Free Spyware Software

Ad-Aware and Spybot are probably the two most well known antispyware solutions. However, they frequently fail to catch the more crafty spyware. Here is a list of five solutions known to get rid of the problem when all others fail.

1. Webroot Spy Sweeper
http://www.deprice.com/webrootspysweeper.htm

PC Magazine’s Best of the Year 2004 for antispyware, Spy Sweeper now scans for spyware 30% faster. Spy Sweeper detects and successfully removes vicious programs like CoolWebSearch. For advanced protection, Active Shields defend your browser and operating system from attempted spyware installations. Enhanced Internet Explorer shields block changes to your browser settings. Several operating system shields reinforce its ability to catch spyware when it attempts to download, install or run on a user’s PC.

2. Spyware Doctor
http://www.deprice.com/spywaredoctor.htm

Spyware Doctor provides 3-way spyware protection through real-time threat blocking, scanning and immunization, anything less is like putting locks on the front door of your house but letting intruders in through the side or back door. This is one of the many reasons why the award-winning Spyware Doctor has been chosen by millions of users to protect their PCs against spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spybots and tracking threats.

3.BitDefender
http://www.deprice.com/bitdefenderstandard.htm

Bitdefender Standard is a powerful antivirus tool with features that best meet your security needs. Ease of use and automatic updating make BitDefender Standard an “install and forget” antivirus product. Suspicious/infected files can optionally be backed up into a safe quarantine area before being disinfected or deleted. The contents of the quarantine can be sent to BitDefender Labs, for detailed analysis. Files that proved harmless can be easily moved out of quarantine, back to their original place.

4. X-Cleaner Deluxe
http://www.deprice.com/xcleanerdeluxe.htm

X-Cleaner is a top ranked privacy software solution from Xblock, one of the most trusted names in anti-spyware technology. X-Cleaner not only deletes browser and system usage tracks, shreds pictures and generates secure passwords it also features unique anti-spy and anti-adware technology and inoculation features that help prevent infections.

5. Geek Superhero
http://www.deprice.com/geeksuperhero.htm

Geek Superhero watches your computer for changes, immediately notifying you when a change is made to confirm you want to keep or reject the change. This saves you from lots of headaches. (A “Computer Setting Firewall” is an excellent description.) Geek Superhero protects your web browser’s home page and other important settings. It lets you easily fix things if your browser has been taken over by a hijacker, and watches for hijackers trying to invade.

David Deprice regularly reviews antispyware solutions and makes his findings publically available at http://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm

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The US House of Representatives has recently passed the “Spy Act” - or to give it its full title - the Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act. This aims to prevent software companies from installing spyware on users PCs without their knowledge, and anyone found guilty of breaching the act faces a fine of up to $3 million.

Does this mean the end of spyware as we know it? Unfortunately the answer is no, not really. The problem is that most spyware can continue to operate in exactly the same way as it does now, by asking the computer user to agree to a licence before it installs itself. The majority of people who are faced with a lengthy legal-looking page of text when installing a new program, automatically click the “I Agree” option without reading the terms. Therefore spyware programs can quite legally continue to piggy-back their way onto PCs.

Add to this the fact that a large percentage of spyware originates from outside the US, and it quickly becomes clear that the Spy Act realistically has about as much chance of success as the Can-Spam act did in attempting to stop the deluge of junk email that arrives in our mailboxes every day.

Spyware can be a lucrative business for advertisers and software vendors, and with the average home PC already carrying around 26 spyware and adware programs, it’s a problem that looks set to become worse before it gets better. In time, additional international laws may reduce the problem, but for the present at least, every PC user should keep up-to-date anti-spyware software running on their machine.

About The Author

Grant Rogers is an independent computer security consultant. You can find more information on anti-spyware and adware software at http://www.spyware-adware.info

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A spyware is a software that collects information from a computer with internet connection without the owner’s knowledge and relays it to another person. The action of spywares is just watching, observing, and collecting. Though most of the times it is done for advertising purposes, some times they are used with malicious intentions. These spywares usually come as hidden components of freeware programs.

The victims of spywares are usually caught unaware. He or she may not know that a malicious software has been installed in their computer without their knowledge and which keeps tracking their vital information. In this modern era of cyber crime where hackers create havoc, it is necessary to know whether our computer is being installed with any spyware with out our knowledge. But of course many software come with the licensing agreement that a spyware will be installed along with the main software.

The spyware usually enters the computer when the user installs some software. The recent mode of entry of the spyware is in the form of “Rogue antispyware” programs. These are projected as security software whereas in reality they cause damage to the computer.

Signs and symptoms of Spyware infection

Spyware never remains an aloof destroyer. More and more spywares get accumulated causing the unwanted effects. The cumulative effect, and the interactions between the different spyware components, causes the stereotypical symptoms as reported by the users. Some of the signs and symptoms that are helpful to know that a computer is infected with spywares are

Frequent unwanted computer activity

Deterioration of the performance of the computer

Exhaustion of memory resources

Slowing down of the computer

Crashing of the computer

Difficulty in getting an internet connection

Pop up ads on a regular basis

Pop up ads even when the user is working offline

Opening up of an unwanted website while the user tries to log on to some particular website

Computer dialing up numbers automatically without the knowledge of the user which is realized only when he gets the phone bill

Unwanted and unexpected search engine doing the search while the user wants to search something using a search engine of his choice

Popping up of websites incessantly while the user tries to log out

Pop up ads and unsolicited emails with the name of the user

Once the user sees any of these symptoms he should realize that his computer is infected with spywares and should take steps immediately to protect his computer before the computer gets infected very badly.

Markus writes and publishes articles about spyware, adware and PC safety, and other unbiased health related topics on Independent-views.com.

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