One recent trend in malicious programming is the increasingly common presence of fake anti-spyware programs. These programs will often show up in banner or pop-up ads on websites, but don’t be fooled. These programs, which are either free or require purchase, will not remove spyware effectively from your computer. In several instances, they act as spyware themselves, opening your computer to potential threats and phishing scams.

The best way to prevent spyware from getting on your computer is to carefully monitor your downloading practices. Be sure you know the reputation of the program or file you are downloading. A good rule of thumb is not to click on banner or pop-up ads, ever. If you are interested in a product advertised on one of these ads, try typing in the name of the product or company into a search engine, like google or yahoo. Some superfluous programs, although otherwise harmless, will still slow down your computer, like decorative cursors.

Although this is not a comprehensive list, these are the most prevalent fake anti-spyware programs:

• Spyware Quake
• System Doctor
• Virtual Bouncer
• Spy Wiper
• SpySheriff
• PAL Spyware Remover
• PSGuard
• WinAntiVirus Pro 2006
• WinFixer
• SpyAxe
• AntiVirus Gold
• SpywareStrike
• Antivermins
• BraveSentry
• Errorsafe
• Pest Trap
• WorldAntiSpy

More information on these programs can be found Here, and scroll to the bottom of this page to view screenshots of each program.

If you have any of these on your computer at this time, we strongly recommend removing the program.

To remove programs from your PC:
1. Click on the start menu
2. Click on the control panel (right column), or in Windows 2000, go to the settings menu.
3. Once in the control panel, double click the “add/remove programs” icon
4. Find the program in the list and click it once
5. Click the button “change/remove program”
6. Follow the prompts to completely remove the program from your computer.
7. Restart your computer.

Once you have removed the program and restarted your computer, it is a good idea to run one of the recommended anti-spyware programs. Colorado College ITS recommends using Spybot, Ad-Aware, and Windows Defender (Windows XP and above) all free programs available Here.

SCREENSHOTS:
• Spyware Quake:

• System Doctor:

• Virtual Bouncer:

• Spy Wiper:

• SpySheriff:

• PAL Spyware Remover:

• PSGuard:

• WinAntiVirus Pro 2006:

• WinFixer:

• SpyAxe:

• AntiVirus Gold:

• SpywareStrike:

• Antivermins:

• BraveSentry:

• Errorsafe:

• Pest Trap:

• WorldAntiSpy: