Can You Trust Your Spyware Protection?

[The Hunter]

Can You Trust Your Spyware Protection?

Why your spyware scanner may not catch some adware programs.

The next time you run a scan with your anti-spyware tool, it might miss some programs. Some adware companies, arguing that their software is benign, have petitioned anti-spyware firms to stop warning consumers about their software. Other companies have resorted to sending cease-and-desist letters that threaten legal action.

In the past few months, at least two anti-spyware firms' products temporarily stopped detecting some kinds of adware--a process called delisting. Last year, Lavasoft (maker of Ad-Aware) delisted advertising software WhenU from its detection database. Lavasoft told PC World that the delisting happened as the result of an employee error, and the company quickly added WhenU back to Ad-Aware's detection list. Computer Associates, which makes the PestPatrol anti-spyware tool, temporarily delisted adware made by Claria after Claria asked to have its software reevaluated, but Computer Associates later restored detection of Claria to PestPatrol.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121583,00.asp

[notbob]

ms anti-spyware keeps removing detections with every update, thereby making it less effective, just like ad-aware

i have no trust for either one now, as they are too willing to bend their rules with the threat of a lawsuit

[The Hunter]

A friend of mine got banned from the Ad-Aware forums for asking why certain software was not detected by their program.

[mountain_rage]

Thats why its always good to use multiple programs to do a double check.

[DwarfBaby]

I don't trust anyone in particuler so I use them all. It's also good to watch your processed in case some bugger slipped passed you protection and of course use a firewall.

[The Hunter]

LOL, i take it bit further, and never click "dont ask me again" I want to be asked every time by each, and every application.

[littlebits]

I have found that many times Ad-Aware and SpySweeper have missed a spyware key found by Spybot S&D. When you compare adware/spyware software, you have to consider the following.

1. All well known software that offer a "paid" version usually have ad-parteners to advertise their products. In return, they will not detect adware by their ad-parteners. But on the other hand they offer a better detection rate than the freeware software because they are able to update their definitions more regularly. Because if you also want to detect the others that they don't, then you also have to use a freeware software. Examples of well know paid software- [Webroot SpySweeper, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, ETrust PestPatrol, CounterSpy(same program as Microsoft AntiSpyware), Alura Spyware Eliminator, Ad-Aware SE] and many others all have ad-parteners.

2. Freeware software usually are only supported by donations. They have no use for advertising or ad-parteners therefore have no reason to not detect any adware. Because they usually only run on donations they don't get enough support to update their definitions regularly. But they will detect the other adware that is in a partenership with the paid and well know software.
For a complete list of Freeware software- http://www.spychecker.com/software/freeware_antispy.html
Althought Micosoft AntiSpyware Beta is listed in the freeware, it still falls into the ad-partener category. Spybot S&D is still the best freeware.



ThankYou. :bom:

[bobhss]

ms anti-spyware keeps removing detections with every update, thereby making it less effective, just like ad-aware

i have no trust for either one now, as they are too willing to bend their rules with the threat of a lawsuit

I hear "Trust no one" in this post. :razz:

[notbob]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/65153


read this and you decide

[truelyme]

These pest industries that gain acceptance through deals are the main reason you can't depend on any single spyware company catching them all. Either you spend boatloads of money for different spyware catchers (with no certainty that you will get all spyware removed), give up all hope that your machine is yours to do with as you please, or move on to something non-windoze.

For my part I have done just that. Gone to linux. One day I woke up with a trojan for the upteenth time and finally decided I had enough of the crap.

Just as everyone here, I am concerned with my security. It is a constant battle with everyone and their bother that wants to snoop your machine with money being the driving factor in the end. It seems that for money folks will do anything, especially business.

I hope you guys find your answer to the security of your machines, truly I do. I know I battled it long and hard for a long time. In the end I came to realize that microsucks is playing both ends. Having computer users pay for the OS and at the same time selling licenses to ad companies to gain access to your particular machine. Under such a scheme there is no long run hope that you will ever gain a secure machine.

That was the final straw in this that drove me away from microsucks.

[tackdaddy]

well i use adaware,spybot,spyware blaster,and spysweeper and i have'nt had any problems. they don't detect everything on there own but using all of them seem to do the job.

[tomars]

Spybot seems pretty good to me. But generally I just trust myself not to be a retard.

[ducttapeBigSexy]

[fan boying]See, I just use Linux and Firefox when I'm in Windows. No worries here :) [/fan boying]