Is SpywareBlaster adware

I've heard some spy-remover programs are actually spyware themselves.
Is Spyware Blaster safe?
Thanks, Mary

 

Here is a helpful link. It's a list of bad spyware removers that install adware.

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

 

Part of a minimalist approach we have in securing a PC is the following:


1. Make sure “Windows” is kept FULLY UP TO DATE.

While on the Internet, Click on Internet Explorer (the Blue “e”), Click on Tools (on the bar at the top of your screen in Internet Explorer), Click on Windows Update. This will take you to the Microsoft Windows Update page where you need to follow the on screen prompts, starting with “Scan for Updates”. Install ALL “Critical Updates” and “Service Packs”.

WEEKLY – check this is “Up to Date”.


2. Make sure if you use “Microsoft Office” it is kept FULLY UP TO DATE.

While on the Internet, Click on Internet Explorer (the Blue “e”), Click on Tools, Click on Windows Update, Click on the tab at the top that says “Office Update”, follow the on screen prompts, starting with “Check for Updates”. Install ALL “Critical Updates” and “Service Packs”.

WEEKLY – check this is “Up to Date”.


3. Make sure you have Virus Protection on EVERY computer – NO EXCUSES.


4. Make sure your anti-virus is FULLY UP TO DATE.

DAILY – check this program is “Up to Date”.

WEEKLY - RUN A SCAN


5. Do NOT share the main “C” drive of ANY computer on a network.

Prior to Opaserv it was (and no doubt will continue to be) standard networking practice, by the great majority of technicians world-over to share each computers main “C” drive. With the advent of Opaserv this practice must be altered to address a security flaw found within Windows.

Share ONLY a necessary folder(s) within your “C” drive for networking.


6. Install a Firewall. We use and recommend ZoneAlarm - FREE for personal use, available from www.zonelabs.com ZoneAlarm has continually tested exceedingly well at a world renown security testing company www.grc.com As well, ZoneAlarm is “Visual”, you can see what is going on, what is accessing the internet, and also trying to access your computer from the internet.

IMPORTANT! – KNOW all the programs listed within ZoneAlarm that you are allowing access to the internet.

Do NOT say yes to everything, do NOT be “Click Happy”, if you do, you are TOTALLY compromising your security.


MONTHLY – check this program is “Up to Date”.
(ZoneAlarm> Overview> Preferences> Check for Updates)


7. Install SpyBot Search and Destroy.

This is FREE for personal use and available from http://beam.to/spybotsd and http://www.download.com We have had hundreds of new clients come in with computer problems relating to programs downloaded/ing in the background (without the client’s knowledge). One computer had slowed to a complete crawl and the client was quite distressed as to why.

DAILY – check this program is “Up to Date”.

WEEKLY - RUN A SCAN.
(Spybot Search and Destroy> Check for Problems)


8. Install AdAware.

This is FREE for personal use and available from http://www.lavasoftusa.com What Spybot Search and Destroy doesn’t pick up, this will.

DAILY – check this program is “Up to Date”.

WEEKLY - RUN A SCAN.
(AdAware> Scan now)


9. Install Spyware Guard.

This is FREE for personal use and available from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com

DAILY – check this program is “Up to Date”.


10. Install Spyware Blaster.

This is FREE for personal use and available from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com

DAILY – check this program is “Up to Date”.


Together these are “Essential Security Software”, programs that will give you a “Layered Defense”, learn to use them, keep them updated, run/scan/check all of them, they are there to PROTECT your computer. Let them do their job, by keeping them up to date and most importantly by actually USING them...


With ALL software, and especially Windows, make sure it is ALWAYS KEPT FULLY UP TO DATE. If there are NEW VERSIONS of these security programs, download them, or ask someone to download them for you, most importantly, it just needs to be done.

Hope this helps…

Cheers

 

Clowny....thanks for the link.

 

Very good recommendations from Blackspear. I will add one more -- use a different browser from IE. I recommend Firefox.

 

And another recommendation -- setup a personal firewall. You can download free ones from ZoneAlarm, Sygate, etc.

 

I'd liek to ad my 2 cents into this thread regarding the level of protection you can add.

Here are a few I recommend over at Spyware Warrior Forums, where I'm Admin, and HJT analyst:

1. Install IESPY ADS. Adds a ton of known malware sites to your restricted zone.

2. Add MVPS Hosts. Block out the servers that host known malware sites.

3. Follow these IE Tweaks. Who needs Mozilla? Been online for nearly 8 years, never a problem.

4. Consider another excellent app, WinPatrol. They just upgraded to v8.0, and it works great, has lots of neat features too.

Oh, and everything I listed are of course free. Not that free stops me, because I upgraded to AdWatch
and SpySweeper
too.

 

Hi TeMerc and others,

I have reviewed WinPatrol soft and I am going to taste it but before than I would like to know if any1 can confirm the soft doesn't interfere in any ways among the below listed softwares:

Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.05
SpywareBlaster 3.2
Spyware Guard 2.2
Pop-up stopper 3.1
Norton Antivirus
CCleaner 1.13.069
ZoneAlarm 5.1

Would appreciate to hear soon.

Thanks and regards,
Engine

 

Hi Enginie, glad to provide what I know, along with some other info.

The following are installed on my machine. Win XP SP1/256 MB
AdAware SE w/AdWatch
Spybot S&D
SpywareGuard
SpywareBlaster
SpySweeper
WinPatrol
IE-SPYAD
MVPS Hosts
Norton System Works '02
Norton Personal Firewall'03
Panicware FreePopup Stopper
Google Bar
MRU Blaster
Trillian Pro

I have zero troubles with any of these apps, and have had them for some time now. Also, recently, over at Spyware Warriors, we created a page trying to exeplain the way security apps operate(protection/prevention/removal) with regards to WIN XP.
XP Security Apps Operation

I left Bill P a note for some info, and he repsonded very quickly, and I was impressed with what he had to say. Here is the link:
WinPatrol Forums.

Hope that helps some.

 

Thanks TeMerc for your comprehensive reply. Meanwhile I run WinPatrol and result is the same like you ... NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.

Regards,
Engine

 

Here is a canned protection speech used regularly at Spywareinfo.
I use it myself, as do many others;

In order to be better protected in the future, I recommend the following programs:

SpywareBlaster protects against bad ActiveX.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

IE-SPYAD puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone so you'll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren't actually innocent at all.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm

Both are very small free programs that you run once, and then just occasionally to check for updates.
(In other words, yes SpywareBlaster is safe)