requires user interaction. And like anything else it's not going to completely protect you.

And like the article buttsie posted points out nothing is going to protect you 100%. Especially since the programmers of security software are mostly on the defensive, reacting after an attacker has found an exploit they hadn't considered.

edit>Looked over Gizmo's article and I'll throw in another 2 cents.
#3 Is excellent advice. The most used program is obviously going to be the most targeted program.
I've been using Foxit for .pdf and if anyone knows a good alternative to Flash please share.

#4 I'd hope it's common sense to avoid the 'shadier' sites on the web but anymore any website can be infected. I just cleaned a trojan out of family members computer that was apparently delivered by a suspicious pop up on a major retailers website. Either the website had been hacked or one of the banner ads contained malicious code. I saw where the ASUS website was hit a month or so ago. You just can't say "I'm safe because I only visit 'good' websites" anymore.

#5 You can add McAfee Site Advisor to that list. There's also a new one for Firefox whose name alludes me at the moment. However here you're making a trade off between security and privacy here since you're giving a 3rd party a complete history of every website you visit. Read the privacy policies very carefully!

**Oswald** · November 20th, 2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenkarma

#5 You can add McAfee Site Advisor to that list. There's also a new one for Firefox whose name alludes me at the moment.

I think you are referring to 'Web Of Trust' (W.O.T.).

zenkarma · November 20th, 2009, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oswald

I think you are referring to 'Web Of Trust' (W.O.T.).

Browser Defender Toolbar was the one I was thinking of. Still in beta and apparently has some speed issues to work out. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8909

**Oswald** · November 22nd, 2009, 04:59 PM

I'm giving this a go, so far so good.

http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSp...-10523889.html

**knobby109** · November 23rd, 2009, 07:14 AM

I use Webroot Antivirus and spyware ; as mentioned above it's a bit of a resource hog but not too bad in my opinion.
Malwarebytes is an excellent program , the free version doesn't work in real time but I run it once a week to check whether my Webroot has missed anything.So far it hasn't found anything except a couple of cookies but it's nice to check as no single program will find everything.
I agree with the posters who say you should reduce the CHANCE of infection.The biggest single course of action is DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER.There's no need, there are plenty of much better and more capable browsers available free.And they are all significantly safer than IE.Also,never open an attachment unless you know it has come from a trusted source.This means in particular links attached to internet shopping pages which are often put there by the bad guys.

Rommelbommel · December 2nd, 2009, 11:23 AM

MacOS, or if you need to use Windows, try Malwarebytes'. According to reviews it's better than Spybot or Ad-Aware. Though I have it installed and don't see much difference.

November 11th, 2009, 07:28 PM	#1
Oswald Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 13,115 Thanks: 51,076 Thanked 282,666 Times in 13,805 Posts	Anti Spyware Recommedations What spyware would you recommend? I've read that Spyware Search & Destroy does have some problems and Spy Blaster in unreliable. I did have Webroot Sypsweeper but it's heavy on resources and made my computer run very slowly. Thanks in advance.

November 22nd, 2009, 04:59 PM	#8
Oswald Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 13,115 Thanks: 51,076 Thanked 282,666 Times in 13,805 Posts	SuperAntiSpyware. I'm giving this a go, so far so good. http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSp...-10523889.html

November 11th, 2009, 07:52 PM	#2
Buschi Vintage Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,186 Thanks: 227 Thanked 32,369 Times in 2,671 Posts	All the progs u mentioned are not spyware, they remove spyware from ur comp. I recommend a good antivirus soft with a firewall. This will catch nearly 100% of the spyware. I also use Spybot-S&D but only for a manual scan from time to time. I dont let it run permanently in the background.

November 11th, 2009, 08:22 PM	#3
Gryffon Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 17 Thanks: 1,750 Thanked 357 Times in 14 Posts	I got a Backdoor Trojan a few months ago and none of my anti spyware or anti virus software could remove it. I eventually went on a help forum and was advised to try Malwarebytes free version. http://www.malwarebytes.org/ Malwarebytes did what Spybots S&D, Lavasoft Adaware and my ESet NOD Antivirus couldn't, it found and removed the trojan. It doesn't hurt to have two or three different programs to try, I always found that Spybots & Adaware frequently found different problems anyway.

