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	<title>MakeUseOf.com &#187; anti-adware</title>
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		<title>Free App to Remove a Plethora of FAKE Antivirus Software</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/remove-a-plethora-of-fake-antivirus-software-with-this-free-app/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/remove-a-plethora-of-fake-antivirus-software-with-this-free-app/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karl L. Gechlik</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-spyware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-virus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=27328</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hate, I repeat, I HATE fake antivirus programs with a fury! You know exactly what I am talking about. These are pieces of software that advertise their ability to protect and fix your machine, yet once they are installed, they take over your machine, disable your antivirus and hold your computer as a virtual [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="margin-right:20px" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/removalHead.png" alt="" vspace="5" align="left" />I hate, I repeat, I HATE fake antivirus programs with a fury! You know exactly what I am talking about. These are pieces of software that advertise their ability to protect and fix your machine, yet once they are installed, they take over your machine, disable your antivirus and hold your computer as a virtual hostage.</p>
<p>Here is an example of one of these roguee programs. It is called Antivirus 2008 and there is another called Antivirus 2009 that looks identical to it but with the different year. If you have never seen anything like this… Then good for you! You are doing a great job at security (or you are using a Mac or Nix’ box!)</p>
<p><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="remove5" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/remove5.png" border="0" alt="remove fake antivirus" width="569" height="405" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve found a great free app that helps remove fake antivirus applications. It&#8217;s aptly called Remove Fake Antivirus. Check out the list of applications that it detects and removes. Each of these links will take you to the author&#8217;s blogspot which will tell you more about the threat.<br />
<span id="more-27328"></span></p>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/10/cyber-security-removal-guide.html">Cyber Security</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/10/alpha-antivirus-is-rogue-anti-spyware.html">Alpha Antivirus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/braviax-removal-guide.html">Braviax</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/windows-police-pro-removal-guide.html">Windows Police Pro</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/antivirus-pro-2010-removal-guide.html">Antivirus Pro 2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/pc-antispyware-2010-removal-guide.html">PC Antispyware 2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/fraudtoolmalwareprotectord-removal.html">FraudTool.MalwareProtector.d</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/winshield2009com-removal-guide.html">Winshield2009.com</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/09/green-av-removal-guide.html">Green AV</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/08/windows-protection-suite-removal-guide.html">Windows Protection Suite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/08/total-security-2009-removal-guide.html">Total Security 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/08/windows-system-suite-removal-guide.html">Windows System Suite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/07/antivirusbest-antivirus-best-removal.html">Antivirus BEST</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/system-security-removal-guide.html">System Security</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/04/personal-antivirus-removal-tool.html">Personal Antivirus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/07/system-security-2009-removal-guide.html">System Security 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/06/remove-malware-doctor-malware-doc.html">Malware Doctor</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/07/antivirus-system-pro-removal-guide.html">Antivirus System Pro</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/07/winpc-defender-removal-guide.html">WinPC Defender</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/03/anti-virus-1-removal-tool.html">Anti-Virus-1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/spyware-guard-2008-removal-tool.html">Spyware Guard 2008</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/system-guard-2009.html">System Guard 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/antivirus-2009-removal-tool_17.html">Antivirus 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/antivirus-2010-removal-tool.html">Antivirus 2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/antivirus-pro-2009-removal-tool.html">Antivirus Pro 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/antivirus-360-removal-tool.html">Antivirus 360</a> and</li>
<li><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/ms-antispyware-2009-removal-tool.html">M</a><a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com/2009/02/ms-antispyware-2009-removal-tool.html">S Antispyware 2009</a></li>
</ol>
<p>OK so I am assuming that you have one of these infections and you want to use Remove Fake Antivirus to fix your machine up. Let’s see how we can do that. First we start by downloading the application from <a href="http://download.softpedia.com/dl/6b50f84c273206f9422a93d9474ec3af/4adf504f/100127588/software/antivirus/RemoveFakeAntivirus.exe">here</a>. That is a direct link because the download page is polluted with Google ads and confuses users as to what to download. The author&#8217;s site can be found <a href="http://freeofvirus.blogspot.com">here</a>.</p>
<p>Run the application and you will first see its welcome screen listing the nastiness it can deal with and then you will see this screen:</p>
<p><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="Remove1" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Remove1.png" border="0" alt="Remove1" width="430" height="299" /></p>
<p>Go ahead and hit &#8216;Yes&#8217; and it will start scanning  your local machine for the fake applications listed above.</p>
<p>You can go ahead and click Show details to get a closer look as to what is going on:<img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="remove2" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/remove2.png" border="0" alt="remove fake antivirus" width="430" height="299" /></p>
<p>As it goes through each possible infection you will see it listed on the console. Don’t be alarmed, this does not mean that your PC has the infections.</p>
<p><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="remove3" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/remove3.png" border="0" alt="remove3" width="430" height="299" /></p>
<p>Up until now my only solution was Malware Bytes demo version. But now it looks like Remove Fake Antivirus 1.35 is going to be my go-to program. It took 6 minutes to run the full scan. I had originally located this application while battling Antivirus 2009 yesterday. And it worked like a charm!</p>
<p>Once the application has completed you will see this screen:</p>
<p><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="removal4" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/removal4.png" border="0" alt="fake antivirus removal" width="430" height="299" /></p>
<p>Click Yes and all the files that Remove Fake Antivirus could not remove because the files were in use will then be kicked to the curb. The author&#8217;s site also serves up suggestions for how to deal with and prevent these types of infections. Among them is to set the UAC prompts to the highest levels – I guess I should not have mine disabled, eh?</p>
<p><strong>Remove Fake Antivirus</strong> &#8211; <a href="http://download.softpedia.com/dl/6b50f84c273206f9422a93d9474ec3af/4adf504f/100127588/software/antivirus/RemoveFakeAntivirus.exe">Download</a></p>
<p>For more information about fake antivirus software, read Ryan&#8217;s post &#8220;<a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fake-antivirus-and-spyware-removals-to-stay-away-from/">Detect Fake Antivirus software &amp; Spyware Removal programs</a>&#8220;. How do you deal with rouge or fake antivirus or spyware applications? Do you have policies that keep this type of stuff out of your corporate environments? What do you do or use? Please share with us in the comments so we can learn from each other!
