Anti-spyware software, the choices

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by Michael__aust, Jan 30, 2005.

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  1. I am looking to actualy purchase an anti-spyware program insteas of using all free ones. But there are so many on the market and I dotn have the money to try them all out. The ones I have been looking at are Adaware SE Plus, Webroot Spysweeper and spyware doctor. I was looking at Pest Ptrol but people have said it seems to have alot of false possitives. Could any one suggest a product to me and tell me a few of its features or post the link to its site as well as tell me their experiances.

    I live in the UK so it needs to be a failry world wide known program so dont get diddled out of money or anything.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Oh i forgot to list Ewido Security suite as well
     
  3. KERANO

    KERANO Guest

    Go with Ewido (I hope that you have antivirus software)

    Do not pay for any antispyware just because you can use GIANT/MS antispyware as well as Spybot and Ad-aware for free!

    Ewido will cover them but it will cover and many trojan horses...
     
  4. spy1

    spy1 Registered Member

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    You know, I'm seeing a lot of people suggesting EWIDOSS for their "anti-adware" needs, but what I'm not seeing is a whole lot of verifable evidence (in the form of logs, screenshots of "alert" captures, etc. ) to back that up.

    What I do know is that both EWIDOSS (full version running EWIDO Guard resident and updated) and NOD32 were both running at the time my son ran into his little adventure and that it was NOD - not EWIDO - that caught it.

    As a general rule, I don't think it's a good pratice to tell someone who's looking for an adware-specific pay program to get a program whose primary thrust is Trojan detection.

    But that's just me. If anyone can provide visual evidence of EWIDO's competency in dealing with adware-related threats, I'll hapily change my opinion (since EWIDO is running resident in SYSTRAY here).

    I have a problem with any program that doesn't provide an easily accessible log to show you what's been going on. On the screenshot, it says "Infected files found: 2" - but what were they - where are they? A log would present that type of info (they're sure not in Quarantine). Are they something that turned out to be a F/P? Something I excluded? What?

    Sure would be nice to know! Pete
     
  5. richrf

    richrf Registered Member

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    My primary security setup is:

    1) Firefox 1.0
    2) ZoneAlarm Pro
    3) Kaspersky 4.5.104
    4) ProcessGuard 3

    This appears to be stopping everyting. I do have products which have purchased in the past and which I use for verification purposes. They include:

    1) Ewido: catches some cookies now and then
    2) BOClean: Hasn't caught anything yet
    3) TDS-3: Use to find some hidden stuff that go through NAV, but lately has not turned up anything
    4) Ad-aware: Does find lots of cookies. This is probably the best anti-spy in terms of finding new stuff
    5) Spybot: rarely if ever finds anything
    6) Spywareguard and Spywareblaster: OK, for running in the background but doesn't seem to be catching anything
    7) Wormguard: Detects potential harmful scripts before they are executed
    :cool: Giant Anti-spyware: at first caught some stuff but now I just get false positives. Doesn't do much any more so I rarely run it, even on-demand. I don't bother running it in realtime. It has gone from a reasonable product to a not-needed product.
    9) Hijackthis: I like running this now and then to see what is happening.
    10) TrojanHunter: doesn't catch stuff anymore.

    So my recommendation is deploy a very strong security perimeter (PG for example will stop rootkits, keyloggers, etc. Kav is very strong across the board). and then maybe use some freeware to verify the integrity of your system. Also have at least one good image copy just in case a nasty gets through and you can't recoever. But since I installed KAV and PG, nothing seems to get through anymore.
     
  6. peter.ewido

    peter.ewido former ewido team

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    @spy1:

    when you have an anti-virus guard installed and running, the av guard will scan every file first, for compatibility reasons the ewido guard scans in second place. therefore if the anti-virus has definitions for something ewido should (also) find, ewido can't find it because the av guard has killed it in first place...
     
  7. gud4u

    gud4u Registered Member

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    I've purchased Micro Trend IS2005, Trojan Hunter and Spyware Doctor. I do think Spyware Doctor is worth purchasing - it's real-time spyware scanner works - I find it better than SpywareGuard.

    I also have the usual battery of Spybot, AdAware, SpywareBlaster, CWShredder, Stinger, etc.

    I've made the usual changes to IE security and privacy settings, and I've been clean for weeks, running IE browser.

    I think a good image/restore program should be included as a security component - just in case - and I use 'Image for DOS' for routinely imaging/restoring my OS and Data partitions to/from DVD media.

    This works for me.
     
  8. Socio

    Socio Registered Member

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    Michael__aust,

    I am of the opinion that unlike today’s firewall or antivirus software there is no single solution for spyware at least not yet. I run SpySweeper, Pest Patrol and Spybot S&D and no matter which order I run them in each one will find stuff the others did not. So no matter which retail version you get I would still recommend accompanying it with one or more of the free ones like SpyBot S&D.
     
  9. KERANO

    KERANO Guest

    The best choice is to buy F-secure Internet Security 2005 from Microsoft.com there it comes with discount and you get best AntiVirus, TOP Firewall and Ad-Aware-PRO included!

    Ad-AwarePRO have POP-UP stopper too. It is not the best antispyware but it have real monitoring so nothing can install in your PC without your permision!

    I really like that Ad-AwarePRO it never let spyware install in my PC.

    ________________
    Panda Internet Security also have many spyware definitions..
     
  10. ronny

    ronny Registered Member

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    Location:
    Belgium
    Although I also complained a year ago of the false positives of Pestpatrol, I've to admit that this isn't the case anymore.Unfortunately,I experienced that every good antispywareproduct has a false positive sometimes.
    I think there is no "best" antispyware (talking about these choices:Giant,alias MSantispyware,Lavasoft Adaware,Spysweeper,McAfee,SpybotS&D,PestPatrol,a²,(a bit different but very quick :Bazooka)).They all seem decent and sometimes one of them caught something which the others didn't.
    There is also the excellent review of Eric Howes.Thank You Mr.Howes!
    http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm
    Too bad that in the mean time the last test was almost 4 months ago.

    I heard that SpywareDoctor has improved (the earlier version which i tried wasn't that good (a lot of false positives) but this was more then 6 months ago)
    (ps:sorry for my English)
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2005
  11. Michael_aust

    Michael_aust Registered Member

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    Yeh i will be running other freeware anti spyware software as well. Its just i would like one that had all the bells an whistles to sue as my primary one then spy bot adaware etc coul;d be my back up.
     
  12. Sweetie(*)(*)

    Sweetie(*)(*) Registered Member

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    Honestly the free 1s are better.
     
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