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AdAware, Spybot, F-prot, AVG and Antivir.

Seems like there's no software to catch them all, each have a sublist of what can be infested.

The good news is that all of them are easy to keep up to date and FREE.

Most people are confident that their lovely anti-virus
telling them "no virus found" is enough.

But most of the time, you can have 4 out of 5 Anti-virus up to date saying everything is fine
and the 5th one still finds some crapt on your lovely Windows.

I had been using both Lavasoft's Ad-Aware and Kolla's SpyBot Search and Destroy to keep my box free of crapware, before my boss turned me onto Webroot's Spy Sweeper.

I've been SpySweeper as my primary spyware scanning tool ever since, with Ad-Aware as a 2nd-scan chaser. On the rare occasion that Spy Sweeper misses something, Ad-Aware always gets it, with a 0% margin of error (when using Spybot S&D as a 3rd-round scanner). Conversely, there were a few occasions that Spy Sweeper missed something in Round #1, but Spybot S&D also missed a few in Round #2, so that it was necessary to run a 3rd scan at all using Ad-Aware.

To summarize: Spy Sweeper rocks. If you want even more security, run periodic Ad-Aware scans, and you should be spyware-free (assuming you keep your product definitions updated).

You are mistaken, Spybot Search and Destroy *IS NOT* spyware.

Here is a list of *SAFE* Adaware and Spyware removal tools.

*Free*

Spybot Search and Destroy
Adaware

*Not Free but Good*

Pest Patrol

Spybot rather

Spybot S&D
SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard

I use these three programs (in the above order) on lots of spyware infected machines and so far, haveh a LOT of success removing and keeping spyware off those systems. Infact, earlier today, I ran that combo on a system and reduced RAM usage by 100MB, not to mention a huge speed increase (of course, I did some other housecleaning such as disabling startup items & removing some other non-spyware search bars & annoyances).

In related news, a recent study found that the average computer user is an idiot. Film at 11.

That's not fair, of course. For example, try searching for spyware removal software like "Spybot Search and Destroy." Almost all the links you'll find are for imposters that are themselves spyware. Evil.

Earthlink has their own spyware removal sofware, but I'm amazed it doesn't get caught in an infinite loop installing and removing itself, since Earthlink's software includes spyware.

--- JRJ

Adaware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Both are freeware.

There would be the problem of attempts to take down the download site. With all the vulnerabilities out there, surely it could be set up so that it would dynamically change from host to host, maybe even use P2P technology. It would be in the interest (it prevents viruses by using a competitor's product: takes away business) of Norton and McAfee to block the "worm," so they probably would. New variants would have to be released.

Disclaimer: This is all a hypothetical, intellectual discussion, not an advocacy for it, nor an intention to carry it out.

SpyBot's worth a try.

You should check out SpyBot. It will clean up some things that AdAware can't.

No, I used something slightly stronger.

"firewalls create problems while performing daily business tasks on the server from home"

Not a well-configured software one. It's not as safe as a hardware firewall, but it is a heck of a lot safer than running around with your pants down, not knowing when your machine is connecting and what it is sending. It makes it difficult to connect *to* the machine, but your home winbox shouldn't be a remote server anyway.

Grab ZoneAlarm NOW, and put up with a few extra dialog boxes until it is trained.

Furthermore, good Antivirus software will detect many trojans. Get AVG if you have alredy abandoned your AV of choice.

This must sound like free windows security 101 by now, but get AdAware and / or Spybot, and schedule a regular download / check for once every week.

For encrypting sensitive or old data, you can either use windows built-in encryption (which uses your user password, enable this now if your machine is fast enough) and / or pick up a (non-free) copy of Dekart Private Disk, AKA The Bat! Private Disk, a simple encrypted virtual disk creator. Anything you really don't want people to see should go here... Just remember to shut it down when you're done.

Furthermore, don't use I.E. and don't use Outlook. What many people refer to as "computer" viruses or "windows" exploits are really just I.E. exploits or Outlook viruses. Firebird, I mean, Thun... Firefox is a powerful little internet surfer, which while not as flexible as my beloved Opera (ducks), does render pages faster, is more beginner friendly, and is free. Thunderbird is a good mail replacement, though pegasus mail, Opera's built in e-mail client, and the non-free The Bat! are all good choices. If you want the most security possible, try Secure Bat. At 140 dollars per copy, it isn't cheap, but it does encrypt all of your personal files and utilizes hardware token authentication to ensure that you really are who you say you are.

