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The Law College provides a general information site on Securing your computer in our "Information for Students" section: http://www.law.msu.edu/tech/students/securing.html We don't specifically endorse one product over another, but we do list the three most common spyware free software solutions: AdAware, Spybot, and SpywareBlaster. We also advise students not to use fileshare software, to run automatic updates for their installed Microsoft products, and not to open email attachements that they aren't expecting to receive, even if they appear to come from a trusted source. For my own personal use, and what I recommend to others is to have antivirus, and at least one other spyware software installed, even if their antivirus claims to detect and remove spyware. A PC Magazine review I read about a month ago still indicated that dedicated spyware programs are still better at stopping spyware from installing than antivirus with spyware detection, and that no program gets them all 100% of the time. That's my two cent's worth! John A. Resotko Head of Systems Administration Michigan State University College of Law email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 517-432-6836 Fax: 517-432-6861 GIAC-GSEC Gold Certification Current Chairperson of the MSU Network Communications Committee GIAC-GSEC Gold Certification >>> Margaret Wilson <[log in to unmask]> 4/19/2006 4:07 PM >>> Personally, I use the free versions of Adaware SE, SpyBot and Spyware Blaster (which now works with Firefox). (I have switched to Firefox and Thunderbird, too, but not everyone wants to deal with swiching.) I also run the free IE Privacy Keeper, which is a cookie manager, history/trace cleaner, etc. I run HostsMan 2.1, which is a free HOSTS file manager. Occasionally I run CCleaner, but it doesn't find much behind my fortress. :-) (I have Comcast HSI with a Linksys NAT/SPI firewall between my Comcast modem and my home LAN. I run Link Logger software, so I can view ingoing and outgoing traffic & alerts and run reports as needed.) Finally, I have turned on the Windows Firewall. I realize I have no outgoing protection, but I like to start with a new clean machine and protect it before it gets hit. (I also realize this is not foolproof, but for me, it works.) For a while I ran DiamondCS' Process Guard for outgoing protection. They have another very good program (I also use) called Port Explorer. Both Process Guard and Port Explorer have free and pay versions based on the features you want/need. I have no experience with their third product, Wormguard. But here's a link to their web site: http://www.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=products Finally, I run Webroot Spy Sweeper on my home machine, because the program seems very comprehensive, is not too expensive and has not too huge a footprint. For my friends who can afford a product they have to pay for (or are unwilling or unable to manually run the three freebies I mentioned above), I recommend Spy Sweeper. Still, I advise only buy one year (of updates) at a time, because something else may be better next year. I have not actively evaluated AV products for antimalware purposes, but IMNSHO, we all need a good AV and a good antimalware product. And of course, we need to practice safe computing/surfing. ;-) Regards, Margaret Richard Wiggins wrote: > Do any of you now regard any anti-virus products or suites as sufficient > for anti-spyware purposes? > > The most recent reading I have on what folks in NAG and on the Net say > is that you need a specialized anti-spyware tool (on Windows computers) > and that it's best to use two tools at once. > > Now the anti-virus vendors are offering anti-spyware components. Would > you still advise users of these updated products to use an anti-spyware > tool as well? > > I notice that Webroot's SpySweeper appears to be moving from a freeware > tool with for-pay enhanced version, to purely commercial. > > What are you advising your users? > > Thanks, > > /rich