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Posted on 06/30/2004 10:27:16 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Combating spyware is PestPatrol's job, but this week the company expanded from simply selling anti-spyware software to educating the public about the threat. PestPatrol is now offering its immense database of known spyware threats to the public, free of charge.
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"We believe we've created the world's largest database of known spyware," says David Stag PestPatrol's cofounder. "For each threat, we develop detailed background information on their behavior, their prevalence, and removal strategies."
The database is available to the public at research.pestpatrol.com.
At the site, visitors can find step-by-step instructions on how to protect themselves, including tips on how to use a hosts file to block ads, how to block pornography, and how to clear a hijacked page.
Spyware is an increasing threat to all computer users. It contaminates PCs with annoying pop-up ads or more dangerous keystroke loggers, which can result in stolen passwords leading to identity theft. Consumers are often unaware that their machines are infected. The two most common signs of a contaminated machine are a noticeably slower Internet connection and pop-up ads that reappear every time the machine is powered on.
PestPatrol realized that the best way to stop spyware from spreading is to educate the public. The company has compiled a large database on spyware trends because it has been gathering information on malicious code for four years, since it first introduced its anti-spyware software to the market.
Its online library includes more than 21,000 types of pests lurking in the cyberworld. While the company sells its anti-spyware software, the site features free advice on how to delete the infectious programs and prevent future attacks.
The team responsible for gathering spyware data at the PestPatrol Center for Pest Research has developed automated monitoring software that identifies new threats, enabling team members to react to new types of spyware quickly. The team can quickly post information regarding the threat (and ways to counter it) on the site.
Congress currently is working out the kinks in new legislation outlawing spyware.
Google Karen's Cookie Viewer. You have to download a Basic program and then the Viewer, which works REALLY well.
This may well be a dumb question but maybe you can help me. I am a computer novice so please bear with me. I am currently running Norton on my computer. Can I also run AVG or will the two conflict with each other? I have heard that having more than one anti-virus is a good idea because one may have virus definitions the other has missed. Is this true? If I did run more than one will this slow my computer down?
I thought something was amiss....... Thanks ya'll !
Stay safe !
Ping
Hm, what one do I have?
I'm ok, have 1.3, checked for updates.
Now getting spyblaster.
HMMM.
Hmmm... server appears to be offline right now.
BTTT
I couldn't get in either.
Their servers are probably getting pounded right now.
The first time my wife ran Ad-aware on the office computer, it had 160+ assorted problems... and was running like it was dipped in molasses.
I'm no expert either, but I installed the free edition of AVG this morning and it didn't have any conflicts with Norton at all.
It didn't find anything that Norton didn't which was also good. :)
I ran the Spybot S&D today for the first time... took a restart to eliminate everything - and I also learned that some things that won't delete at all under my name, have to be deleted from my husband's "account"... (XP).
I'm still having a problem deleting one single zero byte folder. Downloaded MoveOnBoot - that didn't do it either. I think it was related to some "BTIEIN" problem that SpyBot corrected today finally but to be honest I can't remember anymore because I renamed the problem folder "delete" after AdAware labeled it spyware a couple months back. I was able to rename the main folder and I can move it between my desktop and my docs but I can't open it or delete it. "Access denied."
I've googled it to death and am thinking I'm stuck with the stupid thing.
LOL! I remember the first time I ran a virus checker on my brother's computer. He had over SIX HUNDRED (no I am not kidding.. they kept reinstalling themselves and lots of altered names by one letter, etc) of them, but the problem he was complaining about was how incredibly slow it was running.
The main problem was teenagers slipping into the office after hours and visiting all those rude sites on the web. Dern young'uns!
Okay you really have me laughing now.
That was his 'story" - his friend using his PC to look at porn sites. Which I know to be at least partially true. His friends use it ALOT.
Yeah, "The Other Guy Did It!" was popular when I was a teenager, too.
My wife's "midnite logger" was dumb enough to bookmark his favorite sites, which really isn't too cool a thing to do on an office computer that the public might get a glimpse of. Her boss finally read all the kids out there the riot act, and the activity stopped- or more likely, went back home to the family computers...
Thanks for your help. I think I'll give it a shot.
THANKS, MUCH.
Any experience with SP2 Beta?
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