Sunbelt Counterspy AntiSpyware

Other products by Sunbelt Software

Product Features

• Detects and eliminates dangerous hidden spyware threats like keyboard loggers, spyware, adware and other malware.
• Real-time monitoring reduces the chance of spyware threats before they damage your PC.
• Automatic updates insure that your version of CounterSpy is always up-to-date.
• Includes extra tools such as a security checkup to look for certain types of security holes and a “history cleaner”, to remove traces of your activity on the Internet.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 5.2 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002EXF7O
• Item model number: P4102000010
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 6, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,656 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Software > Business & Office > Communication > E-mail > Security & Filtering
  #95 in	Software > Web Development > Internet Utilities > Security & Filtering

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Spyware and adware does more than just steal information about your computing habits. It slows down your PC and may break it so badly you can't even get on the Internet. The answer is CounterSpy.

CounterSpy detects, deletes, and protects!
CounterSpy has Active Protection. You could call it a "spy-wall." There are dozens of "checkpoints" that are monitored in real-time for attempts to install spyware. A very high percentage will be blocked by CounterSpy. Need to be reassured that this is a good product? Read this: Dell has tested and recommends CounterSpy by Sunbelt Software. CounterSpy can identify third-party software that has been downloaded on your system and allows you to choose which applications you want to keep. You can get an Internet Security bundle with CounterSpy in it from Dell.

Spyware is an Increasing Threat
First the big Internet annoyance was spam. Now it is spyware! Why is this happening? There is big money in spyware, legitimate and for cybercriminals. Both wage a battle for your personal information, surfing and buying habits. There are Internet advertisers that want to know where you click, and the "Net Mafia" is trying to steal your identity and credit card info. Your personal computer has likely been infected with several spyware products and cannot get rid of these by itself. It needs help to find them, quarantine, or delete them and then protect your PC from getting infected again. The answer is CounterSpy.

How We Can Fight Spyware Together: ThreatNet
New spyware is constantly created by unethical companies for financial gain. Cybercriminals change their malicious code regularly trying to escape discovery. That's why Sunbelt created ThreatNet, a worldwide network of users who report on new spyware outbreaks to Sunbelt. When an unknown but potential threat is observed by CounterSpy's Active Protection, the user is provided the option of anonymously sending information on the threat to Sunbelt's Spyware Research Center. The research center can then identify new threats as they occur, making updates available to protect users from new spyware.

Active Protection: Your Computer's Security Agents
You could see CounterSpy's agents as your computer's personal bodyguards. CounterSpy's active agents look for certain software and system changes to your computer. If something looks suspicious, you'll get alerted to it--before it can wreak havoc on your system. In short, Active Protection intercepts many potential hazards in real-time, helping to reduce the chances of getting a recurring spyware infection.

AutoUpdater: Keep Your Computer in the Know
Dozens of spyware programs are being created by bad guys every single day. That's why AutoUpdater keeps CounterSpy up-to-date with the latest spyware updates from Sunbelt. Just set a time for CounterSpy to automatically update itself, and you'll always have the latest version of CounterSpy. Don't waste your time deciding when to update your CounterSpy, let AutoUpdater do it for you.

Additional Powerful Features:

• History Cleaner: the History Cleaner is a powerful privacy tool that erases many trails you leave on your computer as you surf the Internet (like search history and URLs accessed)
• PC Explorer: My PC Explorer is a way to view and modify settings that are normally difficult to change. For example, you can view a list of all the Browser Helper Objects that are installed in Internet Explorer, find out what programs are set to automatically startup when Windows launches, see and modify which applications are changing your Internet, and more.
• Secure File Eraser: This is a powerful deletion tool that ensures the complete elimination of all files you want removed from your machine. The Secure File Eraser completely removes all traces of any document, image, music, movie, or application you choose.

Product Description

Spyware slows systems down causes crashes and can even invade your privacy. To combat spyware you need a powerful tool: CounterSpy. It aggressively hunts down and removes a broad range of spyware including adware keyboard loggers and other malware. And CounterSpy reduces the chance of future spyware installations as well.Features:CounterSpy detects and eliminates dangerous hidden spyware threats like keyboard loggers spyware adware and other malwareeal-time monitoring reduces the chance of spyware threats before they damage your PCAutomatic updates insure that your version of CounterSpy is always up-to-dateCounterSpy also includes extra tools such as a security checkup to look for certain types of security holes and a history cleaner to remove traces of your activity on the Internet.System Requirements:Windows 98 Second Edition Me NT 4.0 (SP6 or higher) 2000 XP Pentium II Processor with 64MB RAM 24MB hard drive space Internet Explorer version 5 or higherFormat:WIN 98MENT2000XP Genre: UTILITIES UPC: 855717000153 Manufacturer No: P4102000010

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAM!, April 5, 2005

By	Jump To It (Oregon) - See all my reviews

After reading the review of this product in PC WORLD just the other day, I went ahead and ordered the program. The review was right on, this program found 11 spyware files and one Trojan Horse file in my home computer. Interesting, because I run Ad-Aware and Spybot as my anti-spyware programs daily......and these two didn't find what Counterspy found! I'm sold. Though my other programs are "free", I gladly will spend the $19 bucks or so for this program for my other machines now. No, I don't work for the PC World folks; nor the Counterspy folks; nor Amazon or any computer outfit....Am retired, and have fun building computers for fun and family!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Works good, but with lots of trouble - revised again, June 25, 2005

By	A. Thompson (Harrisonburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Maybe its just me. This software gets incredible reviews, and no one has any negatives, so I bought it.
It does seem to do a good job finding the nasties. But the first thing I noticed was sloppy programming in the interface, like overlapping text, and border lines that aren't on the border. Hardly the stuff of award-winning software.
Then I had trouble with it locking up my computer during updates, and sometimes during scans. I finally turned the automatic feature off. And it wouldn't automatically deal with the threats it finds, it waits all night for me to 'take action'.
When I tried to use Active Desktop, forget it. Instead of synchronizing it would crash.
I just did a clean install, of a brand new download, on a brand new HD, and I'm still having problems with it, just different ones.
Like I said, maybe it's just me...
Aug 23:
I found the tech support at counterspy to be very attentive in trying to address my concerns, with some success.
Now that I've upgraded to a new PC and XP, it's working flawlessly. I'm real happy with it's active protection. I would highly recommend it and give it 5 stars, if your running XP.

12/25/07
Not just the Christmas spirit:
There's been a couple of upgrades-they've worked out the bugs. This product works flawlessly. At $20 a year, it give great of peace of mind. Updates are about once a week. Software and updates run smooth. Interface is much improved and gets better all the time.
Truly a great product.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading The Way, May 17, 2005

By	G. Baxter "Gaz1272" (Norfolk, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every now and then, a product comes on to the market which actually does just what you want it to do. I am hardly a system tech, but regularly clean my PC with various programs, and considered my system spyware free. That is until I read PC Advisor`s (UK) review of anti-spyware programs recently, and on their recommendation installed Sunbelt`s Counterspy. It was a breeze to install, and the fast scan showed 6 spyware progs installed. After I got up off the floor, Counterspy cleaned the drive and left me feeling more than a tad relieved.
Sure, nothings` 100% foolproof, but this is easy to use, gives auto updates, and gives minimal system lag, not to mention being cheaper than the competition. If you`re unsure, read the reviews!