Top 'N' anti-spyware programs

I mostly use

-Spysweeper
-adaware
-spybot
-ewido
-cwsshredder
-trend antispy (free on their site)
-hijackthis


uh and...
spyware doctor = terrible
spyware stormer = even worse

stay way from those

Ok .. ANTI SPYWARE..

I read that as prevention...
Most of the tools mentioned are for the detection and cleanup phase

for many of us this is the first step in a machine.. For a person protecting their machine this phase is to check that the first step is still effective..

Step 2: The Cleanup (Detection) Tools
1/ HJT - initially as a where am I .
2/ Bart PE with updated (new disk weekly) versions of the following
- Adaware
- Trend Sysclean or McAfee Stinger (seems they do update this sucker from time to time)
3/ nihils comments here:

Quote:

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Ewido and A-Squared

Ewido detects an enormous number of items. A-Squared is good on trojans and diallers.

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4/ adaware and Spybot SnD

Step 1: The prevention - protection
The step I use first on my machines
1/ Add blocking Hosts File: **** this really speeds up some sites, and is handy to reduce unwanted staff excursions
2/ MS Antispyware: I would mention the regprot or the registry protection in Spybot.. but this can cause problems with the whinging users..
3/ Install tools like:
- -Spyware Blaster (update on install)
- -CounterSpy
4/ UPDATE WHAT EVER TOOLS YOU ARE USEING
5/ Schedualed Scans with the detection progs (Adaware-Spybot SnD) and an antivirus as well as regular scans useing a remote scan method: ie tools on a Bart PE CD
In a corporate /business enviroment.. A machinegun enforced User Policy would be first and formost.. If the lusers think they can use the network for their eBay business, updating their porn and warez collections, then they need to pay for their own network and internet pipe.

PRograms like The Proxomotron are great..but not so in some business/corporate enviroments.

BTW: if your havent updated your BART PE cd for a while ..Your Adaware defs are way out of date..

I am very lazy, the better my protection, the less work I need to do.

You were joking with this in the list right?

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eAcceleration/Veloz Stop-Sign

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Popularity is perhaps the second worst method of determining quality... only behind reviewing advertising.

cheers,

catch

Und3ertak3r: You forgot something in step 1; Proxomitron, Filter unwanted ads, scripts, cookies etc. Proxomitron is acctualy the main tool I use against spyware/hijacks, it strips it out before the browser even gets the data, which, lets face it, with IE, is something that is greatly required.

IE in my eyes is like building a battle ship only to find you forgot to weld on the ass-plate, in a vain attempt to save your slow, sluggish and ugly grey browser-****, you stick a nice band-aid at the end. (Without cynesism; IE sucks, is slow, and leaks like a siv.)

I pretty much disregard anything said by anyone after they state anything along the lines of an application being insecure or less secure than alternatives.

It is clear that such a user has a most minimal amount of security knowledge and no comprehension of how a exceptions become vulnerabilities.

cheers,

catch

My foot note about The Proxomotron

Quote:

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PRograms like The Proxomotron are great..but not so in some business/corporate enviroments.

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several reasons..
1/ lUsers
2/ needs to be configured very carefully for the enviroment
3/ dosent work or has problems with some sites.. banking comes immediatly to mind
4/ Lusers

ok only 3 reasons

my soon to be former work config.. the users that have access outside the B2B sites pre allocated, have Mozilla installed..
All machines have a blocking hosts file.. There are blacklisted websites regardless of the user
Depending on department will determine what is allowed..

one thing here is I interpereted the request as being a business enviroment.. this can vary from a full server/ gateway/ harware firewall / Routers to 1 - 10 pc connected via a hub/switch to a basic ADSL or cable modem.. the application will be different..
one end will use the tools we are talking about, the other end --nothing like them

Quote:

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Popularity is perhaps the second worst method of determining quality... only behind reviewing advertising.

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catch.. this is so true.. 2 things here.. any one can trump up the usage statistics, and just because 2.75 billion downloads dosent count as the number of progs still in use, and some organisations count upgrade versions as a seperate user download.. ..

I shal now dismount from the soapbox..

Thanks you guys. Especially Und3ertak3r.

Your post are really appreciated.

Like so many others have said... the aplication to use depends on if you are removing or preventing. I use a combination of a-squared and common sense to prevent spyware. About once a week or so I scan with adaware/spybot/ms antispyware. I still say the best way to prevent infection is safe surfing habits. Make sure you dump your temporary files and cookies regularly.

definitely this is the order of scanners in my opinion

1.) Spy Sweeper
2.) Xoftspy
3.) Spybot
4.) Hijack This
5.) Ad-Aware SE Pro


Spy Sweeper is the best by far. it catches anything and everything that any of the other 4 won't. Xoftspy is not far behind and it updates easily without taking up resources.
I hate Ad-Aware SE Pro simply because it takes forever to complete a scan and it drains memory resources. I think Ad-Aware is the worst of the 5 i use.

Hmmm... My combination is:

Spyware Blaster (for prevention)
Spybot S & D (for prevention and removal)
Adaware
CWshredder
Hijackthis

And then when your cleaning a PC that was infected so bad that you can't access the internet anymore... Winsockfix works wonders...