Protect against Spywares and Adwares

By simply visiting a Web site, or installing shareware, you maybe installing other software, cookies or applications that are able to monitor and log Internet activity. This catergory of software is generally referred to as spyware.  Adware is normally associated with shareware that generates pop-up ads, or displays banner ads.  Spybot is a freeware tool to detect and remove spyware and adware from your system, and it performs this job remarkably well. 

Installing Spybot

Spybot is donation-ware from Spybot S&D. That means that you don’t have to pay for it. You can obtain the latest version of Spybot from the public domain.

1. Download the installation file, currently Spybotsd13.exe from the Help folder in the public domain \\nas2\publicsw\help , to a temporary directory on your hard drive and you’re ready to go.
   
   
2. To install Spybot, double-click on the self extracting archive, and follow the prompts in the Setup Wizard. It will automatically start to download.
   
   
   
   
   
3. When the Setup language option prompt appears, click OK to accept English.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Select I accept agreement, and click Next
   
   
   
   
   
5. Accept the default installation path and start menu, click Next
   
   
   
   
   
6. Select Use system settings protection (Tea Timer) option and click Next
   
   
   
   
   
7. Accept the option to Run Spybot and Run Tea Timer.   Click on Finish to complete the installation.  Once the installation is complete, you’re ready to start running Spybot.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Under Legal stuff dialog box, select Don’t show this message again and click OK
   
   
9. Do not select Create Registry backup.  Click Next.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Select Search for updates click OK.  Click on Next after it has downloaded the updates.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Select Immunize this system
    
    
    
    
    
12. Click OK after immunizing
    
    
13. Select Start using the program to start Spybot.

Configuring Spybot v1.3

1. On the left pane, click on Settings tab and select Settings
   
   
2. Under Installation settings, go to the Startmenu item category and select,
• Advance Mode
  Running Spybot in Advanced Mode provides more configuration options. We have decided to run Spybot in Advanced Mode in order to take advantage of the automation settings.
  
  
  
  
3. Under the Automation section, go to Program start catergory and ensure the following options are selected:
• Run Check On Program Start
• Fix All Programs On Program Start
• Rerun Checks After Fixing Problems
• Immunize On Program If Program Has Been Updated.
  
  
  
  
  
4. Under the Web Update catergory, select the following options:
• Search the web for new versions at each program start
• Download updated included files if available online
• Use proxy to connect to update server
  
  
  
  
5. Type the proxy address: proxy.usp.ac.fj. Type the port number: 3128 and click OK
   
   
   
   
6. Click on Spybot-S&D tab to go the Update option window.  Click on
   Search for Updates.  This is a very important step, as it updates the Spybot definition files by keeping it current.  With up-to-date definition files it is able to detect and destroy all the latest spyware threats. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. After searching the web for current updates, it will list them.  It will not be exactly the same as below, it depends on your local PC definition files.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Select the important updates which should not include help files.  From the above list; the relevant and important updates would be:
   - Detection rules
   - Immunization database
   
   
9. Click on Update to start updating Spybot.  The following window will be displayed.  The download time may vary depending on the size of the files and the current Internet connection speed.  You can continue with your other work while the download is in progress.
   
   
   
   
   
10. When done, you can start running Spybot to detect and destroy spywares and adwares on your PC.  Go to Running Spybot guide for details.