Finally, don't forget to regularly back up your disks to something not normally connected to the computer. For simplicity's sake, I'd attach an external USB drive and run Polder Backup once a week, removing the drive when done. For a more automated approach, get a PC controllable X10 unit, and have it turn on and off the external USB drive, so that backups can be completely automatic.

Actually, I'm not the good at programming. I mostly read code that others have written (I write API docs for a living). But let me throw out some inexpert opinions.

Notice that I didn't say performance was the priority. Obviously there are, as you say, other priorities that take precedence in the early stages of a project. So yeah, you have to pay more attention to getting the thing working than to making it work fast.

But you can't just ignore performance. If you do, you'll make design mistakes that will be very hard to reverse later.

Except that's what the Mozilla team did. They piled on feature after feature, without worrying about whether they were destroying the performance of the product. I guess they assumed this was something they could fix later. Well it is later, and they still haven't fixed it. Yeah, we just had this breathless annoucement with gee-whiz figure about how Mozilla is smaller and faster. Except it still hasn't gotten as fast as IE 6.

Speaking of which: I finally nailed that spyware. (My main anti-spyware tool is now Spybot S&D. Koller is painfully flaky, but his software does the job better than anybody else's -- once you figure it out.) So I'm back to using IE. Yes, it isn't as kewl as Firefox, and yes it belongs to The Dark Side. And of course it isn't standards-compliant. (Though these days, who is?) But I don't go crazy waiting for pages to load, and I have a googlebar that actually works.

And yeah, if I had free choice I'd switch to Linux and use Konqueror. Or if I had free choice and deep pockets, I'd switch to Mac and use Safari. But I don't so I won't, so enough with the "switch to something else" mantra.

I've found that most folks like to be told how to make their computers more secure and decrease their chances of infection/spyware...

I have made it standard practice to install 3 applications on all Windoze machines that I fix anything on...

1) Install Avast! Home Edition and set it to do automatic updates of both the Core Program and Virus Database. Because most people don't pay for Anti-Virus upgrades after their free trial version runs out...not to mention the fact that Avast! is better than Norton and most for-pay AV apps anyhow...

2) Install Spybot Search & Destroy and make sure that the primary user(s) see what the result of the initial scan is (shock value) with instructions on how to use the app...

3) Install FireFox (no link needed) with the follofing userContent.css...

If they still insist on using IE I will install Google Toolbar and enable popup blocking...

I then proceed to replace any spyware apps with free non-spyware apps (WeatherBug -> Weather Pulse, etc)

As for a firewall, I talked most into buying a wireless router (generally a cheap 802.11b router) to use as a firewall and future network upgrades. I don't think any windoze software firewalls are very good...IPTables is about the ONLY software firewall that I trust...

After doing this, I find that these systems stay fairly clean and have much fewer problems. Not to mention the owners of said machines tend to be much happier afterward.

For example, the parties to the letter warned that the bill could interfere with computer security by preventing information technology and security companies from collecting data to analyze and prevent virus attacks, and would also impair the delivery of local, targeted ads.

If they are that concerned about security they could have AV companies include a [X] "Report viruses to Foo.com AV Central" option to eliminate that minor complaint and be compliant with the new law. As for targetted ads.. well, that's what they're really concerned about. It's a multi-million (billion?) dollar industry. Screaming about how bad the bill is for security is just a smoke and mirrors game.

I only hope that the spyware people don't go after the AdAware or Spybot Search & Destroy folks under the guise of the DMCA.

The way things today are going though..

FYI, I am posting AC for a reason. The company I work for does roll-outs and tech support for small cable companies. Scripts are in place to automatically deactivate accounts with high upload/download bandwidth (meaning trojan p2p programs) and techs monitor e-mail usage. Problem with an account? Notify account holder and de-activate account. If the account holder can't be notified, the account is de-activated anyways.

