Re; Time for debate

With reference to Anti-spy-ware programs as to which is the best on to use as I currently use Webroot Spy Sweeper, I also run Norton Internet Security also but I find that Norton dose not detect all spy-ware, after I have run Norton I do a back up scan with Spy Sweeper.

The other program that I run is StopZilla which run live and dose what it supposed to do.

I understand that everyone has there own ideas on which is the best I would like to hear on what other people's view's are on the range of Anti Spy ware programs is

Happy New to everyone in cyberland.

Terry

I find that you need to scan regularly with at least 3 because they all attack slightly different things. I am now a big fan of Avast Home edition and with that Spybot, Adaware and housecall at trendmicro.com. I also found that bitdefender finds things others don't as well.

I haven't used spy sweeper or stopzilla and I only ever seem to uninstall Norton trialware because people don't like to pay for the updates.

That is very true that people do not like to pay for the updates from, but I have a 2 year sub with stopzilla and it works out at approx £1.50 a month which in my book is good value.

Just renewed Spy Sweeper for a year £14.00/£1.15 a mth approx

As for Norton I always by the upgrade for the program as you get a years subscription free !!

and how much does Norton work out a month for you then?

The current up grade pack cost £39.99 / £3.33 but I still have a 100 days to run on the current sub and I will not install the upgrade until the current one nearly expires

I run Norton Antivirus 2006 with Ad-Aware SE Personal and Spybot S&D using HijackThis as a follow-up; I give my comp complete run throughs roughly every 3 days or anytime I have been surfing for data in European/Oriental webspace since that is where most of my trackers come from.

No complaints, many small things caught, system is fine.

Forty minutes tops a week versus re-install for 4+ hours.

:)

Spy Sweeper has a reputation as being capable. For myself I find Avast Home Edition to be a solid enough AV, and I use the standard freeware trio Spybot S & D, AdAware and SpywareBlaster.

Another Avast user here, along with AdAware/Spybot for malware removal.

I'd agree that Avast! is the best of free AV, but I prefer NOD32 to anything out there right now. V 2.7 gives superb protection against rootkits and is very effective against spyware as well as traditional viruses. Also, if it matters to you, NOD32 V 2.7 is Vista compatible.

For dedicated antispyware tools, I think Spysweeper is still about the best, but Spyware Doctor is good too. Spysweeper is extremely slow, but thorough, while Spyware Doctor is much faster, but seems to generate lots of false positives. Spysweeper still has the best ability to delete unwanted files on reboot.

The last couple of versions of Ewido really impressed me, but since their acquisition by Grisoft (AVG) it seems to have gone down hill pretty far and fast.

Of the free antispyware tools, Ad Aware, Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and Windows Defender are all pretty good. Personally, I rely on NOD32 as my primary malware denfense, and run Ad Aware and Spybot about once a month just as insurance.

When you get down to it, your best defense is a brain. Choose an ISP with good AV protection on their mail server and avoid dubious "free" crap. Keep your equipment behind a router with a good firewall. I still keep several layers of defense in place because I sometimes have legitimate websites which have been compromised slap me with some kind of pest, and some software and websites are still less than honest about what they actually want to do to your computer.

i just renewed the Noton Internet Security and paid for 35pounds +7.35 for tax. total 42.35 pounds. i just renewed norton 2006,didn't upgrade to 2007 version as i did't know if there are much difference.
i was not aware i could get a years subscription free if i upgrade it. if i was i would upgrade it. i think there are only 4 or 5 pounds difference between them.
i thought my pc is covered very well by using Norton internet security. i am a bit concerned now after viewing other member's view. i only browse and email,not download much things. is norton eough for me?

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Originally Posted by Trainshed Terry

That is very true that people do not like to pay for the updates from, but I have a 2 year sub with stopzilla and it works out at approx £1.50 a month which in my book is good value.

Just renewed Spy Sweeper for a year £14.00/£1.15 a mth approx

As for Norton I always by the upgrade for the program as you get a years subscription free !!

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Fungll, the problem with ALL of these products is that they are reactive... that is to say they cannot protect against something they don't know about.

So some poor person somewhere has got the bug/adware/trojan/dialler/worm/virus then submitted it to the companies who then write a routine to defend against it and put it in their updates.

This is why there are sometimes 3 or 4 updates in a single day.

Norton is primarily a virus checker. Adware/Spyware is something else (and it depends on who you talk to as to what constitues adware/spyware). Some programs you want won't run without it. As technicians we use a number of tools because we know that not every product works the same way or looks for the same things.

You want to run an online virus scan every now and then (free at housecall.trendmicro.com or panda) and a spyware scan such as spybot or adaware.

You must not have more than one active virus checker at one time, but you can use several different spyware checkers. Alot of spyware checkers are in fact spyware themselves... spywarrior here gives perhaps the most definitive list on the net.

NooNoo

i scan my computer at least once a month and i only use the Norton. i think i might need to look for some other Adware/Spyware product, but i hardly download anything from website. i thought Norton Internet Security is eoungh for me. but obviously not!!

thank you for your advise!

:)

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Originally Posted by NooNoo

Fungll, the problem with ALL of these products is that they are reactive... that is to say they cannot protect against something they don't know about.

So some poor person somewhere has got the bug/adware/trojan/dialler/worm/virus then submitted it to the companies who then write a routine to defend against it and put it in their updates.

This is why there are sometimes 3 or 4 updates in a single day.

Norton is primarily a virus checker. Adware/Spyware is something else (and it depends on who you talk to as to what constitues adware/spyware). Some programs you want won't run without it. As technicians we use a number of tools because we know that not every product works the same way or looks for the same things.

You want to run an online virus scan every now and then (free at housecall.trendmicro.com or panda) and a spyware scan such as spybot or adaware.

You must not have more than one active virus checker at one time, but you can use several different spyware checkers. Alot of spyware checkers are in fact spyware themselves... spywarrior here gives perhaps the most definitive list on the net.

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I total agree with Noo Noo statement and I have just had a quick glance at the web link that mentioned (http://spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm) and there is a huge amount of information there.
I known that it is a competitive market out there for spy-ware and other Anti-virus software, it would be could for the industry in the spirit of cooperation to work together and pool resources to combat this ever growing menace.

I scan daily. I can show you 8 different products that do spyware, and all 8 will get different results.

Yes norton does spyware... but so does avast and pc cillin, but they all get differing results. here is a fairly level headed overview

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Originally Posted by fungli

NooNoo

i scan my computer at least once a month and i only use the Norton. i think i might need to look for some other Adware/Spyware product, but i hardly download anything from website. i thought Norton Internet Security is enough for me. but obviously not!!

thank you for your advise!

:)

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Try this version for a while http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/.../lng/us/tpl/v5 as I have used it before and works great. There is a link to a Anti-virus scanner from the same company.

I hope that this more useful information.