PC tools Spyware Doctor

Spyware and adware can not only report your activities without your knowledge, but they can also bring your system to a crawl. If you're among the majority of users who don't have adequate spyware protection, Spyware Doctor might be worth a look.

Spyware Doctor installs quickly and easily and immediately offers a scan. The default download scans all drives, which can be time consuming if you have external hardware drives. Registered users can customize the scanning process (via the start scan button) to search likely locations of spyware or specify particular drives.

After the scan, spyware details the threats it finds by category and danger level. If you purchase the product, spyware will let you remove the threats it finds, offering to create a system restore point first.

Spyware Doctor's OnGuard utility will block spyware and adware programs as they hit your PC using seven components you can enable or disable individually. They provide formidable protection, blocking cookies and spyware, stopping programs from executing at startup, blocking invaders from hijacking your network connection and more.

Spyware Doctor doesn't allow much customization and may be too aggressive for some users. Spyware Doctor did a decent job of discerning between beneficial and malicious tracking. However, with tracking cookies, there were several false positives, and you cannot unmark for deletion (or easily mark for exception) individual items. Users who don't want to lose cookies with stored preferences from benign sites will either need spend more time on exception management or else exclude tracking cookies from their cleaning sessions altogether.
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Anti Spyware: The Key Facts

Spyware is relatively new to the classification of malicious code since it has traditionally been considered harmless. Spyware was thought to be a legal method of packaging software and vendors have been concerned with the legal aspects of preventing spyware from running. Since the dangers of spyware to exploit your computer system have been recognized, many vendors have moved forward with the production of anti spyware solutions. These solutions are available with various degrees of accuracy in detecting and eliminating spyware. Variations exist in the time necessary to complete a computer system scan and the number and types of malicious code that may be detected. In the same manner that new spyware is evolving, vendors are also developing new methods and spyware definitions to combat spyware. Some anti spyware software, particularly free software and downloads, are only capable of detecting spyware. They are not able to delete spyware programs or to correct the effects of spyware, such as modifications to your operating system or web browser. To protect your computer system from spyware you need to install the newest anti spyware software. Older anti virus software does not provide protection against spyware. Spyware does not necessarily propagate as typical viruses do. However, spyware will degrade the performance of your system and provide methods for others to infect your system with viruses. The newest antivirus programs offer some type of protection against spyware and most web browsers, firewalls and ISPs provide free anti spyware software. Though anti spyware software is advertised as part of many security suites, it is your responsibility to ensure that any chosen anti virus software actually includes an anti spyware solution.

The installation of most anti spyware software is similar to the installation of antivirus software. Anti spyware software is not as efficient at detecting spyware as some antivirus software are at detecting viruses, but neither type of software is completely foolproof. Like anti virus software, anti spyware software may be configured to run regularly and to automatically update to provide real time detection and protection. You may also be able to configure the software to meet your individual needs. If you are not familiar with your chosen anti spyware software you are encouraged to use its default settings and modify those settings as you become more familiar with the software. Full anti spyware scans should be scheduled on at least a weekly basis as well as on system boots.

Anti spyware software may alert you to spyware that you may want to keep resident on your computer. There are some applications, such as games and other file sharing applications, that perform spyware activities and will fail to function if the spyware is removed. When installing such applications, they may generate spyware detection alerts. If such an alert occurs during a software installation, you must determine the risk potential of having spyware resident on your system versus the need to install the application before continuing with the installation. If you install an application and then remove the embedded spyware, an anti spyware solution is likely to let you restore the application if it no longer functions. You must research the application and determine if the risk potential outweighs the benefit of keeping the application resident. Spyware-Guide.com, Pestpatrol.com and other vendor websites provide information on the extent of compromise posed by known spyware.

Some spyware has been shown to be robust and sometimes multiple scans are necessitated to detect and remove malicious code. Installing multiple anti spyware software will assist in providing the best spyware protection. Free anti spyware software may be downloaded from some websites. Some trusted websites provide anti spyware software that is as effective as commercial solutions though the free software may not provide as many options and configurations or the speed of scans. Unlike with antivirus software, the installation of multiple anti spyware software has not been shown to degrade performance of computer systems or cause internal conflicts.

If spyware is already resident on your computer system and anti spyware software don't seem effective in ridding your system of the nuances associated with the particular spyware, you may need to manually remove malicious code from your computer. Some spyware is known to be particularly difficult to get rid off and requires specialized tools for removal. A search of websites may produce a listing of sites that provide instruction for ridding your computer system of these particular types of spyware.
by Anthony P Mullen
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What Anti Spyware Software Does

There are many kinds of PC security software that prevents people from an outside source being able to track your web patterns. Spyware presents a major threat to your privacy and your ability to freely surf the web. Anti-spyware software prevents these spyware programs, which you inadvertently download, from being able to install themselves in your system.

Unlike viruses, which are contained within program downloads, spyware files piggyback onto a variety of sources. Many websites install "cookies," which are small files that track your usage of the website. These cookies are generally not malicious but do invade your privacy. They can be considered a form of spyware. Other spyware files are more dangerous, designed to track your overall internet behavior or even record keystrokes for purposes of stealing your passwords and/or gaining access to files on your system. This type of spyware is often attached to free software downloads or clickable popup ads.

In some cases, the line between spyware and adware becomes fuzzy and undistinguishable. Adware monitors your shopping patterns to create popup advertising that is customized to your needs. Strictly speaking, adware is not spyware since the focus is on creating advertising rather than tracking your movements. Then again, since the adware invades your privacy by noting your habits, it could be considered a non-malicious form of spyware similar to website cookies.

Unlike viruses, spyware files generally cause no noticeable damage to your system. Your computer's performance may be somewhat slowed or otherwise affected, but you will not notice a loss of data or system crash. This means that without appropriate anti-spyware software, spyware files may linger undetected for weeks, months or even years. Even if you happen to detect spyware on your own, uninstalling the files can be tricky. The piggyback nature of spyware makes the malicious file difficult to remove without uninstalling the wanted file to which it is attached.

Since spyware is difficult for the user to detect and remove, anti-spyware software is required. This PC security software will scan your system regularly for spyware files and remove them. Most anti-spyware software can be set to remove adware as well.

Free anti-spyware software is available from many sources across the internet. Be sure that you trust the source prior to downloading the file, however, or you could end up with more spyware piggybacked to the utility that is supposed to remove spyware! This is an uncommon occurrence, however, and many free anti-spyware programs perform comparably to purchased products.

Whether you choose a free or purchased anti-spyware program, there a few things you should look for to determine whether the program will meet your needs. The most important features are functionality and effectiveness. You want a program that will consistently monitor your system as an antivirus program does, blocking the majority of spyware from ever entering your system. The program should also give you the option of allowing or blocking suspected files, since no program can be 100% accurate in its determination of what is actually a spyware file.

The ability to customize the program is important, as is the ability to schedule full system scans at your own convenience. The program should be easy to install and use, and should offer regular updates. Finally, there should be a user's manual or website available in case you have questions about the program.

If you feel like you're computer is loaded with spyware, then go ahead and spend the money to get a program that will clean it. Going forward you can then protect yourself by using a system of computer firewalls and anti-spyware software to prevent the installation of new spyware. Don't put it off. The security of your private information is at stake.
by Denise Nuttall
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