| Spyware removal has become a tedious work. As | | | | existing anti-virus products. |
| the spyware threat has worsened, a number of | | | | |
| techniques have emerged to counteract it. | | | | In the beginning, anti-virus firms did not |
| Among these are | | | | want to add functions that was connected to |
| | | | other forms of threats then virus, citing |
| - Programs designed to remove or to block | | | | lawsuits brought by software authors against |
| unwanted programs | | | | the authors of web sites and programs which |
| | | | described their products as "spyware". |
| - Eucating the users in such a way that they | | | | |
| can keep bad programs from infecting their | | | | However, recent versions of these major |
| computer | | | | firm's home and business anti-virus products |
| | | | do include anti-spyware functions. The |
| - User practices which reduce the chance of | | | | malware, adware type of software is treated |
| any software sneaking their way into your | | | | differently from viruses though. |
| computer. | | | | |
| | | | Symantec Anti-Virus, for instance, |
| Information gather software remains a costly | | | | categorizes all kinds of malware as "extended |
| problem even with all new technology used to | | | | threats" and now offers real-time protection |
| combat them. If a large number of spyware | | | | from them (as it does for viruses). The |
| programs have infected a Windows computer, | | | | drawback with these programs is that they are |
| the only way to save the computer may be to | | | | very complex and in many cases produce more |
| back up user data, and fully reinstalling the | | | | hurdles to jump over then you as a user |
| operating system. | | | | really need. |
| | | | |
| Anti-spyware Programs | | | | All protection software requires a |
| | | | frequently-updated database of threats. As |
| One of the markets most popular programs, | | | | new threats are released, the protection |
| Adwarealert will help you find and ultimately | | | | software developers discover and evaluate |
| rid your computer of unwanted software. | | | | them, making "signatures" or "definitions" |
| | | | which allow the software to detect and remove |
| Many programmers and some commercial firms | | | | the ofending software. |
| have released products designed to remove or | | | | |
| block spyware. Steve Gibson's OptOut, , | | | | If a threatening program is not blocked and |
| practially invented a growing category. | | | | manages to get itself installed, it may |
| Programs such as, | | | | resist attempts to terminate or uninstall it. |
| | | | Some programs work together: when an threat |
| - Adwarealert | | | | scanner (or the user) terminates one running |
| | | | process, the other one starts up the killed |
| - Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE | | | | program again, making it virtually impossible |
| | | | to clean the computer. |
| - Patrick Kolla's Spybot - Search & Destroy | | | | |
| | | | Some malware will detect attempts to remove |
| Rapidly gained popularity as effective tools | | | | registry keys during the spyware removal and |
| to remove, and in some cases intercept, badly | | | | immediately add them again. Usually, booting |
| behavied programs. | | | | the infected computer in safe mode allows an |
| | | | anti-spyware program a better chance of |
| Recently Microsoft bought the GIANT | | | | removing persistent programs. |
| Anti-Spyware software, renaming it as Windows | | | | |
| AntiSpyware beta and releasing it as a free | | | | The most extreme way of cleaning is to move |
| download for Windows XP, Windows 2000, and | | | | the hard drive to another computer, boot on |
| Windows 2003 users. The renamed software for | | | | the normal boot disk that computer has, and |
| now exists as a time-limited beta test | | | | then clean the infected disk. You can also |
| product that will expire at the end of July | | | | mount the infected disk over the local |
| 2006. Microsoft is continuously developing | | | | network and scan & clean it to remove as much |
| and updating this product. | | | | spyware as possible. |
| | | | |
| Protection and removal | | | | It doesn't matter what way you choose to |
| | | | clean your computer, but using a good malware |
| Major anti-virus firms such as Symantec, | | | | removal program will make your life much |
| McAfee and Sophos have come later to the | | | | easier ... |
| table, adding anti-spyware features to their | | | | |