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

	<em><h4>Related posts</h4></em>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fake-antivirus-and-spyware-removals-to-stay-away-from/" title="Detect Fake Antivirus software &#038; Spyware Removal programs (May 16, 2009)">Detect Fake Antivirus software &#038; Spyware Removal programs</a> (14)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trustware-bufferzone-virtualized-browsing/" title="Trustware Bufferzone Has Your Browser&#8217;s Back (June 10, 2008)">Trustware Bufferzone Has Your Browser&#8217;s Back</a> (31)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/" title="TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool (October 12, 2006)">TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%e2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/" title="Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection (July 2, 2008)">Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection</a> (19)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/rubotted-%e2%80%93-find-out-here/" title="RU Botted &#8211; Watches your System for bot-related Activities (June 13, 2008)">RU Botted &#8211; Watches your System for bot-related Activities</a> (13)</li>
</ul>

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		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How To Perform A Secure, Ad-free Digsby Installation</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-perform-a-secure-ad-free-digsby-installation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-perform-a-secure-ad-free-digsby-installation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon Slangen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-To]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Windows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[block ads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digsby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instant messaging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multi-protocol IM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=24769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There were a lot of voiced protests concerning Digsby&#8217;s monetizing efforts some time ago. In recent installs, Digsby not only tempted you to install ad-ware and used your idle PC time, but didn&#8217;t think about telling their users anything.
This information was cause for a lot of indignant responses regarding whether Digsby is secure, which in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="margin-right:20px" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/digsby.jpg" alt="" vspace="5" align="left" />There were a lot of voiced protests concerning Digsby&#8217;s monetizing efforts some time ago. In recent installs, <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-reasons-digsbys-a-must-have-im-client/">Digsby</a> not only tempted you to install ad-ware and used your idle PC time, but didn&#8217;t think about telling their users anything.</p>
<p>This information was cause for a lot of indignant responses regarding whether Digsby is secure, which in turn led to a somewhat startled reaction from the Digsby team. In a few days, they had explained everything in several blog posts, and took serious efforts to clarify matters with their current users, as well as making the avoidance of these &#8216;unwanted features&#8217; easier.</p>
<p>Personally, I&#8217;m siding with Digsby here. They&#8217;ve done some great things for us so far, but such a support &#8211; understandingly &#8211; can&#8217;t be kept up and running without the income of at least <em>some</em> money. As such, I didn&#8217;t think a moment about switching, and am still a fervent Digsby supporter.</p>
<p>However, I can understand that not all people are as focused when installing a piece of software. Most people just flick through an install, clicking <em>yes</em> and <em>accept</em> where ever it&#8217;s necessary. For those people, it&#8217;s important to know <em>what</em> they are doing &#8212; more specifically, where <em>not</em> to press &#8216;Accept&#8217; if they want a secure ad-free install if Digsby.</p>
<p>In this article we&#8217;ll highlight the ad-ware placements in the installer, as well as tell you how to disable certain revenue features afterwards to make Digsby secure.<br />
<span id="more-24769"></span></p>
<h2>1. A Safe Installer</h2>
<p>Digsby normally tries to install using InstallQ. This is an installer container which downloads Digsby and tries to install several other applications. The easiest way around is to use the additional installer.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24774" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/digsby2.jpg" alt="digsby secure" width="550" height="290" /></p>
<p>This installer &#8211; which can be used to install to a USB drive (or if you&#8217;ve got trouble with InstallQ) is located bottom-right on the download page. If you can manage to ignore the big download button, you&#8217;ve avoided most of the problems already.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24775" title="digsby3" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/digsby3.jpg" alt="digsby secure" width="509" height="394" /></p>
<p>Contrary to InstallQ, this installer does not ask permission to install third-party software. You&#8217;ll have your lovely chat-application, and that&#8217;s that. Just make sure to uncheck the browser modifications at the end if you&#8217;re happy about your current homepage and search engine.</p>
<h2>2. Keep a Look Out</h2>
<p>As said before, the easiest way to keep clear of any ad-ware is to use the additional installer. If, however, you want to keep using the InstallQ package, this is where you have to tred carefully.</p>
<p>To install the application, it&#8217;s necessary to agree upon their terms. That&#8217;s <strong>1 accept</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24776" title="12-09-2009 17-55-58" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/12-09-2009-17-55-58.jpg" alt="is digsby secure" width="550" height="338" /></p>
<p>On the three succeeding screens, however, <strong>you can decline</strong> without stopping the installation process. Accepting here will install ad-ware, third-party applications that will bother you with (amongst other things) shopping notifications.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24778" title="digsby4" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/digsby4.jpg" alt="digsby secure installation" width="459" height="242" /></p>
<p>After a few declines, you&#8217;ll be safe from ad-ware harm. Just choose which search engine you&#8217;ll want to use (actually, both are good, so there&#8217;s no harm there) and you&#8217;re on your way to enjoy Digsby.</p>
<h2>Disable Digsby &#8216;Research&#8217;</h2>
<p>Another source of Digsby&#8217;s income lies in their &#8216;research&#8217;. They use your idle processing power (when you haven&#8217;t touched your computer for a while), to conduct research (e.g. testing out AIDS models, or optimizing grain molecules).</p>
