Lab

Anti-Spyware software

If your computer starts behaving strangely, running slowly and crashing more frequently, it has probably been infected with spyware. Online criminals have realised they can use innocent-looking programs to take over your PC and steal personal information, as well as controlling it remotely for other nefarious purposes. The difference between a spyware program and a computer virus is that spyware doesn't spread itself. A PC infected with a virus tries to infect other PCs; a spyware-infested PC will not. That is not to say that spyware sits quietly on your hard disk minding its own business, though.

An infected computer may display annoying adverts, send your personal data out to websites and other systems controlled by hackers, and take part in spamming operations and other internet attacks. Over the past few years, the spyware threat has grown and here at Shopper we hear about more spyware infections than regular computer virus infections.

A spyware infection often happens as a result of a user running an infected program. Downloading software from untrusted, unpoliced sources such as file-sharing networks puts you at risk. Sometimes the program you download may not contain particularly harmful software, but can include a simple 'downloader' program. This connects to one or more systems on the internet and downloads the latest version of spyware that the attacker wants to install on your system.

Another common way for the bad guys to distribute spyware is to create a website, or hijack a legitimate one, and create a webpage that loads software on your PC when you view it. In some cases, you won't even know that it is happening. This is known as a 'drive-by' spyware attack.

It's clear that keeping spyware off your system is important. There are several ways to do this yourself, without relying on software. The easiest is to use your computer logged on with a Limited account. Unless you intend to install software or otherwise reconfigure your computer, there is no good reason to run as Administrator. Limited users are less likely to fall foul of automatic spyware installations. Additionally, you can force less computer-literate users of your computer to use Limited accounts. Young children and other less clued-up users are a threat to your PC's security.

Ultimately, though, you'll want some software to help protect you. It should step in when you visit a bad site and click OK when you meant Cancel. It should also detect files that contain malicious code designed to pass control of your computer to criminals.

Software developers have produced specialised software aimed at detecting and removing spyware. These are distinct from anti-virus software, which usually includes virus detection as well as the ability to block spyware. However, we do expect an anti-virus program to detect spyware, too. Anti-spyware utilities such as Spy Sweeper have recently been made available with anti-virus protection.

We've put some of the most popular and respected anti-spyware utilities to the test, including standard anti-spyware utilities, Spy Sweeper with AntiVirus 5.3, a couple of utilities designed to tidy up after an infection and our favourite anti-virus program, to compare how effective a fully featured security package is compared to a dedicated anti-spyware utility. Not all work the same way, and some are free. Read on to find out how well these different programs will protect you.