Some questions related to Malware (especially SpywareBlaster)

Discussion in 'Software' started by fwfan, May 14, 2010.

  1. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Q#1: This is amongst some of the questions that is in my top 50 confusion list :-o because after doing a Google I read different opinions. Is SpyWareBlaster really effective :confused

    Q#2: I recently started using this sw (version 4.3) but seems like there are no updates. Maybe they don't release updates that frequently? Or maybe there is a FTP/download site from where I can regularly check and manually download and install updates.

    Q#3: This one is interesting and very confusing. When i run Spyware Blaster and try to minimize it, it gives a message saying that "I can simply close it (instead of minimizing to system tray) and it will still protect me" BUT
    After closing it, i opened Task Manager but do not find spywareblaster in the list of running processes. This is confusing. How can it work and protect if it's not running:confused :confused

    Q#4: Regardless of the answer to Q#1, SpywareBlaster only works against Spyware. I also use Malwarebytes and also have a anti-virus. But what about protection from all the other bad things listed on the following 2 URL's that I came across and would like to share with the members
    Code:
    http://www.malwarebytes.org/malwarenet.php?name=Malware.Packer.Morphine
    http://www.spywareterminator.com/support/what-is-spyware.aspx
    *** Am I safe or do I need to use one more product to care of the rest of the bad things (for example trojans, worms, keyloggers, and so many more) ? If answer is yes, can u pls suggested what is the best. I don't want to use 10 different tools to keep myself safe.

    thnkx :)
     
  2. Gabethebabe

    Gabethebabe Private E-2

    I suggest you read THIS.
     
  3. brandypeppy

    brandypeppy MajorGeek

  4. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Q1: Yes I feel it is and as it takes really no resources up apart from a little HDD space its a good level of security that just adds some protection against know activex and bad websites, its not a scanner.

    The link posted gives much more info, just thought i'd give the personal opinion from myself as i install this app on my PCs

    Q2: Updates are generally only weekly

    Q3: should be in the link earlier

    Q4: Malwarebytes is good and a recomended malware scanner, and a good thread guide for you is rhis one here http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=44525 but think you are doing ok if you ate not getting malware infected, as security goes, what is your antivirus app, whats your windows version?

    Alot of keeping a PC secure is safe surfing and knowing tbat you are downloading from safe sites like majorgeeks as well as keeping your windows and all apps upto date
     
  5. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Hello Gabethebabe and thank you for sharing the link. I already know that much (the info on the link) BUT my question about spywareblaster is different (the main question or confusion i have about spyware blaster) i.e. Q#3 of my post and for which I did not find a answer in the link (unless i somehow missed it).
     
  6. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Hi Halo :)

    Thank you for a very useful link :)

    - I have tried different firewalls and these days I am using Comodo.

    - Same is the case with anti-virus. I used AVG for a long time, then switched to avast and now again using AVG (all free version). Maybe they are all and not as effective like the expensive ones e.g. Kyspersky, NOD32, and some other high profile ones. I don't know. Just sharing my silly opinion

    - I am using XP SP3 and have enabled updates from Microsoft.
     
  7. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi fwfan

    Yeah give the link a good read as its a very useful link and Chaslang the author is a very well respected security specialist and administrator of Majorgeeks also, I link many friends to his guide as its comprehensive enough to cover most bases.

    Comodo is good firewall and AVG is good for AV, so think with what you have said you have no major security issues.
     
  8. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Hi all,

    I'm really curious and would request some feedback. This is regarding SpywareBlaster update. I tried to update today (as always and on daily basis) but the 'Version of database loaded' shows 03-May-2010 as the last database update. Is this correct? Is it true that the makers of SpywareBlaster have not released any update since 03-May-2010. If this is true then I would be a bit skeptical regarding it's effectiveness because in my opinion the efficacy of these "anti-malware" lies in regular updates.

    Will be thankful for replies.

    thnkx :)
     
  9. solaris89

    solaris89 First Sergeant

    I have been using SpywareBlaster for 6-7 years and it has always updated every 10-12 days. For what type protection it offers, that's plenty frequent enough.
     
  10. hrlow2

    hrlow2 MajorGeek

    And still more often than most users try to update.
     
  11. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Yes I know what you mean in effectiveness and its in regular updates, but Spywareblaster is not your normal anti malware application, its an addition type app, thats preventitive in its nature over reactive as apps like Malwarebytes are.

    The update date is correct and likely will be another in a day or so as Solaris pointed out in her assesment of the update schedule she has noted and like Solaris I have used this app for years, it doesnt impact on anything but gives you an extra level of security from the nasties that lurk on the internet, to me thats a positive and if like many you like the app go for the paid version and get automatic updates to support the developer.

    If you can with an application block just one nasty site from potentially causing you to gain malware from the activeX or popups on that site from infecting your PC, without you having to do the legwork of knowing whats good or bad, then this IMHO is great, it wont cover all bad sites, but antimalware/virus apps dont cover all malware, they would have to update every minute to be effective.

    Its a great app to have in the fight against malware, I would not remove it, personally I would not have a PC without it installed.
     
  12. hrlow2

    hrlow2 MajorGeek

    That is because SpywareBlaster watches for activity (heuristic) rather than signatures.
     
  13. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Not really its still a signature based app, which puts the known bad sites into the Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > Sites area of IE and in Firefox the Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies > Exceptions (iirc)


    Its basically "passive" security app that blocks sites from loading.
     
  14. hrlow2

    hrlow2 MajorGeek

    And all this time I thought is was heuristic based.:-o
    Still a very good program that will stay on my machine.
     
  15. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Thank you everyone for sharing your expertise. Your replies answer one of my questions i.e. the update part. After reading your replies I now have no doubt that I am using just the right tool but what I still don't understand it in Q#3 of my post. Please help me understand this i.e. How can it be protecting when it's not in the list of active processes. Sorry if this sounds like a silly question but i just want to learn.

    thnx :)
     
  16. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    @hrlow2 ~ I know you'd think it was as you dont see anythink happen from the app, it just sits or not as the case is in the background, but all it does it takes the really troublesome and time consuming job of adding urls to the blocked list, neat app really, simple but works and saves you the task of adding 1000s of know bad sites.


    @fwfan ~ Not a silly question at all, basically what it does is add a list of known bad sites to the blocked security settings of IE and Firefox, see my earlier post on the locations as you can see what is in the list in your browser. Its just a mechanism to allow the entries to populate the browsers allow/block list, just takes tot heavy task of you manually adding them.

    So what your browser does is to directly block you actually loading a page thats in that list, you can actually try it with any site as a test, just add say the url google.com and click block, then close and open the browser then see if you can open google, then remove the entry or you'll never get to google again.
     
  17. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Thanks you so much. I rest my case and believe you now :)
    However just for testing purpose, I tried to add a custom entry for a website and all was going fine until it displayed a message box shown in the attached file. That's where I stopped because i didn't know what to put in and also the fear that maybe it might add something to my windows registry.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Not seen that box pop up before, what browser you using?

    or for that matter what Windows version?
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2010
  19. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    I use Firefox but that pop up came up when I was trying to add a custom entry via the SpywareBlaster's interface (as shown in the attached image)
     

    Attached Files:

  20. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Gotcha now, no dont add the addition via Spywareblaster but the locations in the browser I posted earlier on in post #13, if you wish to test as from SWB they are CLSID entries as that blocked list is in the registry in this location (Windows 7, not tested any other Windows version out at this point, but likely same location or close)

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\P3P\History



    cheers for the screenshot, helps greatly to know where we are looking at.
     
  21. fwfan

    fwfan Private E-2

    Thank you Halo.
     

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