Spyware What is Recommended These Days?

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by myers1984, Apr 29, 2008.

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  1. myers1984

    myers1984 Registered Member

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    Hello.
    The last time updated all my spyware stuff.
    I was using.

    Hijack this
    Kazaa Be Gone
    Spybot
    Ad Aware
    Windows Defender

    In the past i have tried spy sweeper and spyware terminator and super anti spyware, what would you recommend in 2008 ?

    I am a little behind when it comes to spyware?
     
  2. HyperFlow

    HyperFlow Registered Member

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    there's a basket full of AS and you can never go wrong with superantispy. I use a blend of paid and free AS Web Root as real time and SAS as back-up and I maintain a very good spyware free environment with this set up. but to Recommended one i would go with SAS free or 30day pro and run it threw your normal web surfing routine.
     
  3. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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  4. PiCo

    PiCo Registered Member

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  5. HURST

    HURST Registered Member

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    Another vote for SAS over here...

    A few years ago I used webroot spysweeper, but it is just to bloated now.

    SAS always gets the job done!
     
  6. HyperFlow

    HyperFlow Registered Member

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    another great antispy to have a look at would be SpywareBlaster it's very nice no pop-ups no scanning just set it up and check for updates from time to time
     
  7. dendrobates

    dendrobates Registered Member

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    How is counterspy performing these days?
     
  8. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Intermediate user, here.
    Of your list, I'd personally ditch AdAware, Kazaa Be Gone (if it's gone), and check that HijackThis is the latest (TrendMicro) version. Ditch Spybot unless you particularly like it.(I do.) The latest version claims some rootkit removal ability.

    A few months ago I'd have been happy to recommend SpywareTerminator; as of about 2 months ago I haven't had any experience with it. I (and others) considered that the company were putting too much effort into pushing the toolbar, likely at the expense of improvements to the program, and I'd read of a few users having problems, including "failure to remove malware" problems.
    It may have improved with the latest version. (But I don't feel the need to test that.)

    My opinion of Defender is adequately formed from reading user reviews/experience. I've never bothered installing it.

    SpywareBlaster is a type of immunizer, prevents loading known bad sites/ActivX controls. Mainly pertinent to IE. Uses no resource. Good.

    Hardly ever read any bad about SAS. Read a lot of good.Works well. Happy to recommend.

    Looking 4 posts above, Rogue remover might well be a useful tool to have. Haven't needed it so far. (Got it anyway.) Recommended. Don't know if it can do anything that SAS can't, though.

    I use (Resident) Avast Home, Threatfire, Comodo Firewall 2.4, and check that everything is patched with Secunia PSI.Immunity is provided with a hosts file, and SpywareBlaster. I'm not at all sure a resident AS is required, especially with a behaviour blocker and 2 way firewall. A lot (most?) of the AV's also include detections for more than just virii.
    I also keep quite a few demand scanners and tools handy, just in case. They haven't found anything in yonks, but don't take up too much space.
     
  9. PlanB

    PlanB Registered Member

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    Hey there,

    there is a very good reason for using Spybot S&D since this is the only free ware tool that offers scheduling combined with automated update + immunization. So you can just schedule a daily or weekly scan or whatever you think is right and then totally forget about it.

    Obviously the GI is outdated but it does it's job. Sometimes I run SAS, just to get a "second opinion" but usually it doesn't find anything that Spybot hasn't found before.

    Also, I always browse the internet within SandboxIE which I set up do delete the sandbox after the browser exited, so there is not much spyware to identy anyway..

    Cheers
     
  10. Makav3l1

    Makav3l1 Registered Member

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    The new version of Spyware Terminator 2.2 has 3x the amount of items in it's local database than previous versions. I have it installed on a friends computer and it has worked well for him. I recommend it as one of the better free realtime capable spyware scanners. You should give it a try over Defender.
     
  11. emperordarius

    emperordarius Registered Member

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    Personally I use and reccomend AVG anti spyware (good anti trojan) and super anti spyware (good anti spyware/trojan/rootkit) mainly, plus Windows Defender(good at some trojans and adware) and spybot(good at removing rogues). I don't like ad-aware and spyware terminator since they don't find much (once ad-aware flagged a photoshop plugin as a trojan). These tools, combined with a good AV, and you're done.
     
  12. Pseudo

    Pseudo Registered Member

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    AVG Anti-Spyware is unsupported.
     
  13. Fly

    Fly Registered Member

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    Good ! :)
     
  14. inpersonam

    inpersonam Registered Member

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    Nobody has mentioned Spyware Doctor. Out of favour?
     
  15. 19monty64

    19monty64 Registered Member

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    What is the advantage of TM's version compared to Merijn's 1.99.1o_O I still use the old version is why I ask...
     
  16. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Darned if I remember why TM's is recommended. Can't find the reference right now, but it was to do with some kind of occasional bug in reading certain types of entry had been fixed. Most HJT forums also give instructions to use the TM version.(Including, AFAIK, Merijn's own forum.)
    Realize this is a very inadequate answer, I'll see if I can remember where to find the "expert reference" over the next day or two, and post it.
     
  17. 19monty64

    19monty64 Registered Member

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    After reading this I just never bothered to upgrade. Better safe than sorry until I hear differently I guess...
     
  18. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Yes. Important (to me, at least) to not use that button. If it's not used, no data is submitted.
     
  19. 19monty64

    19monty64 Registered Member

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    I also wonder if the "corporates" actually made any improvements under the hood. If they did I'd gladly install 2.0.?, but 1.99.1 hasn't (knock on wood) failed me yet....:thumb:
     
  20. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Sorry, I can't locate the reference to the recommendation to use v2. IIRC it had something to do with an issue where 1.99 reported an item with the append "(file missing)", which apparently wasn't always the case.
    Anyway, it was comparatively minor, I guess, since plenty of malware experts still seem happy to process 1.99 logs.
    Apart from that privacy issue in V2, which is mainly to do with the sharing of information with affiliates (= pretty much uncontrolled), which isn't a factor if the "analyze this" button is not used, I've found the TM version works well.
    I do miss the classic icon, though. :(
     
  21. Makav3l1

    Makav3l1 Registered Member

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    I don't mean to hijack the thread but since it is about recommended antispyware I have a related question. In the past on xp I had used Spyware Terminator as my free realtime spyware protection, then I dropped it and was using an av that had both av and as. Now that I have upgraded to vista I am using avira and the integrated windows defender. Is Spyware Terminator still recommended above windows defender like it has been in the past? Aside from ST "hips" (which I would disable in favor or Defense+) what are the other differences between the two programs? If anyone has done any recent testing on the two or knows any information about them it would be appreciated, thanks.
     
  22. Makav3l1

    Makav3l1 Registered Member

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    Anyone?
     
  23. JerryM

    JerryM Registered Member

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    At this time it still updates. I understand it expires in December so one might not want to start using it at this point in time.
    I prefer SAS Pro to any of the AS/AT applications.
    Regards,
    Jerry
     
  24. Bubba

    Bubba Updates Team

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  25. PROROOTECT

    PROROOTECT Registered Member

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    Hello , MBAM !!! ...And : Nemesis Anti-Spyware ?..to think about ?..
     
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