Industry Forums > Security Product Vendors > SpywareBlaster Database Update - July 18, 2012

SpywareBlaster Database Update - July 18, 2012

Merci, dp

reply to dp
Thanks dp.

Good to see you.

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Got it, thanks.

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Thanks dp.

reply to dp
Updated...Thanks DP

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Awesome, pd (erp...dp)

The heat is frying my typing

reply to dp
Installed and thank you DP

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Many thanks.

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thank you, dp.

Sincerely, Libra

reply to dp
Cheers dp!

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Got 'em. Thanks DP.

reply to dp
Thanks for the info. Spyware Blaster is one of the layers of security I use on my Windows machine. It has you know a passive protector.

I've all ways wondered how well it worked or it even worked at all. I mean how can you tell? You still get the occasional infection detected or flagged by one of the active layers of protection by one's other products now and then. It's then identified and dealt with usually promptly and overtly. But the question remains why didn't Spyware Blaster protect against getting it or how do you know what if anything Spyware Blaster does?

But with Spyware Blaster how do you know it actually does anything? (I'll keep using it because it is free and easy to use and unobtrusive in the operation of the box.)

reply to dp
Thank you dp .

reply to Hotch

That was not much of an explanation. Javacool used to have an excellent explanation in the Spyware Blaster help file. But he removed it years ago because it confused too many users even though he had made it as untechnical as he could. I remember SB from when it was still in beta back in 2001 I think. I learned about it here shortly after I joined dslr.

This Microsoft article (link at the bottom) explains how to do what Spyware Blaster does for you. It is MUCH easier to let Spyware Blaster set the "killbit" (a Microsoft term) on NASTY ActiveX components than following the instructions in Microsoft's article. The "killbit" is an instruction set in the Windows registry that stops a particular ActiveX program from installing and running on your computer.

What Spyware Blaster does is set the killbit for known nasty ActiveX programs so that those cannot install and run when you are using IE and surfing the internet. When Spyware Blaster updates that is because there are a bunch of new nasty ActiveX programs that are having the killbit for each of them added to SB's database. Once the killbit for a specific nasty ActiveX program is set by SB in the Windows registry there is no need to do anything else later unless you want to remove a specific killbit from the registry. Once set, that is it. That ActiveX program cannot install and run on your computer ever as long as you have Spyware Blaster installed or you manually remove that killbit from the registry.

Spyware Blaster is absolutely necessary (I think) if you use IE and want to be protected against nasty ActiveX programs that otherwise may silently install and run while you are using IE. ONLY IE has ActiveX. Other browsers do not (they are all web standards compliant but IE has never been ...Microsoft is trying finally though to make it more standards compliant) use ActiveX so the only protection SB has for those browsers is some cookie protection. I turn off SB protection for all browsers except IE because I prefer to control cookies via my options in my browsers but I think for those who leave their browsers at default for cookie control that SB cookie protection should be used.

»support.microsoft.com/kb/240797

Spyware Blaster can do quite a few other things that help with security. It's explained in the help file.
--
When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

+1. Very well said. Javacool's programs were some of those I used when I cut my teeth on a computer. I still use this one and several others. I agree 100% with you that this one is a must.

reply to Hotch
Look no further than: Wikipedia

• I already have an anti-spyware program. Why do I need SpywareBlaster®?