Community Flow :: Keyloggers, Spyware, virus help

**Newsie**

People are always asking about spyware, keyloggers, and ad-ware… if you aren’t sure about the dangers of these types of files, and how to protect yourself, here is a quick rundown, as well as some great programs to help protect your PC.

Spyware: software installed on a computer without the user's knowledge, which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whoever controls the spyware.

Keylogger: a TYPE of spyware. It records all your keystrokes, and sends them back to the person who sent you the keylogger. The purpose is so the scammer can retrieve passwords you have typed, and anything else you have typed for that matter (e.g. credit card info). As you can see these are very unwanted, however a lot of bad Habbos tend to distribute these in order to get into your account and steal your furni.

Ad-ware: any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running is called ad-ware. You may wonder why you get pop-ups when not even surfing the net, if that’s the case you probably have ad-ware.

There are several programs out there that remove these types of infections. Some virus scanners can remove keyloggers, but not very many, as it’s not a virus! You need the right program for the problem. An anti-spyware program would be the best option to remove these pesky files.

So first let’s talk about SpySweeper! Spysweeper is a great program, and you can minimize it to your system tray to block spyware, tracking cookies, and ad-ware! This is one of the ONLY programs that can remove the dreaded SC-Keylogger. Here is the link to download the demo of SpySweeper:

http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php

Another one of the best programs for removing spyware/ad-ware is Ad-Aware, which is designed to provide advanced protection from numerous malicious files and tracking components:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Next is SpyBot S&D! A good spyware, ad-ware, and keylogger remover, it doesn’t seem to catch much as SpySweeper, but it’s free and does the job! Here is the link:

http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html

Next we have BullGuard. This is a good spyware, ad-ware, and keylogger remover with a built in firewall. BullGuard is a decent all-in-one program. Check out their website and specs on their programs:

http://www.bullguard.com/

Now that we have solved the pesky spyware problems, let’s make sure we protect ourselves from old-fashion viruses and trojans. AVG is arguably the best free virus scanner. Made by Grisoft, AVG is very easy to use, with numerous options, and free definition updates. When you register the free version, you need to give them a real e-mail address, so they can send you the activation code. Insert a lesser used secondary e-mail if you are weary, but keep in mind the activation code is sent to you, so you need access to the e-mail you register with. AVG can be downloaded here:

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

Due to advancements in viruses and the security flaws of certain Anti-Virus software, your software may be fooled into not picking up the virus. By scanning from a remote source you can be sure you are free from all known viruses, though these scans are time-consuming, they are highly recommended; TrendMicro offers a free, reliable online scan:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp

If you are in the market for a firewall, and have Service Pack 2, Windows offers a decent built-in firewall, however if you are looking for something else, then disable windows firewall (never have 2 firewalls running) and get ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm is an award-winning firewall that prevents known and unknown threats from reaching your PC:

http://www.zonelabs.com/

Having all this great software is nice to have, but always remember, safety starts with you! Don’t ever download risky programs… if you don’t know what it is, don’t download it!

Also remember to check windows update for the newest security fixes and updates.

**Joe**

The only things I use, and seem to keep me running pretty well, are Microsoft Antispyware (still in BETA testing), Norton Antivirus, and Norton Utilities. Between these three, I have not had a problem with viruses, spyware, or keyloggers since I got this combination.

**mosymuis**

	Newsie wrote:
	Keylogger: a TYPE of spyware. It records all your keystrokes, and sends them back to the person who sent you the keylogger.

That's not nessecarily true; there are a lot of keyloggers out there that just log all strokes to an internal log file that is stored somewhere on the pc.

**mosymuis**

	Newsie wrote:
	If you are in the market for a firewall, and have Service Pack 2, Windows offers a decent built-in firewall

Windows XP SP2 has a firewall allright, but its definitely not a very good one. I wouldn't recommend ZoneAlarm as a free alternative either, because I personally think of it like a very annoying program. I prefer Sygate Personal, its a very clean and light program and offers better protection. It's recently acquired by Symantec.

//edit
Sorry 'bout the double post, maybe this modification could be of use?

**Hemsley**

Newsie wrote:

People are always asking about spyware, keyloggers, and ad-ware… if you aren’t sure about the dangers of these types of files, and how to protect yourself, here is a quick rundown, as well as some great programs to help protect your PC.

Spyware: software installed on a computer without the user's knowledge, which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whoever controls the spyware.

Keylogger: a TYPE of spyware. It records all your keystrokes, and sends them back to the person who sent you the keylogger. The purpose is so the scammer can retrieve passwords you have typed, and anything else you have typed for that matter (e.g. credit card info). As you can see these are very unwanted, however a lot of bad Habbos tend to distribute these in order to get into your account and steal your furni.

Ad-ware: any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running is called ad-ware. You may wonder why you get pop-ups when not even surfing the net, if that’s the case you probably have ad-ware.

There are several programs out there that remove these types of infections. Some virus scanners can remove keyloggers, but not very many, as it’s not a virus! You need the right program for the problem. An anti-spyware program would be the best option to remove these pesky files.

So first let’s talk about SpySweeper! Spysweeper is a great program, and you can minimize it to your system tray to block spyware, tracking cookies, and ad-ware! This is one of the ONLY programs that can remove the dreaded SC-Keylogger. Here is the link to download the demo of SpySweeper:

http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php

Another one of the best programs for removing spyware/ad-ware is Ad-Aware, which is designed to provide advanced protection from numerous malicious files and tracking components:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Next is SpyBot S&D! A good spyware, ad-ware, and keylogger remover, it doesn’t seem to catch much as SpySweeper, but it’s free and does the job! Here is the link:

http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html

Next we have BullGuard. This is a good spyware, ad-ware, and keylogger remover with a built in firewall. BullGuard is a decent all-in-one program. Check out their website and specs on their programs:

http://www.bullguard.com/

Now that we have solved the pesky spyware problems, let’s make sure we protect ourselves from old-fashion viruses and trojans. AVG is arguably the best free virus scanner. Made by Grisoft, AVG is very easy to use, with numerous options, and free definition updates. When you register the free version, you need to give them a real e-mail address, so they can send you the activation code. Insert a lesser used secondary e-mail if you are weary, but keep in mind the activation code is sent to you, so you need access to the e-mail you register with. AVG can be downloaded here:

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

Due to advancements in viruses and the security flaws of certain Anti-Virus software, your software may be fooled into not picking up the virus. By scanning from a remote source you can be sure you are free from all known viruses, though these scans are time-consuming, they are highly recommended; TrendMicro offers a free, reliable online scan:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp

If you are in the market for a firewall, and have Service Pack 2, Windows offers a decent built-in firewall, however if you are looking for something else, then disable windows firewall (never have 2 firewalls running) and get ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm is an award-winning firewall that prevents known and unknown threats from reaching your PC:

http://www.zonelabs.com/

Having all this great software is nice to have, but always remember, safety starts with you! Don’t ever download risky programs… if you don’t know what it is, don’t download it!

Also remember to check windows update for the newest security fixes and updates.

Thanks Newsie, I learned alot. [Very Happy]