It's time people start taking responsibility for their actions when using a computer. Computers need to be patched frequently with Windows Update. AntiVirus programs such as Norton Antivirus, Mcafee VirusScan, or Trend Micro PC-Cillin (my personal favorite) are needed with updates and scans run, at the very least, weekly. Computers also need anti-trojan programs such as The Cleaner and anti-spyware programs such as Spybot Search & Destroy and Adaware. Even go as far not to use the default Internet programs, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Instead, use free, open source programs such as Mozilla Firefox (browser) and Thunderbird (e-mail).

Naturally, the majority of people on /. know this, but we need to spread the word.

An admirable circumstance, plus an excellent solution to boot.

Sadly, I had no such good fortune when being tasked with rescuing my father-in-law's machine yesterday. First thing to do was uninstall his anti-virus software (what with it being five years out of date), and then install AVG 6.0 plus Spybot 1.2 and run those...

2,500 infected files, 90+ spyware items, and at least a dozen infected email attachments later, it was time to update his drivers and then spend a couple of hours in the company of Windows Update.

Now that the machine is back on its own two feet again, I've setup AVG to run at every boot and Windows startup. I've also set Spybot to run every Windows startup too. It's certainly not ideal*, but it should help save him from the more malicious kind of crap out there (or is it 'here'?).

* I acknowledge that my father-in-law's system could have had even better protection, should I have chosen to install something like Kerio Personal Firewall. But this was a favour - a helping hand - not an exercise in trying to completely confuse an infrequent user with an encyclopaedia's-worth of jargon. He just wanted to get back to browsing as quickly and painlessly as possible, and, given the quick turnaround, he's pleased with the results; everything is as it was, he's not lost any data, and his computer now has a good deal more protection than it did. It's non-intrusive too, which is even more of a benefit to a casual user. I guess the only real trade-off is that Windows takes a few moments longer to start up.

To start with, don't use AdAware. It's completely off these days. The spyware program to use is Spybot Search'n'Destroy. It's free of charge and has an immunize mode that works well.

An excellent free antivirus app that I haven't seen mentioned is avast!.

Of course, one could always convert their parents to GNU/Linux. :-)

Spybot is part of the IT techs' standard toolkit at the college where I work. I've recovered countless employee workstations from unusability (not to mention "hostile work environment" liability, due to porn pop-ups) with it. Don't anyone be put off by the fact that an MS drone also recommended it; it works. Once nice feature is that not only does it get rid of installed spyware, but it can prevent known spyware from being installed in the first place.

The official site for the real Spybot Search & Destroy (linkified here):

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Also, Spybot S&D works much better than Ad aware, but the user interface stinks. It's also "donation ware" so some of you guys may offer some help here. Don't use Google to find it, though. There are some nasty fakes that have tried to take over the Spybot name on searches. use the link provided.

I see lots of spyware removal recommendations. This one, SpyBot Search and Destroy , is fantastic and free. I carry CDs of it around and give it to everyone I work with.

I have yet to find any spyware that wasn't easily removed

Except the current version of RealPlayer sucks, and their company policies are horrible. Windows Media Player might not compare to WinAmp very favorably, but compared to RealOne it actually starts to look good.

I don't plan on touching a Windows box without first putting a combo of virus scanner and Spybot on it first. I would expect that MS is targeting all of the idiots who don't have any virus protection (the same idiots who have yet to disable Messenger and enable the XP firewall). The people who have traditionally bought Norton or McAfe in the past will probably continue to do so because they know better.

At least not at first. Most respectable programs will have a trial version out. And there are plenty of freeware/open source alternatives.
Good programs, I've encountered have been RegSupreme, Norton SystemWorks, AdAware, SpyBot, and numerous others.

Warning - If you go to www.spybot.com, you won't find Spybot S&D, you'll find a competitor's web site!

The correct site is: http://www.safer-networking.org/

Needless to say, I will not test or recommend the product distributed by a company that will register the domain of a open software competitor and redirect it to their site. That just does not site right with me.

Sakshale

Looking at other comments - Spybot seems to be fairly popular.

Rogue Anti-spyware Programs Part 3

I mentioned some of these before, but this is a more inclusive list.

