I decided to get rid of some annoying ads that pop up once in a while. After download 3 anti-spyware programs, they seem to be gone. Two things I'd like to stress:
1) I had tons of spywares. Many of them were really dangerous, like keyloggers and dialers (my modem cable is disconnected since I have ADSL). Each tool found some spywares but not all of them.
2) I am not the kind of person that clicks on accept on every window that pop up. This stuff was installed via Internet Explorer Security Exploits. Even worse: I try to keep my I.E. as updated as possible.

So I believe every should, at least, get the three free anti-spyware tools:
Lavasoft adware (www.lavasoft.de)
Spybot search and destroy
and Spysweeper (www.spysweeper.com)

Ideally, I.E. should be dropped, and replaced by other browser. I'll start testing Mozilla since Opera doesn't work with some pages for me (but it's a great alternative also). Actually I believe the definitive solution is do a fresh install, and only access the Internet via Mozilla/Opera. Maybe I.E. can be kept only for WindowsUpdate, but nothing else. My conclusion is simple: using I.E. poses a threat to the security of your data, privacy and bank account (the dialers do international calls/ the keyloggers).

I hope this serves as an alert.

Yep, you're right vmesquita.
I have to continuously use Lavasofts' Ad-Ware.

-kwag

Some Weeks ago I tested Mozilla and to me it seems also more comfortable and of course secure too.
I first started using it cause of easy pop-up banning but by this I saw the many other advantages.

"Spyware Search and Destroy" will find more than one spy on your disc even just after you run Ad-ware.
It's currently the most effective one.

Note: be careful, some anti-spyware product actually PUT spy !

I wonder how safe is "Avant Browser"
I've been using it since yesterday, and I don't want to go back to anything else

-kwag

I just visited the HomePage of AvantBrowser ... looks very promising.
Kwag, whats the advantage compared to mozilla ... maybe just the Advert.-Flash-load-stopper? or anything else?

Well I should wait untill getting home where I can install it on my PC.

Avant Brower is just a GUI uppon a open API provided by IE (IE must be installed for Avant to work). So ... guess...

Look into the avant FAQ :

"Is Avant Browser a secure browser?

Yes, Avant Browser is secure. Since it's based on Internet Explorer, Avant Browser is as secure as Internet Explorer"

Kerio Firewall 4.0 can do that also. And you have the advantage to have a very nice firewall for the same price

Uops!

EDIT: We are responding too fast

Ill check that firewall appl.! Thanks for the hint.

Actually I first run adware, then Spybot, then spysweeper. And spybot found stuff adware didn't find, and later spysweeper found even more stuff that the first two didn't find. But of course, I am not safe yet, since there can be a new type of spyware any them have in the database yet. I have to find time to do a clean re-install of Windoes, and drop using I.E. I like Opera but it has some compatibility problems, I am testing mozilla "Firefox" to see how it goes.

Here is a list of spyware-vector software (sorry it's in french).

Look how much supposed anti spy programm actually install a spyware (web3000) !

http://terroirs.denfrance.free.fr/p/...re_longue.html

Thats a nice Thread Vmsquita!
We should do a "sticky" on recommendantion for such apps. which somenoe "should" have.

Yes, this should be a sticky...
I was also thinking, part of the spyware junk may have come also from the tons of span I receive, exploiting Outlook Express bugs. So it's better to drop outlook express use also. Mozilla now has a nice mail client with very good span filtering:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/

According to the docs, it's possible to import Outlook express contacts and messages, but I am not sure about it.

EDIT: And for the people that use Outlook Express just to check Hotmail accounts, they can use this:
http://www.boolean.ca/hotpop/

I have mixed results
I've been using it since yesterday on my PC (Windows XP Prof. ) and it has worked flawlessly. As a matter of fact, last night we had a power fail, and when I started the browser again, a popup appeared saying that the browser had shut down inapropiately, and asked me if I wanted to restore to my previous state. I was surprised that all my 15 tabs were opened, at exactly the same site I had them previously
But on my wife's machine, also running the same OS, it crashed in less that 5 minutes
Also, on a friend's machine, it crashed several times, and he decided not to use it again
I also installed it on my notebook ( Compac PIII 800Mhz also on XP ), and it works flawlessly.
So I think there's some interaction with this browser and some DLLs in the machine.

-kwag

kwag,

From what I understood, Avant is as bad as I.E. concerning security... Isn't it?

man,
spyware is really getting to a be b_tch, aint it?
One of my clients, actually two of them, had really really bad cases of
spyware/loggers/trojans, etc...
On one of them we spent about 4 hours trying to clean it up.
As he had not done a backup of some sensitive data, we decided not to
reformat, and start off clean (even though stuff like Alexa will install sometimes with the windows OS/browser(s),,)
Anyhow, here, a quick list of what I've found to be successful when combating spam/spyware etc... Remember to do the online updates
(essentially downloading new 'definitions' for these apps)

A.)
Ad-AWare {Freeware}
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10...age&tag=button
(if you choose the free version and it stops doing the online updates after xx number of weeks/months, (re)download a current version)




B.)
1.)Spybot-S&D {Freeware}
2.)Detection updates
3.)Tools update
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
NB. On some installations, the application will take long or freeze/crash when doing online updates, choose a different mirror to download from.
Be carefull when googling for Spybot, as there's many apps masquerading
as the real Spybot. Some of them will scan but will prompt the user
to purchase the program to clean up the 'stuff'. Remember to Immunize too.



4.)
Javacool Spyware Blaster {Freeware}
http://www.widersecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
Do an update regularly to keep it fresh.


The items in red are the new 'pestware's' to protect against.


C.)
Pest Patrol's PestSCAN {$ 39.95 or so}
http://www.pestpatrol.com/

PestPatrol picked up other intrusions which, to my surprise, the other three apps didn't see. We had to buy this great lil' app to get rid of
Vx.2 or v2x.BetterInternet. Spyware like this is SOOOO tricky to
clean up (we had to literally unplug the ethernet cable as this one downloaded a new payload everytime it rebooted.)
Hint: it's almost worth it to run two or three software firewalls, and
backup a good copy of the registry (e.g. look for things like Bridge.dll..that don't belong there)

They do offer a free online-scan though:
http://www.pestscan.com/




Other apps which help:

For Pop_uP windows:

Pop-Up Stopper
Pop-Up Stopper Free Edition:
http://www.panicware.com/product_psfree.html

Pop-Up Cop is also decent.


For Web Bugs:

Bugnosis
http://www.bugnosis.org/download.html
Don't know what webbugs are?
http://www.bugnosis.org/faq.html



For html email attachments:

Email Sentinel Pro {non-expiring shareware}
http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/email_sentinel.html


Hope this helps ya out.


Zooter

Kwag, are you using Mozilla or Firefox.

I'm still trying to convince my wife to put mozilla on her laptop (as it would get her off my machine as she keeps complaining about pop-ups etc due to IE.

Cheers,

__________________
rhino

LOL
Same here My wife keeps using IE
I've tried Mozilla (Crashes a lot ), and I also tried "Firebird", which is far more stable than Mozilla, but still crashed up on me several times.
I haven't tried Firefox

-kwag

Worth giving Firefox a try before it changes its name

Cheers,

__________________
rhino

Does anybody try Opera?