spyware spyware everywhere?

Question

Are you as pissed off as me with these arsholes that make spyware. We go to work to make money, we then spent that hard earned money on a nice new computer, we log on to the internet and WHAM spyware.

The arsholes that do this are no more than vandals and thieves, by that I mean the companies that place that spyware on my computer then ask for money to download the program from the internet to remove the spyware they put on in the first place.

I believe someone has the technology to track these bastards down and prosecute them. If the technology is not yet available then lets stop spending the money we make on other things and make the internet safer.

This is just me ranting on because I work from home. I have a home based internet business and the internet is where I make all my money from.
So when I get a piece of spyware my online business comes to a halt until I can run my anti spyware program to get rid of it.

www.digistar-solutions.com

Answer 1

Here is a list of some free ANTI-SPYWARE programs.
Adaware is probably the most popular.

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

Microsoft Defender
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

AVG
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-spyware-free/lng/us/tpl/v5

Spyware Terminator 2
http://www.spywareterminator.com/

Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/

SuperAntispyware
http://superantispyware.com/


The Google Pack includes a free starter edition of Spyware Doctor.
http://pack.google.com/intl/en/pack_installer_new.html?hl=en&gl=us&ai=BZy9nzYgZR_j2KofKmwTgjq3mAezuhSGAyqSDAsWNtwEAEAEgw9-LBTgBUIfas8sEYMnG5YbIo-gZoAGWl5z9A7IBDmZvcmRicmFrZXMuY29tyAEC2gEWaHR0cDovL2ZvcmRicmFrZXMuY29tL4ACAagDAw&gclid=CJu2m5HWnI8CFSUYagodtkXDew&ciNum=11



Anti-Spyware for a cost.
Personally I bought Webroot's Spysweeper, their product is great and well worth the money. Watch Best Buy ads because sometimes it goes on sale for $10 to $15.

Webroot Spysweeper
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/compare/freeware.html?rc=4929
PCTools Spyware Doctor
http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/

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You can do an online scan for viruses and spyware for free from the major vendors. Some of these require Internet Explorer to run because of Active-X

Trend-Micro
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Computer Associates
http://www.ca.com/us/securityadvisor/pestscan/
Panda Software
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/?langid=ie&venid=sym
Mcafee Free Scan
http://us.mcafee.com/root/catalog.asp?catid=free
Kaspersky Scanner
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
Microsoft Protection Scanner
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/center/howsafe.htm?s_cid=mscom_msrt
F-Secure
http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/olsbeta.shtml
BitDefender
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html
NOD32
http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/index.php

Answer 2

Spyware Terminator is a very highly rated freeware program and won the Gold award in a recent Web User antispyware comparison test.Recommended,good luck!!http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Spyware_Terminator/1139394850/1

Answer 3

I also work from home a lot .. however I have few problems with either spyware or viruses ...

1) Fit a ADSL Router with built in Firewall - and set it to 'stealth mode' (all unused ports blocked, no response to 'ping'). If your ISP says 'you can't do that, how do we check your system out ?' change your ISP = they plainly have the wrong attitude to security ...

Don't open ports for anything except basic web (use a web based mail system) - no FTP, no IM, no chat, no games and especially no 'peer to peer' pirating s/w ...

Make sure NAT is turned on and the Router ignores port 80 except for NAT initiated traffic. Your goal is to be 'invisible' .. (check out the web for 'probe' software that can be used to confirm you are 'nonexistent')

NEVER EVER EVER set ANYTHING up so it can be 'administered via the web' !!! .. if YOU can get access to your systems via the web SO CAN SOMEONE ELSE ..

If you are hosting your own web site (NOT a good idea), make sure it is on the 'external' (DMZ) side of the router with it's own firewall (in other words, protect yourself from your own web site)

2) Equip EVERY PC with a software firewall that provides 'outgoing' as well as 'incoming' protection.

This is so if one PC becomes infected, it will not spread the infection to any of your other PC's (Zone Alarm is a good choice here).

3) Use non-microsoft Browser (eg Firefox) and (if you are not using web mail) non-MS Mail s/w. (non-MS Browsers do not support 'Active X' scripting - a well known, if somewhat 'old hat', virus / Trojan propagation mechanism - if you MUST visit a site using Active-X then use MSIE on Internet Security = High - and enable that site, only, as 'trusted - medium' )

Turn off Java Scrip by default (enable it for known i.e. trusted sites only). It's also a good idea to to suppress all the multi-media cr*p as well ...

4) Make sure your mail service has junk mail filtering and that all mail is virus scanned.

Track down and physically remove MS Outlook (the best way to stop spam spreading is to remove the software that spreads it -
NB. you have to turn off System Restore and don't forget to kill the copies in the restore folders as well).

Set your mail 'viewer' to 'text' mode (not HTML) and NEVER EVER click (or, since you are in text mode, cut&paste) a 'link' in an eMail and NEVER open an attachment that you are not expecting (full stop).

5) When a well known file format is exposed as permitting virus propagation, stop trusting the 'standard' software and find open source software to handle that file format (eg. for PDF - use the Foxit Reader)

Finally - don't trust software that is proven to be susceptible to spyware / virus / Trojans / root kits / key loggers etc. ... yes you DO have to use a Microsoft Operating System, but you DON'T have to trust it ...

Answer 4

Actually alot of spyware you agree to have installed. Of course, they sneak this agreement in as cautiously as possible, otherwise you'd say no.

Have you ever read the full terms and conditions to anything? Those 100 page legal jibberish agreements? Saying yes to those (as everyone does) gives permission for the spyware to be installed.

And programs where you don't have to click "I agree" usually have a clause in the smallprint of their websites saying that download/use of the program means you agree to the terms and conditions.

It's sneaky as hell, but mostly covered in a legal sense.

Answer 5

I agree.
So my first rule is to always work through firewall and install anti spyware as part of set up.

And of course never click on suspicious links

I use ad-aware which is free for personal use.

Answer 6

try spybot s&d

i never get spy ware, but then im carfull about my internet browsing and the emails i open etc

Answer 7

Try GarbageClean antispyware from http://www.SecureMyWindows.com - removes all most everything.

Answer 8

http://searchwinit.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid1_gci1024926,00.html