R
Robert Duffy
Scum/Spyware removal tools/blockers/information (go sic 'em rex)
http://grc.com/optout.htm
"What is Spyware?
Spyware is ANY SOFTWARE which employs a user's Internet connection in the
background (the so-called "backchannel") without their knowledge or explicit
permission."
Once installed, spyware can gather information about which sites you go to,
how often you go to that site, how long you spend looking at each website,
what web page you were previously looking at prior to going to a new site,
info about your email addresses is, install keystroke loggers, find your
passwords & credit card numbers, and can even pop up advertisements on your
computer-even when you are not connected to the internet!
Browser Hijacking
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/
http://www.lavasoftusa.com (Free)
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory,
registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets
you remove them safely. It is updated frequently.
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/ (Free)
SpyBot Search and Destroy : Searches your system for so-called spyware,
adware and similar threats to your privacy and security. If such threats are
found, it can give you some information about the interloper and remove it
from your system; creating a backup beforehand.
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html (Free)
SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever
being installed. How? By setting a "kill bit" for the spyware ActiveX
controls, it prevents the installation of any of them from a webpage. You
can run Internet Explorer with Active-X enabled, but you will never even get
a "Yes/No" box popped up, asking you to install a spyware Active-X control
(Internet Explorer will never download or run it!). All other Active-X
controls or plug-ins will work fine. The SpywareBlaster database contains
information on these known spyware Active-X controls. Make sure you run the
Check For Updates feature frequently to get the latest database! (And make
sure you check the new items to protect your system against them!)
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/bhblaster.html (Free)
Browser Hijack Blaster protects your system from browser hijackers and
spyware that alters your Internet Explorer settings. Running silently in the
background, Browser Hijack Blaster only springs into action when an attempt
is made. It watches and protects the following items:
IE Homepage, IE Default Page, IE Search Page, BHOs
Whenever one of the above items is changed, or a BHO is added, you are
immediately provided with information on the item, along with the option to
keep the change, or revert to your previous settings.
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/
HijackThis examines certain key areas of the Registry and Hard Drive and
lists their contents. These are areas which are used by both legitimate
programmers and hijackers. It's up to you to decide what should be removed.
Some items are perfectly fine. You should not remove them. Never remove
everything. Doing that could leave you with missing items needed to run
legitimate programs and add-ins. This Page will help you work with the
Experts to clean up your system.
A wealth of information on many of the spyware items that SpywareBlaster
protects against can be accessed here: http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ This
site can also check any scum/spyware you might have acquired (in some cases
unknowingly) in trips around the internet.
Other great spyware-related information and resources
http://www.spywareinfo.com
POW! popup stopper (Free)
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm
POW popup blocker is classed as a 'trainable' popup stopper. When a window
pops up you can decide if you want to see those type of popups and if not
you can have it shutdown then and in the future from ever popping up again.
It is also reversible.
http://www.naviscope.com/ (Free)
Application: Naviscope has the ability to stop popups loading, in addition
it can block ads, cookies, backgrounds, blinking text, Javascript, sounds,
hide system information(user agent), last web site visited, traceroute, ping
and much more.
http://www.webwasher.com (Free for private use)
Webwasher consists of three functional modules
Content Filtering: WebWasher's standard filters prevent unwanted data
objects on Web pages from being loaded. ...
Privacy Protection: WebWasher's filters for protecting privacy prevent
information about users from being forwarded to third parties without their
knowledge. ...
Access Control: WebWasher provides the user with controlled access to the
Internet so that desired information gets through and unwanted Web pages and
data are blocked. ...
http://grc.com/optout.htm
"What is Spyware?
Spyware is ANY SOFTWARE which employs a user's Internet connection in the
background (the so-called "backchannel") without their knowledge or explicit
permission."
Once installed, spyware can gather information about which sites you go to,
how often you go to that site, how long you spend looking at each website,
what web page you were previously looking at prior to going to a new site,
info about your email addresses is, install keystroke loggers, find your
passwords & credit card numbers, and can even pop up advertisements on your
computer-even when you are not connected to the internet!
Browser Hijacking
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/
http://www.lavasoftusa.com (Free)
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory,
registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets
you remove them safely. It is updated frequently.
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/ (Free)
SpyBot Search and Destroy : Searches your system for so-called spyware,
adware and similar threats to your privacy and security. If such threats are
found, it can give you some information about the interloper and remove it
from your system; creating a backup beforehand.
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html (Free)
SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever
being installed. How? By setting a "kill bit" for the spyware ActiveX
controls, it prevents the installation of any of them from a webpage. You
can run Internet Explorer with Active-X enabled, but you will never even get
a "Yes/No" box popped up, asking you to install a spyware Active-X control
(Internet Explorer will never download or run it!). All other Active-X
controls or plug-ins will work fine. The SpywareBlaster database contains
information on these known spyware Active-X controls. Make sure you run the
Check For Updates feature frequently to get the latest database! (And make
sure you check the new items to protect your system against them!)
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/bhblaster.html (Free)
Browser Hijack Blaster protects your system from browser hijackers and
spyware that alters your Internet Explorer settings. Running silently in the
background, Browser Hijack Blaster only springs into action when an attempt
is made. It watches and protects the following items:
IE Homepage, IE Default Page, IE Search Page, BHOs
Whenever one of the above items is changed, or a BHO is added, you are
immediately provided with information on the item, along with the option to
keep the change, or revert to your previous settings.
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/
HijackThis examines certain key areas of the Registry and Hard Drive and
lists their contents. These are areas which are used by both legitimate
programmers and hijackers. It's up to you to decide what should be removed.
Some items are perfectly fine. You should not remove them. Never remove
everything. Doing that could leave you with missing items needed to run
legitimate programs and add-ins. This Page will help you work with the
Experts to clean up your system.
A wealth of information on many of the spyware items that SpywareBlaster
protects against can be accessed here: http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ This
site can also check any scum/spyware you might have acquired (in some cases
unknowingly) in trips around the internet.
Other great spyware-related information and resources
http://www.spywareinfo.com
POW! popup stopper (Free)
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm
POW popup blocker is classed as a 'trainable' popup stopper. When a window
pops up you can decide if you want to see those type of popups and if not
you can have it shutdown then and in the future from ever popping up again.
It is also reversible.
http://www.naviscope.com/ (Free)
Application: Naviscope has the ability to stop popups loading, in addition
it can block ads, cookies, backgrounds, blinking text, Javascript, sounds,
hide system information(user agent), last web site visited, traceroute, ping
and much more.
http://www.webwasher.com (Free for private use)
Webwasher consists of three functional modules
Content Filtering: WebWasher's standard filters prevent unwanted data
objects on Web pages from being loaded. ...
Privacy Protection: WebWasher's filters for protecting privacy prevent
information about users from being forwarded to third parties without their
knowledge. ...
Access Control: WebWasher provides the user with controlled access to the
Internet so that desired information gets through and unwanted Web pages and
data are blocked. ...