The Skinny on Spyware

• Home
• Security
• Firewalls
• Trojans
• Hijacked! and Spyware Problems
• Virus
• Virus Alerts
• Spyware Tools
• Free Downloads
• Q and A Security

• Did You Know?
• Change Your Email
• Edit Your Membership
• Groups Etiquette
• Trim Your Posts!
• Bouncing!
• Banned!
• Is it Spam?
• On Line Privacy
• Groups Solutions

There is a constant battle to keep spyware from our computers. We remove it and the bad guys think up more ways to put it back!

Just an FYI, the overall best way to keep spyware off your computer is to use Mozilla's Firefox. Firefox does not use or allow ActiveX controls unless you specifically click something to allow one to install.

One spyware scanner is not enough. You can use Ad-aware from Lavasoft  and Spybot Search and Destroy. Ad-aware has a free version and Spybot is still free as of this writing.

The Arsenal

Ad-aware 2007 Free version This is a new version replacing Ad-Aware SE

Spybot Search and Destroy

 

SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition

If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you can download Microsoft's free Windows Defender still in beta. You first have to validate your version of Windows with Microsoft to be sure it is genuine.

Microsoft Windows Defender

There are a lot of commercial spyware removers available as well. A word of caution here, there are a number of programs CLAIMING to be spyware removers that are in fact spyware programs. There are a lot of programs that advertise a free scan and they will let you know you have spyware, but you have to pay for the program before it will remove anything. These programs sometimes find things 'that aren't really there', in an effort to intimidate you into purchasing the program.

 

ewido anti-spyware

 

This setup contains the free as well as the paid version of ewido anti-spyware. After the installation, a free 30-day trial version containing all the extensions of the full version will be activated. At the end of the trial, these extensions will be deactivated and the program will turn into a feature-limited freeware version. The purchased license code can be entered at any time. Purchase for $29.95 The maker of AVG, Grisoft, has added ewido to their arsenal of security products. They encourage you to use the free version.

 

Two more spyware removers that are highly recommended can remove malware when nothing else works are Smitfraudfix and Combofix. The link for Combofix is a direct download.

There is a really cool site, Spyware Warrior,  that tries to keep updated about genuine and not-so genuine spyware removers, check out the site for a program before you buy.  The program you are checking may not be listed and if it isn't, try one of the good programs that is listed.

You can also use programs like SpywareGuard and SpywareBlaster from Javacool.  Both are free and very good.

 For just surfing the Internet and using email, the free programs work very well. But If you are using your computer for anything financial, you must protect yourself from spyware! You really do need to invest in one of the commercial spyware removal programs, but care must be taken to ensure you are using a good valid program as there are a lot of rip-off programs, some of which are really spyware!

 

A good place to check is Spyware Warrior. If you want to do some comparisons of programs, 5 Star Support has a good reviews page.

 

Emsi Software has a free version of their malware remover, a-squared.

According to their web site:

Security must not be a privilege. Under this motto, Emsi Software provides the Malware scanner a-squared Free completely free of charge for private use. But it is not a very limited version, it is a full tool to clean your computer from Malware. Not only Spywares, as detected by classic Anti-Spyware programs, but also especially Trojans, Backdoors, Worms, Dialers, Keyloggers and a lot of other destructive pests, which makes it dangerous to surf the web.