Anti-Spyware Programs Are Not All Created Equal

If you're one of my clients, chances are good that I've installed two anti-spyware programs on your computer. I installed them because they work and because they're free. I may have uninstalled Norton's or McAfee's products from your system because they cause problems and because they have to be paid for, year after year.

Spyware is so-called because it spies on your computing activity and reports it to a company on the Internet. The loss of privacy is an offense, but the primary evil is that it steals from your computer's resources. This usually leads to slower performance, and sometimes a failure to perform.

I subscribe to an email newsletter, Windows Secrets (click the link to subscribe for free), and the latest issue has exposed a very serious problem: anti-spyware programs that actually install their own spyware! Here is a list of some of those products that have been uncovered:

  • AdwareDeluxe
  • AdwarePatrol
  • ETD Scanner
  • PAL Spyware Remover
  • SpySpotter
  • AlertSpy
  • Allume Internet Cleanup
  • SpyBouncer
  • SpyOnThis

This list may not be complete, and my purpose in writing this is to recommend that you stick to AdAware and Spybot, the two products that I use.