best spyware SW?

binarysoul · April 2008

I'm looking for a better spyware software than Spybot or Ad-aware, if it exists.

What do you use?

hypnotoad · April 2008

I use a combination of things...

Preventive:
ad-blocking hosts file to stop DNS lookups from crapware (very valuable tool)
firefox + adblock
windows defender
symantec antivirus
no administrator rights for users

Cleanup:
Spybot
Ewido AV from boot disc
Ad-Aware
TrendMicro HouseCall (housecall.antivirus.com)
HiJackThis (removes extra toolbars, startup programs)
CWShredder
Delete Temp Files/Internet Cache

Corporate Network Level:
Blocking IRC & P2P
Cisco ASA Content Filtering Module (Work In Progress)
Cisco CleanAccess (WIP)

dynamik · April 2008

You had me until Symantec. What's up with that? Kaspersky or Eset. I've recently switched over to Eset, and I'm very happy with it (both at work and at home).

Ad Aware and Spybot and great all-purpose anti-spyware utilities. Those are typically what I use. If you have something nasty that those two won't remove, you might have to go the hijack this route and maybe even get utilities designed to remove a specific piece of malware. The best practice is to simply reinstall once you've been compromised. You really don't know what's been tampered with at that point.

Also, use Spybot's Immunize feature, which blocks a lot of that crap in your hosts file. You can also download hosts file from various websites, but Spybot does a nice job of updating it.

RTmarc · April 2008

Eset + Windows Defender.

JDMurray · April 2008

Is there a LiveCD distro that is specifically for cleaning Malware/Spyware/rootkits from Windows computers? I've been searching for a bootable CD with a collection of scanners, cleaners, and fixers for Windows that is updated monthly, but no luck so far. A Windows machine can be more throughly cleaned when Windows isn't running, so there must be a few utilities that make this possible, like the Avira AntiVir Rescue System does for virus cleaning.

Talic · April 2008

I've heard you can boot from some Anti-virus cds and it'll have a option to clean out your computer. I haven't gotten around to trying it with my eset NOD32 cd but I think its worth a try. Not sure if its updated monthly though. It would suck to download and burn a new disc every month to clean out a computer, so maybe thats the reason no one does it. A flash drive might make more sense but I would be worried about any virus writing to flash drive and turning it into a carrier.

blargoe · April 2008

Ultimate Boot CD can do that.

shednik · April 2008

Spyware Terminator is pretty decent as well.

JDMurray · April 2008

Talic wrote:

Not sure if its updated monthly though. It would suck to download and burn a new disc every month to clean out a computer, so maybe thats the reason no one does it.

The Avira AntiVir product is a bootable Linux image with updateable A/V defs. To update, you just download the definitions ZIP file and overwrite the existing A/V defs ZIP file on the CD. The problem is that it is only for cleaning virii, and I need a bootable cleaner for Spyware/Adware.

apena7 · April 2008

if you suspect spyware, another good program to use is Kephyr's Bazooka Spyware Scanner. it's simple and searches your system in a second. the only drawback is that it doesn't remove any threats -- it only reports them. if you want to get down and dirty with removing spyware, generate a log, look it up on Kephyr's website, and have fun (or use one of the programs mentioned above).

dynamik · April 2008

JDMurray wrote:

The problem is that it is only for cleaning virii, and I need a bootable cleaner for Spyware/Adware.

I haven't checked, but do any of the major anti-spyware players offer a command-line version? You can easily get to a command prompt by booting from the MS installation media or some other boot disk. I don't think it's a big deal if the developer explicitly provides a bootable image. I'm actually surprised there isn't more development in this area because it would make things much easier.

JDMurray · April 2008

I just tried Avira AntiVir on a laptop infected with a bunch of Trojans (even all the restore points). Avira does scan for some Spyware-ish Malware, but I can't be sure that it caught everything. The laptop still runs sluggishly, but at least IE is no longer infected with pop-ups. Unfortunately, the updating functionality for both AVG 8 and Windows (Microsoft) Update still doesn't work, so it looks like a full system wipe-and-reinstall is the only sure solution.

sprkymrk · April 2008

dynamik wrote:

JDMurray wrote:

The problem is that it is only for cleaning virii, and I need a bootable cleaner for Spyware/Adware.

I haven't checked, but do any of the major anti-spyware players offer a command-line version? You can easily get to a command prompt by booting from the MS installation media or some other boot disk. I don't think it's a big deal if the developer explicitly provides a bootable image. I'm actually surprised there isn't more development in this area because it would make things much easier.

Yes Dynamic, the one you like has command line options:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/30.html

I don't think they will work unless you have windows running though, so they won't work by booting to a cmd prompt.

datchcha · April 2008

I like Webroot's Spysweeper

best spyware SW?

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