Spyware

Don Jones

Don Jones

Line Up and Wait
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Feb 23, 2005
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DJones
What spyware programs do you guys recommend. I currently run Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Spyware blaster. I also run Norton for virus and firewall protection.
Even with all of these I got nailed with a bunch of crap that installed(mostly internet shortcuts) on my desktop. I have Windows XP and is updated regularly.
Wondering if there are any better spyware I should run. It is getting to be a full time job cleaning and attempting to keep this crap off of my systems.
I don't know how you guys do this everyday. I have 7 systems networked together and spend a lot of my time fixing problems. I may pull the plug on the internet on my network just to lighten the load. Ideas??
Don :(
 
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I use Ad-Aware and McAfee Viruscan Enterprise. I also use Firefox instead of IE. I dont seem to have much to clean up.
 
I used to use all sorts, Spybot search and destroy was always a good one, Now I just use Firefox browser instead of Internet Explorer, and I dont have any problems with spyware. No pop ups, and if there seems to be a malicious site Firefox will ask questions first. Like do you want this site to store a cookie, do you want an active x application run, ect.
Go with Firefox :)
 
The programs you're using just about cover it for me, too. I also use Firefox to reduce my pop-ups (although the latest IE has it, too, now).

Cookies are unavoidable but relatively harmless. Yes, there is an exploit for cookies but it takes a LOT of work and depends on patches being out of date. I'm not worried about it.

I've found, more often than not, that spyware ends up coming from one of two places: clicking on pop-ups to 'link' somewhere (and, in reality, allowing a ActiveX control to install something on your computer) and installing so-called 'freeware' file sharing utilities like Kazaa, Bearshare, etc.. Typically those programs bundle spyware into them to generate income. TANSTAAFL.

If your network is doing file sharing, even ONE infected computer can hit the rest if permissions are too low (typically they are in a workgroup environment).

If you've got some specific titles of spyware you're cleaning, it would help trace where it's coming from.
 
WebRoot spy sweeper is reputed to be one of the better programs out there.

I think the future will be for companies like Symantec to build anti-spyware features into their virus scanners. In a cruel twist of fate, it will probably be Micro$oft that pushes them in that direction by creating its own spy/virus elimination products.

Another excuse for Symantec to YET AGAIN raise their price for anti-spyware subscriptions (now up to $35 a year and increasing).
 
Well, I guess that is when I got nailed. I had to use IE to open a sight which would not let me in with Netscape. I hate IE and never use it except for times like that. I have Firefox on my home network and like it. Have any of you had any problems like the one above with Firefox? I have always had good luck with Netscape, but if Firefox is better I will go with it.
Thanks for the input, I knew the right place to ask, you guys are the greatest.
Don

Oh, by the way Spybot found 109 new critical items, some were tracking cookies, most were relatively harmless, and like I said the crap on the desktop was just internet shortcuts to porn mostly. Funny thing is one of them was a link to a Spyware sight. Ha Ha Ha
 
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Don Jones said:
Have any of you had any problems like the one above with Firefox? I have always had good luck with Netscape, but if Firefox is better I will go with it.
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I haven't used Netscape for years. I can't really answer that one. I have had some issues with a few sites with Firefox. If it happens, I just pull out IE and confirm I've got the thing locked down tight.

Don Jones said:
Oh, by the way Spybot found 109 new critical items, some were tracking cookies, most were relatively harmless, and like I said the crap on the desktop was just internet shortcuts to porn mostly. Funny thing is one of them was a link to a Spyware sight. Ha Ha Ha
Click to expand...
Do NOT go to the Spyware sites like that. It's not funny, it's f&*(#ing extortion. They infect your computer THEN tell you to come see them to get it cleaned...for a price. Avoid ANY spyware popups, too. Similar techniques.
 
Lately I've added a new anti-spyware tool to my arsenal. Microsoft has a new beta product called Microsoft Giant Anti-Spam.

Advantages: Ties to automatic updates, made by Microsoft so it self-updates to watch the most vulnerable spots.

