How to prevent Spyware?

[cerivera]

Its probably one of the hottest question around....How do I prevent users from acquiring spyware? Unfortunately, this is at the company's president's home, so I cant threaten them to stop surfing! SHall I give them only limited user abilities? Anything in explorer, I can do such as disable active x or scripting etc. This pc has about 6 diff antispyware proggys but it doesnt help if the user accepts all the changes!

thanks!

 

[sggaunt]

Make sure it has all the latest updates to Browser & Operating system (windows ?)
Install a Firewall.

Suggest that they surf, er responsibly, point out that the internet is an evil place.

You can disable Active X, Java script, etc, but this has to be done with care as you can end up blocking everything.
and as you say users can be prompted to turn it back on.
Most of this is accessable through the Internet zone custom level settings, you can experiment here.

You mention Anti spyware it should also have Anti Virus.



Steve: Delphi a feersum engin indeed.

 

[2ffat]

I might add educate, educate, and educate. If the surfer is aware that his/her surfing habits are the root cause of allowing ad-/spy-ware into their system, he/she might be able to change some surfing habits.


James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[tazuk]

What I use at home is a combination of the following:
1. For passive blocking / immunisation:
SpywareBlaster
Spybot Search and Destroy - immunise function

2. For active blocking / shields:
MSoft AntiSpyware (Beta)

3. For active scanning:
MSoft AntiSpyware (Beta)
Spybot Search and Destroy (if I feel paranoid)

This pc has about 6 diff antispyware proggys

Which ones - some are not as advertised and may make the problem worse.
Note that SpywareBlaster and Spybots Immunisation function do not prompt the user, they simply block spyware using the registry - both these apps have methods of locking / backing up the hosts file and further restricting changes to the browser.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[MasterRacker]

Use a router with a firewall. Put in a good hosts file. Load the latest IE-spyads list. That will help with a LOT of it.

<sub>Jeff
[purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day

"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me</sub>

 

[electronicsfreak]

My biggest suggestion to stopping most spyware first off is downloading and using firefox. Second of all when you have firefox installed, disable java on it for ive noticed certain sites use that as an exploit. Third do not download things like freescreensavers from sites of that nature or programs of that for they are free however they are free because they become loaded with spyware/addware. Also keep temp folders emptied, spyware and viruses will hide in there and reinstall themselves when they are removed if not removed from there as well.