Recommended Free Programs for Stopping Spyware and Adware

Adware and spyware are practically lurking everywhere on the internet these days. While some of these programs may only cause a slight annoyance, some carry potentially dangerous viruses and programs that can leave your personal information and computer vulnerable. It's important to note right off the bat that the downloads recommended aren't full anti-virus programs, rather supplements to basic anti-virus programs and should be used in conjunction with a decent anti-virus program. We'll get to that in a bit.

Adware and spyware are malicious programs that in their most harmless form annoy you with pop up ads, slow down your machine with tons of cookies, and redirect pages to more ads. Some 'spy' on you sending your surfing habits to third party firms, often for advertising purposes. More serious ad-ware and spyware programs can cause sensitive personal information to be leaked, allow hackers entry to your files, redirect you to fake sites that trick one into giving information, and more dangers.

The best two programs out there today are Lavasoft's AdAware and Spybot's Seek and Destroy. Both of these programs are free to use, however AdAware has a premium version for sale and Spybot accepts donations if you feel they deserve it for their hard work. Both programs essentially work the same when it comes to adware and spyware. The software constantly scans and tracks for known bad links, bad sites, bad cookies, and bad downloads are can automatically block these from ever reaching your computer. AdAware tends to use weekly updates about new spyware and adware to update the software while Spybot draws from large lists of known 'bad' sites, links, programs compiled and updated often by individuals around the globe working often as volunteers.

Both draw from extensive block lists that number in the thousands in terms of known bad software, links, and downloads from annoying pop ups to malicious viruses. Spybot takes this a step further and offers a part of their program called IE Resident, which basically scans for and silently blocks all known bad links and bad pages. It also can alert you when any program is trying to access the internet. Even more amazing, the program can alert you when a new process is about to run or a process/action is about to take place that may be considered suspicious. You can allow or deny the process/action and have Spybot remember your preference.

Both also do a relatively good job at blocking pop up ads, but AdAware is slightly better for that, mainly because that is it's main function while Spybot is a more complete solution. Both also allow scheduled scans and on demand scans, automatic updates, and a host of features that can be customized for your needs.

In my experience with both, Spybot and Adaware both do a decent job of detecting and then removing known adware, spyware, and other malicious programming. One downside is that generally with AdAware the bad ware is already on your system and running and with Spybot it has trouble removing a ware program if the program is running. This can be a challenge as some adware/spyware runs under different names, hidden files, and such making it hard to end the proper process and allow the program to delete the ware files.

Spybot does an excellent job of running in the background and is only occasionally intrusive when asking about unknown files and processes beginning to run. It is a more proactive approach then the free version of AdAware which generally only detects and deletes when a scan is done.

Both of these work well on PCs running versions of Windows. For Macs much of the blocking security is built right in and Macs have generally a great track record when it comes to remaining clean and secure. For those looking for a bit extra blocking security, running Firefox as a main browser allows you to download free add-ons like Ad Block Plus and Distrust in Firefox for even more secure browsing and not only blocks pop-ups but also ads on actual websites!

As for virus protection and full computer security, Windows based computers will need all the protection they can get. Spybot does a better job then AdAware in terms of running silently and monitoring for threats and bad processes as they occur, but AdAware hits more of the annoying pop up programs in one swift daily scan. Both should be considered for Windows based PCs. If you want to stay on the free software route, also consider using AVG Free Edition anti-virus software which complements Spybot quite nicely.

If you want even more security on both Macs and PCs (although this program runs better on PCs) consider downloading the free Peer Guardian program. This simple program actively scans ALL communications going in and out of your computer to the internet and automatically blocks known bad IP addresses, bad websites, malicious communication from virus or bad ware programs already on your system and more. It allow the user to allow IPs and websites accidently blocked for a set number of time or forever. The registry it checks against is often updated and similar to Spybot's blocking list.

That pretty much sums it up. A computer running free versions of programs such as AdAware, Spybot Search & Destroy, AVG Free Edition, and Peer Guardian will be in great shape when it comes to blocking adware, spyware, viruses, malicious information going in and out, communication with bad sites and programs, and more. Sometimes the programs may be slightly intrusive (such as Spybot and Peer Guardian) but this occasional interruption is a small price to pay for secure web browsing.