spyware

One of the first applications built to find and remove malware and spyware, Ad-Aware's reputation is well-justified. The latest version continues the publisher's tradition of adroitly addressing user concerns, but flaws remain.

Building on the improvements made in version 8, former Ad-Aware users should be glad to hear that the program installs faster than before. This version of Ad-Aware offers two new features to users of the free version that had previously been restricted to the paid upgrades: antivirus protection, and a long-awaited scheduler. The AV protection comes courtesy Sunbelt, makers of Vipre. Ad-Aware 8.3 loads faster … Read more

Updated 4:30 p.m. PDT to change headline to reflect that SMobile says it isn't criticizing the Android model and Updated 10:30 a.m. PDT to change misleading headline and add information throughout stating that users are granting permission to apps when they download them.

About 20 percent of the 48,000 apps in the Android marketplace allow a third-party application access to sensitive or private information, according to a report released on Tuesday.

And some of the apps were found to have the ability to do things like make calls and send text messages without requiring … Read more

With the enormous popularity of Apple's iPhone, more and more people are switching to Mac desktops and laptops to get the full Mac OS X experience. But as the popularity of the platform reaches unprecedented heights, Macs are beginning to be targeted by malicious attacks, often in the form of drive-by Web site attacks. This means that your Mac could download malicious code just by visiting a questionable Web site.

AVG LinkScanner for Mac (exclusive to CNET Downloads today) protects your computer from malicious threats by providing a shield against dangerous Web sites. This free program has no option … Read more

The FTC has settled its two-year-old lawsuit against keylogger vendor CyberSpy, allowing the company to continue to sell its RemoteSpy product but placing a few conditions on its use.

Announcing the settlement Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission said it "put the brakes" on the business practices of CyberSpy Software, which was sued by the FTC in 2008 over the sale and advertising of its RemoteSpy keylogger software.

Promoted as a computer monitoring product, RemoteSpy can capture keystrokes, passwords, and other information from unsuspecting users. The FTC had alleged that CyberSpy violated the FTC Act by allowing customers to … Read more

Mac users downloading free screensavers and a video converter app from several popular download sites also got spyware that installs a back door, collects data, and sends encrypted information to remote servers, security company Intego said on Tuesday.

The high-risk spyware, dubbed OSX/OpinionSpy, was being installed along with nearly 30 screensavers developed by a company called 7art and an app called MishInc FLV to MP3, according to a list compiled by Intego.

They were found on Softpedia, MacUpdate, and CNET-owned VersionTracker, according to a post on Intego's Mac Security Blog.

VersionTracker had removed all of the items on … Read more

Warning: contains strong language (that will be bleeped by the time you hear this), but we frankly couldn't help ourselves when we saw the stuff the RIAA and MPAA want to do to your computers, border guards, the FBI, and Homeland Security. It ain't good. Also, Twitter makes developers mad again, and we are definitely not number 1 in broadband. And it hurts.

Top Stories

Twitter Will Have An Official Android App http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/14/twitter-will-have-an-official-android-app/

Sorry … Read more

Security software gets you only so far. Sometimes a bit of malware manages to sneak through, at which point, well, you're screwed. PC viruses, spyware, rootkits, and their ilk are like kids who move home after college: once they're in, they're nearly impossible to get out.

Today's deal equips you with a tool you can use to cure an infected PC after the fact. It starts with the 2GB Kingston Data Traveler USB flash drive, which Buy.com is selling via eBay for $5.99 shipped.

Update: That deal has ended, but Adorama has the same drive for $7.95 shipped.… Read more

McAfee has gone and done something drastic for the 2010 version of its basic security program, and we're not talking about the new name. McAfee AntiVirus Plus, which last year was known as McAfee VirusScan Plus, has a new interface that redefines how to streamline the complex and varied tools currently available in A-list security programs.

The the new and unusual top-down design is surprisingly easy to use, with clear delineations between features. Potentially confusing names have been jettisoned. For example, firewall settings control how you access the Web, so they're listed under Web and E-mail Protection. Also, … Read more

Security suite vendor McAfee debuts its 2010 product line today, introducing an overhauled interface and new features in a bid to remain competitive. The change to its interface is as dramatic a shift as the one that Avast introduced in its 2010 suites, although McAfee's look is drastically different from any major security program currently on the market. Most of the features in McAfee AntiVirus Plus, McAfee Internet Security, and McAfee Total Protection are not new, but the presentation is so radical that the improvements are likely to be glossed over. Users of older McAfee should note that VirusScan … Read more