Spyware Blockers

Spyware Protection Plus is making the rounds. It’s not really spyware protection; it’s another rogue anti-spyware program that makes its bones by tricking infected users into buying useless anti-spyware software.

Once installed, Spyware Protection Plus will run a “spyware scan” each time the user starts the infected computer. The scan will trigger countless pop-up windows that warn of “infections” or security problems discovered on the infected computer. Of course, aside from the Spyware Protection Plus infection, there may be nothing wrong with the computer.

Some users have reported that the Spyware Protection Plus infection is also accompanied by other Trojans and fake anti-malware software. The purpose of the software is to trick an unsuspecting user into buying the “full” version of the software, which is as useless as the freebie version is.

How Can You Tell Fake Anti-Spyware From Real Anti-Spyware?

Spyware Protection Plus isn’t the first rogue spyware program. There are loads of them. But how can you tell the difference between real, effective spyware and their scamware cousins? Here are some things to keep in mind.

There are legitimate software products that provide free spyware scans but don’t remove the offending product. That, by itself, is no indication that the anti-spyware tool you have is fake. A really good indication that you’re dealing with fake spyware is that it begins to run on your computer without you having knowingly installed it. Anything that loads itself is suspect.

“Reports” may not provide much useful information. For example, the “spyware remover” may tell you that it found a specific number of malware programs, but doesn’t tell you which ones. Or it may find “infected files” on your computer, but a check of the directory shows that the suspect files have zero-byte file sizes. It may also identify .exe files that are “malware” but doesn’t identify any corresponding .dll files.

The warning windows may or may not look convincing. They’re often patterned after real anti-spyware products. Look for spelling errors, rough grammar or warnings that “Windows” has detected spyware and will download a spyware removal tool for you. The alert window may not give a “cancel” option, or the cancel option does exactly the same thing as the “OK” option. Your Internet connection may slow to an agonizing pace, or your computer hard drive may be active when it shouldn’t be.

Do Your Research

If you receive security warnings that you suspect are fake, do a little research before you agree to purchase anything. Warnings are often high-pressure sales tactics and urge you to purchase a remedy immediately. Note the wording on the warnings and see if you can find a match among the many known rogue anti-spyware programs. You can also use the Task Manager to disable the rogue program temporarily. While you’re doing research, take a look at XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org.

XoftSpy SE can locate and disable spyware. It removes the offending programs from your computer and makes sure that you don’t get infected again. Don’t take chances with unknown spyware removers, or risk being infected with multiple malware programs. Get XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org for real protection against spyware.

Photo Credit: Sophie

A new report issued by the Secure Computing Corporation shows some positives and negatives for 2008 and analyzed the formation of new computer security threats. While the company has seen a decrease in the volume of spam being reported and a decrease in the incidence of “zombie” attacks, it reports that spyware and associated malware pose a growing threat for home users.

Among the company’s findings are that Swizzor and related malware variants made up more than 30 percent of all new malware in the second quarter of 2008. In addition, the company found that Zbot spyware and malware variants continued to pose a significant threat to unprotected computers. Zbot is especially dangerous because it steals users’ sensitive information and establishes an unauthorized or backdoor connection to an infected computer. The unauthorized access allows the computer to be used for purposes other than what the owner intended.

Secure Computing says that the growth of “blended attacks” – those that use more than one malicious program or approach to take control of a computer – are on the rise. Consumers must be vigilant when it comes to providing adequate protection for their computers. This vigilance will not only protect the consumer’s computer, but will also slow the spread of these malicious software packages to other vulnerable computers.

Protecting Your Computer

To protect a computer, it is important to remember that many different computer services require protection. Protection that covers email and Web surfing is better than those that simply scan emails for possible threats or those that protect only against malicious Web sites.

Malware and spyware authors are clever and their approaches are becoming more sophisticated over time. Being wary of social engineering techniques – e-cards or email from friends, Web-based advertising, free downloadables, etc., will improve a user’s odds of avoiding malware and spyware. Protecting financial information is critical. Most malware authors do what they do for financial gain of some type.

What can you do to protect your computer? First, make sure that your operating system is patched regularly. Most Trojans and other malware take advantage of known flaws in the operating system to gain control of a computer. Second, download and use excellent spyware protection, like XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org. Update your spyware software regularly and check your system carefully. Many people choose to load more than one anti-spyware package on their computers for added protection. Third, be aware that spyware-infected copies of legitimate software do exist. If you find that you can download expensive software for “free” there’s a good bet that you’re getting more than just the software package.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Duarte