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Top 10 rogue anti-spyware Posted by Suzi Turner @ 3:39 am
What is rogue anti-spyware? Rogue anti-spyware programs are defined
by spyware and anti-spyware expert Eric Howes on the Rogue/Suspect
Anti-Spyware Products and Sites page.
"Rogue/Suspect" means that these products are of unknown,
questionable, or dubious value as anti-spyware protection.
Some of the products listed on this page simply do not provide
proven, reliable anti-spyware protection or may be prone to
ridiculous false positives. Others may use unfair, deceptive, high
pressure sales tactics to scare up sales from gullible, confused
users. A very few of these products are either associated with
known distributors of spyware/adware or have been known to install
spyware/adware themselves.
A bit of history about the Rogue Anti-Spyware page, if you will. I
had been loosely tracking complaints on the web about anti-spyware
apps for some time when the first "super rogue" was unleashed just
over 2 years ago. In late November 2003, complaints about a program
called Spy Wiper started popping up by the dozens in forums and
blogs all over the net. I had an entire blog category devoted to
Spy Wiper and its successor Spy Deleter. Eventually the Center for
Democracy & Technology (CDT) filed a complaint about the two,
and later the FTC took action and that operation was shut
down.
Due to the Spy Wiper/Spy Deleter attacks I was really fired up
about rogue anti-spyware and started blogging about rogue apps. A
while later I learned that Eric Howes had also been tracking
anti-spyware complaints and testing the applications. We began
collaborating and the Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware page was
officially launched on June 26, 2004 with about 50 apps
listed.
Less than a year later, on June 9, 2005, the rogue list reached 200
apps. If you are wondering why there are so many rogue anti-spyware
apps, click here and scroll down a bit. The list currently stands
at 241 programs including 19 that have been de-listed but remain on
the page with notes about why they were listed and later
de-listed.
This year we have seen a proliferation of what I call super rogues,
blogged here and here. These super rogues are usually seen on pages
designed to look like a Windows security center, seen here and
here. The super rogues are also known for hijacking desktops and
being installed via security exploits, along with a myriad of
spyware and adware apps, and are usually part of an infestation
called smitfraud.
Let me say that choosing the top few was very difficult because
they are all nearly identical in behavior and installation methods.
I've ranked them in part by their pervasiveness and the number of
complaints found about them on the web. They are apps that debuted
this year, except for one honorable mention, an app that's been
around for about 2 1/2 years but continues to appear regularly in
spyware infestations. The names of the programs are linked to a
complaint or example of the app, not the website of the vendor or
program.
Without further ado, I present to you the top 10 rogue anti-spyware
applications of 2005.
Honorable mention goes to VirtualBouncer/AdDestoyer for its 2 1/2
year history of being stealth installed in exploits without notice
or consent.
10. Spyware Bomber brought to us by the same folks behind Enternet
Media, the spyware company shut down recently by the FTC.
9. SlimShield tied with Winhound Spyware Remover for hijacking and
stealth installation.
8. WinAntiVirus and its companion WinAntiSpyware 2005 for
hijacking, aggressive advertising and inappropriate collection of
personally identifying information.
7. SpywareNo and its clone SpyDemolisher for stealth installation
and deceptive aggressive advertising.
6. Razespyware for stealth installs, desktop hijacks and aggressive
advertising.
5. Spy Trooper for stealth installs, desktop hijacks and aggressive
advertising.
4. WorldAntiSpy for stealth installs, desktop hijacks and
aggressive advertising.
3. PSGuard for stealth installs, desktop hijacks and aggressive
advertising.
2. SpySheriff for stealth installs, desktop hijacks and aggressive
advertising.
1. SpyAxe for desktop hijacks, stealth installs and deceptive,
aggressive advertising.
Note: For anyone landing on this this page while searching for help
with removing these rogues, I'd suggest going to one of the
reputable spyware help forums and posting for help. SpyWareBeware,
the home of ASAP, the Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals
lists member sites where users can get expert help with spyware
removal from trained volunteers.
