I was just wondering but do I have an anti-spyware problem?

I'm using SPYBOT SEARCH & DESTROY and ADWARE SE PERSONAL and
for the past week, everytime I do my daily scan, I get a message from SPYBOT saying:
"CONGRATULATIONS, NO IMMEDIATE THREATS WERE FOUND".

Is there something wrong with this picture? NO THREATS FOUND?

And with ADWARE, just one item.

I used to get a bunch of spyware items on both.

Are these 2 programs junk?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, sierraben

 

I have the same feeling. I started using both 6 months ago and they used to catch bugs. They are still sending out occasional spyware defintion updates, ad aware just updated to version 1.06, but they haven't flagged anything at all.

 

same with me. they did at first find them. but latley seem to have died down

 

Same here. I figured that at first I had a lot of SpyWare, but SpyBot and Adaware have eleminated spyware that can cause more spyware so none has shown up lately.

 

No one scanner can catch everyting. It is good that you are using two scanners. Also, you want to make sure you update your definitions on a regular basis.

Recently, Symantec has added spyware removal to their antivirus, and from my testing, I have found it to be one of the best products out there at the moment. I am not sure if it is available on the consumer market yet, but check out their site. With the Symantec Antivirus 10.0, I am able to remove 99% of the spyware from our 600+ computer network.

Lastly, if you know what you are doing, HijackThis is a good program to use for removing unwanted spyware and malware. The last I checked the current version was 1.99. You can get it from download.com.

 

I am having the exact opposite problem. i am using microsoft anti spyware beta 1,and I am getting a warning about every 2 minutes while I am surfing the net that an unkown browser helper is trying to install,or e-syndiate or SEP threat is trying to install. then when it runs my daily scan,it always deletes the e-syndicate and SEP,but they are there again the next time the scan runs?

 

[QUOTE=1979f2504x4]No one scanner can catch everyting. It is good that you are using two scanners. Also, you want to make sure you update your definitions on a regular basis.

The last time I received any updates has been about a week.

I check for updates and scans daily.

Think I'm going to e-mail these two companies and ask them
"Lucy, splane to me".

 

Microsofts tool is about as uselful as the **** on a boar. Spybot, and Ad Aware both have blocking tools. They will not warn you when something is blocked they just do it.

 

I'm wondering what everyone uses for a browser? I have hardly any spyware since using Firefox. Internet Explorer seems to welcome spyware...

 

Firefox is a good alternative. Also, if you are not using a firewall, I would get one. There are several free ones on the internet Sygate seems to be the more popular one, or you could purchase one like Norton Client security.

 

Firefox alone can stop 90% of spyware infections. IE is so vulnerable and easy to exploit that it's not funny.. Pray there isn't VB code hidden in the web page, IE will run it automagiaclly.

 

i agree on the micro soft spyware issue. it got so bad i had to remove it. some thing normal for m.s. beta soft ware

 

Firefox does not use "ActiveX" as IE does and alot of attacks are aimed at this. But there are some processes that IE uses that FireFox does not. Some things I have to use IE for that FireFox is not fully enabled to do.

I had to install FireFox after a pc game offical website, I admin at, was attacked by a "script object" over the Jul holidays. A pernicious beastie that even got through BlackIce Firewalls if you used IE. Those that used Mac or FireFox were immune. So I installed FireFox to access the site with for my work there. The webtechs finally got rid of the thing, upgraded the forums and the site in general. But I kept the FireFox installed for "just in case".

When I recently changed over to a newer faster computer (HP Pavilion 2 gig) with WinXP Home Edition SP2. I had the downloaded Spybot/Ad Aware compressed programs off my older computer on a disk to install. Had Firefox and AVG Free kept this way too for the same reason. This way ALL security was installed before going online. Used to have a eMachine 600 Win98se and had my share of nasty spyware, CWW browser hijacks and a couple of trojans to take care of with it.

Never had to worry about spyware back when first coming online in 1996. "Age of Innocence" back then. Just have to stay aware and stay armed. Kinda like in the "real world".....
___________________
'82 Ford E100, Inline Six/300 "Vannin"

 

I have got to disagree about this. Their Beta version of their scanner is one of the best out there. I have Stinger, Panda, Norton, Bazooka, Ad-Aware SE, Microsoft's antivirus, Spybot S&D, Spyware Dr., and I run with Mozilla. When I first downloaded Ad-Aware SE, Norton, and Spybot S&D, and Spyware Dr. they all found stuff that the others didn't. But then I heard about Microsofts spyware removal tool and gave it a shot. It found 33 files that had been infected and showed me them and showed everything about them. You can't tell me that Microsoft's anti-spyware doesn't work.

 

Again no one of them work better than all of the rest. There is so much variety with the malware out there, that all of them will find malware that the others don't. And as far as Microsoft and what you said, I think that Microsoft just got lucky. Microsoft is not a security firm, and they are new to the malware game. I would not trust them yet, and definitly, would not run them on my network. I don't care what mom and pop shop they bought to get into the security business. Heck, they can't even patch their own operating system without applying patches to their patches.