Software Evaluation- Spybot Search & Destroy

Download it at spybot.safer-networking.de

I first got a good look at spyware reading the latest issue of PC Magazine in the SILS library. Their description of spyware and adware seemed to inspire serious security issues and a certain degree of paranoia. Their importance seemed exemplified by the fact that many of them seemed to spring for popular websites and file sharing services. Most common are the somewhat mundane cookies and such that send back information and traffic statistics to companies. More dangerous, though, are surreptitiously downloaded programs like key loggers and trojans could track your movements and seriously compromise the security of your system.

Having explained that, the magazine went on to review and rate the different software available for detecting and removing spyware. Spybot, the program evaluated here, was given the editor's choice award in PC Magazine. This was due not only to its efficacy, but also to the fact that it was free and uncrippled. This was enough to motivate me to test the program out and evaluate it here.

The license agreement states that the program is free in its complete form. The website has various sections, explaining the different types of spyware and the possible dangers. It also has a quick tutorial for how to install and use the application. The only real request from the creator of the program is for donations, which are run through paypal. Like antivirus software, Spybot needs to be constantly worked on and expanded to account for new forms of spyware. For this, the creator asks for users of his program to help subsidize his work.

Spybot itself is a small box with a task bar on the left side. Upon the first startup, it asks you to select a language. The selection of languages is impressive. Also of note, the program warns you that certain programs are made to that they will not function without spyware. This warning, which can be turned off, is somewhat of a disclaimer that removing spyware through the program could damage programs like file sharing services. The first spybot screen can be seen here, where the basic functions are in the center and given brief explanations.

The "check for problems" button keys the start and destroy, the main function of spybot. Currently, Spybot searches for about 5,800 forms of spyware. As seen below, the average search takes somewhere from a minute and a half to two minutes. In the first search, spyware found 31 problems. These were all described briefly. More thorough expalanations could be seen by clicking on the results. Each piece of spyware is automatically checked off so that with one click of the fix button, everything could be taken care of. Any spyware that you'd want to save can be done by unchecking the box. All of the fixed items are changed to green. Anything that cannot be fixed remains red, usually with an explanation given as to what must be done to remove it.

A key feature of Spybot is that it saves away the spyware it removes so that everything is fully recoverable. Thus, if you remove spyware the prevents one of your precious programs from working, you can fix it just by clicking on the recovery button to the left and following the directions. This feature is useful in allowing for a better balance between a safety and convenience. It gives you more power to decide, and makes it less frustrating for you to undo anything you didn't want Spybot to do.

Another useful feature is the Immunize function. Found on the taskbar, this enables you to take a more proactive approach to spyware. When activated, it sets up a barriers of 185 protections that prevent spyware from making its way into your system. This helps keep your computer a good deal safer at the click of a button.

The next button on the taskbar allows you to check for and install updates to the program. As new forms of spyware continue to surface on the Internet, the need for newer and more detections arises. This function allows you to keep up to date on the latest spyware detections and immunities. It also adds new languages and skins to an ever-expanding program.

The final function on the toolbar is a link for donations to the programmer. As explained in the license, the program is free and dedicated to some girl he's after. The author is explicit in stating that the program is free and uncrippled, and will remain so regardless of whether or not you make a donation. The link is to his paypal account, which makes for a rather quick and convenient way to reward him for his work.

As for testing the efficacy of the program, I ran it several times throughout the span of a few days. Also, expecting to be using a spyware-related program, I installed and used kazaa on my computer for a considerable span before the first test. The first run, as stated before, found 31 instances of spyware on my computer. It fixed all but two, for which it said a rebooting was first necessary.

After running the test, I tried running kazaa to see if it still worked when stripped of its spyware. I also wanted to see if kazaa would automatically reinstall much of the removed material. . To my surprise, kazaa continued to work. Not only that, but upon further testing, no additional spyware was detected.

The next test I ran was over a day later, after a day's worth of websurfing and logging in and out of certain websites. This session wound up netting 11 instances of spyware. This may have seemed somewhat alarming, but the vast majority of the spyware consisted of tracking cookies and other common webpage annoyances. They were quickly detected and just as quickly disposed of.

The spyware detection I ran before writing this, a day later, turned up the usual list of about nine spyware applications. After the initial mass of spywre, the load seems to have balanced out with some minor cookies here and there. It is hard to tell how well the immunities are working, but from looking at what doesn't show up, it seems as if they are keeping some of the more egregious forms of spyware off of the computer. While the programmer himself admits that the program will probably never be perfect, and will never catch all of the spyware out there, it is safe to say that the program does a decent job keeping and getting spyware out of the system.

Another good point about Spybot is its versatility and user-friendly design. For each spyware detected, the program offers you information on what the file is called, what type it is, where it is, what it does, and its level of danger. This keeps the user very well-informed, and lets him make better decisions on what should be fixed. Also, when Spybot is installed on a computer with Adaware already installed, Spybot automatically warns you that Adaware will detect its recovery files as spyware. This simple notification helps anticipate and clarify potential confusion on the user's part. As mentioned before, the versatility of the program allows you to decide what needs to be removed, and whether or not to immunize your computer. It provides warnings where necessary, and provides you with the information and ability to maintain the balance between security and convenience in your own computer.

Though I may be biased by its 4 out of 5 rating and editor's choice award, I am very much satisfied with the performance of Spybot. It helps to deal with a growing threat to information security, and could be a useful tool on any computer. This is true especially for security enthusiasts, people who value their privacy, and people who fear that spyware applications running in the background might slow down their computer performance. For computers with more file sharing utilities, perhaps it should be used more carefully and sparingly. However, the safeguards on the program prevent the user from doing any irreparable damage to such spyware-dependent programs. Since downloading this program, I have yet to see any of the SaveNow ads that used to randomly pop up on my computer. For this alone, I would recommend not only that everyone download and use this software, but that they tip the kind programmer as well.