| Author |
Message |
    
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4932
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2005 - 3:08 pm: |     |
This is a good thing, if a little late in coming.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 407
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 9, 2005 - 1:44 am: | |
Dave-
But it's still being 'Beta Tested.' |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4953
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Sunday, January 9, 2005 - 3:21 pm: | |
betaware v. spyware: I'd take the beta.
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Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 420
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 9, 2005 - 11:31 pm: | |
Good point! Will it work with Adaware, Spyboy, Spy Hunter, Norton? Thanks! |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 485
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 1:59 pm: | |
Keep in mind that it's from MicroSucks |
Walker
Citizen
Username: Fester
Post Number: 47
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 3:01 pm: | |
Why would you install this?. It is Microsoft and their inability to secure their own OS that has put us in this situation.
Stop using "MS Internet Explorer" switch to MYIE2 Marathon version or Mozilla and get a piece of third party software to clean you system of spyware. Using the Microsoft app is like asking the person who let thieves rob you in the first place guard your property.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5060
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 3:04 pm: | |
I'm trying this beta. It detected no spyware, but I only loaded this OS in November (my PC at work).
Walker, I think I agree, but I think it's more important to distrust M$ if it comes out with anti-virus software. Spyware is in a grey area. |
Flatbush
Citizen
Username: Flatbush
Post Number: 7
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 3:10 pm: | |
The following link is for an article about Giant antispyware. The writter states that it is far superior to Adaware and Spybot.
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/ms_antispyware_preview.asp
Giant was not previously a free program as are Spybot and Adaware. These two are the best of the free programs but they both had to be used: neither one did a complete job by themselves. another issue with the free versions of these two is that they do not run in the background like antivirus programs so they offer no beforehand protection. Spybot and Adaware only remove the bad stuff AFTER you already have it. An excellent FREE program that runs in the background and offers some, but not total protection is Spyware Blaster. It can be found at www.download.com
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argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 498
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 3:29 pm: | |
Flatbush, that's not exactly true.
Spybot S&D has an "immunize" function which prevents bad stuff from being installed and warns you when registry updates are being made (and allows you the option of denying them). This is preventative in nature.
AdAware has a similar feature called "Ad-Watch" but not in the free version.
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Walker
Citizen
Username: Fester
Post Number: 48
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 3:40 pm: | |
Tom:
Having one product of this nature running on a machine for more than a few days with no spyware found is dubious at best. I would sugest that you try Adaware or the 30 day free trial of SpySweeper made by Web Root. I can almost guarantee that one if not both of these apps will pick up spyware on your PC.
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Flatbush
Citizen
Username: Flatbush
Post Number: 8
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 4:05 pm: | |
argon_smythe,
the immunize function for Spybot does NOT work as well as Spyware Blaster. I use all three programs. In addition to these and my antivirus program, I also use A-squared, an anti trojan program. For reasons unknown,not all programs find everything. I also do a weekly scan of our PCs using McAfees FREE Stinger scanner:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
and the best of the FREE on-line anti virus scanners, Panda Anti Virus:
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/.
Note, Panda Active scan will only work with IE based browswers because it uses Active-x.
We only use IE for sites requiring it. Our primary browser is Firefox |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 486
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 4:38 pm: | |
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1731474,00.asp
The results rated the Giant AntiSpyware detection tool as the best of the 20 scanners tested, but even then, Howes said the software detected only 100 out of 134 "critical" files and registry entries.
Latest SpyWarrior test results
http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-results-5.htm
While I've found that there is a lot of personal preferences for this app or that app, for spyware and antivirus, etc.
The one general consensus is that you can't rely on just one or two apps, you must use several if you really want to be safe.
Find the test results of the month from several sources, put them together and see which ones are consistently ranked best, give them a try.
Some of them may have free versions, but I would suggest that if you find you like the free version to go ahead and purchase the paid version, if they have one, it will offer you a few extras that may be worth it to you, but in the least you will be supporting the people that wrote the app that very well may have saved your a s s.
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 853
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 3:46 am: | |
1-Doesn't MYIE2 use IE as it's browser engine? That just puts a skim coat over the problem. Changing to a non-ActiveX browser will solve more problems that scanning with a dozen scanners.
2-This is just a silly statement - "Having one product of this nature running on a machine for more than a few days with no spyware found is dubious at best." It's quite possible to run for as long as you like and not download adware, spyware, trojans, etc. Given that Tom is a professional, I'd think he has the sense to know when he's downloading crap and when he's downloading what he expects.