<p><strong>This is actually a pretty non-intrusive way for them to earn money and I would advise you to leave it on.</strong></p>
<p>Nevertheless, people should have the benefit of choice, and might even have a reason to decline participation if they&#8217;re on a low-spec computer, or are trying to keep the electricity bills down.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24779" title="digsby5" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/digsby5.jpg" alt="digsby installation" width="550" height="413" /></p>
<p>Turning this off is as easy as navigating to <em>Tools -&gt; Preferences -&gt; Support Digsby</em> and hitting <em>Disable</em>. I urge you to read the other options as well, and do everything you can agree on to support a great, free application and keep it free.</p>
<p>I hope you&#8217;ve learned something from this article, and will be able to benefit from it. If you&#8217;ve got anything to say, or got a remark to make, you can do so in the comments section below. We&#8217;d love to hear your stance on alternative monetizing techniques.
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

	<em><h4>Related posts</h4></em>
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	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/quick-tip-stop-pidgin-spam-in-its-tracks-with-bot-sentry/" title="[Quick Tip] Stop Pidgin Spam in Its Tracks with Bot Sentry (February 29, 2008)">[Quick Tip] Stop Pidgin Spam in Its Tracks with Bot Sentry</a> (26)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/why-im-digging-digsby/" title="Why I&#8217;m Digging Digsby (April 27, 2008)">Why I&#8217;m Digging Digsby</a> (31)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trillian-astra-%e2%80%93-is-it-the-best-instant-messaging-client-now/" title="Trillian Astra – Is It the Best Instant Messaging Client Now? (October 20, 2009)">Trillian Astra – Is It the Best Instant Messaging Client Now?</a> (16)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tokbox-etherpad-potential-google-wave-competitors-available-now/" title="Tokbox &#038; Etherpad: Potential Google Wave Competitors, Available Now (September 7, 2009)">Tokbox &#038; Etherpad: Potential Google Wave Competitors, Available Now</a> (11)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pimp-your-digsby/" title="Pimp Your Digsby With Skins And Emoticons (June 9, 2008)">Pimp Your Digsby With Skins And Emoticons</a> (14)</li>
</ul>

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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Detect Fake Antivirus software &amp; Spyware Removal programs</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fake-antivirus-and-spyware-removals-to-stay-away-from/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fake-antivirus-and-spyware-removals-to-stay-away-from/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2009 19:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan Dube</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-To]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Windows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-spyware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-virus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safer browsing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=17506</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Eventually getting hit by a nasty computer virus, trojan or severe Adware infection is bound to happen. These problems strike both experienced as well as novice computer users, and the only indication that something is wrong might be that a strange ad window keeps automatically popping up whenever you&#8217;re browsing the Internet or your computer slows down [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-17508" style="border: 10px solid white;" title="virus" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/virus.jpg" alt="virus" width="200" />Eventually getting hit by a nasty computer virus, trojan or severe Adware infection is bound to happen. These problems strike both experienced as well as novice computer users, and the only indication that something is wrong might be that a strange ad window keeps automatically popping up whenever you&#8217;re browsing the Internet or your computer slows down to an annoying crawl.  Many people who are faced with these issues automatically turn to the Internet for either free or paid antivirus software. There have been many MUO articles covering various free antivirus or antispyware tools, such as <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/grisoft-rolls-out-2008-version-of-avg-anti-virus/" target="_blank">Mark&#8217;s review of AVG</a> or Bill&#8217;s <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/grisoft-rolls-out-2008-version-of-avg-anti-virus/" target="_blank">review of Spyware Terminator</a>. However, since so many people turn to the Internet when such a tragedy strikes, I wanted to take a moment to list some of the fake antivirus and spyware removals that you should stay away from or you&#8217;ll find your computer infected even worse.</p>
<p><strong>How Does Fake Antivirus Software Work?</strong></p>
<p>The irony of these fake removal software packages are that while they advertise and promote themselves as product that will help you remove malicious software from your computer, the moment you download and install it, you&#8217;ve just been infected by one of the worst trojans you could have on your computer. The moment it&#8217;s installed, you start getting pop-up windows that say you&#8217;re horribly infected and to click on a particular link so you can download the full version of the antivirus software to thoroughly clean your computer. Another version presents itself as a legitimate antivirus software and fakes a &#8220;full system scan,&#8221; which results in a long list of horrible viruses and other assorted nasty-looking infections. However, when you click on &#8220;remove,&#8221; you&#8217;re informed that you only have the trial version and that you need to buy the full version to remove the viruses. Few people realize that the scan results themselves are fake.</p>
<p><strong>The Top Antivirus and Spyware Removals to Avoid Like the Plague</strong></p>
<p>At the end of 2008, <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewarticlebasic&amp;articleid=9124346&amp;intsrc=hm_list" target="_blank">ComputerWorld reported</a> on how the latest version of Microsoft&#8217;s Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) discovered and removed &#8220;Antivirus 2009,&#8221; from a reported 394,000 PCs in just the initial nine days after it was released. What this reveals is that the scammers who write this fake software are successfully taking advantage of the fear computer users have regarding computer infections, and also their lack of computer knowledge. Thousands of people click on the link to download fake antivirus software and essentially voluntarily infect their computer with a trojan.</p>
<p><strong>1. The Infamous Antivirus 2009</strong></p>
