For those knowledgeable about software
I’d like to buy/download software that screens & eliminates spyware, adware, malware and other “wares.”
Along the way, I’d like virus protection and a “NetNanny” type porn filter.
Can that be done with one piece of software?
If not, what combination of software programs is best? Any to avoid?
Thanks.
With regard to spyware, the answer is no.
There is no one silver bullet solution to spyware. Each company develops their database independently, and each will remove threats that the others miss. For stubborn infections, I use four major scanners (AdAware, Spybot S&D, AVG Antispyware (formerly Ewido), and Microsoft Windows Defender.
For real time protection to prevent infection, I like Defender or AVG Antispyware, plus a blacklist like SpywareBlaster.
Avoid rogue spyware programs that cause more problems than they cure. There are dozen and dozens of these, and many of them install themselves as spyware, then goad you to buy their program to remove it. Beware of any popups that warn of an infection and offer to download a program.
Fear Itself
Thanks for the helpful answer (including the links!)
Will these work with Firefox? (like the Microsoft product for example)
Yes, your browser doesn’t make any difference when using those products.
What he said. 
In fact, I was surprised when I downloaded Microsoft Defender. The download/installation page detected that I was using Firefox, and tailored the installation instructions accordingly, even using Firefox screen captures in the documentation.
We’ve had ZoneAlarm Security Suite since last spring, when we got broadband, and are very happy with it. We used to use Spybot, Adaware, and Spywareblaster, too, but it seems that ZA manages to catch all the spyware–every time I run the others, they keep coming up with nothing.
Windows XP Home, Firefox.
We chose Zonealarm because it rated at the top in Consumer Reports spyware/anti-virus issue last winter. It has caught a number of viruses, plus it comes with parental controls. So it pretty much does it all.
But, of course…it’s not free. You get what you pay for. 
Actually, CR has come under a lot of fire for that review. Seems like they did not do actual testing with real viruses, of spyware:
[quoteIn brief, that anti-Spyware programs do three things:
Scan for Spyware , Remove Spyware and Block new Spyware from infecting your system. In their recent review of anti-Spyware programs, they only tested the blocking feature. And, they tested that using a single diagnostic program, not with any real Spyware at all. Disgraceful.[/quote]
See GFI LABS Blog: The Consumer Reports testing scandal: It's far, far worse than we initially thought. for details.
And this from the people who insist that they have to buy their products in the market, and test them in real world conditions to give valid reports. Between this and the recent news about their invalid infant car-seat ‘tests’, I’m beginning to lose faith in Consumer Reports.
But AVG does seem to be a good program. I use the free version, and it works just fiine.
I’ll mention that installing Spysweeper so gummed up my computer that I may have to wipe it.
I think there’s one like that called “Leopard”, but it’s not out yet.
My vote is for ZoneAlarm (pro or free), Avast AV (free), Windows Defender (free) and Adaware. Plus the use of Firefox and Thunderbird. No “Net Nanny” functionality though, that can be added (probably will need to purchased - it takes a lot of time/money to find all the bad sites on the internet :rolleyes: what a job though).
All these work really well and are pretty user friendly - but read the popups, understand what it is saying, and think about why the popup has occurred before hitting the “Allow Always/I Trust this” button.
You could also purchase the ZoneAlarm security suite - Firewall/AV/AntiSpyware in one.
CA EZ Antivirus also has a complete suite (I use their AV product, it’s pretty good).
Don’t use Symantec/Norton products - they offer an All-in-One including net filtering but it is a system hog and unreliable - I really dislike this product.
My other rule for safe internet use is:
Don’t run as an Administrator (which means the default XP account) - create limited user accounts and use them for everything (except installing software, running AV/Spyware scans and Windows updates). Almost all software will run as a limited user account and your system will be safer for it. Spyware will not be able to install into the critical parts of the system that make it hard to remove. I have only found one piece of software that will not run as an administrator, and that is a critical tool for getting recorded video off my DVD-Recorder (curse you Panasonic). Even games can be run as a limited user, in spite of what many manuals/people say. You learn the trick to fix things pretty easily, and there are web sites to help.
I have not had any issues with viruses/spyware on my own PCs for years - of course, two additional layers of firewall does help (ADSL router firewall + Linux server firewall).
Si
Kaspersky 6.0 pretty well does it all. I don’t know about the Porn,though.
If you have a good firewall like through a Router, that adds another layer.
It’s not a bad idea to add another “freeware” Spyware* blocker*. Do not have two active defenses going on at once.
I’d suggest that it’s a lot cheaper, and more effective in the long run, to spend time with your kids, and teach them that un-nice things out there in the world (from porn to violent video games to obscene lyrics in songs) that they will eventually encounter. If they are expecting this, and have developed their own sense of right and wrong, they will be able to encounter such things without being distracted from living a good life.
So I’d say to spend that money & energy on your kids, rather than ‘nanny’ software. (Most of which is notoriously ineffective & biased anyway, from what I’ve heard.)
While in general I agree with this, and I trust my kids on the internet, my son (at 11) complained that some of the kid oriented sites he visited had typosquatters pushing gay porn - and my son is dyslexic with a spelling problem. The point was he asked for a solution because he was disturbed by this, not because I was (I was angry at the typosquatting scumbag who owned those sites, but he got his in the end - he was prosecuted). But there is also an issue about when you let your kids grow up and face the big bad world, vs overprotecting them. And sometimes, parents want to take additional steps.
I used squidguard - a linux web filtering system with a k12 friendly filter list that I could actually check - and happily whitelisted sites my kids asked for. It worked to stop mistakes, and some idle curiosity, but like any filter, it was not perfect, if someone was seriously looking. But that was not the problem.
Now they are older the situation is different. I don’t filter, but I will make it clear that (like in any workplace) the server logs web access, particularly the PCs in their rooms, and those logs are checked (if we remember, and my wife can check the logs of my internet use, too). Those PCs are a balance, the kids need them for homework, and they require internet access, but they are less visible than the public PC in the study. So some caution is required. But I don’t check emails or chat logs - 'cause in general I have good, smart kids who know about appropriate behavior and do actually talk to their parents. And they are teenagers now, and deserve privacy.
But I won’t criticize anyone who wants to filter their own personal or family internet access, even though I disagree with it and the biased, secretive way the filtering suppliers work.
Si