Spyware Protection Plus Doesn

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

Malware Threats Engulfing 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

Despite Warnings, Spyware Still Poses Danger

What’s In Your Wallet?

Credit card theft, bank theft and identity theft are becoming the primary goals of spyware producers. Adware was initially designed to pop up advertisements and generate revenue for the adware company. The model itself isn’t very valuable to businesses. After all, can you really expect to generate a lot of business by annoying your prospective customers to death?

The ease with which adware could be created and loaded onto computers drove software producers to take more bold steps. Spyware could target advertising to a user based on his or her browsing habits. That’s somewhat more useful than just a random blast of ads, but that approach opened the door to even more bold steps. If the software could monitor a user’s browsing habits, it could also monitor other online activities, too.

Certain spyware programs are designed to capture and relay information about a user. For example, spyware can capture keystrokes or screen information if the user visits a particular site. If the particular site happens to be a banking site, or a credit card site, a user’s identity and bank accounts could easily be compromised. Less sensitive information like screen names could be subjected to password attacks, and once a password is gained, the user’s account could be manipulated or even emptied.

Spyware has become progressively more dangerous over time. It’s gone from being annoying to being a primary vehicle for identity theft. While some banks and credit cards may offer protection against online theft, these measures are usually reactive. They may mitigate the damage that has been done by the identity theft, but they don’t do anything to cure the original infection.

Most spyware is too stealthy for users to notice. If you assume that your computer will begin reacting badly or behaving oddly when it is infected with spyware, you could be in for a real surprise. Most users don’t consider spyware a threat because they don’t know when, how or how long their computer has been infected. They have no idea what kind of personal information has been captured and/or forwarded to another party and because their computer is behaving normally, they assume they’re not infected.

Don’t take chances with your computer. Download XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org today.

Photo Credit: Steve Woods

Malware Protection Comes In Many Forms

Not so. Many thoughtful users run multiple malware protection programs on their computers. This strategic approach provides multiple layers of protection and increases the chances that a malware infection will be recognized and stopped by at least one of the resident anti-malware programs. Further, multiple malware programs that identify the same threat confirm the existence of malware on the host computer. Sometimes, discovering that you have a problem is half the battle.

XoftSpy SE Provides An Added Level Of Protection

XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org works well with other anti-malware and anti-virus programs. You don’t need to choose between malware protection products, and having a second (or even third) application that checks your computer regularly can help you spot and solve problems that clever malware designers hope you never find.

XoftSpy SE uses a database with nearly one-quarter million spyware and variant signatures to detect and disable or prevent malware from taking up residence on your computer. XoftSpy SE doesn’t interfere with any programs (other than malware) on your computer.

XoftSpy SE lets you choose how often your computer is scanned for noxious adware, spyware and malware that can put your computer, your private data, your family, or your employees at risk. The product is updated regularly, so you can be certain that your computer is protected against even the newest Trojans, keyloggers, worms, rootkits and other nasty, unauthorized software that may otherwise find itself on your computer.

XoftSpy SE runs quietly in the background, watching over your computer and preventing others from watching what you’re doing. With XoftSpy SE, your browsing is safe and secure, free from the prying eyes of third parties who are after your account information, passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security number and other valuable data you store on your computer.

XoftSpy SE also frees you from putting up with unwanted advertising streams for products you don’t want and didn’t ask for. It protects your family computer from malware that children may unknowingly download, too. Don’t take chances with your computer security. Even if malware protection is already on your computer, add a second layer of security with XoftSpy SE from Spywareblockers.org.

Google Inadvertently Flags All URLs as Malware Sites

First, human error was indeed responsible for the unfortunate incident. In this case, the error was relatively easy to correct. Google’s explanation of the mishap sheds some light on how the company identifies malware sites. Basically, Google uses a combination of software and human observation to locate likely malware sites.

Flagging And Blacklisting Sites Won’t Offer Malware Protection

Flagging and blacklisting malware sites aren’t the answers, though. Malware can come from anywhere; frequently it comes from legitimate sites that have been compromised. No one sets up a malware site with an eye toward the future. The goal in malware is “here today, gone tomorrow.” This approach helps the malware distributors stay ahead of companies like Google that rely – even in part – on blacklisting.

Adequate malware protection needs to be much better than this. Preventing visits to malware sites is only one portion of what malware protection has to do. Discovering malware that’s already loaded on the computer is key. Disabling keyloggers, spyware, adware and other malware is also important. Cleaning up the mess that these nasty applications leave behind is critical, and so is making sure that these programs don’t get reloaded.

XoftSpy SE does all of this, relying on proven effective technology to locate, disable and remove a wide variety of existing malware, and identify threats before they can do damage to your computer. XoftSpy SE can also detect malware that has been “seeded” into legitimate programs, and identify legitimate programs that perform functions that pose a security risk to your computer.

XoftSpy SE from SpywareBlockers.org helps you maintain a safe, clean computing environment. It improves the performance of your computer and prevents malware from doing damage to your system, or using your computer without your consent. Your personal information will stay safe with XoftSpy SE. XoftSpy SE uses a database of nearly one-quarter million known spyware, adware and malware applications and their variants to identify new malware threats and protect you against known ones.

Maintaining a clean computer requires multiple approaches to security. Anti-spyware software like XoftSpy SE should be part of your security plan.

Photo Credit: Lachlan Hardy