Antispyware tool: Spyware Terminator 2.0

Spyware Terminator 2.0
http://www.spywareterminator.com

"Install this spyware tool or we'll take away your birthday..."
I don't know about you, but when I hear the names of any of the anti-spyware programs out there, I cringe. Especially if the name includes the word 'Spyware' in it. Seems odd, I know - the reason is that a lot of malware will advertise themselves as an anti-spyware tool, con you into installing it, then it turns out to be adware, or much, much, worse.

When I first heard the name 'Spyware Terminator', I had that same familiar reaction, but then saw it mentioned on some very reputable sites. So, I had to check it out.

Defend no more
Previously, I was using Windows Defender, which seemed to work pretty well in conjunction with Spybot (seems we can't get away from running more than one spyware tool still)...however, I didn't like the fact that it would only run on XP and higher - and I just have a thing against requiring Microsoft validation to download a tool to help protect personal data. Not to mention I hate having to run two different tools.

Regarding my point about Microsoft validition: Pirated or not, I still would rather a software pirate didn't have their personal info compromised - - that would only be one more success for the malicious folks out there looking for a way to steal much more than just software.

Making the plunge
So, I started using Spyware Terminator a few months ago, and have had nothing but success with it. It has been running like a champ in my systray since then, and I noticed yesterday that I received a brand spankin' new version! I figured hey...I had better post something about this!

Here are some of the new features in 2.0:

• New Summary Page displays status overview and guide-posts to reach functions
• New option to create five custom scan profiles
• Improved scan accuracy, efficiency and speed
• Scan report history is now recorded for future review
• New Internet Protection tab provides Cookies and Favorites Scan and lists those related to websites reported as dangerous
• New help tab structure with improved content

Before I get too far in, Spyware Terminator (or hereto shall be referred to as ST) has a number of GREAT features (as listed on their website):

• Fast Scan - Checks all important parts of your system (Processes, Libraries, Services, BHO, Toolbars, WinSock2, Startups registry, Uninstallers, Start menu, Desktop, Favorites, Cookies,...)

• Full Scan - Thoroughly checks Memory, Registry, Drive scans, NTFS ADS (optional), and scans for viruses using the ClamAV.

• Customized Scan - Allows the user to specify which parts of the system are supposed to be checked.

• Scheduled Scan - The user can schedule when the scan will start automatically.

• System Report - When the scan is finished, the user can see a report, including detailed information about the state of system.

• Antivirus Integration - Spyware Terminator allows users to integrate an open-source antivirus program, ClamAV, in order to extend the ability to detect malicious programs both during the scan and within the Real-time Shield. Updates of the antivirus database are downloaded automatically with Spyware Terminator updates.

There are many more great features (too numerous to mention here), so I would check out the complete feature listing here.

Installation
When you install ST for the first time, you get an interesting window:

You can configure ST to install as an ad hoc tool - i.e. "Scan for Spyware": this lets you run a scan when you want it too, and not run resident; "Protect against Spyware": this option tells ST to run resident and protect against a new spyware installations as they occur; "Protect against Spyware and Viruses": this option includes the ability to use Clamwin, a free open-source antivirus tool. All three options allow you to schedule a complete spyware scan.

Typically, I use the middle option "Protect against Spyware", since I use Avast! antivirus. After you install ST, you will want to restart your computer to enable the real-time scan (if you selected the 2nd or 3rd option during the setup routine).

You've got the look

As you can see above, the main interface for ST has a very similar look as the Windows Security Center console - this was a good idea...keep it familiar. The main interface breaks out into three main panes: Spyware Scan Info, Real-Time Protection Info, and Update Info. These are pretty self-explanatory when you look at them. You can perform actions against each pane with little need for explanation of what they do.

One thing I noticed is that as you dig deeper into the application, there are a LOT of settings for ST which can be overwhelming for the faint of heart. If you just leave them as they are, ST will keep your computer nice and tidy. However, if you feel that you must fiddle with the settings - hovering your mouse over any of the preferences will give you a nice tooltip that will try to explain the setting to you.

What was that toolbar thing in the setup?
You may have noticed that during the install, ST asked you if you wanted to install a Crawler Web Security Guard toolbar. I balked at this step during the install, and didn't select it, thinking it was another 'Google toolbar bundle'-esque application, which I never install. However, if you want to use the Internet protection features of ST, you must install the toolbar. I personally think that the presentation of this option during setup is a bit suspicious, or at least somewhat misleading.

The purpose of the Web Security Guard is noble, however:

Our primary focus is on real-time shield and protection against threats before they invade our computers. Web Security Guard is one more product we offer to help achieve that. Its browser plug-in notifies users about websites that are considered as harmful by other users. WSG also has the ability to modify search result pages on major search engines, indicating a website’s threat level before you enter it.

So with that, I re-ran my install and enabled the toolbar, but did not set it to reset my home page or take over my search function (Firefox support is new as of ST 2.0).

The Web Security Guard can scan your browser for nasty domain-laced cookies, favorites/bookmarks, and can immunize your browser (similar to Spybot's immunize feature). Nice!

I still have yet to fully check out the Security Guard toolbar, so keep this post bookmarked, I might update it later!

Likes:

• Easy to use
• Familiar interface
• Good track history
• Complete spyware protection
• Integration with ClamAV (would like to see integration with other AV vendors...possible?)

Dislikes:

• Toolbar installation method makes me uncomfortable
• Large memory footprint (55Mb)

As you can see, I don't really have any substantial dislikes. This is one of the best freeware applications I have ever come across - the way it is put together is pure genius.

All in all, this is an EXCELLENT follow up to their previous version. I'm excited to see what kind of spyware it will pick up (I'm installing it in a VMWare session so I can really run the tires off of it safely).

Forums are very active, and ST is free for home as well as commercial use (but they do have a corporate version for central management).

Alternates:

• Ad-Aware
• SpyBot Search and Destroy
• Windows Defender