I SPY
Though viruses have gotten most of the really good publicity on the Protect Your Computer from Attack red carpet, it's easy to overlook Spyware. In part that's because there's no real, agreed-upon-by-everyone definition of what Spyware actually is. It tends to get placed in a more encompassing box called "malware," which can be almost anything harmful and uninvited to your computer. But make no mistake, even at its most benign, if Spyware -- or adware, or whatever it's called -- isn't trying to virally change your settings or log your keystrokes, it's still a serious problem for your system. Unprotected computers get overrun by hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Spyware programs all demanding to use your processor, which can turn your system so sluggish it ultimately becomes unusable.
There are, of course, many anti-spyware options out there among the Big Names. Last year, I came across one of the small fries that intrigued me. With a strange name, SUPERAntiSpyware, it handled its job quite well, and I was curious how it did in its latest upgrade.
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SUPERANTISPYWARE Professional 4
First things first. Why go with a lesser-known name when protection your computer? There are several reasons. It could protect your system better, for starters. Choices are made when deciding what to scan for, and some programs are more aggressive than others. This can be because an application has chosen speed over depth. Additionally, a small fry might use fewer system resources and run better on your computer. Or because it's less corporate, decisions on how to improve the program can be made quickly. Also, you might want a second program for back up. (More on that in a bit.) To be clear, most of the major programs are major for very good reasons. But in malware protection, one shouldn't assume a Recognizable Name is better just because it's Recognizable.
SUPERAntiSpywarecomes in two flavors: free and a paid-Professional version. The two versions use exactly the same engine and definitions. The differences are few, but significant. Among them, the Pro version includes Real-Time Blocking, scheduled scanning, First Chance Prevention (more on that later), automatic updates and free, unlimited customer service by email. The Professional version is the one tested here.
Most notable of these differences is Real-Time Blocking, which is the most important reason to pay for any anti-spyware program. If you do have another anti-spyware program running in real-time, it's still worth having a second, perhaps-free program to run manually, not with real-time blocking.
(Note: it's not generally a good idea to run two anti-spyware programs in real-time at the same time, because they tend to conflict. SAS says it plays nice with all others, but that's for you to decide. However, you can run as many such programs as you like manually.)
Why run more than one? As noted above, anti-spyware programs use different definitions and therefore search for different things. Running a second program manually once a week (being sure to update the definitions when you do) is a very good idea.
By the way, what are these "definitions" that need updating? In the simplest terms, they are what tells the program it should look for. Spyware attacks are changing regularly, as new malware is developed or adapted to get around defenses. You always, always have to keep your definitions updated. SAS checks for definition updates every eight hours, which is reasonable, though some programs give an option to check every hour. Also worth noting, SAS definition files are small, and the download process is comparatively fast.
SUPERAnti-Spyware appears to do an extremely good job at blocking and removing infections. I say "appears" because I'm not a testing lab -- but it comes from personal usage and comparison. User reviews on such notable sites as Wilder Security are raves, and the comprehensive Spywarrior testing website listed Version 3 as one of only seven trustworthy products -- the only one not a Big Name. It has developed heuristics that will identify newly-created spyware, adware, Trojan Horses and non-commercial keyloggers. Additionally, SAS has the aforementioned "First Chance Prevention" that will check critical rootkits and other important areas upon system startup (arguably rootkits are the most important point of infection), as well as at system shut-down. This will slow down booting up and closing your system, but it's configurable if you prefer not to use it.
A word when comparing test results. For starters, there's no standard test for spyware. One common way for labs to test is creating a folder on a computer and fill it with latent spyware. SUPERAntiSpywaresays that they prefer to create a product that might ignore files sitting dormant where they would never reside in the real world, but instead find spyware that exists as it actually would run on a system.
SUPERAntiSpyware installs very easily and doesn't even require a reboot of your system. A simple wizard asks a few basic questions, lets you update the program and definitions, and you're set. A profoundly bland home screen comes up: gray with boxes that appears to be from another era. Of course, far better to have a program that protects you than dazzles only with glitz. Though, a little glitz wouldn't hurt.
The heart of this home screen is Preferences, which allows you configure SAS from its Control Center.
Right-clicking on the SAS icon in the System Tray (that place on your monitor near the clock) lets you to launch the program or directly view your preferences, as well as check for updates and such. It would be nice to be able to directly start a scan from here, though it isn't problematic, since once you launch the program (and it pops up instantly), everything is only one click away.
Oddly, if you launch the Preferences window from the System Tray -- rather than by clicking on it from within the program's Main Menu -- and you subsequently want to run other features of the program, you have to separately launch SUPERAntiSpyware, because there's no link on the Control Center back to the Main Menu. This isn't an issue if you open the program first, since that window will stay open.
(Also, the terminology isn't as clear as it should be. When you right-click on the tray icon, the top option is phrased, "Scan for Spyware, Adware, Malware..." This suggests that scanning will start. In fact, it merely launches the program. To scan, you have to click the "Scan your computer" button in the main window.)
