Several unique terms and phrases describe the features of software we review on this site, some easier to grasp than others. This list briefly defines terms relevant to Anti-Spyware Software.

Ratings

Ease of Setup/Use

Can you get it up and running without consulting a book or a tech support person?How easy is the product to use? Can you quickly find the features you are looking for? Are the descriptions easily understood or do they assume you know all the appropriate jargon

Detection Effectiveness

How well does the product detect spyware, keyloggers, malware, anything bad -ware? Does the product provide real-time protection from spyware—preventing its installation instead of just removing it afterward? Is the product effective at finding and removing the many different types of spyware and adware?

Removal Effectiveness

This gauges the anti spyware product's ability to actually remove spyware that it finds, and whether or not the harmful parts are removed.

System Performance

After installation, does the anti spyware slow the system to a crawl? If so, the product receives a lower rating here.

Scan Performance

How long do full or "quick" scans take? Is the computer still usable during the scan?

Support/Documentation

Is there a help section installed with the product? Is it easy to find answers to your questions? Is there someone you can call for support? How quickly does the support staff respond to your email questions? With the right solution for removing and detecting spyware in place, you can keep your privacy protected and your PC running smoothly.

Detection and Removal

Active X Controls

Active X is technology produced by Microsoft that enables different applications to interact easily with each other. For example, Microsoft Word can be opened in an Internet Explorer browser and specific communications needs to occur between Microsft Word & Internet Explorer. Sometimes these communication rules are exploited by malicious applications and they can cause harm to your computer.

Adware

Storage media that are removed from the computer, such as floppy diskettes, tapes, CD-ROM disks.

Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers are programs that run automatically every time you start your Internet browser. These hijackers can sometimes control your browser, like Internet Explorer. Some Browser Helper Objects are really good for expanding your browser capabilities, but there are others that may not need your permission to install and which can be used for malicious purposes like gathering info on your surfing habits. This can cause anything from incompatibility issues to corrupting important system functions making them not only a threat to your security, but also to your systems stability.

Data Mining

Data mining is an information extraction activity whose goal is to discover hidden facts contained in databases. Using a combination of machine learning, statistical analysis, modeling techniques, and database technology, data mining finds patterns and subtle relationships in data and infers rules that allow the prediction of future results. For example: people purchasing wood on the Internet would have painting supplies cross sold to them. Typical applications include market segmentation, customer profiling, fraud detection, evaluation of retail promotions, and credit risk analysis.

Dialers

Dialers are a type of software typically used by vendors serving pornography via the Internet. Once dialer software is downloaded, the user is disconnected from their modem's usual Internet service provider, re-connected to another Internet service provider (new dial-up telephone number), and the user is billed at exorbitant rates. Dialers do not "spy" on their intended victims, but these malevolent programs can rack up significant long distance phone charges, costing victims time and money.

Drive-By Download

A drive-by download is a program that is automatically downloaded to your computer, often without your consent or even your knowledge. Unlike a pop-up download, which asks for consent (albeit in a deceitful manner likely to lead to a "yes"), a drive-by download is carried out invisibly to the user. They can be initiated by simply visiting a Web site or viewing an HTML email message. Frequently, a drive-by download is installed along with another application.

Keyloggers

Programs that capture and record your every keystroke, including personal information and passwords. Keyloggers are applications designed to monitor computer activity to various degrees. These programs can capture virtually everything you do on your computer including recording of all keystrokes, emails, chat room dialogue, web sites visited, and programs run. System monitors usually run in the background so that you do not know that you are being monitored. The information gathered by the system monitor is stored on your computer in an encrypted log file for later retrieval. Some programs are capable of emailing the log files to another location.

Malware

Malware is short for malicious software. Malware is software designed specifically to disrupt a computer system. For example, a trojan horse or a virus is considered malware. Some advertising software can be malicious in that it can try to re-install itself after you remove it. Basically, it is virus ware.

Parasites

Parasites are programs that get installed on your computer which you never asked for, which does some type of activity that you didn't intend for it to do. Almost all the parasites that are currently known are only compatible with Windows, and some only affect the Internet Explorer browser.

Real-Time Protection

All anti-spyware software will search your computer for certain types of components or applications. This feature identifies how many different components are searched for when running the Anti-Spyware software. Most anti-spyware component databases are updated on a regular basis.

Registry Entries

Microsoft Windows stores all of your application information in your registry keys, for example, what software to run, where is the software located, etc. Viruses can manipulate these settings so that applications stop running or run when least expected.

Rootkits

Rootkits allow hackers to take total control of your computer at the "root" or Administrative level, without being detected. A good anti spyware program will detect and eliminate rootkits.

Spyware

Spyware is any application that tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent.

Toolbars

Toolbars can be downloaded to your web browser to make browsing easier. Examples are Google, Alexa, and Yahoo toolbars. Even though these toolbars are very handy to use, these toolbars have the ability to track everything you do on the Internet and to pass that information back to the owners of the toolbars. Be cautious to read the terms and conditions page before you download any toolbar.

Tracking Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information that are generated by a web server and stored on your computer for future access. Cookies were originally implemented to allow you to customize your web experience, and still continue to serve useful purposes in enabling a personalized web experience. However, some web sites now issue adware cookies, which allow multiple web sites to store and access cookies that may contain personal information (including surfing habits, user names and passwords, areas of interest, etc.), and then simultaneously share the information it contains with other web sites. This sharing of information allows marketing firms to create a user profile based on your personal information and sells it to other firms. Adware cookies are almost always installed and accessed without your knowledge or consent.

Trojans

Trojans are malicious programs that appear as harmless or desirable applications. Trojans are designed to cause loss or theft of computer data, and to destroy your system. Some trojans, called RATs (Remote Administration Tools), allow an attacker to gain unrestricted access of your computer whenever you are online. The attacker can perform activities such as file transfers, adding/deleting files or programs, and controlling the mouse and keyboard. Trojans are generally distributed as email attachments or bundled with another software program.

Additional Features

Rollback/Restore

This feature allows you to restore any component that was deleted by the anti-spyware software. Occasionally when deleting a spyware component, a particular application may stop working because it was dependent on the particular spyware component to be present. Rollback or Restore features allow you to retrieve the spyware component from a special quarantined area so that your application will resume running. This feature analyzes the threat level of each spyware component found. Knowing the threat level of certain components will allow you to better understand the spyware component so that you can choose whether to delete, quarantine, or ignore the component entirely. Risk Analysis is essential to making informed decisions before removing any spyware components.

Spyware Database

Microsoft Windows stores all of your application information in your registry keys, for example, what software to run, where is the software located, etc. Viruses can manipulate these settings so that applications stop running or run when least expected.

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