spyware

[Mike Sigler]

is there any good FREE spyware out there, i tryed down loading search and destroy, and got more juck to get rid of....
thanks !
Mike

[Wiz Feinberg]

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Hitman Pro are both available for free, if you use them as on-demand update and scanners. If you want real time protection and automatic updating and scanning, you'll need to pay to register them.

Should you want further information, I am affiliated with both.

There are other brands available in the freeware department, but results may not be up to the same level as the two I mentioned.

I have found that many of the free or paid copies offer better protection once you register it. The companies need to pay the people who analyze malware samples and write definitions or behavioral modules to detect and block ever-evolving malware.

[Quentin Hickey]

Mike if you are running a pc which I suspect you are, windows defender in conjunction with malware bytes are good, they are both free and I know for a fact that windows defender works because Ive seen it disinfect my machine a few times from spam etc.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Mike if you are running a pc which I suspect you are, windows defender in conjunction with malware bytes are good, they are both free and I know for a fact that windows defender works because Ive seen it disinfect my machine a few times from spam etc.

I cannot comment on the effectiveness of Windows Defender, because it is not a standalone security product. It is currently a component of Microsoft Security Essentials. A decade ago it was known as Giant Anti Spyware, which became Microsoft Anti Spyware, then Windows Defender, then Microsoft Live One Care and now, Microsoft Security Essentials.

I can however comment on Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware free version. First of all, there is no separate program for the free or paid versions. Paying to register MBAM simply unlocks real time protections, automatic updating, scheduled scanning, IP blocking and more.

Assuming one uses MBAM in its unregistered state, it is only good for scanning to see if one is already infected, or to try to remove an infection after the fact. After the fact disinfection is one of its most well known uses. Malware recovery forums, like Bleeping Computer, always have victims of computer infections download, update and scan with MBAM, after the active infections have been temporarily paralyzed by Rkill and ComboFix. MBAM then does what it does best: removes the infections.

What most people don't understand is that if they were to pay $25 for a lifetime license, MBAM would protect against most of today's common Trojan malware attacks in real time. I think it is better to deny malware access to change your OS, or get into a Userland infection mode in the first place. The registered version of MBAM does just that.

MBAM is not an anti virus program. One still should keep an anti-virus program on their computers and use MBAM as the primary guard at the gate, just after the moat. That is my setup regime, with MBAM at the gate and Trend Micro batting cleanup and supplying protection from hostile websites.

There are links to these programs in my signature.

[Quentin Hickey]

Thanks. I am going to give that MBAM a shot!

[Wiz Feinberg]

Thanks. I am going to give that MBAM a shot!

Check out my Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware page for details about the program, usage, licensing and download links.

[Bent Romnes]

Quentin, I feel that I am very well protected with my MBAM alongside Spybot Search and destroy. I couple these two with Zone Alarm and AVG Antivirus Free

[Wiz Feinberg]

Anybody who installs MBAM, then installs one of the major anti-virus programs, should anticipate possibly having to uninstall MBAM, install the new anti-virus, reboot, then reinstall MBAM. The license and settings will still be there (don't existing remove user settings or quarantined files). I had to do this when I upgraded to Trend Micro Internet Security after using Vipre.