Evaluation of Ad-Aware 6.0
Working in the IT Response Center on campus, I started using Lavasoft's
Ad-Aware shortly after version 5 was originally released on customer's
computers and continue to use it regularly. Ad-Aware's ability to
remove adware and spyware has proven invaluable in repairing both security
and functionality problems with customer computers. I've decided
to use the latest version of Ad-Aware as the subject of my software evaluation.
Ad-Aware is a program designed to detect adware and spyware present on the local system. Spyware and adware are programs designed to gather information about a user's activity on the machine, viewing habits most often, and allow advertisers to utilize pop-up advertising on the machine. Creators of Spyware and Adware avoid privacy objections by including clauses in EULA's that mention these programs, but are rarely read by users before they agree to the license agreement. In addition to creating these objectionable privacy violations, the programs are often unstable or poorly programmed and can consume inordinate amounts of system resources.
Ad-Aware is one of the first programs offered to counteract these types of programs. It is created by Lavasoft. With Ad-Aware 6.0, Lavasoft offers a standard version for free, plus plus and professional versions that are available for a registration fee. As far as I can tell, Ad-Aware is only available for Windows platforms. For this review, I'll be using the Standard version of Ad-Aware 6.0.
Download and Install Description
1. First, I downloaded the installer package from Download.com.
2. The installation itself is simple and straightforward. I simply designated where I wanted the program installed.
3. The Ad-Aware interface is also straightforward:
4. One of the new additions to version 6.0 is the automatic updater. The first thing I did was to click the update link and check for a more up-to-date reference file. There was a newer file, so I downloaded the update.
5. After updating, I ran the standard Windows disk cleanup utility so that the scan would not take so long. Next, I ran a scan on my machine by clicking on the Start button in the Ad-Aware window. I used the standard scan options, which does a thorough scan of the local machine's RAM, registry, files and running processes. The result screen from the scan is below:
6. Of the 40 components, one was a registry key (as indicated by the type column
on the results screen) and the other 39 were cookies originating from 'Tracking
Company'. Cookies are rarely cause for concern because, by their nature,
they have a spyware aspect to them, but I went ahead and got rid of all the
components found by Ad-Aware. One of the new features in Ad-Aware 6.0
allows you to quarantine spyware/adware components in a file so that they can
be recovered later, say, if they cause a program to stop functioning properly.
1) Detection - Obviously, Ad-Aware's most critical function is the detection of spyware and adware on the local system. I'm only familiar with adware and spyware as far as I've encountered it in working with the ITRC. As far as I know, though, Ad-Aware is the most effective tool at detection of spyware and adware. I'm sure that Ad-Aware can't detect every piece of adware or spyware out there, but, whenever I've used it in my work, it's been pretty thorough, usually solving any performance problems related to spyware and adware. Using fport and portscan, it is usually the case that ports that are opened via spyware/adware are closed after running Ad-Aware and performing a reboot. The writeup on Download.com does mention that Ad-Aware fails to detect VX2/e, a "major adware component", along with "some minor components including Wotch.com and FileFreedom". Also, as mentioned in the Download writeup, the inclusion of an integrated update feature, which was not present in earlier version, greatly improves the effectiveness of the software, so long as Lavasoft remains diligent about keeping the ref files up to date with adware/spyware programs.
2) Removal - Once adware/spyware is detected, the other critical component is removal of the offending components. Ad-Aware had made this even easier than in previous versions by making the "select all components" function more easily recognizable than in previous version (i.e.. having a button and doing it automatically as opposed to having to right click and select the option). Though this is a simple improvement, it makes removal much more straightforward. Also, I've never run into a problem with actually removing components, except the occasional "this file is already in use" error. This is fairly easily solved because Ad-Aware will usually find the registry keys that initiate the spyware/adware programs on startup and, once they're removed, the programs will not activate on startup and Ad-Aware can remove the components that were previously in use.
3) Prevention - Unfortunately, in the Standard version of Ad-Aware 6.0, prevention is almost completely unaddressed. Granted, the program does not claim to prevent unwanted adware or spyware from getting onto your computer, but some level of prevention might be nice. In fact, there is an 'Ad-watch' button that, I presume, initiates some sort of adware prevention component of Ad-aware but it is disabled in the free version. I've never used the paid versions, so I don't know how effective the 'Ad-watch' function is. It may be, though, that such a feature could be more annoying than it's worth, since it would probably alert the user everytime a cookies was created or used, though, hopefully, Lavasoft would have the foresight to allow cookies to be ignored. Overall, prevention may or may not be dealt with well in paid versions of the program, but it is a virtually ignored feature in the free version.
4) Ease of use - The installer for Ad-Aware is very simply laid out, with few choices required on the part of the user. Any user competent enough to know what the program is for, where to download it and how to install it, should have no problem at all using it. The interface is straightforward, with the 'Start' button prominently displayed. There are no questions to answer or dialog boxes to close to start the scan and, aside from clicking the start button, there is no user intervention required to run a full scan of the system. Dealing with the results of a scan are fairly simple as well, particularly with the new quarantine feature, which lessens the likelihood that a user will inadvertently delete something they want to keep. The scans are also very customizable for the advanced user, allowing for scans tailored to the needs of the individual machine. With Ad-Aware 6.0, Lavasoft has given the program a more aesthetically sleek look as well. Overall, Ad-Aware is well laid out and easy to use.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Ad-Aware provides a vital resource to anyone interested in privacy and security from the home user to the network administrator. The arrival of spyware and adware on the IT scene represents an aspect of computing technology that isn't unlike viruses. The unwanted intrusion of outside parties on one's personal or business machine, regardless of whether it's legally protected via EULA's or not, presents serious security and privacy issues. Ad-Aware gives the use significant control over the intrusion of advertising companies. In addition, the shoddy nature of spyware and adware software also presents considerable performance problems on PC's. In conclusion, I would certainly recommend Ad-Aware to just about anyone. Personal PC users can use it to protect themselves and their data against spyware components installed via programs like Kazaa, Limeware, Blubster, Weatherbug, Gator and Comet Cursor. Businesses and organizations have just as much to lose when it comes to privacy and performance issues. Because Ad-Aware 6.0 Standard is free, there really is no reason not to use Ad-Aware. The priced versions may even be worthwile with the added Ad-watch system and extra plug-in capability. Ad-Aware and programs like it, I suspect, will be a regular feature before long, much as virus protection software is.