<p>These days, Antivirus 2009 (and Antivirus 10 or Antivirus 360) is so well-known as malware that you most likely will not find the scammers using legitimate websites to promote the product using its actual name, instead scammers are resorting to setting up sites to help people remove Antivirus 2009. If the user clicks on the link, and downloads and installs the software, they&#8217;ll find themselves infected with the malicious software.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17510" title="antivirus2009b" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/antivirus2009b.png" alt="antivirus2009b" width="554" height="413" /></p>
<p>&#8220;Removing&#8221; the viruses from your computer entails signing up (and paying for) a full version of the software. If you fall for this particular trap, all you end up with is a charge on your credit card and bogus software. Fortunately, there are now a plethora of websites throughout the net that tell people how to remove this particular trojan. <em>Unfortunately</em>, there are also a variety of websites that the scammers are producing, that portray themselves as an &#8220;Antivirus 2009 removal tool,&#8221; while they simply install and run the same sort of bogus software. How do you tell the difference between a legit site and a bogus one?  Check out listing number 7 on Aibek&#8217;s <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-security-tools-you-absolutely-must-have/" target="_blank">list of essential security downloads</a>. The Web of Trust is a great tool to identify dangerous fake antivirus sites.</p>
<p><strong>2. Conficker Worm Installs Spyware Protect 2009</strong></p>
<p>Do you remember the recent <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx">Conficker worm</a> fiasco that had IT folks around the country scrambling to patch PCs before they could get infected? Well, an April 10th, 2009 article on CNET reports that investigators finally have a clue behind the motives of the Conficker worm creators. Apparently the motive is to make money using fake antivirus software and they attempted to do so by having the Conficker worm install antivirus software called Spyware Protect 2009 on target computers.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17524" title="conficker1" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/conficker1.png" alt="conficker1" width="553" height="354" /></p>
<p>The technique used is essentially the same as the other fake antivirus applications. The software provides users with a list of nasty infections that their computer allegedly has, and the only way to remove them is by visiting the website and submitting your credit card information in order to buy the full version. Apparently the whole point of the Conficker worm was yet another fake antivirus scam. Obviously, if your computer ever displays the window above, you&#8217;re likely infected with the Conficker worm.</p>
<p><strong>3. PC AntiSpy Returns Fake Spyware Results</strong></p>
<p>Another application that returns bogus results, listing some of the worst known spyware applications as infecting your computer is PC AntiSpy, a bogus spyware-fighting application that is nothing of the sort. Instead of helping you keep your computer clean, this application uses scare tactics to get users to click on a link to pay for a version of PC AntiSpy that can remove the nasty Spyware that supposedly exists on the computer.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17522" title="antispyware" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/antispyware.png" alt="antispyware" width="559" height="428" /></p>
<p>As you can see, some of these software packages appear pretty authoritative and legit. Unfortunately the only real functionality they have is acting as a trojan. Like many other fake applications like this one, a multitude of helpful websites and forums post instructions on how to remove it. Scammers are becoming sneakier &#8212; they too start their own &#8220;how to&#8221; web page in order to target people who are already infected and looking for help.</p>
<p><strong>4. WinDefender &#8211; The Copycat Class of Fake Antivirus and Spyware Removals</strong></p>
<p>Another significant group of antivirus applications are those that attempt to copy the names of legitimate, well known applications. For example, SpyWareBot and TheSpyBot both attempt to copy SpyBot Search and Destroy. These applications depend upon computer users who aren&#8217;t technically savvy and aren&#8217;t sure exactly what the legitimate software is called. Another example of this is WinDefender, which attempts to copy Windows Defender.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17526" title="windefender" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/windefender.png" alt="windefender" width="560" height="372" /></p>
<p>The success of these applications comes from the fact that so many people are, in fact, fooled by the similarity of the application names to legitimate antivirus software. <strong>The most important rule of thumb to follow when you&#8217;re looking for good antivirus or anti-spyware software is to only shop at websites that you know are reputable.</strong> Whenever an antivirus ad automatically pops up unexpectedly on your computer screen, under no circumstances should you ever click the link to &#8220;run a scan.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Final Words &#8211; Use Caution and Common Sense</strong></p>
<p>Nothing says that you need to use only Norton or Symantec for your antivirus needs, but if you&#8217;re going to branch out and try other software companies, it&#8217;s important that you understand the legitimacy and integrity of that company.  The examples above are only four of the hundreds of fake antivirus and anti-spyware applications out there &#8211; and their names change just as fast as people can figure out that they&#8217;re fake. If you need some advice for <strong>legitimate antivirus software</strong>, check out Aibek&#8217;s 2008 poll where MUO users chose <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-top-free-antivirus-software-whats-your-favorite/" target="_blank">the best antivirus software available</a>.</p>
<p>Have you ever been infected by any fake antivirus trojans? Which one was it, and how hard was it to clean it off your computer? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

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		<title>Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%e2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%e2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:23:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Mullins</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Windows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-spyware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[windows tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=3312</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ I&#8217;m a pretty careful guy so I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting my home machine from the ever increasing malware infestations we seem to be subjected to while surfing, downloading and uploading on the internet. Some might even consider it overkill.
