-=PCTechTalk=- adware, spybot & PestPatrol

This is what Fred Langa says about pesty ads on your machines. This is rather 
lengthy but it is worth reading:


1) New Software: PestPatrol V.4
I always get a bit nervous when I discuss a product that's sometimes advertised 
in the newsletter: I don't want to appear to be shilling for the advertisers. 
But I also don't want to have to avoid discussing good products just because 
they happen to advertise here. So, my clunky solution is (1) not to discuss an 
advertised product in any issue that actually carries an ad for that product; 
and (2) to be explicitly clear about it (as I'm trying to be now) when I do 
discuss an advertised product, so you can make your own judgment about my 
objectivity.

This all is prompted by the new version 4 of PestPatrol--- a malware detection 
and removal tool we've discussed many times in the past ( 
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=pestpatrol&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ) .

PestPatrol is one of three anti-malware/anti-spyware tools I use on my own 
systems. (A software firewall and an always-on antivirus tool round out my 
software defenses.) Although the three anti-malware tools overlap somewhat in 
function, they actually complement and backstop each other quite nicely. When 
all three pronounce my system as clean, I can be all but certain it really *is* 
clean of these types of pests. 

Here are the three:

Ad-Aware ( http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ ) is outstanding freeware that scans 
your system for "... known Spyware/Adware parasites, Malware, Browser 
hijackers, Scumware, [and] Foistware." As the name implies, it's main focus is 
in detecting and removing components of advertising-based software that may 
covertly "phone home" or otherwise compromise your security. The current FAQ 
lists about 60 types of hostile software (see 
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software.html ) that Ad-Aware can handle; if you 
factor in the different variants and versions of these, the total number of 
pests Ad-Aware can handle is probably well into the hundreds. The problems with 
Ad-Aware are that it's slow to scan; and the website of its maker--- 
LavaSoft--- has had major reliability problems, making it sometimes impossible 
to get the latest versions. This has become somewhat better in recent months, 
especially now that the "Reference File" for Ad-aware is mirrored on many 
independent sites. And for better speed, there's a Plus version of Ad-Aware 
that works in real-time to monitor your system. That version costs $15. 

The excellent Spybot S&D ( http://security.kolla.de/ ; $5 donation requested) 
goes after many of the same nasties as does Ad-Aware, but its focus is slightly 
different and its scope is a little broader, targeting several hundred specific 
spybot/adbot programs. ( http://security.kolla.de/index.php?lang=en&page=bots ) 
Unlike Ad-Aware, "...another feature of Spybot S&D is the removal of usage 
tracks, which makes it more complicated for unknown spybots to transmit useful 
data. The list of last visited websites, opened files, started programs, 
cookies, all that and more can be cleaned. Supported are the three major 
browsers Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator and Opera. Last but not least 
Spybot-S&D contains some routines to find and correct invalid entries into the 
registry." Spybot also comes with fake spyware files that it can use to trick 
some spyware into thinking the phone-home components are still installed: By 
replacing a real spyware payload with a dummy file, Spybot S&D may enable you 
to still use whatever software the spyware came with, but without the risk of 
being spied upon.

PestPatrol ($23.95; sponsored link: 
http://www.digitalriver.com/pestpatrol/63171 or generic link: 
http://www.pestpatrol.com ) goes much, much further than do Ad-Aware and Spybot 
S&D, targeting some 60,000 pests in many categories (not just spyware/adware). 
"PestPatrol detects and removes hacker, remote administration and distributed 
denial-of-service attack creation tools, spyware and trojans.... KeyPatrol, the 
new generic keylogger detection, enables PestPatrol to detect all keyloggers 
regardless of whether the individual keylogger has been analyzed by the 
research team." The new PestPatrol version 4 has a nicer interface, has 
improved its automatic-update feature, and has added ":... intelligent 
reporting that delivers information on individual actual pest threat levels, 
generic keylogger detection and removal, automated spyware cookie detection and 
removal, plus diagnostic tools and a significantly expanded detection 
database." It can be run as an on-demand tool, or as a continuous background 
service. It's very nice software.

If I had to use just one anti-pest tool, it'd be PestPatrol. But I actually use 
all three in a multi-step, deep-cleaning routine to ensure my system stays free 
of all malware. The three tools actually work pretty well together, although 
they can each over-report a bit--- seeing pests where there may actually be 
none. (Example: PestPatrol may report that Spybot's fake spyware files are 
actual spyware when they are not.) But by the time I'm done with a three-part 
sweep--- first Spybot, then Ad-Aware, then Pest-Patrol--- I can be all but 100% 
certain my system is safe from a huge number of malware items. I like that 
level of certainty. 8-)

I recommend all three. To me, a total investment of less than $30 is pretty 
inexpensive for peace of mind.

Life is what happens in between plans.

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