Re: Spyware/Adware

From: Marc D. Williams (marcdw_at_charter.net)
Date: 08/31/05 

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:35:11 -0700

Technophobe wrote:
> I had a message that my PC is infected by Spyware/adware this morning and it
> took me to PSGuard.com to install something to disinfect my PC. is it OK to
> use this or should I use something else?
> amy advice greatly received

I'm usually wary of something telling me it found something and then
pointing to a website for a fix.
I did a quick Google search and it seems that in some cases there is
a malware/trojan/virus called PSGuard.
Not sure what the connection is between that and the supposed
anti-malware/anti-virus utility at PSGuard.com.

If you don't already have utilities to deal with this stuff some
of the better known are LavaSoft's Ad-Aware and
Spybot Search and Destroy for spotting adware/malware.
I use AVG Anti-Virus for virus detection.

Ad-Aware
http://www.lavasoft.de/

Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

AVG Anti-Virus
http://www.grisoft.com/

Though I've never tried them you can have your system scanned
online from Symantec.
http://www.symantec.com/index.htm

Marc