I have decided to include sections of Essential Software, meaning software that I install on every machine that I own. Software that I am pretty lost without.
So here I am talking about a great program called Spybot – Search and Destroy. It is an anti-spyware program that has helped in solving and preventing countless issues on computers I’ve used in the past.
First and one of the most attractive features is…it’s free.
I am a firm believer in the fact that most issues with spyware and virus infections are done on the home user and that those companies providing software for prevention should provide it to those users for free. Corporate users still need to pay for the software but they will…for them it’s a small price to pay to stay protected. But if you take Granny who only checks her email every 2 weeks, she’s not going to spend her Social Security check on a program that will keep the pictures of her grandchildren safe. It isn’t worth it to her…the computer was probably a gift and she can’t see spending any money on the machine. So now Granny is infected with God knows what, spreading all over the net infecting all the other ignorant people who won’t or don’t want to spend the money for software that they need. So back on topic, I’m always happy to see an Essential Software that winds up being free.
Second, it is easy to use.
There are a few things that could be made a little easier. The initial setup does just about everything you need to scan your computer and lock it down tight. The only thing I wish it had was some initial setup for a scheduled scan. Sure you can set it up later, but unless you know what you are looking for, you will overlook it.
Third, it just works.
One of the greatest thing about it is right off the bat it does an “immunization” of your pc, blocking all blacklisted sites retrieved from their servers. That helps keep down bad software downloading more bad software in the background, also helping keep you from getting bad software in the first place. Not perfect but definitely a must. Also the scanning engine is very thorough and gives a description of the program on the right so you can be sure of what you are about to delete permanently from your computer.
Link to download is here.
