Spybot - Search & Destroy

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"Spybot" redirects here. For the computer worm, see Spybot worm.

Spybot - Search & Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.5.2
Developed by	Safer Networking Limited
Latest release	1.5.2 / January 30, 2008 (2008-01-30); 132 days ago
Written in	Delphi
OS	Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, and Symbian^[1]
Genre	Spyware removal software
License	Proprietary software (free for non-commercial use)
Website	Safer-networking.org

Spybot - Search & Destroy (often Spybot-S&D) is a popular malware, spyware and adware removal program which works on Microsoft Windows 95 and later. Like most malware scanners, Spybot-S&D scans the computer hard disk and/or RAM for malicious software.

Spybot was written by the German software engineer Patrick Michael Kolla, and is distributed by Kolla's Irish company Safer Networking Limited. Development began in 2000 when Kolla, still a student, wrote a small program to deal with the Aureate/Radiate and Conducent TimeSink programs, two of the earliest examples of adware.

1 Licensing
2 Spybot features
3 Reviews and awards
4 Versions
5 Malicious clones
6 Compatibility with Norton Internet Security
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Licensing

Spybot - Search & Destroy is currently released as freeware. However, the fine print of the license limits this to only free for private use. Corporate users are required to purchase a yearly license.[1]

[edit] Spybot features

Spybot can fix problems with tracking cookies, system internals (Registry), Winsock LSPs, ActiveX objects, browser hijackers and BHOs, and can to some extent protect a user's privacy by deleting usage tracks. Spybot also includes an "Immunize" feature to block the installation of spyware before it occurs. Another tool included in Spybot is a file shredder, for the secure deletion of files. Spybot is not intended to replace anti-virus programs, but it does detect some common trojans.

Spybot also recently added an anti-rootkit function.^[2]

The Teatimer module can be optionally enabled, providing a level of active, real-time protection from undesirable registry changes and the like; it is unusual for such a feature to be offered as part of a free anti-spyware program.

Some programs ship with attached spyware or adware and refuse to run when the undesired co-programs are removed; newer versions of Spybot replace the spyware binaries with inert dummies (designed to fool programs which require the spyware's presence).

In order to efficiently detect recently created programs, Kolla regularly releases detection updates along with other improvements such as added languages and better heuristics algorithms. These updates are downloaded from within the software from a variety of mirrors and are then automatically installed.

Spybot is available for all versions of Windows from Windows 95, and offers more than two dozen different languages and several skins to users. Instructions are available on the website to enable users to design their own skins.

Technical support is currently supplied by means of Internet forums[2] and support e-mails (with a usual response time of no more than 24 hours).

An Easter egg, accessed by clicking a small icon in one of the tools menus in advanced mode, presents the user with a Knight's tour. Some people stopped downloading Spybot because of this Easter Egg as they thought that it was some type of malicious software. The sound effect of a horse neighing did not help and was confused with a donkey's, leading some to think that the program "taunted" them for being an "ass".

[edit] Reviews and awards

In previous years Spybot has been applauded for its ease of installation, free updates, and excellent features. It won numerous awards, including the World Class 2003 Awards, the PC Magazine Editor's Choice and PC User Top Buy #1. Additionally, Spybot was recommended by ZDNet, the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, MSNBC, CNN and other reviewers.

Although PC Magazine initially rated it highly in 2003, their rating has declined steadily since, to "poor" in 2008:

PC Magazine Editors' Ratings (out of 5 possible)[3]

2003 4/5 EDITORS' CHOICE AWARD
v1.2 2004 4/5
v1.3 2005 3/5
v1.4 2005 2.5/5
v1.5 2008 1.5/5

In January 2008, PC Magazine, after giving Spybot Search & Destroy 1.5 a score of just 1.5 out of 5^[3], elected it as one of the worst tech products of the first quarter of 2008 and called its malware cleaning-up skills mediocre.^[4]

[edit] Versions

Version 1.5 has improved Wine compatiblity, and restores compatibility with Windows 95[4] which was faulty in 1.4; the graphic bug in the TeaTimer notification window in 1.4 is also fixed.[5]

[edit] Malicious clones

A number of people have made Spybot 'clones' using exactly the same detection database, and sometimes the same User Interface, simply changing the name of the program (and the donation link) to claim credit for it. Some clones have been made by spyware manufacturers to make programs that pose as anti-spyware programs, but actually install spyware themselves. Kolla has stated that he will take legal action against the companies involved in the manufacturing of these clones, if he is able to identify them.^{[citation needed]}

Searching the words "spybot", "search & destroy", "spybot antispyware" or any other related search on Google will often result in a paid advertisement for "spywarebot", a rogue software using the "search and destroy" logo and the Spybot name to fool users into downloading their product instead of the original Spybot.

[edit] Compatibility with Norton Internet Security

The makers of Spybot have come into conflict over claims of incompatibility with Norton Internet Security.^[5] Symantec recommends uninstalling Spybot before installing Norton Internet Security. According to Safer Networking, no satisfactory explanation has been provided to them for this decision. Antivirus professional Mary Landesman suggests a possible explanation may stem from a graphical glitch in Teatimer module's confirmation dialog. An official explanation from Safer Networking ^[6] states that this error stemmed from a bug in the program used to build their code. The result of the bug was that users had difficulty enabling Norton Internet Security to make necessary changes to critical registry areas, such as allowing itself to launch on startup. Aside from this Mary Landesman, like Safer Networking, concludes that the two programs have no issue with one another. The bug exists only in the 1.4 version of Spybot-Search & Destroy and has been fixed as of the newest release.[6]