Currently my home system is running [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spywareterminatorlogomain.gif" border="0" alt="" align="left" /> I&#8217;m a pretty careful guy so I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting my home machine from the ever increasing malware infestations we seem to be subjected to while surfing, downloading and uploading on the internet. Some might even consider it overkill.</p>
<p>Currently my home system is running the following freeware: <a href="http://www.download.com/ZoneAlarm-Firewall-Windows-2000-XP-/3000-10435_4-10039884.html">Zone Alarm</a> (3&#8242;rd <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-what-firewall-software-do-you-use/">most popular firewall</a> among MakeUseOf readers), <a href="http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html">WinPatrol</a> (system monitor), <a href="http://www.avira.com/en/download/index.html">Avira AntiVir Personal &#8211; Free Antivirus</a>, <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-programs-to-keep-your-computer-secure/">ThreatFire 3</a> (blocks zero-day attacks heuristically), <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cool-programs-safe-from-hackers/">SnoopFree Privacy Shield</a> (anti-keylogger) and <a href="http://www.spywareterminator.com/download/download.aspx">Spyware Terminator</a> (spyware protection/removal). This is my minimum safety configuration; depending on circumstances, in addition, I will also use <a href="http://sandboxie.en.softonic.com/">Sandboxie</a> (a free sand box application).</p>
<p>As you can see, Spyware Terminator is my current application of choice in the spyware protection/removal category. Having tested virtually all of the <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/">major anti-spyware apps</a> over the last year or more, I&#8217;ve settled, for now, on Spyware Terminator.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spyware-terminator-1.jpg" alt="Spyware Terminator" /></p>
<p>A simple to use interface makes this program easy to setup, customize and run, for both less experienced and expert users alike.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spywareterminator.com/download/download.aspx">Spyware Terminator</a> provides strong active protection against known and unknown threats. If anything, I find it perhaps a little overly aggressive. On the other hand, better this than the alternative.</p>
<p>The program rates very highly in offering protection against spyware, adware, Trojans, key-loggers, home page hijackers and other malware threats. The scan behavior can be customized based on your level of experience; ranging from automatic interception for the less experienced user, to manual potential threat control for the more experienced user.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spyware-terminator-21.jpg" alt="Spyware Terminator 2" /></p>
<p>A definite plus is the program’s ability to schedule spyware scans on a daily or a weekly basis to ensure your computer’s continuing integrity. When set to download updates automatically, Spyware Terminator will check for, download and install new updates, keeping all files current with minimal user input. Optionally, you can choose to update manually.</p>
<p>Included with Spyware Terminator is Open Source ClamWin anti-virus, a reasonably effective anti-virus solution. My personal choice however has been to disengage this side of the package and to run Avira AntiVir Personal &#8211; Free Antivirus instead.</p>
<h2>Quick Facts about Spyware Terminator</h2>
<p>Real-time protection<br />
Spyware removal<br />
Automatic updates<br />
Scheduled scans<br />
On demand fast scan<br />
On demand full scan<br />
On demand customized scan<br />
On Boot file remover<br />
Context menu scan option<br />
AntiVirus integration<br />
Free support<br />
Multilanguage support</p>
<h2>System Requirements:</h2>
<p>Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista</p>
<p>As we all know however, there is no one anti-malware tool that is likely to identify and remove all of the millions of rogue malware that infest the cyber world. So to ensure maximum safety, if that’s even possible, it’s important to have layered defenses in the ongoing fight against malware.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spyware-doctor.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>An excellent choice, as a secondary line of defense, is <a href="http://www.download.com/Spyware-Doctor-Starter-Edition/3000-8022_4-10704508.html">Spyware Doctor Starter Edition</a> from PC Tools. This free version of the award winning program, with its easy to use interface, is used by millions of people worldwide to protect their computers; it’s reported there are a million+ additional downloads every week.</p>
<p>File protection is the only real time protection that operates in the free version and unfortunately, this level of real-time protection is inadequate in the current internet environment.</p>
<p>I would not recommend then, that you use this free version of Spyware Doctor as a stand alone security application because it simply will not offer you adequate protection. Instead, use it only as an on-demand scanner.</p>
<p><em>(By) Bill Mullins is a Blogger who writes on Internet Security, System Tools, Free Software, and provides downloads links. Check out his Blog at <a href="http://billmullins.wordpress.com/">Tech Thoughts</a></em>
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rogue Software Lies &#8211; Hang Onto Your Money!</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/rogue-software-lies-hang-onto-your-money/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/rogue-software-lies-hang-onto-your-money/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:23:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Mullins</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lists of tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Windows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-spyware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[windows tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=2986</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Firewall and security applications (i.e. Antivirus) provide the ultimate in protection while you&#8217;re surfing the web, right? Well in a sense they do. Current anti-malware solutions are much more effective than they have ever been in detecting worms, viruses and other forms of malware.
