Recently, if you read many Pc magazines and newspapers, you would find more articles on stopping spywares than on viruses. Spywares and ad wares are starting to emerge in armies and declaring their war with timid computer users like never before. I personally think spywares and spybots are more dangerous than viruses as it is like a parasite that attaches itself to your system invisibly and slowly opening backdoors just a little bit to let in the maliscious bots. Viruses are more open with their attacks and usually the effects can be seen clearly. However, most computer users are ignorant of the fact that spybots exist and are living in most computers, even in mine.
The basic software everyone should have installed in their Pc to prevent spywares are Spybot S & D and Lavasoft Adaware. Both of these softwares are available as freewares.
Just installing these softwares is not enough, one must update it frequently and scan the computer with it at least once a week. That’s how often the new definition comes out sometimes.
Today, even while surfing in Mozilla with Adblock on, some not very nice popups still appeared. I hastened to update both my Spyware S&D and Adaware immediately for a quick scan. However, in Adaware, upon pressing the connect button for updates, the thing just hang there at 5%. After I canceled it and rerun Adaware, the def files went missing! I checked Lavasoft’s Forum to find the similar problem with other users.
Thank God Lavasoft’s website has downloadable definition and reference files that can be saved into the Adaware folder. I find that even after installing the right files, when I want to update again (for checking) the file that it wanted to download is of the year 2002! (see picture). Is there some kind of bug in the program? Any users out there experiencing the same case?
Read previous entry on how to solve a browser hacker problem.
I have few rules to keep my PC clean from spyware/bot.
1. No IE.
2. No untrust site
3. No untrust software(especially FREEWARE)
4. Install AdAware & Spybot S & D
5. Install Firewall(ZoneAlarm or SyGate)
liew: I used all the above ways u mentioned except the firewall. I thought Zonealarm like to interfere with the network, is it true? How safe is it?
Gobi: I installed the file manually, which worked fine, unlike some faced by those in the forum. However, I do wonder if from now on I have to do it manually all the time. That sucks.
Jasmine: I don’t like the idea of a toolbar from Yahoo! My anti-spyware softwares works just fine. Besides, my toolbar in Mozilla is already pretty crowded, and I am suspicious on yahoo stuff. Even Yahoo messenger while installing, I already tick I don’t want the toolbar and extras, but it went on to install anyways! Terrible, what’s their agenda huh?
Leona: ZoneAlarm is safer than PC without any firewall protection. 🙂
If your PC is in network, just set a custom allowed zone address in ZoneAlarm.
Ad-Aware users need to migrate to Lavasoft’s latest anti-spyware tool, Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition, because the company is ending its support for Ad-Aware 6 this week.
Fortunately, Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition is free as well. I’ve installed it after uninstalling the old version and it works fine.
Re: ZoneAlarm
I’d second the recommendation of a software firewall and I would heartily recommend ZoneAlarm. I never get online without it.