BBC news story

[Mogga]

Tweet

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3845835.stm

Spyware alertness story linking to
RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Webroot
Webroot Spyware Audit
Ad Aware
Spybot
Icstis

[angelabx]

As a slight aside, a pc engineer I know who cleans hundreds of punters PCs reckons that the Webroot product is the best.

Why oh why don't they have an affiliate programme???

[wwwb]

the one me mother had dropped on her pc (which also included 180) has been an absolute nightmare to get rid of...

[smn2]

Why oh why don't they have an affiliate programme???

They sell the software at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

I've just downloaded the free version from Webroot's site
and checking my machine right now. It's found Gator (GAIN),
SearchWWW and SmartTags, and this is after I ran the
trial version of AdAware...!

Steve

[angelabx]

Steve

Did you actually know you had this adware present on your pc? Any evidence of it?

If not - could webroot just be making it up to make you pay for upgrades?

Um?

[smn2]

Did you actually know you had this adware present on your pc? Any evidence of it?

Good question. (The thought did crosee my mind...)

I know that I've trouble with my browser being hijacked with
SearchWWW, but have no evidence of GAIN (but then would
I know?). It also prevents the browser being hijacked in
the first place, something that ZoneAlarm and Norton both
failed to do.

If not - could webroot just be making it up to make you pay for upgrades?

Do you think that the software company would be that cynical


Good question, though. (I can be a bit gullible, sometimes.

Steve

[giveasyouget]

Anyone had issues with popups from PocketSMS.com? "You have been awarded a free ringtone"
Run 2 virus checkers, Spybot S&D, AdAware and the webroot one and STILL not got rid of him! it pops up regardless of the site you're on and appears to be on a timed interval or something..

[smn2]

Hi,

Now I just visited thesaurus.com and got the
'change homepage' dialog box (I think! I certainly
didn't try and make the site my homepage), AND then
Norton blocked 2 attempts for a strange program to
access the internet, and then I got the dreaded "your
Windows Settings will be updated on reboot" message.
(i.e. a program HAD installed itself).

And, true enough, on reboot and on running the Webroot
software I found something called Se*files Dialer (x).
(It certainly wasn't there before, honest!)

But my personal version (6, Build 162) of AdAware
did not find this spyware.

However, there's a review of spyware killer software
in the latest version of Web User (86), and AdAware
won the Silver award.

What I would say, is be careful when you visit
thesaurus.com !!

Steve

[wwwb]

smnash - it sounds like you've also picked up a trojan espec with the dialler and i don't think ad-aware will pick those S.O.Bs up

[Shane]

Read an interesting article in a US Advertising mag I picked up in new york airport on way home yesterday

Badly scanned copy is

Ere