So what are hardworking cyber crooks to do then, since it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3045" title="security" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/security.png" alt="" align="left" /> <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-what-firewall-software-do-you-use/">Firewall</a> and security applications (i.e. <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-top-free-antivirus-software-whats-your-favorite/">Antivirus</a>) provide the ultimate in protection while you&#8217;re surfing the web, right? Well in a sense they do. Current <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/">anti-malware solutions</a> are much more effective than they have ever been in detecting worms, viruses and other forms of malware.</p>
<p>So what are hardworking cyber crooks to do then, since it has become more difficult for them to overcome your more reliable Internet security defenses?  How are they going to continue to rake in their dirty money? Well, how about using social engineering to convince you to download and install a malware package voluntarily?</p>
<p>Fear, a great social engineering motivator is the latest weapon being used against unsuspecting/inexperienced Internet users to convince them to download &#8220;rogue security software&#8221;. Without a doubt there is an epidemic of rogue security software on the Internet at the moment; and much of it is using social engineering to convince users&#8217; to download an unsafe product.</p>
<p>So there you are surfing the net when suddenly you find this popup on your screen: &#8220;System Alert! System has detected a number of active spyware applications that may impact the performance of your computer. Click the icon to get rid of unwanted spyware by downloading an up-to-date anti-spyware solution&#8221;.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2987" title="muo-image-1" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/muo-image-1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Using fear as the motivator, this type of popup announcement becomes a very powerful motivator.</p>
<p>Would <strong>you</strong> click on the icon?</p>
<p>Briefly, rogue security software is software that uses malware or malicious tools to advertise or install itself.   Often, after installation on a system, an attempt is made to force users to pay for removal of nonexistent spyware through the purchase of the &#8220;full&#8221; version of the bogus software, based on the false malware positives generated by the application. Of course, since it is rogue software, it cannot detect or remove malware.</p>
<p>Worst, in many cases rogue software has the potential to gather private and personal information from an infected machine. This could include passwords, credit card details, and other sensitive information.</p>
<p>Generally, reputable anti-spyware software is capable of detecting rogue software if it attempts to install, or on a malware scan. But this is not always the case. Anti-malware programs that rely on a definition database can be behind the curve in recognizing the newest threats.</p>
<p>A good partial solution to this problem is to ensure you have installed, and are running, an anti-malware application such as <a href="http://www.threatfire.com/">ThreatFire 3</a>, free from PC Tools. This type of program operates using heuristics, or behavioral analysis to identify newer threats.</p>
<p>Also, <a href="http://www.malwarebytes.org/">Malwarebytes</a>, a reliable anti-malware company has created a free application to help keep you safe and secure.</p>
<p>An absolute must is making sure that the security application you are considering installing is recognized as legitimate by industry experts. An excellent web site that will keep you in the loop, and advise you what products work and have a deserved reputation for quality performance is <a href="http://www.spywarewarrior.com/">Spyware Warrior</a>.</p>
<p>A further resource worth noting is the <a href="http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/">Bleeping Computer</a> web site, where help is available for many computer related problems, including the removal of rogue software.</p>
<p>Listed below are some of the most aggressive rogue security applications currently flooding the Internet.   These are the ones to look out for:</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2988" title="muo-image-2" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/muo-image-2.jpg" alt="" align="left" /></p>
<h2>IE AntiVirus</h2>
<p>A clone of MalwareBell, FilesSecure and IEDefender was specifically developed to mislead unaware computer users’ into downloading and paying for the &#8220;full&#8221; version of this bogus software, based on the false malware positives generated by the application.</p>
<p>Even if you are tricked into paying for the &#8220;full&#8221; version, nothing, not even the false warnings will be cleaned from your computer.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2989" title="muo-image-3" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/muo-image-3.jpg" alt="" align="left" /></p>
<h2>XP Antivirus 2008</h2>
<p>Once installed, it continues to run as a background process, incessantly reporting those fake or false malware detection warnings discussed earlier, if the full program fee is not paid.</p>
<p>To <em>really</em> try your patience, this rogue security software cannot be uninstalled using the Windows Add/Remove Programs tool.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2990" title="muo-image-4" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/muo-image-4.jpg" alt="" align="left" /></p>
<h2>Advanced XP Fixer</h2>
<p>(a clone of WinIFixer), is rogue anti-spyware software from Bakasoftware (Bakasoftware.com), which also operates under the name Pandora Software, that tricks users into installing the program and attempts to convince the user that the computer has been infected.</p>
<p>Reportedly, Advanced XP Fixer can also be installed through Internet browser exploits, or by means of the Zlob or Vundo.Trojans.</p>
<p>When the program runs, a warning message appears indicating that the computer has been infected by malware. Subsequently, a screensaver launches which shows cockroaches eating the desktop.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2991" title="muo-image-5" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/muo-image-5.jpg" alt="" align="left" /></p>
<h2>PCAntiSpyware</h2>
