how to defend agianst surveillance software

i encourted a thread where advissed to perents worried about thair childern activity to install surveillance software that reports every thing that is done on the computer.
thay recommanded software called spector pro and there are many other software like that one/
out of interest i downloaded the software and my antivirus software does not even detect it (eset smart security 4 latast version), so i tried a virus total and only 4 antivirus software detect it/
these software can be used on a malicious or as apyware, i know it agains the licence, but for that reason i have and pay for antivirus software so what is the point of antivirus software it many of the biggest companys wont detect commercial surveillance software that is so common?
and what can be done to detect and remove software like that?
sry about my english
thanks

 

This thread should be a good start:
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=230639

I believe Spector Pro can be classified as a "keylogger". As you noted, some antivirus programs can also detect keyloggers, although there are also dedicated "anti-keyloggers" available.

 

as i can remember, kaspersky internet security has very good keylogger detection, and i would give this snoopfree (http://www.snoopfree.com/PrivacyShield.htm) a try or perhaps keyscrambler.

Many keyloggers can't detect drag&drop text, so try something like neosafekeys.

If you are using LUA and enable SRP on your system, you should be OK.

 

Some antiviruses (probably most) intentionally allow Spector Pro and other commercial keyloggers. Their rationale is that commercial keylogger products have legitimate uses. My answer to that is that most of the people that use them are probably using them for illegitimate purposes. I am glad that you brought this up again. It seems like I remember someone saying that Sophos *DOES* block commercial keyloggers.

Have you installed PrevX to see if it picked it up? I would be curious to know.

 

Which 4 anti-viruses detected it?

 

Prevx SafeOnline.
http://prevx.com/safebook.asp

 

thanks for the replies and the info, i will try the suggested sulotions.
another relly funny fact i noted that it just bypass firewall (set on interactive mode) like it is non existence not even a popup

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it should be noted that although thay detect it i dont know if thay can remove it or even make unfunctional.

 

I posted not too long ago about this topic - specifically about Spector Pro. Anti-Virus programs performed terribly (as you found out), however, anti-spyware programs do much better. Specificially, MBAM and Super Anti-Spyware both recognized it immediately in the registry sweeps and then went on to identify the various files. One more than the other (I don't remember which) but both easily detected multiple evidence of the presence of Spector Pro.

 

How to defend against it?
Don't install it, duh.

 

Grabbed a free old keylogger to scan at VirusTotal (Spector wasn't available without purchase; or didn't look hard enough).

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I think the OP is mainly concerned with Spector Pro. MBAM and Super AntiSpyware detected every single trial version I installed (of the Spector line of products).