Beware Spyware

[Roadblock]

I posted this in my response to my own news story about the new Morpheus, but I thought that it meritted being posted here, in case anyone didn't see the other post.

To elaborate, I had just cleaned my system this weekend, and had not installed anything else that would have added anything adware/spyware like up to the point where I started installing Morpheus (key word there was started. When the EULA came up, it told me that it was going to install some crap, at which point I refused and stopped the dl. Evidently, some of the crapware had already been installed, or at least partially installed.) After updating and running Webroot's Spy Sweeper, it found 3 known files, and 139 traces. I then updated and ran Ad-aware, and it found 2 more files (wurld media), and 5 registry traces. I then checked SpyBot Search & Destroy for updates, (It was updated yesterday - Thanks Lion!) and when I ran it, it found 3 more entries for the MyWay toolbar.

Sorry for going on like this, but I don't appreciate being deceived.

The bottom line is, in my opinion, you still can't trust StreamCast. (download.com has the new Morpheus 3.4 listed as "Free" so they obviously didn't do their homework, or didn't care, so my trust has been further compromised with them as well) Also, it pays to have all three of these excellent Anti Spyware programs installed: Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and Spy Sweeper. Incidentally, the reason that I recently added Webroot's Spy Sweeper to my personal arsenal, was after a recent episode of "The Screensavers" where a caller asked about "key loggers" that Spy Sweeper had found after running Ad-Aware and SpyBot had not. I thought, "Hmmmm." I went ahead and installed it, and sure enough, it found 2 key loggers on my system that SpyBot and Ad-Aware had missed. You just can't be too vigilant, or careful.

[Shades Coolray]

I downloaded Spy Sweeper, and it found 3 spyware programs and 10 traces. What's the internet coming to when you have Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D (both updated) and there are still spware and adware programs stealthy enough to avoid detection by both of them?

Also, I have Kerio personal firewall up and running, and I have Spybot's HOSTS file too. I guess we're all going to have to start reading all the fine print on the EULA's from programs we download.

I think adware and spyware progs should be illegal, all they are designed for is information theft in the first place.

[Shades Coolray]

I forgot to mention one program was a keylogger, the second was a dialer, and the third was Alexa toolbar (which I see nearly every time I run a spyware\adware scan.) So, I had two really malicious progs on my computer and didn't know it, and I consider myself pretty smart about which programs contain adware and spyware.

[Big Chris]

On reccomendation of Spy bot i downloaded the extra package Spyware blaster. It found a shed full of cookies and other crud that all the others had missed. Even told me that my ISP uses tracking cookies from a company called Media plex, after telling my ISP they said they would look into it and that was weeks ago. It's still being blocked by Spyware. There reply was to disable my software to allow it. Don't think so somehow. Surely the data protection acts should form some kind of defence against these people:(:(:(

[Lazy Dog]

There's always a way for these craps to ruin our day.There is only one way to be safe.......when you're offline:)

[ABOU]

spyware sucks and botom line is if its out there ther will be somfin 2 get rid of it problem is it just cant keep up