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Thread: Call me an newbie.......

  1. #1
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    Call me an newbie.......

    But, how would one go about making an anti-spyware program (for fun, and mabey for profit). What are the different ways that spyware could be cleared from ones system via the program (should it reomve programs with a certain description etc.). What language should i use for it? Im thinking either C++, python, or mabey even basic or pascal.

    Thanks!

    ~T~

  2. #2
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    you are a newbie. (you wanted me to call you one, i guessed from the title)

    if you are making the program for profit, i'd say;
    there are many ``antispyware'' programs out there. there's no point in reinventing the wheel.

    however, if you are making it for fun you should just make it whatever way you want. it's all good as long as you learn stuff along the way. perhaps try using python and c++. they compliment each other pretty well.

    there are many different ways you can remove spyware from a system. this is because there are many ways for spyware to exist on the system.

    you could search the most common places for the spyware, and you could take a finger print of the files and compare this to a database of fingerprints in order to determine if the file is to be flagged for removal. this means that you must have an ever growing database of fingerprints.

    off the top of my head; if you had a system and you knew there was no spyware on it, you could take a snapshot / checkpoint of the places where spyware hang out. in the future you could then compare the old checkpoint with current situation and you could clearly see any new additions. should you allow the user to choose what to remove? or do you have your program use some sort of database detection method like above? obviously you let the user decide, as this increases the robustness of your application (be removing functionality). also, you wouldn't have to offer updates or release new versions often.

    best of luck with this program.

    do post a link to the finnished source when you are done. i'd love to see how this would be done pascal. if you decide to take that route.

    thanks.
    Hmm...theres something a little peculiar here. Oh i see what it is! the sentence is talking about itself! do you see that? what do you mean? sentences can\'t talk! No, but they REFER to things, and this one refers directly-unambigeously-unmistakably-to the very sentence which it is!

  3. #3
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    just a suggestion for you - (i would do it, but i am a horrible programmer) if you could make a program that would take both the adaware and spybot updates AND have the integrated features of spywareblaster (ant take those updates), i would think about paying for it and i would definately suggest it to my clients (home computer repair)
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  4. #4
    IT Specialist Ghost_25inf's Avatar
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    I would like to see an Antivirus program include Spy/ad ware, malware, and Hijacker in there detection process. Its getting to the point you need too many tools to keep your computer clean. the more programs the more processes there are to slow down your PC. Im not speaking of programs like norton AV either, where they have a half dozen programs attached to one linking program. I'm not an advance programmer but I do know some C++, and I think C++ would be too complex to simplify the process, does anyone agree?
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  5. #5
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi Tranzamus,

    Welcome to AO (well it's the first time I have spoken to you )

    As has already been suggested, there is not much point in re-inventing the wheel. There is a lot of anti spyware stuff out there already.

    Firstly, might I suggest that you limit your project a little. Either PROTECT or CLEAN, don't try to do both. The reason that I say this is that I have seen a number of people start projects that were too broad and too ambitious so they got bogged down and gave up.

    I would recommend that you concentrate on defence. Don't let it get on your system in the first place.

    Please let me know if you find that approach interesting and I will give you some more details and point you at some existing software that covers various parts of this concept.

    What I am suggesting is a comprehensive solution that incorporates a number of existing good ideas.

    Cheers

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the welcome!

    First off, im dreaming of a new computer, so this is a feasible way of getting enough for an alienware ALX (with some other projects scattered arround).

    I like the idea of removal, but my pholosphy is that the virus/spyware/adware/hacker should never get inside. I dont plan to make this a cheap malwall, i want this to be a good soild peice of software. I, personally, am mainly a internet coder, though I do dabble in non-internet languages. I think I might have to learn a new language for this application, which I am more then willing to do. I am known to stay up all night learning a new language, so, I think I could start researching new ideas while im learning. I am no newb to coding, so, as said, a new lanuage is not hard to learn.

    I love the idea of python, and am allready grounded in it, the only problem is that my current computer will not load the IDLE GUI and only will load the command line.......I am not sure if i want to have to pay BIG bucks for a compiler, though arround 60$ is feasible.

    I plan to market it in thirty day trial form and then market the full version of the program for arround 20$, mabey more depending on how much goes into it.

    I like the idea of "fingerprint profiles" on each malware, and I would like to allert the user when malware is installed. I would like to include a malware scan, but I dont know if that is just to much. I guess if the spy ware does not come in, nothing is there to scan........

    Thanks!

    ~T~

  7. #7
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    djscribble,
    good idea, but Spybot's EULA clearly states that you can not use pieces of the software (i.e. plugins, and updates) in other software. im not sure what LavaSoft says about Ad-Aware though.

    BTW, i think C++ would be a great language to do this type of thing in...as it is very flexible, and a language that is very much alive and growing as we speak.

    A_T
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  8. #8
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    Originally posted here by AxessTerminated
    djscribble,
    good idea, but Spybot's EULA clearly states that you can not use pieces of the software (i.e. plugins, and updates) in other software. im not sure what LavaSoft says about Ad-Aware though.

    BTW, i think C++ would be a great language to do this type of thing in...as it is very flexible, and a language that is very much alive and growing as we speak.

    A_T
    hmmm, i knew i should have read those -- I guess i understand why they wouldn't want you to use their software if you have to pay for it. HOWEVER, what i don't understand is that since it is free software, why it isn't even open source in the first place much less why we can't use parts of it to create better programs...
    [gloworange]find / -name \"*your_base*\" -exec chown us:us {} \\;[/gloworange] [glowpurple]Trust No One[/glowpurple][shadow] Use Hardened Gentoo [/shadow]
    CATAPULTAM HABEO. NISI PECUNIAM OMNEM MIHI DABIS, AD CAPUT TUUM SAXUM IMMANE MITTAM

  9. #9
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    Thanks alot guys. By the way, what compiler would you recomend?

    ~T~

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