Spy Wiper
AdWare Remover Gold
BPS Spyware Remover
Online PC-Fix SpyFerret
SpyBan
SpyBlast
SpyGone
SpyHunter
SpyKiller
SpyKiller Pro
SpywareNuker
TZ Spyware-Adware Remover
xp-AntiSpy
SpyAssault
InternetAntiSpy
Virtual Bouncer
AdProtector
SpyFerret
SpyGone
SpyAssault

Sources: Doxdesk.com: parasite, Tom Coyote Forums, Spywareinfo.com forums, safernetworking.org, home of Spybot Search & Destroy

Spybot

Ad-Aware

There are others, but these pretty much have it covered i think.

If you run a Windows system then I heartily recommend Spybot Seek & Destroy to keep it clean and immunized. Support the author too, donate a few bucks for good work.

not related in any way, just a satisfied user

For example, when I find someone is prone to visiting lots of websites with "fun stuff" to download and play with (such as card-making programs and other crap like that) I find oodles of spyware and adware on their computer bogging it down. I explain to them that the sites they visit and the software they're downloading in installing this junk on their computer and that's why it's slow. Refraining from downloading these things will help prevent this in the future.

Additionally I give them:

• Spybot Search & Destroy
• Mozilla Firebird

Finally, for the worst offenders, after giving them tips (writing them down even) and explaining it over and over again, I limit them to 5 - 10 fixes. After that, they cannot ask me for help unless it's a completely different problem (if I find it's the same old same old, I leave and tell them to fix it).

You can be nice, but you don't have to be a pushover. Developing a methodology for helping others simplifies the process and helps alleviate the frustration on a case-by-case basis.

As much as we all hate cliches sometimes they apply: Give a man a fish and he is not hungry for a day; teach a man to fish and he is not hungry for a lifetime

...or the other less well known proverb: Give a man a blanket and he is warm for a night; set him on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life. :-)

Also, it would provide protection for the Spybot Search & Destroy spyware database, which is constantly being copied verbatum and used in competing products (see this article). Well, it would provide protection if Spybot were an American company.

2. Offer different proxies with multiple levels of popup/junk filtering that your savvy customers can opt-into.

3. Send out a CD with free versions of Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, and so on. Or point them to links like the online version of X-Cleaner or one of many online virus scans.

4. You could also be a real saint and figure out how to put most of the important Windows Updates on CD for your dial-up users and have it automatically do its thang. At a minimum, the Service Packs and Security Rollups will make you their hero.

5. ???
6. Profit!!!

We know there isn't a quick fix solution, but 1 and 2 are eminently doable. I personally use a proggie called AdMuncher(.com) and since Dec. 25th its blocked 13,100 ads/popups/etc and supposedly saved me around 102MB of bandwidth. It ain't free, but goddamn its good (and only 157K).

That's not enough. You need Spybot - Search & Destroy. It's more thorough than Ad-aware and catches things that most anti-virus programs don't even look for. It can "immunize" a computer by permanently blocking ActiveX objects and other sneaky downloads.

HijackThis is a simpler program that looks for hijackers. It scans in one second!

Since I haven't seen anyone else mention this tool, I thought I'd bring it up.

Spybot Search & Destroy is a massively effective tool at cleaning a Malware-infected PC of every adware / spyware crap known. It will kill homepage redirects. It even blocks future installation of known malware. Check it out.

It's free as in beer.

I'd also suggest Spybot Search & Destroy -- I've had it catch stuff Adaware didn't.

At least for those with Windows boxes. My two favorites:

Spybot S&D It's free and it "innouculates." Regular updates too.

Spywareblaster. A little reduncancy, and it has a nice Flash killing tool as well.

Honorable mention:

Peer Guardian. In addition to RIAA IP address killing, it prevents loading of DoubleClick ads and snoopware. Regular blocklist updates, and IP addy's may be manually added.

I have a hard time believing that the tco of a Linux desktop will even be close to the tco of a windows unless the windows boxes are totaly locked down; my experience with XP is its remarkable stable for a MS product until the users start individualizing and getting crap installed from the internet, spyware, the virus/worm of the week ect. Of course this kills the functionality that Ms touts with its FUD. I don't even know where to begin to lock down a winXP box other than simpley setting up an admin account and removing admin privelages from users. Of course that dosn't make any sense unless you get virus protection at $29.95/yr/seat, a firewall program at $29.95/seat, PcAnywhere so the admin isn't running 10 Mi a day to admin the machines ect. In Linux installing with permissions set to paranoid is about as locked down as you can get, and most of the extras that windows needs is all ready in there or un-needed.

