Spysweeper Anti-spyware on the edge of protection
In a 2006 consumer alert warned that "all computer users should get wise to the signs that spyware has been installed on their machines, and then take the appropriate steps to delete it." Unfortunately, spyware is evolving so quickly!.
It is recommended using an antispyware program from "a vendor you know and trust." One company that clearly falls into that camp is Webroot, which is offering the latest iteration of its state-of-the-art antispyware tool, Spysweeper download.
Look and Feel
A one-year subscription to Spysweeper, which is available in a boxed version or as a SpySweeper download, costs $29.95. Installation of the software proceeds typically, requiring that you enter a long license key and register to get program and virus-signature updates from Webroot.
These updates are absolutely necessary to ensure protection against the latest spyware variants. Once installed, Spysweeper puts a new icon - a graphic of a targeting crosshairs - in your system tray, and is locked and loaded.
Features
Each time you boot up your PC, Spysweeper runs in the background, using about 20 MB of memory and providing real-time protection against most types of spyware attacks.
Spysweeper works in two ways: it continuously monitors your PC to identify and prevent spyware attacks, and it sweeps systems to identify and optionally quarantine or remove threats. Webroot updates its databases with over 300 new spyware definitions each week and currently contains information on over 136,000 threats.
Sweeps can be scheduled to occur daily, weekly, monthly, at startup, or on demand. They can be configured to only scan your system's files, or to conduct longer, in-depth sweeps during idle hours. The sweeps also can inspect zip files, examine removable drives and disks, and check for rootkits.
Spysweeper download "shields" - its options for continuous monitoring - are extensive. They include:
Internet Explorer shields, which protect your favorites, security settings, and cookies, providing a barrier against attempts to take over your home page or default search page.
Host File shields, which protect your browser from being hijacked when surfing the Internet.
Windows System shields, which block communication between your PC and malicious Web sites; they also prevent spyware from using ActiveX controls, the small applets that embed multimedia features in Web pages.
Startup Program shields, which block any unauthorized changes to your startup files.
Browser Add-on shields, which ward off the installation of search toolbars and other intrusive add-ons.
Choosing an antispyware program is like trying to choose the best mutual fund or predicting who's going to win the World Series. Over the years, we have been impressed with Webroot's many updates to meet ever-changing threats.
Although Spysweeper's scans are thorough, they aren't as quick as some other applications. We scanned a PC (250-GB hard drive, 1 GB of memory) with Spysweeper, LavaSoft's Ad Aware SE, and Trend Micro's online scanner.
In each case, the deepest scans allowed by each program, checking zip files, the registry, and system memory. Spysweeper download required 30 minutes to complete the scan, while the other programs required fewer than 10 minutes.
The Verdict
Webroot's consistent efforts at monitoring threats have made Spysweeper one of the most respected and effective antispyware solutions available. Scan speeds are slow enough that you'll want to schedule them for off-hours, but the end results are worth the wait.
Webroot Spysweeper download 4.5
System Requirements: Windows 98 SE, 2000, ME, or XP; 300-MHz processor; 25 MB of hard drive space; 128 MB of RAM.
Pros: Frequent updates to a large spyware-definition database; intuitive user interface; real-time protection and on-demand sweeps.
It is recommended using an antispyware program from "a vendor you know and trust." One company that clearly falls into that camp is Webroot, which is offering the latest iteration of its state-of-the-art antispyware tool, Spysweeper download.
Look and Feel
A one-year subscription to Spysweeper, which is available in a boxed version or as a SpySweeper download, costs $29.95. Installation of the software proceeds typically, requiring that you enter a long license key and register to get program and virus-signature updates from Webroot.
These updates are absolutely necessary to ensure protection against the latest spyware variants. Once installed, Spysweeper puts a new icon - a graphic of a targeting crosshairs - in your system tray, and is locked and loaded.
Features
Each time you boot up your PC, Spysweeper runs in the background, using about 20 MB of memory and providing real-time protection against most types of spyware attacks.
Spysweeper works in two ways: it continuously monitors your PC to identify and prevent spyware attacks, and it sweeps systems to identify and optionally quarantine or remove threats. Webroot updates its databases with over 300 new spyware definitions each week and currently contains information on over 136,000 threats.
Sweeps can be scheduled to occur daily, weekly, monthly, at startup, or on demand. They can be configured to only scan your system's files, or to conduct longer, in-depth sweeps during idle hours. The sweeps also can inspect zip files, examine removable drives and disks, and check for rootkits.
Spysweeper download "shields" - its options for continuous monitoring - are extensive. They include:
Internet Explorer shields, which protect your favorites, security settings, and cookies, providing a barrier against attempts to take over your home page or default search page.
Host File shields, which protect your browser from being hijacked when surfing the Internet.
Windows System shields, which block communication between your PC and malicious Web sites; they also prevent spyware from using ActiveX controls, the small applets that embed multimedia features in Web pages.
Startup Program shields, which block any unauthorized changes to your startup files.
Browser Add-on shields, which ward off the installation of search toolbars and other intrusive add-ons.
Choosing an antispyware program is like trying to choose the best mutual fund or predicting who's going to win the World Series. Over the years, we have been impressed with Webroot's many updates to meet ever-changing threats.
Although Spysweeper's scans are thorough, they aren't as quick as some other applications. We scanned a PC (250-GB hard drive, 1 GB of memory) with Spysweeper, LavaSoft's Ad Aware SE, and Trend Micro's online scanner.
In each case, the deepest scans allowed by each program, checking zip files, the registry, and system memory. Spysweeper download required 30 minutes to complete the scan, while the other programs required fewer than 10 minutes.
The Verdict
Webroot's consistent efforts at monitoring threats have made Spysweeper one of the most respected and effective antispyware solutions available. Scan speeds are slow enough that you'll want to schedule them for off-hours, but the end results are worth the wait.
Webroot Spysweeper download 4.5
System Requirements: Windows 98 SE, 2000, ME, or XP; 300-MHz processor; 25 MB of hard drive space; 128 MB of RAM.
Pros: Frequent updates to a large spyware-definition database; intuitive user interface; real-time protection and on-demand sweeps.
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