Spy Sweeper: System-Wide Spyware Decontamination at Your Service Never Underestimate Spyware Adam Stone
Don't underestimate spyware. Even though you can't see it, it can still be contaminating your computer. Adware, malware, Trojans, keyloggers, system monitors — they're all continually snooping and sniffing, seeking to sneak past your defenses and potentially destabilize your sensitive data.
Analysts estimate 60 percent of enterprise systems have unsolicited adware embedded on their computers. That's a problem. These self-installing applications can compromise the security of data and intellectual property, slow computer performance, and put an increased service burden on the IT staff.
Enter Webroot Software's Spy Sweeper, one of several anti-spyware products to hit the market with promises of system-wide decontamination.
The $30 program installs easily and launches with an initial setup during which it loads up a database of more than 68,000 known items of malice.
For the smallest of businesses, Spy Sweeper can be run on individual computers where it does a thorough and efficient job of rooting out the nasties. In our test run the application detected six pieces of adware as well as six cookies before giving us an opportunity to select which of these we wished to kill.
The downside: It took a grueling 10 minutes to perform the sweep.
Spy Sweeper does receive high marks for ease of use. A simple scheduling function allows the user to configure automatic sweeps at set times. The application can also reach back to home base to automatically check for updates. A user setting can direct Spy Sweeper to automatically delete quarantined items after seven, 30, 60, or 90 days. Users can customize their sweeps to either include or exclude cookies, your system registry, memory, and so on.
On a larger scale, mid-sized businesses can avail themselves of these same tools, along with a number of important features aimed at easing the administrative burden.
An administrative console enables system managers to configure clients, manage updates, establish alerts, view reports, and perform real-time scans of remote systems. An "Active Shield" function actively monitors in real time against spyware and adware installations.
For enterprise users, Spy Sweeper can run in three modes. It can be invisible, with no user interaction. It can deliver a pop-up alert window during a scan, or else it can display an animated tray icon to indicate activity without disrupting the user. Laptop settings protect remote users even when they are not logged into the network.
