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Anti-Spyware Products Don't Live Up to Promises
John Wells writes "In the December, 2004 issue of PC World, the author of an article titled Poor Defenders concludes that most commercial anti-spyware software is ineffective. In tests using a fresh install of XP and 6 typical spyware infections the commercial software failed to stack up against freeware competitor Spybot Search and Destroy. Four out of seven commercial products failed to remove any of the infections. One product even installed 57 spyware files itself! Conclusion: Use freeware products like Spybot and Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE Personal."
So where does this guy get his "paid" spyware removal applications? Clicking on popups? Oh... wait...
many of these utilities use aggressive marketing tactics in pop-up ads, spam, and keyword ads appearing alongside Google search results
Though I suppose this is how they sucker a lot of people and some people expect results if they pay for a utility, I would probably do at least a LITTLE research before paying for any app like that. The thing is, I would hardly consider this "most commercial anti-spyware software." So as far as this "test," he might as well do an article about Virtual Bouncer and how it removed his parasites for him.
Why didn't he test something like Spy Sweeper or Giant AntiSpyware? Those are paid ones that I would probably recommend if someone did want to pay for a program. At least that way, people would see that not ALL commerical products are crap - it does almost sound like that.
But really, Spybot isn't even cutting it anymore, IMO. AdAware is still doing well, but I've actually been more impressed with the other two I mentioned above - worth a look if you haven't checked them out - both have free trials that you would have no problems doing a removal with.
Nathan Shafer, answering our e-mail message to Spyware Stormer, challenged our test methodology. Shafer wrote that Spyware Stormer detects "over 20,000 variants of spyware and adware," and that its performance with the six applications we chose was therefore "hardly representative in any way."
They are absolutely correct here although there are only four programs you should ever install for combating spyware: Adaware, SpyBot S&D, SpywareBlaster, and a good software firewall package (preferably one that tells you when something is trying to connect out to the Internet like ZoneAlarm). You need to keep these programs updated on a regular basis and you need to make sure that they run regularly. Unfortunately only SpyBot S&D runs w/o user intervention if you set it up to do so.
SpyBot, while being a great program, isn't updated nearly as often as AdAware and doesn't find all those pesky cookies that AdAware does. SpywareBlaster is good for keeping those pesky cookies from getting onto your machine in the first place.
We were unable to reach NoAdware, but the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York reported that it had received 22 complaints about the company, which is not a member of the BBB, by early October. Network Dynamics has a clean record as a member of Southern California's BBB. The BBB's complaint database contained no record of complaints for the remainder of the companies whose products we tested.
The BBB has fallen into worthlessness in recent years (I don't know about years passed). They have little to no pull and sometimes they even go so far as to ignore complaints against their companies. I would ignore any comments in regards to BBB related businesses.
Basically you need to research what you are installing on your machine. That means using google, word of mouth, and your own deep digging before you put any "cleaning" program on your machine. You also need to do some research into making sure that you are using what you can to combat Spyware.
Sadly, most people out there don't know, care, or care to know. That's why they end up w/it in the first place. If people DID care about what they were installing on their computer AND took the time to do a quick google search they would find out exactly what they need to know.
It has gotten to the point where I seriously believe that MSFT is doing this on purpose in order to show the public why they NEED to use "protected computing".
Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus. Make sure you get AVG 7.0 because support for 6 will end with 2004. No complaints, but I only run it now-and-then because the idea is to stop them before they get installed.
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Please don't recommend this so broadly. Experts should use hijack this to fix systems that can't be fixed any other way. Hijack This alone will miss files that are currently not being executed. Using Hijack This alone without other antispyware software is silly.
5 8.html
Just because it's not running, I am sure you don't want some coolwebsearch files just sitting silently on your system.
Here's my recent techrx post regarding this same subject: http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_spyware_tips7
Could we please all help our 'friend' in promoting his selling of spyware dll usage?
The domain name is:
LOCALNRD.COM
The address is this:
Thinking Media LP
275 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Or please give a call to show your support for spyware and your desire to do business with them.
1(866)839-6164
Thanks for helping the cause!!!!