I've just had a popup screen appear (yes, I was allowing them) this morning that told me SpyBot and AdAware are in themselves spying on my computer and supplying information about me and my keystrokes etc to third-party advertisers. Can this be true or is this just malicious advtg. by yet another rival? How can I really be sure just who is spying on who? If this IS the case, then we've really ALL been duped, as Spybot and Adaware are vigourously promoted on this forum as being 'the' must-have anti-virus/ad-removers. Does someone know the truth?

...malicious advertising by a malicious crank rival that is probably putting out malware. There is a lot of attacks on the servers of the people who design and implement anti-spyware programs. It's called a DDOS Dedicated Denial Of Service--they try to overload or overwhelm the websites that design manufacture and distribute anti-spyware

Thresher

First it is "Distributed Denial of Service" is what DDOS stands for.

I've been using Ad-Aware since 2000 and I started using Spybot after Ad-Aware dropped off the face of the earth with updates.

If the makers of Ad-Aware or the makers of Spybot ever did anything so stupid they would be gone. If you are getting pop ups they are from something else, it is that simple.

KTTD

Though I walk through the valley of Microsoft, I shall fear no OS for skills are with me

read this website:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Thresher

Thanks for the informative replies guys. I thought that might be the case, but as this was the first time such 'malware' has tried itslf on me I just thought I'd check.

(I popped it off my screen so fast that I didn't actually catch the name of the so-and-so's).

gazza

Your post:
"as Spybot and Adaware are vigourously promoted on this forum as being 'the' must-have anti-virus/ad-removers. Does someone know the truth?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dude they are promoted on almost every reputable site.......Check around.

I just wish more of the people getting good service from these (and other) great free utilities for years, would pony up & send off $5 to the little guys doing it.

I was looking for someone discussing the following when this thread caught my eye. I run SPYBOT S&D and Adaware SpyAssassin from time to time.

I am running Norton Internet Security. Virtually EVERY time I log on to the internet it warns me that an unknown process (I assume it means one I have not permanently allowed) is trying to connect to internet using iexplorer. It says the source is c:\program files\Spybot ... Most often the "remote address" is one of two DNS servers identified in my network connections, but others appear as well. If I "block" it keeps comming back until I either "permit" or abort attempt to use internet.