How To: Choose anti-spyware software

ROGUE ANTI-SPYWARE WARNING

There are many poor quality or fake anti-spyware products advertised on the Internet! These products are often promoted using methods such as Google text ads. Many of these anti-spyware products are poor performers, and some of them actually install spyware on your computer. Use only products downloaded from or recommended by sites you can trust.

If you are looking to buy anti-spyware software then you will soon find that there are dozens of products to choose from. But how can you decide which spyware remover to go for? Most products are try-before-you-buy. But beware! Free trials are being exploited by unscrupulous software developers to trick you into buying inferior products!

False claims

Spyware removers present a great opportunity for unscrupulous vendors. If someone has a problem with their computer that they don't know how to solve, they will willingly pay for a solution. But while the effectiveness of many problem solving products is easy to test, spyware removers prevent an opportunity for deception. The effect of spyware is not always obvious, and in some cases not noticeable at all. This has allowed software developers to create products that generate false spyware alerts that trick unwitting users into buying the product to remove the alleged "spyware".

At Tech-Pro.net we are constantly looking for new products that we can recommend, including anti-spyware products. We find that a great many of the spyware removers we test produce a high number of false alarms. Many of these same products are also very bad at detecting real malware. These sub-standard products are widely promoted on the Internet and many people, not knowing any better, end up buying them.

We won't name the products we consider to be deceptive, because we don't want to get sued. We simply refuse to sell them. But it is clear to anyone with any experience in this area that people are making money from products that are actually quite poor at detecting and removing real spyware, solely because of the false claims they make about spyware infestation.

Independent verification

One website that has established itself as enough of an authority to be able to name and shame poor anti-spyware products without fear of litigation is Spyware Warrior. One of the most valuable resources on this site is the Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Websites page. It currently lists around 200 products that exploit false alarms to encourage sales of the product, or use other dubious marketing tactics. The page also lists a further 50 or so lesser known products that should be avoided simply because their performance isn't good enough to make them worth paying for. Don't buy an unknown anti-spyware without first checking this page.

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