If you choose to run scheduled scans, the software provides options of what to do after the scan finishes and spyware is found. Most are standard, such as automatically quarantining and removing. But a nice touch is automatically rebooting your computer if needed to complete the cleaning.
Speaking of which, SAS has an interesting feature called Boot Safe. When spyware is found, it's often necessary to clean it by re-booting the computer in "Safe Mode," which is an uncommon and convoluted procedure for many people (repeatedly tapping the F5 key at the exact proper time on the boot). With Boot Safe, however, the software will handle that automatically.
SUPERAntiSpyware's scans weren't the fastest in the world in Version 3, but fine -- but it now run 50 percent faster than before. There is a choice of Complete, Quick or Custom scans.
Another helpful feature is protecting your browser's homepage, a common target for hijacking. This is strong protection, but if you are someone who changes your homepage a lot, know that with this option set you can only change your homepage from within SAS. There are two issues I have with this feature -- one is that it only works with Internet Explorer, not the Firefox browser. Also, it only notes this fact on the wizard that runs when you install the program. On the Preferences page, it merely asks if you want your "home page" protected. Someone not paying close attention on installation, or who simply forgot, can look at this and think their Firefox "home page" is protected, when it's not. (Side note: a nice addition for future versions would be the ability to protect any user-defined web page.)
SUPERAntiSpyware is particularly strong on customer service, which starts at the top with company founder Nick Skrepetos who has been open and accessible on anti-spyware newsgroups. The company provides free, unlimited 24/7 technical support through email -- for both the free and Professional version - though no phone number is available. While a phone number would be nice, even if there was a charge, the company says this set-up is most efficient for them, particularly in conjunction with the diagnostic report it will generate for you to send in. From previous experience (in Version 3), I found that the email support was excellent. Extremely responsive and able to ultimately resolve a bizarre, intricate problem. Admittedly, waiting in the dark for email assistance can be an edgy experience. Happily, their track record lands heavily on diligence. And being knowledgeable.
I did have two issues with this version. One was bizarre and problematic, but easy enough to deal with. For the moment, I'm using a dial-up account, and during the middle of the night, if the phone line is not connected, some odd glitch would occur which locked-up the dial-up networking when SAS tried to dial in to check for updates. (I have other programs which dial-in fine.) However, since I reboot my system first thing every morning, that clears the problem without any impact. Other easy workarounds are -- turning off Auto-Update and checking manually (SAS will let you configure when to remind you if you haven't checked for updates), or simply keeping the dial-up connection active full-time. This shouldn't be a problem for most systems, especially those with broadband. In fact, the company says it's the only known issue.
The other was minor -- the SAS icon wouldn't regularly show up in the Windows System Tray. But an email to customer service got an initial reply within five minutes, though subsequent responses took longer. The problem was resolved in the next, regular program update.
Help information is clear and strong. From the company's main website, there is also a user group for discussion and questions, and the company provides a blog with frequent updates on spyware and program-related matters.
For all the strong hands-on attention, it's surprising that there is no Help button on the program's main page. It's easily accessible from the System Tray icon, however, as well as on the Control Center window. You can also access Help from the SUPERAntiSpyware folder in the Start menu. One other quibble: while the Help file is easy to navigate and very informative, there's no Index for searching.
Spyware isn't just a protection matter, but how to resolve an infection, and though many programs will stop around the former, SUPERAntiSpyware has a few bonus items that could prove beneficial, should you need them. If certain areas of your computer system or browser do become damaged by spyware, the program will do some repairs to these areas - for example, the System Tray, your Desktop Wallpaper, or the Internet Zone Security setup. Clear descriptions explain the processes - but be careful using these, because you're getting more into the guts of Windows.
Needless to say, SAS handles the basics -- like allowing users to restore or remove items that have been quarantined. And if the program determines a "false positive," you can manage this by allowing access to any trusted programs. I was surprised however that when SAS installs, it does not select "automatically quarantine and remove infected files" by default. Though some experts might not want this option, it would be easy for them to uncheck -- and it's a safer option to have for the less-technically adept.
There are several other small, but helpful features. One prevents any rogue application from terminating SAS. Also, if you're ever uncertain whether you have an active infection, a simple click accesses a "What's running on your system" option.
As mentioned earlier, a big problem with many anti-spyware these days is software bloat, where programs grab a great deal of memory and system resources, slowing down one's computer (in some cases to sludge). It's worth repeating that SUPERAntiSpyware, is light on its feet with resources.
SUPERAntiSpywareProfessional costs $30, with a $15 annual renewal. But the company has an interesting option. At the time of initial purchase, you can select a lifetime renewal of updates and upgrades for the life of the product for only $10.
Though a small company and still a bit under the radar, the respect that SUPERAntiSpywarehas been getting in anti-spyware circles is understandable. Some items be improved, along with a few odd choices, and one day a semi-interesting main screen will come along. But with strong scanning and cleaning, light resources and several nice bonus features, the free version would make an excellent choice to consider as a manual backup, while the Pro edition is well-worth looking into for active protection.
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