Anti spyware programs

General Topics
1

Hi malware fighters,

There are several good anti-spyware solutions/
A basic free solution could be the combination of Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and to protect SpywareBlaster (install the latter program on a clean system only). This basic protection can be enhanced by A-squared free and Micro-Ewido scanner (anti-trojan ). When you run your account with normal user rights, and tweak it with XPSafe, you are rather safe unless you keep all these programs regularly updated. To get rid of temporal files and crap files, use CrapCleaner and the Stealther add-on in your Firefox or Flock browser.

The 1 anti-spyware program just helps a bit better against the X-type of spyware, while the other just a bit better against the Y-type of nasties.

Good programs are:

Ad-aware
AVG Anti-Spyware
Pest Patrol
Spy Sweeper
Spyware Doctor
SUPERAntiSpyware
Windows Defender
Spybot Search & Destroy
CounterSpy (Sunbelt)
PREVX

But there even so many, while not even more so-called rogue anti-spyware programs that try to infest your computer with even more adware and crap.
These programs you should NOT use by any means. You can read about these bad apples here:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Surf secure and safe from spyware.

polonus

2

Hey Polonus :smiley:
thanks for the info…i think i am well protected on my alienware laptop as you should know by now…what I use is the following…
For Anti-Spyware Programs I have as Real Time…
Windows Defender and Avg 7.5 Anti-Spyware(full)don’t conflict with each other and work great…
For Scanners Only…
Spy Sweeper(full)and Ad-Aware Personal
Also have in the Background…
Spyware Blaster and Winpatrol Plus(full)
For Cleaning I Have…
Ccleaner(Crap Cleaner)
X-Cleaner Deluxe(full)
and for Registry and other Cleaning…
Registry Mechanic(full)and Tune Up Utilities 2006(full)
Webroot Desktop Firewall (full)as my In/Out Firewall
and Diskeeper 2007 Defragmentation(full)
After i used the trial version on some of these products i liked them i wanted all the features and paid for the full versions ::slight_smile:
I think i am well protected and watch will i go to on the internet :frowning:
The Browsers i use are…
Avant
Opera and IE 7
Have a good one my friend 8)
Oh! I left the best for last…Avast!as my A/V- have for @the last 5 years…

3

A nice, helpful post. Thanks. I thought I’d add this, as some may be looking for a suggested routine in using the mentioned tools.

My browser of choice is Firefox 2.0, with NoScript and Adblock Plus (with both the FiltersetG and dutchblock lists) installed as extensions.

With that in mind then, here’s my normal routine:

My choice for a firewall is Zone Alarm Free (note the version number from my signature - last best version in my opinion).

I run a standard scan on avast once a month (some will argue that you run it more often).

Windows Defender runs as active resident.

SpywareBlaster runs as a passive resident.

Spybot and Ad-Aware are run as often as the definitions update. (I make it part of my morning routine to check them along with SpywareBlaster for updates.)

Weekly, I clean out the cache and cookies on Firefox, and I run Disk Cleanup.

Once a month, I run Scan Disk and then I defrag the hard drive.

Once a month I run Trend Micro HouseCall, just as an added touch.

After the monthly routine, I then backup files and settings using SyncBack to a flash drive which is locked away in the fire safe. (That frequency works fine for me, others will want to backup more often.)

Understanding, that I don’t run through the internet barefooted, with this layered approach, I haven’t had a problem for as long as I can remember.

I’m sure that all of the products you’ve mention work equally well, this is just my set-up.

It’s the importance of establishing a routine that I wanted to zero in on.

4

Hi OrangeCrate,

Yes, it is like this, staying secure and malware-free is knowledge but also a form of an continuous attitude. People that get to this forum, and take some time to read what is advised here, can get an informed assumption as how to secure their computer and stay clear of infections. Well the occasional tracking cookie even does not show up if you know how to.
I learned the hard way. Once years ago I lost a computer to some nasty destructive virus, had to completely re-install. Then I decided I wanted to educate myself so that this was not so easily done the next time. I installed avast, landed on this forum and started to learn to be a malware fighter.

polonus

5

Polonus,

Agreed.

As I have mentioned before, I don’t post much, but I enjoy reading here every day. Often, I see where people are so hung up on keeping the box clean, that they install everything they can find.

I wonder sometimes how they can actually find time to do anything except run all the programs they have installed. And of course, conflicts between programs are common. I worry that people who are new to all this, just start installing stuff, because they read it here in various threads.

A few good layered products, and a strict routine, will cover most potential problems.

In the rare instance that I do run into a problem (usually following links in something that caught my interest), I’m so attuned to how my computer works, I can hear it chugging when something installs. I then start running programs until I figure out what happened. Same with you, I would guess.

Take care.

6

Yes you can get too much of a good thing and you can go overboard with it.

