software warning - spyferret

[slenon]

Gloria's computer became infested with spyware and adware after she hit a bad site. Despite having Ad Aware and Spybot on the system, I was unable to clean some of the things her computer contained.

In looking for a solution, I stumbled across a link for SpyFerret. I made the mistake and downloaded it for $39.

It is a rip-off. In working with it, I discovered that if I had refused the $39 demand, they would have dropped the price to $19. Further into usiing it, I discovered that it does not perform as advertised and, in fact, persisted in opening two vulnerabilities that I had previously closed. It detects spyware because it appears that it lets it in intentionally.

I e-mailed the seller, cited the problems, pointed out their "guaranteed satisfaction" statement on their website. I have since e-mailed them three more times. They have not responded.

In doing the research I should have done before downloading, I find many complaints about this offshore company based in Kuwait. They are cited for copyright infringement in a link posted by the Washington post. Numerous newsgroup complaints mirror my comments and findings.

Today, I called my bank and disputed the charge. The bank will credit my account. I wonder if I will hear from the seller now?

Do not use or buy SpyFerret.

[Jed]

Go to Microsoft.com and there is a link to anti-spyware beta. It is a product that they works well in spite of the beta branding. Another company made it and tested it and it worked well enough that Microsoft bought the company. Price is 0.

jed

You have to have a LICENSED copy of Windows XP to run it(I know nobody has an illegal copy out there). It does work as advertised though.

Also, Slenon, if you haven't got rid of your issues, you might try Spysubtract. It can be found here
[url=http://www.intermute.com/products/spysubtract.html:b6e6a]http://www.intermute.com/products/spysubtract.html[/url:b6e6a]

It works well and has a fully functional free trial.

[slenon]

I think I have it under control now, fellows. The bank has credited my account and will process my claim for permanent refund next week. They were quite helpful.

Spyware Blaster, Spybot, AdAware. & McAfee all determine her computer to be clean and operable. The recurrent problems seemed to vanish when I quit running Spyferret and deleted it (which process included another buried suggestion to purchase at a reduced price). I believe the last set of problems were engineered.

The most frightening thing is that the Spyferret help desk suggeste, by automatic response, that if problems persisted, they be allowed to study the problem by remote link and suggest more personalized treatment. I can only imagine what data their little Kuwaiti operationn would have gleaned with that access. Fortunately, I declined that.

I'm wondering if they will respond by e-mail once they get the notice that my bank is investigating them for fraud and is about to rescind the payment.

[Grizzly Wulff]

I currently run three different spyware programs as recommended by MS tech support. Earlier this year I had a problem with a MS product install that caused some system problems. During my discussions with tech support they recommended that I load MS Anti-Spyware on my system, but to also load Ad-Aware SE Personal.

In the last hour I have run system scans with the following.

MS Anti-Spyware - No problems found

Spybot Search and Destroy - 24 problems found and removed - 21 were tracking cookies

Ad-Aware - 28 problems found and removed, all were tracking cookies

The bottom line; you need to run more than one spyware program to keep your system clean.


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Dan S
The poster formerly known as Outrider

Do any Apple people have these problems?

[Utah David]

fishigan:

Nope.

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---David

(formerly known as "clueless", and only the name has changed)

[flyfisherjoe]

Spyferret is a Spybot rip-off. They first created a program and then copied the program library file from Spybot and renamed it. They also copied the threat database. Spybot makers purposely put phony threats in their database and, guess what, they showed up in the Spyferret database. The Spybot program is free with only a donation requested and it is far superior to any rip-off.

A lot of the "detections" that anti-spyware products come up with are tracking cookies. All browsers accept cookies by default and that includes Apple computers. These cookies are not always bad. FAOL places tracking cookies on your computer. For one thing, you would not be able to have the little flags to show you what posts are new since your last visit without them. FAOL also tracks how many of you look at the sponsor links.

All browsers, including Apple's Safari, have security settings that allow you to control cookies. If you do use these to completely, block cookies your browsing experience will suffer. On some sites you will have problems viewing the pages.

I use a combination of software and settings that will block the bad the sites that place spyware and bad cookies. To do this you should have and KEEP UPDATED!:

1.) anti-virus -- (only 1 !) example: AVG
2.) firewall -- (only - 1 !) examples: Kerio, Zone Alarm, Black Ice
3.) anti-spy -- Adaware and Spybot (use both)
4.) browser helper -- Spywareblaster

The first three are probably familiar to you. The forth, the browser helper, blocks sites from installing harmful ActiveX software and also block sites that are spyware infections.

You can also use a custom host file -- you may download a good one here: [url=http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip:79844]http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip[/url:79844]

A host file allows you to resolve a web site name to your own computer instead of the actual web site. This is very useful if the web site is one that would install spyware on your computer. Your browser will not go to that site even if told to by a trojan and you will not get the bad software installed. The host file, which is simply a list of these bad sites, needs to be extracted from the zip download and placed in the proper directory on your computer:

Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2000 = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 98 = C:\WINDOWS
Windows ME = C:\WINDOWS

Note: the hosts file name has no extension, it is simply named hosts

There are other steps and software that are good but require a little more knowledge or you can get in trouble. These are usually only necessary if you have badly neglected to use the preventative steps above.

I have no problems with spyware or tracking cookies because I keep all my preventive software up to date. I can not emphasize how important it is to keep everything UP TO DATE! That means having your software check for updates DAILY!

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Joe




[This message has been edited by flyfisherjoe (edited 06 June 2005).]

[Ray]

Now I see why I don't have those little light bulbs everybody talks about. My computer must remove the cookies that control them! Thanks FlyFisherJoe!

[Marco]

Hey there flyfisherjoe;

In ENGLISH next time!!!

Mark
PS: Is the Brophy Bros Seafood Co. restaurant still there on the second floor of the tack shop at the SB Marina?? I could sit ( and have) at their bar overlooking the marina,beach and hills for a long time. Just kiddin " english"



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I'd rather be in Wyoming!