<p>is capable of hijacking the desktop, after it infects a computer, by way of web browser security holes.  It can also be inserted onto a machine by a number of Trojan downloaders.</p>
<p>AntiSpywareMaster attempts to convince victims to spend $30 &#8211; $50 to remove false positives that this program is designed to install on your machine.</p>
<h2>What you can do to reduce the chances of infecting your system with rogue security software:</h2>
<ol>
<li>Be careful in downloading freeware or shareware programs. Spyware is occasionally concealed in these programs. Download this type of program only through reputable web sites such as <a href="http://www.download.com/">Download.com</a>, or sites that you know to be safe.</li>
<li>Consider carefully the inherent risks attached to peer-to-peer (P2P), or file sharing applications.</li>
<li>Install an Internet Browser add-on that provides protection against questionable or unsafe websites. My personal favorite is <a href="http://www.mywot.com/en/download/ff">Web of Trust</a>, an Internet Explorer/FireFox add-on that offers substantial protection against questionable or unsafe websites.</li>
<li>Do not click on unsolicited invitations to download software of any kind.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Additional precautions you can take to protect your computer system:</h2>
<ol>
<li>When you are surfing the web: Stop. Think. Click</li>
<li>Don’t open unknown email attachments</li>
<li>Don’t run programs of unknown origin</li>
<li>Disable hidden filename extensions</li>
<li>Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched</li>
<li>Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use</li>
<li>Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible</li>
<li>Disable scripting features in email programs</li>
<li>Make regular backups of critical data</li>
<li>Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised</li>
<li>Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer.</li>
<li>Install a personal firewall on the computer.</li>
<li>Install anti-virus/anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet</li>
<li>Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments</li>
</ol>
<p><em>(By) Bill Mullins is a Blogger who writes on Internet Security, System Tools, Free Software, and provides downloads links. Check out his Blog at <a href="http://billmullins.wordpress.com/">Tech Thoughts</a></em>
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

	<em><h4>Related posts</h4></em>
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	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/" title="TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool (October 12, 2006)">TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/rubotted-%e2%80%93-find-out-here/" title="RU Botted &#8211; Watches your System for bot-related Activities (June 13, 2008)">RU Botted &#8211; Watches your System for bot-related Activities</a> (13)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/get-geeky-with-hijackthis/" title="Get Geeky and Fix your PC with HijackThis (June 26, 2008)">Get Geeky and Fix your PC with HijackThis</a> (12)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/remove-a-plethora-of-fake-antivirus-software-with-this-free-app/" title="Free App to Remove a Plethora of FAKE Antivirus Software (October 22, 2009)">Free App to Remove a Plethora of FAKE Antivirus Software</a> (31)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Free Port Analyzers &#8211; Defeat Spyware And Botware</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-port-analyzers-defeat-spyware-and-botware/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-port-analyzers-defeat-spyware-and-botware/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2008 19:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Mullins</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cool Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lists of tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Windows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[analyzer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spyware]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=2517</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Windows XP has a command line utility which will help you determine if you have spyware or botware running on your system. Netstat displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections.
I use this utility as a test, to ensure that the anti-malware tools and firewall running on my systems are functioning correctly, and that there are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Windows XP has a command line utility which will help you determine if you have spyware or botware running on your system. Netstat displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections.</p>
<p>I use this utility as a test, to ensure that the anti-malware tools and firewall running on my systems are functioning correctly, and that there are no open outgoing connections to the internet that I am not aware of.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/netstat.gif" border="0" alt="" align="middle" /></p>
<h2>How to use Netstat:</h2>
<p>You should close all open programs before you begin the following process, if you are unsure which ports/connections are normally open while you are connected to the internet. On the other hand, if you are familiar with the ports/connections that are normally open, there is no need to close programs.</p>
<p>There are a number of methods that will take you to a command prompt, but the following works well.</p>
<p>Click <strong>Start&gt;Run&gt;</strong>type “cmd” – without the quotes&gt;click OK&gt; this will open a command box.</p>
<p>From the command prompt, type <strong>Netstat –a</strong> (be sure to leave a space), to display all connections and listening ports.</p>
<p>You can obtain additional information by using the following switches.</p>
<ul>
<p>Type <strong>netstat -r</strong> to display the contents of the IP routing table and any persistent routes.</p>
<p>The <strong>-n </strong>switch tells Netstat not to convert addresses and port numbers to names, which speeds up execution.</p>
<p>The <strong>netstat -s</strong> option shows all protocol statistics.</p>
<p>The <strong>netstat-p</strong> option can be used to show statistics for a specific protocol or together with the <strong>-s</strong> option to show connections only for the protocol specified.</p>
<p>The <strong>-e</strong> switch displays interface statistics.
