Free anti-spyware suggestions

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

The best anti-spyware program you can use... is your brain.

Seriously: Most spyware uses social engineering techniques, like audio-pop ups, flashing images, and carefully worded phrases, to trick you into installing the spyware. So if you just don't do stupid things online, like visit Russian or Dutch websites, open attachments you weren't expecting in your email, or download that nifty toolbar from Yahoo!... you'll pretty much avoid most spyware outright.

You can take further steps.

Such as: Don't use Microsoft Products for email: Use Thunderbird, Evolution, Kmail, Opera, or just use Google's Gmail to check your email.

Don't use Microsoft Products to visit webpages: Use Konqueror, FireFox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, or Opera instead.

Don't install Adobe Flash. Okay.. yeah. You might not like the result of some-webpages if Flash is installed... but lets be honest... Flash is buggier and less stable than Windows 95. Yes, there are alternatives, like Gnash, but for the most part Flash is a security nightmare.

Don't use Microsoft Windows: Buy a Mac or Install a Linux. Seriously, if you are worried about malicious software attacking your computer online, when you go online, just don't use an Operating System that is vulnerable.

***

Still, even if you take the greatest care in the world, you still can wind up with a Spyware or Viral infection.

So, let me let you in on two little secrets:

• No Anti-Viral software is 100% perfect.
• No software package can secure your computer.

Case in point for me is something I started doing back when I was working Tech Support for Cox Communications. I'd snatch copies of all of the email transmitted virus's that were floating around, and collect just about any virus I could get my grubby paws on.

Then, I'd load up a computer with an installation of Win2k Pro SP4 (equiv to Xp Sp2, but without the bloody product activation), install an Anti-Virus, and then deliberately infect the machine, and see exactly what each protection package could stop or remove. Over the recent years I've stepped up this test to include a Vista install machine to represent NT6.

I can tell you that the two consistent losers... Were Norton and McAfee. The highest confirmed hit rate and removal for Norton was around 46%. That's 54% of these are malicious software applications as determined by CERT and ICSA, were simply missed or ignored.

Of the other existing anti-virus and malicious software packages that I've tested, ranging across: Avast, Nod32, AVG, Bitdefender, Ewidow (now part of AVG), Spybot Search and Destroy, LavaSoft Ad-Aware, PCTools Anti-Virus and Spyware doctor, and Clam AV... the highest any of them had was a 85% hit rate of malicious programs they were supposed to be able to catch.

Now, I can tell you that right now Clam AV has one of the highest success rates of identifying and removing viral malicious software, and there is now a windows client available.

I can tell you that Spybot Search and Destroy has one of the highest success rates of identifying and removing spyware malicious software, and with it's Tea-Timer setting, one of the best track records for preventing malicious software from mucking about with Windows settings.

If you want the most powerful current combination? ClamAV and Spybot are your best bet.

Now, that could change in 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, or later. Or, they could still be the best combination to prevent, and clean-up, malicious software attacks.

I'll stop you right there. *NO* OS is invulnerable. Windows gets all the press and attention from virus writers because it is the OS most deployed across the planet. The virus writing folks are just following the numbers. Should Macs or Linux ever gain a much greater install base such that it becomes worthwhile to write serious amounts of spyware, viruses and the like to attack them, you can bet your last dollar it will happen and in big numbers. So the 'security' inherent in Macs and Linux stems more from the fact that 99% of what's out there targets Windows rather than any actual lack of potential vulnerability on their part.

Clam AV has a Mac OS X version, but it doesn't have much ground to cover.

On the topic of browser security, one hacker advised, "There probably isn’t enough difference between the browsers to get worked up about. The main thing is not to install Flash!" If one must install Flash, then the manual override plug-ins ClicktoFlash for Safari and Flashblock for Firefox are very helpful.

If that were true, then the amount of malware targetting OS X and Linux would be roughly in proportion to their installation bases. As it stands, the Windows platform suffers from malware orders of magnitude greater than the market share would suggest. The Mac OS suffers from only a handful (the number of worms and viruses, such as LeapA, can be counted literally on two hands). In contrast, the less secure Classic Mac OS had far more examples of malware, despite having a smaller user base.

The "security through obscurity" canard aside, OS X and Linux OSes offer an overall superior experience for the average user over Windows XP. Hackers focus on Windows disproportionately because it's a vulnerable, well-understood, target-rich environment. Windows users would be advised to upgrade at least to Vista or Windows 7 and always keep their security patches up to date.

While it's true no OS is invulnerable, there's one that insists on walking around with a "hack me sign" on its back.

^ Solid.

Also this. A flashblocker of some kind is available for just about any browser you like. Use it, enable flash for the sites you use. Keep your browser, flash and windows current with the latest patches.

Do all of the above and you'll strike a reasonable balance between being safe and being practical.

No matter what, there's still a chance you might step in it so keep a bootable anti-virus CD handy in case the worst does happen. Free ones are available from Avira, F-Secure and others.