OBTW 20 min to log in screen; I'd look for a hardware problem first, then run spybot search and destroy because if it started suddenly, likely something broke, or something installed!

In other news... our weapons for cleaning this crap off have not changed their names:

Spybot

Ad-Ware

Davak

Slashdot's homepage itself appears to try to install MediaPlex according to Spybot Search and Destroy , in its "resident" mode, so I'd say that the WORST spyware is the spyware that is installed when you are reading about how bad spyware is on sites like THIS ONE! :)

Spybot is a good thing. Check out this site.

Note that you may technically (?) be breaking contracts by removing spyware/adware.

It is my opinion that Gator is spyware. Suing people to prevent them from calling a spade a spade is only going to further harm the image of the Gator spyware company. For more information, there is an article detailing what I'm talking about. My recommendation to everyone is to go to this site and download Spybot Search & Destroy to aid in the removal of this spyware program from your system completely. If someone from the Gator spyware company sees this, I will gladly post your cease and desist letter here so others can have a good chuckle at the fact that you cannot stop me from voicing my opinion that Gator is spyware.

Gator can just fuck off.

I know that some people have made references to Ad-aware, but I strongly recommend Spybot: Search and Destroy instead. Comparing the two programs is like comparing a cannon to a flyswatter. Spybot consistantly finds more snoopware, cookies, and registry files than Ad-aware. It will elimate the nasty toolbars and everything else that may irritate you, too.

I've tried a good deal of the stuff listed. The following are the most intuitive, free, software products I have encountered. They increase productivity, and are stable.

Freeware List: If you can think of it, it's in here.
OpenCD: Precompiled CD with all open source software.
Doom9.org: Famed site for lots of media tools.
Trillian: AIM, ICQ, IRC, MSN, Yahoo! IM software all in one.
AVG Anti-Virus: Free AV
SpyBot (Spam Remover): Free Spam Remover/Search & Destroy
Firebird: Web browser w/ adblock & popup control.
FileZilla FTP: FTP Client
Smart FTP: Free Client, better looking, faster
Kerio: Personal Firewall, better than ZoneAlarm
Textpad: Text Editor.
PuTTY: SSH Client.
CygWin: Linux emulation.
FFDshow: DivX/XVid decoder.
TweakUI: Microsoft's famed Powertoy for Windows XP.
WinAce: Fast, high-compression (40% smaller, faster compression than ZIP).
WinAmp: MP3 player, with this skin.
dBpowerAMP: Music Converter (copies CDs to MP3)

One last thing, don't use Outlook. Find a better program: Eudora, Thunderbird, or PegasusMail (in that order) are safer/more powerful. Windows comes bundled with great software, just like Mandrake - but their internet package leaves much (security) to be desired.

As far as desktop apps go, I can only discuss Windows apps, since I don't use X at all. Linux = command line as far as I'm concerned.

• Windows Only
• AVG - Antivirus, free if you don't live in Europe.
• Spybot - Antispyware, freeware.
• Winamp - Nice for playing those mp3 collections.
• Kazaa Lite - Nice for getting those mp3 collections. For the legal-minded, substitute a good cd ripping program (I don't know of a good free one, I use a pay app).
• MAME - Bring back the memories.
• Trillian - Save them from the AIM/MSN/ICQ mix and match hell.

• Cross Platform
• Tight VNC - Install it so you can remote-admin their computer easily when they screw it up.
• Mozilla - Either Moz itself or one of it's 'light' siblings Firebird and Thunderbird for email and web browsing.

• Shareware Worth Trying

• Audiograbber: It's free to try, easy to rip with, and only $20 to register.
• GetRight - Assists in downloading all those patches and apps.

I personally would add Spybot - Search & Destroy to that list. It has some of the same functionality of AdAware, and even supercedes it in some cases. My laptop and home system run them concurrently, and I'm gradually throwing it on the systems at work. I hate having to go around removing all that spyware manually. When will the users listen?

Mozilla Firebird
Mozilla Thunderbird
OpenOffice.org
AVG Anti-Virus
Gaim
VLC Media Player
Spybot Search & Destroy

What I want to know is how their software works, does it phone home, and will AdAware and Spybot Search and Destory remove it like the malware it is.