November 11th, 2009, 09:09 PM	#4
buttsie Porn Archeologist Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: earth Posts: 12,714 Thanks: 92,252 Thanked 241,330 Times in 12,746 Posts	as good a place as any to start Anti-spyware programs or Security suites are only part of the solution http://www.techsupportalert.com/how-...re-your-pc.php The lead in spiel Gizmo's Guide to Securing Your PC New! Gizmo's Security Advice Wizard: Free security suggestions customized to your needs. Get started Last Update: Sun, 06/21/2009 - 14:29 — gizmo.richards In today's climate what is the best approach to avoiding getting your PC infected with malware? Gizmo lays out some simple steps you can take to ensure viruses, trojans, keyloggers and other nasties don't take control of your PC After spending years testing security products I've learned an important lesson. Don't get infected by malware. In other words, put maximum effort into preventing infection rather than detecting and removing infection. This statement may seem bland and unremarkable but there's more to it than you think. The traditional way of adding additional protection Many people protect their PC's by using multiple signature scanners based on anti-viruses, anti-spywares, anti-trojans and anti-rootkits. It is not as secure as many people think and for most folks, the cost is too high and the additional protection afforded too little. The cost here is not so much financial though that is an issue, but rather the serious impact adding many security layers can have on the performance of your PC. There is also a cost in complexity. The more security programs you run the more chance they will either interfere with each other or with other programs. Each additional layer you add increases your protection but by an incremental amount only. A good anti-virus program may offer 70% protection. Adding a good anti-spyware utility may increase this to 85%. The addition of an anti-trojan may take it to 90%. This is because today's security products overlap in function much more than they used to. A modern anti-virus program will detect a lot of spyware while a modern spyware program will detect some viruses, worms and trojans as well. Although the protection achieved only goes up incrementally with each layer added, the processing load on your PC will rise more or less in proportion to the number of layers. So adding an anti-spyware layer to your anti-virus layer will double the load on your PC. Adding in an anti-trojan as well may well triple it. So folks, while layering is a good thing we are faced here with a law of diminishing returns. But that's not the only problem with the traditional layering approach to protection. If an aggressive malware program is allowed to run on your PC it may disable all your layers of protection rendering them useless. I've seen it happen many times and it is a frightening sight to see all your security program icons disappear from the system tray. Thankfully some security programs resist termination by hostile agents but the majority don't. And even those that do resist may well prove vulnerable to new, more advanced termination methods yet to be developed by malware programmers. My approach these days is simple: if you allow malware programs to run on your PC don't expect your security programs to fully protect you. If you are lucky they will but with security, you shouldn't rely on luck. So how do you prevent infection? Last edited by buttsie; November 20th, 2009 at 07:03 PM..

November 20th, 2009, 06:36 PM	#5
zenkarma Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 169 Thanks: 1,016 Thanked 19,261 Times in 467 Posts	I'm no security expert and I don't even play one on TV but I'll give my 2 cents anyway First I'd suggest taking a look at Firefox extension NoScript https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722 This extension gives full control over the javascript content on any webpage. That way you can allow javascript for a website you trust but still block the offsite content, like banner ads, which could contain malware. This extension is not a 'fire and forget' and requires user input so it's not for everyone. I wouldn't dare call it a perfect solution but just another layer of protection. Next get a good, read paranoid, firewall. That way should you get infected by something like a trojan you have a better chance of cutting off it's net access until you can remove it. I've been using the free version of TallEmu's Online Armor http://www.tallemu.com/ for awhile now and am quite happy with it. I especially like the program guard which lets you know pretty much every process a program starts and asks if you want to allow it. Again not a 'fire and forget' program and requires user interaction. And like anything else it's not going to completely protect you. And like the article buttsie posted points out nothing is going to protect you 100%. Especially since the programmers of security software are mostly on the defensive, reacting after an attacker has found an exploit they hadn't considered. edit>Looked over Gizmo's article and I'll throw in another 2 cents. #3 Is excellent advice. The most used program is obviously going to be the most targeted program. I've been using Foxit for .pdf and if anyone knows a good alternative to Flash please share. #4 I'd hope it's common sense to avoid the 'shadier' sites on the web but anymore any website can be infected. I just cleaned a trojan out of family members computer that was apparently delivered by a suspicious pop up on a major retailers website. Either the website had been hacked or one of the banner ads contained malicious code. I saw where the ASUS website was hit a month or so ago. You just can't say "I'm safe because I only visit 'good' websites" anymore. #5 You can add McAfee Site Advisor to that list. There's also a new one for Firefox whose name alludes me at the moment. However here you're making a trade off between security and privacy here since you're giving a 3rd party a complete history of every website you visit. Read the privacy policies very carefully! Last edited by zenkarma; November 20th, 2009 at 06:51 PM..

November 23rd, 2009, 07:14 AM	#9
knobby109 Vintage Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,736 Thanks: 144 Thanked 14,339 Times in 1,702 Posts	I use Webroot Antivirus and spyware ; as mentioned above it's a bit of a resource hog but not too bad in my opinion. Malwarebytes is an excellent program , the free version doesn't work in real time but I run it once a week to check whether my Webroot has missed anything.So far it hasn't found anything except a couple of cookies but it's nice to check as no single program will find everything. I agree with the posters who say you should reduce the CHANCE of infection.The biggest single course of action is DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER.There's no need, there are plenty of much better and more capable browsers available free.And they are all significantly safer than IE.Also,never open an attachment unless you know it has come from a trusted source.This means in particular links attached to internet shopping pages which are often put there by the bad guys.

December 2nd, 2009, 11:23 AM	#10
Rommelbommel Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 338 Thanks: 160 Thanked 1,119 Times in 244 Posts	MacOS, or if you need to use Windows, try Malwarebytes'. According to reviews it's better than Spybot or Ad-Aware. Though I have it installed and don't see much difference.