However I do agree that you should use as many programs as you are comfortable with. It's just that if you spend all your time scanning for this junk, how do you get anything else done? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5075
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 10:08 am: | |
Thank you woodstock, but Walker is right, because my sample time is too small to prove that MS AntiSpyware is valuable. I just posted my experience, which isn't worth much. At least it hasn't caused any damage.
As a professional, I know that sample size counts for a lot. Whenever people tell me that they had an XYZ brand computer and it sucked or it rocked, I don't believe them. I have installed and maintained computers by the dozens and hundreds, which gives me a real feel for which suck and which rock. And I have found that they all suck and they all rock, to varying degrees. |
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 856
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 10:35 am: | |
Tom, just to clarify, I should have separated my comments more. The first part of my second point was that it's possible to have a computer running, surfing the web, downloading software, and not get various bits of nastyware.
The second part of my second point was that, given your profession, experience, and the short amount of time you've been using the machine, it's quite possible that your machine has not been infected yet.
And Walker, in re-reading my comments, I hope they did not come out harsher than intended. I'm working on very little sleep, and not doing adequate QA on my posts this week.
Lastly, I didn't mean to imply that MS Antispyware was not crap.  I have no experience with it, and would never assume that MS put out a quality product, no matter who originally wrote it. |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7192
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 1:40 pm: | |
With Microsoft there is no such thing as a free lunch. My guess is that they are selling patches to the spyware companies for big bucks that allow them to circumvent the "free" protection. Yah gotta make a buck one way or another.  |
Walker
Citizen
Username: Fester
Post Number: 49
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 3:54 pm: | |
Woodstock;
You are right about MYIE2 being a shell using IE as it's browser engine and in general it tends to suck memory.(Only used on sites that Firefox does not load correctly)
But as for the second comment.
"It's quite possible to run for as long as you like and not download adware, spyware, trojans, etc. Given that Tom is a professional, I'd think he has the sense to know when he's downloading crap and when he's downloading what he expects".
Not all spyware prompts you to download or install anything but rather takes advantage of various security holes in any of the one Microsoft OS products, these can be as benign tracking cookies or as malicious as Coolweb search. So to say XXX is a professional and has the sense to know what is being downloaded and what is not is simply incorrect.
For any anti spyware program running on a PC with an internet connection for several weeks not to find anything I would consider highly suspect. Many of the programs out there will interfere with if not completely disable antivirus and anti spyware programs
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 857
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 5:38 am: | |
Walker, actually, I've tested this on my home network. I have a PC that I cobbled together with leftover parts, that had WinXP SP2 (firewall disabled) and Zonealarm on it. Nothing else (I was planning to test ZoneAlarm and some AV software). I occasionally surf on it, but never downloaded anything. I then installed Spybot, Adaware and Spy Sweeper. Other than some tracking cookies (which I feel are innucuous), none of the apps found anything.
While spyware and adware are real threats, just as viruses are, the hysteria around them is almost as bad as the software itself.
I can't speak for ad-/spy-ware specifically, but consider that with all the hype about viruses (and the thousands and thousands of virus signatures each AV software has), there have only been 341 viruses found in the wild (according to InfoWorld). You'd never believe that given the hype around them. |
Walker
Citizen
Username: Fester
Post Number: 50
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 9:22 am: | |
Woodstock;
You & your test PC are not a true reflection of what an average person would do on a daily basis on their PC, you also say that this is on your home network (assuming you are using the correct terminology), that means that you have a router that acts as a hardware firewall preventing direct access to that PC's IP address from the internet.
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 860
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 10:04 am: | |
Yes, I'm using the correct terminology, and yes I'm behind a router. It's not a firewall, just a NAT router (I have SPI turned off). Anyone who is operating a computer without some type of firewall (software or hardware) is just asking for trouble anyway.
And I think most people are behind some kind of firewall, given that so many ISPs are putting port blocking and other controls in place.
But my point is not that there is no threat from skyware or adware, and I don't want to argue about it. My point is that it is not the boogey-man that people make it out to be. And it's not a foregone conclusion that you will be infected with it just by turning on your PC and connecting to the 'net.
Lastly, if you're connecting to the Internet with a PC and no firewall, adware is the least of your worries, especially if you're on a broadband connection. Personally, I'm more worried about Zombies. But that's for another thread... |
Mergele
Citizen
Username: Mergele
Post Number: 237
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 9:44 pm: | |
I almost fell over when microsoft's app found a big nasty on my primary desktop that ad-aware had never caught... Surprise, surprise. |
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