I use DropMyRights for all programs that access the internet, that limits the potential damage that can be done, files can’t be placed in the system folders nor entries added to the registry. That goes a long way towards your overall security. I have avast, outpost pro firewall, adaware, ewido, SuperAntiSpyware as my main protection with HiJackThis if I’m in any doubt.

I haven’t used an on-line AV scanners for years, mostly because they require activeX and I try to avoid that like the plague or they uses Java and I don’t have that installed )I have never found anything that requires it that I absolutely must have), one less thing to keep up to date or present an opening for any Java vulnerability.

Add to that a degree of common sense and practising safe hex this further bumps up your security without having to swamp your system in anti-this_and_that programs.

7

No activeX for me either, I run HouseCall through Firefox (Java based).

I have IE7 installed, but it’s a dedicated slave to Microsoft Update.

After playing with it for a half an hour or so when I installed it, I’ve never opened it again.

8

Hi OrangeCrate and DavidR,

Well DavidR was the one who hammered the DropMyRights routine home with me, as well as a lot of other visitors of this forum. All my online activities are under normal user rights, only for updating that requires admin’s rights I have another account. I really like SafeXP for it does what it says without having to delve deep into XP’s registry, you can do a lot of things with a simple tag in a box, and if you have a link to the default settings at set out, everything works fine. I do not use activeX because I use a fully patched and updated IE only for the single purpose of updating MS and getting necessary patches. I have ope noffice so I will not miss anything, and I have additional AbiWord in Dutch, English and Polish versions.
In Firefox I consider active Javascript as one of the main vectors of silent infections, so I run NoScript, and temporarily disable that only for the websites I consider to be green (MacAfeeSiteAdvisor, WOT, scandoo, DrWeb’s anti-virus link checker, and the Netcraft anti-phishing tool give me a rather accurate indication to the potential risks of a certain website). Stealther in the FF browser or CrapCleaner on the desktop see to it that all of the Augius’stable of my computer is better cleaned out than Hercules could do it himself.

polonus

9

Regarding DropMyRights…

I started reading about this, and immediately ran into a potential problem for me.

Long ago, I converted all of my email to multiple Gmail accounts due primarily to the conversation and archiving features. (Before, on Outlook Express, I had so many separate client files, I couldn’t find anything when I needed to.)

I use Thunderbird now to write and read emails, just because I like the clean interface better than Gmail, but it’s an empty program. Nothing is saved there.

If I read correctly, DropMyRights has a problem accessing sites that use SSL user authentication, which of course, Gmail does.

Is this true, or am I misunderstanding something? I would want an answer to that question, before I would go any further in adopting DropMyRights, which of course is a great idea.

10

Just for clarification for you and others that might read the topic, DropMyRights doesn’t access SSL or anything for that matter, your program/s still do what they always have access the web/email, etc. The only difference is the shortcut you use, calls DropMyRights and it calls the program, but with limited rights.

The only time you would have a problem is when you need administrator right, such as Windows Update, for that use you start your program normally without using the DMR shortcut to launch the program.

11

Hi DavidR,

When you run a program like Internet Explorer at a severely restricted privilege level, be prepared for some things to go wrong. On a system, for example, when one runsn IE as a “constrained” user the Netcraft toolbar fails. There are other downsides: For example, the browser may not have access to the Favourites list.

The advantages of running a constrained IE, though, especially on sites you don’t necessarily trust, should be obvious. Microsoft really needs to make this capability easier to access and make the function clearer to users.

Or my question is how to circumvent these disadvantages of DropMeRights?

polonus

12

Firstly I haven’t run into these problems you mention, possibly because it is very rare that I use IE at all, but I can’t see how restricting user permissions would effect the Netcraft toolbar (again I haven’t used it), why it would require admin permissions is beyond me. Have you tried it with a limited user account (not admin account and DropMyRights) and see if it works there ?

I have never had an issue accessing favourite on the occasions I use IE or Maxthon, it seems strange that you would have problems accessing what is in effect is user owned favourites as they are stored in the used profile in Doc & Settings, User, etc.

The Windows Vista version of IE 7 will provide a Protected Mode that gives the browser sufficient rights to browse the Web, but not enough rights to modify user settings or data. Protected Mode will only be available to Vista users because the functionality depends on the reworked user account system in Windows Vista. Vista’s version of IE 7 will also be able to automatically install security and other updates; that will not be the case in the XP version.

So the unblessed amongst us will have to continue to take other measures ;D

As to how to avoid these limitations, try a different browser, I have had no problems with firefox running under DropMyRights, I have even been able to install extensions which I found strange, but I suppose they are in the user profile area.

13

As you can see, IE7 and “DropMyRights” work well together:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/DMR.png

14

Hi,

I guess AVG is an anti virus not anti adware…

I use No Adware without problems…

Karl

15

@ Karl (noadware),

Grisoft offers two products: AVG anti-virus and AVG anti-spyware (formerly ewido, recently bought by Grisoft). AVG anti-spyware works well with avast, as did ewido.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

:slight_smile:

Terry