SpywareBlaster and Spybot S&D 1.2 beta 4

I've been using SpywareBlaster for a couple of months now and have been loving it. Just recently I decided to switch over to the beta version of Spybot S&D 1.2, and noticed the Immunize feature it now sports. Here's where my question to you comes in, Javacool:

I have run SpywareBlaster and updated, the last database I have is 2/23/03 with 176 items. When I run Spybot's Immunize feature it tells me I have 148 products blocked, and that there are a further 35 additional protections available. By my calculations, 148 + 35 != 176.

If I remove protection with SpywareBlaster and then Immunize with Spybot it tells me I have 183 protections, yet it tells me I will get better protection with your tool which is currently only showing me 176. If I Immunize with Spybot then it tells me there are 183 protections, and SpywareBlaster shows all 176 products protected. I am just wondering where those extra 7 protections are coming from, and what they are?

I have posted this at Spybot forums (albeit with some minor alterations) also, but I just wanted to get both sides of the story before deciding which protection method to use.

 

Almost 1/3 of all of the items in Spybot's immunize database are for tracking/ad-network cookies. Thus, SpywareBlaster includes more spyware items in its database (which is all it protects against now...read below for more details).

There is a high possibility that a cookie-blocking feature of sorts (which will not require SpywareBlaster to be running constantly in the background) will be added soon to SpywareBlaster. In addition, you'll find some new interesting features in the next version that I'm sure will make it worth your while. (Half of maintaining good software is updates - the other half is research and development. )

Certainly, using both can't hurt, although I believe you'll find that SpywareBlaster with the latest database update covers all the spyware items in the Spybot immunize database (as well as many additional items that Spybot doesn't cover).

Best regards,

-Javacool

 

So, short answer: use SpywareBlaster? I have first and third party cookies blocked, and I only let a select few stay on my system, so I'm assuming Spybot's cookie "immunizations" won't really be of much use to me. Thanks for the reply.

SpywareBlaster 4 LIFE.

 

I never explicitly said that.

In that case, no they wouldn't be of any use.

Best regards,

-Javacool

 

Re:Spybot S&D

Installed Spybot S&D tonight & generated 1st report; don't know precisely what to make of said report, however. Seems I was shown (primarily) usage tracks; or it didn't appear to be anything dire, as best I could determine. There were 3 items marked in red, though, and one was the MS "Alexa" related.htm; I erased Alexa something or other in error (I think) after Ad-Aware said "Oh, gasp!" about that file.
And, does one run Spybot just now and then to check your PC, or should it be running while 'net surfing? And I assume for now that you don't generally choose any or many Excludes, as you *do want* Spybot to check for virtually everything in its lists? General advice appreciated...
Or if there is Spybot forum nearby, post a link to it, please.

Thanks, SG1 (Pat)

 

Hi SG1,

Spybot S&D (official version) is an on demand scanner. The Alexa key is harmless, but has now been replaced by a Google key. No harm there.
One of the other red items was probably your Windows Media Player ID.
The items in black and green are just extras provided by Spybot S&D. They reflect registry errors and usage tracks. It is up to you if you want to use that. It is a nice extra if you don't have dedicated programs for those. More info can be found in Spybot's helpfile.
Further questions about privacy software and unrelated to Javacool's programs can be posted here: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/index.php?board=20

Regards,

Pieter

 

The SBS&D forum(s) are found here:

http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi

(look for the two "PepiMK Software" forums on the main page). Pete