Best Current Anti-Spyware/Malware Progs?

[TheDepths]

Well, since aside from immunizing my system, Spybot has become relatively useless recently.

So, I'm still using it for immunization but only using AdAware for scanning.

I need some recommendations on some current, reliable and non-intrusive (from any perspective of resource usage to installing any unwanted things, "phoning-home" in any ways you wouldn't want it to etc.) anti-spyware/malware progs out there now (if any) that are worth using.

Thanks in advance.

P.S.
Had tried Prevx in the past, but was a little annoyed with some of the features, though it's supposedly excellent.

 

[zacdl]

AdAware seems alright... IMO it has gotten a little worse lately, but it is still fairly good.

I think you discovered about Spybot what I discovered a couple years ago

Download Windows Defender- great program. If you use Internet Explorer 6, switching to version 7 will cut down on spyware as well. It also gives you a one-step tool to delete all your temporary files (Which in itself will clean out tons of crap that you don't want).

AVG Free or NOD32 are great anti-virus programs as well (NOD32 does have spyware protection as well, which I find to be a nice feature).

 

[TopGun]

Common sense and Firefox
But software wise I'd use ad-aware and spybot.
PestPatrol was alright when I used it but you gotta pay for it.

 

[Dallows]

I use

Ad-aware
Spyware Blaster
Spyware Guard
Windows Defender (I think I have this installed anyway. I know I did at one point but I haven't checked, lol)

I have no problems.

 

[Malk-a-mite]

Ever since Ad-aware was sued and because of it stopped listing some programs as spyware I have written them off in effectiveness.

 

[Nenu]

I use:
A Router with SPI firewall
Protowall with Blocklist Manager - prevents you from opening bad places on the web.
Comodo Firewall - brilliant! (has some built in HIPS features too)
Avast! antivirus - excellent AV
System Safety Monitor free version (a full blown HIPS)
Spyware Guard
Adaware
Spybot
Spyware Blaster

For Rootkits, Rootkit Revealer and others.

I havent had any malware for so long now its silly.
The above works well and all are free.

 

[TheDepths]

Ever since Ad-aware was sued and because of it stopped listing some programs as spyware I have written them off in effectiveness.

What? They were sued for not listing certain programs as spyware that they knew were spyware? Never heard this.

I, of course, use Firefox, a hardware firewall (currently Netgear Pro), NOD32 (where are the anti-spyware features though? automatic? or have to be turned on? don't remember seeing that for some reason) and I haven't used IE in at least three years except for Windows updates.

I don't think I really "trust" Spybot much anymore. It immunizes your system, sure, but what's is really doing? I don't know, just seems lacking.

But, I would like to have a few new/better progs, since I've been using Ad-Aware and Spybot for many years, and am starting to feel they're rather lackluster these days.

I used to have Rootkit Revealer but lost it, and cant find a working download for it anymore.

 

[Nenu]

Oh yeah I forgot to add...

I use Firefox and almost never use IE.
I use XP-Antispy to turn off Active X and prevent IE from using Java.
On the very odd occasion I need to use IE with Java, I use XP-Antispy to turn it back on momentarily.

 

[Malk-a-mite]

What? They were sued for not listing certain programs as spyware that they knew were spyware? Never heard this.

Other way around, they got sued by New.net (or whatever the heck they called themselves at the time)... claiming they were unfairly calling the software spyware. Adaware backed down and stopped listing the software as spy/adware.

...that was the day they died for me. Since anyone willing to sue them could get taken off the "bad" list, how could I trust the software anymore?

So I'm not just talking smack online, this is the copy of the original complaint that was filed:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads/ls/newnet-v-lavasoft.pdf

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Antivirus...Kaspersky or NOD32 are both very strong as far as spy/adware detection.

Spybot S&D is still good....keep updating it..and each time you update it..re-immunize.

Spywareblaster is great also, a blocker...protects both IE and Firefox

Superantispyware

Use Firefox or Opera as your browser

Keep behind a NAT router

Don't leave your Administrator password blank..always give that account a password....some malware installs itself assuming it's left blank.

 

[Met-AL]

http://www.superantispyware.com/

 

[TheDepths]

Antivirus...Kaspersky or NOD32 are both very strong as far as spy/adware detection.

Spybot S&D is still good....keep updating it..and each time you update it..re-immunize.

Spywareblaster is great also, a blocker...protects both IE and Firefox

Superantispyware

Use Firefox or Opera as your browser

Keep behind a NAT router

Don't leave your Administrator password blank..always give that account a password....some malware installs itself assuming it's left blank.

Confused on two things here:

1) How would not giving the admin account allow malware to install itself? The malware "assumes" it's left blank?

(Have never used a password for admin, as there's only ever one account on my systems.)

2) NOD32 has no anti-spyware protocols that I've seen, and I've been using it for quite a while. Strong anti-virus, but where is the anti-spyware part of the prog you're mentioning?

Thanks for all the feedback, hope to get more.

 

[zacdl]

1) How would not giving the admin account allow malware to install itself? The malware "assumes" it's left blank?
(Have never used a password for admin, as there's only ever one account on my systems.)

The Administrator account is hidden on most machines- and left blank password.

2) NOD32 has no anti-spyware protocols that I've seen, and I've been using it for quite a while. Strong anti-virus, but where is the anti-spyware part of the prog you're mentioning?