Disadvantages: Beta. Made by Microsoft so it will be the most actively attacked product. Should not be trusted BY IT SELF. But in conjunction with the other two - AdAware and Spybot S&D, I've been very pleased.

XP Only: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

BETA PRODUCT - NOVICE USERS SHOULD NOT USE - NOT GUARANTEED TO WORK FULLY ALL THE TIME
 
Don,

Add CWShredder to your list and you'll be all set. Also, if you do have a problem and you are still having trouble after running these programs, run them again in Windows safe mode. Sometimes these programs don't do a good job of removing memory resident spyware.

David
 
Greebo said:
Lately I've added a new anti-spyware tool to my arsenal. Microsoft has a new beta product called Microsoft Giant Anti-Spam.

Advantages: Ties to automatic updates, made by Microsoft so it self-updates to watch the most vulnerable spots.

Disadvantages: Beta. Made by Microsoft so it will be the most actively attacked product. Should not be trusted BY IT SELF. But in conjunction with the other two - AdAware and Spybot S&D, I've been very pleased.

XP Only: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

BETA PRODUCT - NOVICE USERS SHOULD NOT USE - NOT GUARANTEED TO WORK FULLY ALL THE TIME
Click to expand...

I have the Microsoft one on my home network. Seems pretty stable and easy
to use. I heard they acquired it from another company they consumed, er I mean bought.
Great info here guys, I think the Firefox thing will help me as much as anything since I am using most if not all of the tools you use. I agree about the spyware link being added to my desktop, really p#$%st me off. Like I would buy anything from them after that.
Thanks all,
Don
 
Re: Spyware not compatible with Firefox

The sponsors if this site are sleezy enough to create a web site that tricks innocent folks into installing crapware, Do you think they'd have any problem making the code on the site tell the user of a browser that can't be infected that they need to run the browser they CAN infect?

The next time you visit a site in Firefox and get a message that says you need Internet Explorer, the first thing you should do is decide whether you really need to visit the site - and then go somewhere else.
 
One thing to keep in mind. The bad guys will target whatever has the biggest market share. Why bother attacking something that will only affect 5000 people when you can devise something that will attack 10,000,000 people?

I use firefox and IE. I also have versions of Opera and Netscape to test out some website projects I work on to make sure all looks well in most browsers. (This is the type of thing that gets me some extra flying money! ;) )

I really don't have allegiance to any one company. I go with what works for me. But I am also confident in the fact that if Firefox (or any browser) had the market share IE had we would be hearing plenty about how awful that browser is too. At least from a security stand point. IE has plenty of other faults that web designers pull their hair out over but that's another subject.

Its just the nature of the game. Who ever the big guy is on the block will get the attacks. Give that 13 year old programming genious crowd enough motivation and they will make any application seem full of holes.

I will say I have had issues on some websites that I use Firefox with. Nothing malicious, just rendering type of stuff. But not too big a deal.

The GREAT thing about firefox, and why I went there originally was for TABBED BROWSING. If you hate having a bunch of IE windows on your taskbar, TABBED BROWSING will be a special surprise.

If you still want to use an IE type browser I suggest http://www.maxthon.com. Tabbed browsing, and a bunch more.

As for spyware, I too use the the Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware program. Microsoft did not make it, they bought a company that did and from what I have read it was a pretty good program to begin with. I also have Spybot although on some of my machines I have turned over the spyware responsibilities solely to the Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware program. It just integrates well with windows.

Finally I would like to suggest "HijackThis" to investigate browser add-ons:
http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

It will generate a log file of what it finds. You can then go to a website like:
http://www.hijackthis.de/index.php?langselect=english and have it analyze what it finds. Its not 100% fool proof but its a good free service. There are message boards with people that enjoy analyzing peoples log files and providing assistance in cleaning out their computers. One such message board is http://castlecops.com/forums.html.

Anyway, that's my two cents -- hope it helps :cheerio:
 
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