Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta 1)

[Windle Poons]

I'm not sure if this software has been included in a previous thread, but having just installed and run it, I decided to share my thoughts and see what you think.

I have Lavasoft AdAware SE Professional, Spybot S&D and SpywareBlaster installed on my system, and run them everytime the computer has been online or at least once a day. I also tend to run them after installing new software.

So today I installed Beta 1, ran all the above programs, cleaned everything out, and ran a registry fix. I then ran Beta 1 which found a further 12 suspected items of spyware. It even found an entry that was part of video editing software I have installed. From subsequent enquiries it appears that this is intentionally installed by the software manufacturer to 'learn' how customers are using the utility, so that they can make it better for future versions. All well and good, but it would be nice to know that's what they're doing. (The program was Movie Edit Pro 2004.)

You have the option on the MS software to send any suspect items to Spynet for analysis, and so the updates learn from all users of the software. You may see this as an attempt by MS to monopolise yet another area of computerdom, but I am a great believer in the fact that you cannot have too much protection for your computer. This is of course on the understanding that you don't have so much it slows the thing down, thus defeating the whole point.

Potentially this software could be run by, and learning from, millions of users keeping the updates very up to date. I may be missing some point or another, but as a further addition to my PC's protection (and free to boot) it seems foolish not to.

Any thoughts?

WP.

[zardoz]

My thoughts are that you should be in bed you sad bu**er cos you're on earlies tomorrow ! :E

Night Dave :ok:

[Evo]

I have Lavasoft AdAware SE Professional, Spybot S&D and SpywareBlaster installed on my system, and run them everytime the computer has been online or at least once a day. I also tend to run them after installing new software.


I'm not surprised that it found some things the others missed. I posted a link to a test of anti-adware software a couple of months ago (here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=153204) ), and the outcome was that there was no single perfect spyware killer: they all find some and miss some, although the forum favourites, Spybot S&D and AdAware, largely found the same stuff.

As it happens, the best-performing spyware killer in that test was Giant's Anti-Spyware product - which was subsequently acquired by Microsoft and became their beta anti-spyware software...

[Phoenix09]

I have downloaded, and frequently run, the new Microsoft Anti-Spyware and found it to be very good. My concern is about how long this will remain a free product. Microsoft invested a large amount of money in buying the Giant company. My copy of the Beta version expires on the 31st July 2005. Will we we then be required to buy yearly updates one wonders?

There is a huge market out there for Anti Spyware software and I would imagine that if it comes with the Microsoft name and the right marketing it could become a huge money earner for Microsoft.

[Evo]

I have downloaded, and frequently run, the new Microsoft Anti-Spyware and found it to be very good. My concern is about how long this will remain a free product.


Microsoft has, in the past, given software away to gain marketshare in areas in which it is not dominant. Internet Explorer would be the obvious example, although this was based, IIRC, on the free Mosaic browser. Hotmail, on the other hand, was acquired to compete with AOL and cost them a lot of money but continued to be free - I assume it still is.

My guess is that they may just see free anti-spyware as a simple, and relatively cheap (compared to actually fixing Windows), solution to some of their more pressing security problems. The continuing virus and malware problem is all bad publicity for the company, and they've been sensitive to that in the past. Gaining marketshare with a freebie and then leveraging the monopoly is a tried and tested Microsoft technique, but while paying for a product that fixes security holes is one thing - we've been doing it for years with Anti Virus software - it's a rather bitter pill to swallow when it's fixing holes in another product released by the same company. They might also be open to claims of unfair advantage - Microsoft have access to the source code for these problems, while their competitors don't, so they'll have to be a bit careful. However, it wouldn't be the first time, so I guess that was a very long-winded way of saying "I don't know" :O

[drauk]

Why not use it until they start charging (which I don't think they ever will)?

[Phoenix09]

I have found it to be quite good so I would actually be prepared to buy it if the need arose which hopefully it won't! :)

I did trial it when it was still under the Giant name but opted for Spy Sweeper instead. I wonder what the situation is with all those users who did buy the Giant software and now find it being given away free? Will they get a rebate?

[126,7]

During his keynote speech at the at the RSA Security Conference Bill Gates announced that the MS antispyware will be offered for free. From his speech: 'We've looked hard at the nature of this problem, and made a decision that this anti-spyware capability will become something that's available at no additional charge for Windows users -- both the blocking capability, and the scanning and removal capabilities.'