Well it doesn't much scan for spyware, what I was meaning is that it does stop some of it, because the line between virus and spyware is getting thinner every day.

 

[Dallows]

The Administrator account is hidden on most machines- and left blank password.

Well I believe XP home does not prompt you during the install for the admin password, but XP Pro does.

 

[TheDepths]

Ok, but I'm still confused about the whole "password/malware" thing stated by YeOldeStonecat.

I use XP Pro, but was does using/not using an admin password have to do with malware "installing itself" on your system?

Confused by his statement about that.

As for NOD32, if it's blocking any spyware/malware, then that's great. I just never heard that it did that before.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Confused on two things here:

1) How would not giving the admin account allow malware to install itself? The malware "assumes" it's left blank?

(Have never used a password for admin, as there's only ever one account on my systems.)

2) NOD32 has no anti-spyware protocols that I've seen, and I've been using it for quite a while. Strong anti-virus, but where is the anti-spyware part of the prog you're mentioning?

Thanks for all the feedback, hope to get more.

There has been malware that will help itself to systems that have a blank password under the admin account..it's coded into the malware. This is even going back quite a few years..when Windows 2000 was growing in popularity. Possibly using "run as"..not sure how it's coded..I just remember reading that quite a few times over the year when reading on various threats...and how they spread.

Esets NOD32 is "anti-threat" software..not just antivirus, it has the "Threatsense" engine. You can see for yourself right on their website...
http://www.eset.com/products/threatsense.php
"Detects Viruses/Trojans/Worms/Adware/Spyware/Phishing/Potentially Dangerous Applications/Riskware/etc...

Most of the better antivirus programs..such as NOD32, Kaspersky, BitDefender, Antivir, etc...have evolved over the past several years to protect against more than just viruses and worms.

 

[TheDepths]

Right, I know about the Threatsense engine, but do you have to actually have Threatsense enabled (which looks like it's just for submission of things to the company, from it's explanation) for it to be working?

I have it off, because I don't particularly like sending info about anything to anyone from my system, so now I'm curious as if to whether or not the anti-spyware part of NOD32 works without Threatsense on?

I'm assuming it works anyway and is just part of over-all detection engine?

Oh, and I suppose I should apply a pass to my system admin then as well?

 

[zacdl]

I have it off, because I don't particularly like sending info about anything to anyone from my system, so now I'm curious as if to whether or not the anti-spyware part of NOD32 works without Threatsense on?

So I guess Eset is "spying" on you as well? For crying out loud...

Oh, and I suppose I should apply a pass to my system admin then as well?

Yes. Always.

 

[Azhar]

The current (October 2007) edition of PC World has an in-depth article about whats a good spyware program out there and why some seem to be getting worse.

The article is titled "Die, Spyware, Die!" and it's a good read. I suggest you pay a visit to your local bookstore and read it.

 

[zacdl]

Or...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136205/article.html

To find out, we looked at six well-known programs. We tested five--Grisoft's AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5, Microsoft's Windows Defender 1.1, PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 5.0, Safer Networking's Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4, and Webroot's Spy Sweeper 5.5--on Windows Vista systems.

The sixth program, Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 2007 Plus, wasn't available in a Vista version during our testing period, so we evaluated its performance on a Windows XP SP2 PC; for this reason, its results are not directly comparable with those for the other apps.

PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 5.0 outperformed its Vista competitors. Grisoft's AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 and Webroot's Spy Sweeper 5.5 finished some distance behind. Neither Spybot Search & Destroy nor Windows Defender adequately protects against today's threats. And on Windows XP, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, in several performance areas, did not impress us.

I'm sure it's just a summary, but NOD32 wasn't listed.

Just took a gander at Consumer Reports' rankings, and Trend Micro takes their top spot on both AV and Spyware... interesting.

But nowhere do I see NOD32 mentioned... I thought it was a bit more well known than this.

 

[Azhar]

Yup it's a summary. The article is 6 pages long with 3 sidebar articles (Italian Job being one of them). There's a NOD32 article (titled Electronic Neighborhood Watch) a page before the Spyware article. It's got a pic of a cute asian girl ready to kick your ass with a bo and her kung fu skills.

I have the mag right here on my desk

 

[TheDepths]

So I guess Eset is "spying" on you as well? For crying out loud...

That type of attitude is completely unnecessary, and you're not talking to a teenager, so why don't you just either continue to be helpful or leave it alone.

It's neither helpful in answering my question about Threatsense, nor is it constructive, not to you mention you sound "paranoid" assuming that I'm "paranoid". Ridiculous.

People come here for help, not to have someone unnecessarily talk-down to them, especially at my age.

Yes. Always.

Well, thanks for that, at least.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

But nowhere do I see NOD32 mentioned... I thought it was a bit more well known than this.

Not in the United States much yet...they've only started heavily advertising in US rags for the past year....and pushing their reseller market over here.

I'll have to drive over to Consumer Reports office and beat on them (only a 1 hour drive from me)

 

[zacdl]

I'll have to drive over to Consumer Reports office and beat on them (only a 1 hour drive from me)

Yea, let me know how that goes, lol... They haven't lost a lawsuit yet because they can prove their stuff pretty darn well.

I just think there are so many variables with the computer world, however, that Consumer Reports isn't the most accurate thing out there.