</ul>
<p>Running Netstat occasionally is a prudent move, since it allows you to double check which applications are connecting to the internet.</p>
<p>If you find there are application connections to the internet, or open ports that you are unfamiliar with, a Google search should provide answers. A very good source of information is Steve Gibson’s website, <a href="https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 ">Shields Up</a>, where you can test all the ports on your machine, as well as testing the efficiency of your firewall. Take the firewall test; you may be surprised at the results! If your Firewall fails, get yourself a better one <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-what-firewall-software-do-you-use/">here</a>.</p>
<p>If you are unfamiliar with, or uncomfortable with using the command structure, there are a number of free real-time port analyzers available for download.</p>
<p><strong>(1) <a href="http://www.download.com/Process-And-Port-Analyzer/3000-2162_4-10652517.html">Process and Port Analyzer</a></strong> is a real time process, port and network connections analyzer which will allow you to find which processes are using which ports. A good little utility that does what it says it will do.</p>
<h2>Quick Facts:</h2>
<ul>
<li>View currently running processes along with the full path and file which started it</li>
<li>View the active TCP Listeners and the processes using them</li>
<li>View the active TCP and UDP connections along with Process ID</li>
<li>Double click on a process to view the list of DLL’s</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>(2) <a href="http://www.download.com/CurrPorts/3000-2085_4-10448760.html">CurrPorts</a></strong> allows you to view a list of ports that are currently in use, and the application that is using it. You can close a selected connection and also terminate the process using it. As well, you can export all, or selected items to an HTML or text report. Additional information includes the local port name, local/remote IP address, highlighted status changes and more.</p>
<h2>Quick Facts:</h2>
<ul>
<li>View current active ports and there starting applications</li>
<li>Close selected connections and processes</li>
<li>Save a text/ HTML report</li>
<li>Info on local port name, local/remote IP address, highlighted status changes</li>
</ul>
<p><em>(By) Bill Mullins is a blogger who writes on Internet Security, System Tools, Free Software, and provides downloads links. Check out his blog at <a href="http://billmullins.wordpress.com">Tech Thoughts</a></em>
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

	<em><h4>Related posts</h4></em>
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	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/" title="MUO Polls : Do you have a Spyware Removal Program? Which one? (May 24, 2008)">MUO Polls : Do you have a Spyware Removal Program? Which one?</a> (28)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/" title="TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool (October 12, 2006)">TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-and-delete-spyware-with-malwarebytes-windows-only/" title="Stop &#038; Delete Spyware With Malwarebytes [Windows] (January 8, 2009)">Stop &#038; Delete Spyware With Malwarebytes [Windows]</a> (29)</li>
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	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%e2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/" title="Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection (July 2, 2008)">Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection</a> (19)</li>
</ul>

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>MUO Polls : Do you have a Spyware Removal Program? Which one?</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 May 2008 18:57:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Aibek</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Polls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spyware]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=2570</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ There are three  programs that are absolutely essential for keeping your PC safe. These are AntiviRus, Firewall and Spyware  scanner/removal utility. We have already asked you about your favorite Antivirus software and Firewall tools. So this time we want to find out what is the most popular spyware removal among MakeUseOf users. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://makeuseof.com/images/poll-spyware-removal.png" alt="" align="left" /> There are three  programs that are absolutely essential for keeping your PC safe. These are AntiviRus, Firewall and Spyware  scanner/removal utility. We have already asked you about your favorite <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-top-free-antivirus-software-whats-your-favorite/">Antivirus software</a> and <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-what-firewall-software-do-you-use/">Firewall tools</a>. So this time we want to find out what is the most popular spyware removal among MakeUseOf users. </p>
<p>And if there are folks who still don&#8217;t use any anti-spyware program then they can see what is the highest voted one and hopefully give it a shot. While most spyware are fairly harmless- just tracking cookies that don&#8217;t really pose much of a security risk. There are some that perform seriously malicious functions as well. </p>
<p>Please vote ! (You can select up to 2 choices.)</p>
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
<p><strong>Download Links</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_0149__.htm">Ashampoo AntiSpyWare (not free)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html">Spybot &#8211; Search &#038; Destroy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html">SpywareBlaster (FREE)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/">Spyware Doctor (not free)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php">Lavasoft Ad-Aware (FREE version available) &#8211; Win</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-spysweeper.html">Spyware Search and Destroy (not free)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx">Micorsoft Windows Defender (FREE)</a></li>
</ul>
<p>If your favorite program is not listed then please tell us about it in comments.
<p>Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!</p>
<p><em><strong>New on MakeUseOf ?</strong> Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/">www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/</a></em></p>

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	<li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%e2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/" title="Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection (July 2, 2008)">Spyware Terminator – Free Real-time Spyware Protection</a> (19)</li>
</ul>

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>TrendMicro &#8211; Free Online Spyware Removal Tool</title>
		<link>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/</link>
		<comments>http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:40:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Aibek</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Web Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-adware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-spyware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[repair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trend-micro-free-spyware-removal-tool/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Trend Micro HouseCall is a free online virus and spyware SCAN and REMOVAL tool. In case you do not have any spyware removal software installed on your system this can be a good alternative. Once in a while, I get spyware that goes undected (or detected but failed to be removed) through my current [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/images/trendmicro1.JPG" align="left" /> <a href="http://housecall.trendmicro.com/">Trend Micro HouseCall</a> is a free online virus and spyware SCAN and REMOVAL tool. In case you do not have any spyware removal software installed on your system this can be a good alternative. Once in a while, I get spyware that goes undected (or detected but failed to be removed) through my current <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/muo-polls-do-you-have-a-spyware-removal-program-which-one/">Anti-Spyware programs</a>, usually when this happens TrendMicro does a good job at removing it.</p>
<p>I would also recommend many internet cafe users to run PC though TrendMicro scan before providing any sensitive data. Or better not to provide any sensitive data all, do it only when you&#8217;re connecting from your own computer. However, if you have no other choice and have to access sensitive accounts from public PC then check out these <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/public-computers-made-safe-security-tools-and-tips/">Public PC safety tips</a>.</p>
<p>As it is a web based application, TrendMicro&#8217;s software runs directly from your browser.</p>

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</ul>

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