Purchase SuperAntiSpyware or MalwareBytes

[Bob151]

I run Avira on some PCs, Avast on another for real-time protection. However with the sophistication of spyware I wonder if I should purchase a product for the addition of specialized real-time protection.

I updated superantispyware today and it reported back to me I can purchase today for $19 for lifetime (theirs) updates. It appears that they regularly cost $29. But I know that MB has had a lot of success removing bad stuff lately. It costs $25, but I am not sure of the length of term.

I see that some of the forum Mods have contributed a lot of advise and have provided links to sites rating anti-virus products, but I haven't noticed these two products on any of the lists.

Besides supporting the vendor, I'm not even sure if things would work out well running both and AV and an antispyware product real time.

Are there objective ratings and comparisons which include these two products?

What are the rest of you doing to prevent malware/spyware infections?

 

[lxskllr]

I use Spywareblaster, and Spybot. I can't remember the last time Spybot turned anything up. I wouldn't pay for protection. If I suddenly had to buy either of the 2 apps I use, I'd just ditch them.

 

[blackangst1]

Im with lxskllr on this. No need to buy it. Im assuming youre using Vista, in which case you should have UAC turned on. That, with Avira and the free SAS/MB you should be fine.

 

[Bob151]

Hmm, ok.

Only one system is Vista, and UAC is on. I wish XP had UAC. In XP I login with non-admin/non-power user account. It can be a PITA that way when troubleshooting something or installing software. Only problem is that any local data I have is assessable via that standard user account. Plus I log into my financial accounts via it as well, so even if the entire system is protected by running at non-admin, I suppose sophisticated software can keystroke my accounts.

Many years ago my wife's non-admin local XP account was hijacked. She isn't tech savy, she may have accidentally typed in the wrong domain name when going to a site, who knows. Only her account was infected and nothing I used or installed at that time would work to remove it. I created a second account for her and moved her DOCs over. About six weeks after her infection, whatever software I was using removed the infection when I logged back into the hijacked account, so she may have been an early-day victim.

I understand there are some free products that are really good at removal, I was wondering what people do to prevent initial infection.

 

[balloonshark]

Hi Bob151. Avast should have anti-spyware protection and I believe Avira free now has some with it's latest version. If you keep your computer's OS and programs updated and use Firefox with NoScript you'll be way ahead of the game. MBAM and SAS free are good to keep around for on-demand scans (I have both).

I also use a type of program which is not often mentioned. I use a sandbox program called Sandboxie. It basically isolates your internet facing programs from your real system. It can also be tweaked for tighter security. For example, I have my sandbox setup so that only certain apps can run in the sandbox or have internet access and I also block access to my personal data. So, if I'm surfing with Firefox, it's the only app in the sandbox that can run, have internet access and nothing can access my data partition. When I'm done surfing, the sandbox and it's contents (good or bad) are all deleted. It's also a $30 lifetime license and is good for all the computers you own. It's not for everybody but it's well worth a look. http://www.sandboxie.com/

Another rule I have is if I remove anything from the sandbox, it's scanned with MBAM, SAS, my AV and/or uploaded to VirusTotal and Jotti. Once it's removed from the sandbox, it's on your real system.

To keep your computer and programs updated see here and do an online scan.
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/

 

[Bob151]

Thanks for the additional tips.

Sandboxie. I think I looked into that about a year ago based on a recommendation or thread lurking. I completely forgot. Unfortunately, my current primary system, the laptop, came with 4GB and Vista 64-bit. I mostly game on the other system (xp32) and the 3rd doesn't get turned on very often (its old).

Secunia, I have this installed on all 3 PCs. It is nice to be advised to update components which normally do not advise you, like flash components and other programs

 

[balloonshark]

Your welcome. It figures you would have a 64-bit OS LOL. It's a shame Sbie doesn't work with them but I guess it never will because of PatchGuard.

And your right about Secunia. It's really tough to keep one computer updated let alone 3 or more.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: balloonshark
Your welcome. It figures you would have a 64-bit OS LOL. It's a shame Sbie doesn't work with them but I guess it never will because of PatchGuard.

And your right about Secunia. It's really tough to keep one computer updated let alone 3 or more.

Vista SP1+ includes new api's to handle most cases that PatchGuard prevented.