The Best Spyware Protection Software for 2020
Protect Yourself from Spyware
Malicious software comes in a wide variety of flavors. Ransomware encrypts your files and demands an untraceable payment to restore them. Bots enlist your computer as cannon fodder in a zombie army. And spyware, well, it spies on you, finding ways to monetize invading your privacy. Your antivirus software should eliminate spyware, just as it wipes out other types of malware. But some security tools top off their protection with features aimed squarely at blocking those creepty spies. This article focuses on products that exemplify seven active defenses against spyware, including protection from webcam peepers and keystroke loggers. All the products in the chart above earned at least three stars, and all include at least two extra layers of spyware protection.
Just what is spyware? The term covers a wide variety of sinister software, programs that can do everything from capturing your passwords as you type to literally spying on you through a webcam or internet-aware device. Read on to learn about the varieties of spyware, and the technology that shuts down the spies.
Keyloggers Capture Your Keystrokes
As the name implies, a keylogger keeps a log of all the keys you type, everything from personal messages to username and password combinations. If you have a keylogger running on your system, chances are good that some crooked individual planted it specifically to spy on you. The keylogger can even be a physical device, installed between the keyboard and the PC.
We call them keyloggers, but in truth these nasty programs log a ton of information in addition to keystrokes. Most capture screenshots, save the contents of the clipboard, note every program you run, and log every website you visit. The perp can use these various threads of information to, for example, match up a username and password you typed with the website you were visiting at the time. That’s a potent combination.
As noted, a first-class malware protection utility should wipe out keyloggers, along with all other types of malware. However, some of them add another layer of protection, just in case a keylogger slips past. When this sort of protection is active, the keylogger typically receives random characters, or nothing at all, in place of your typing, and attempts at screen capture come up blank. Note, though, that other logging activities may not be blocked.
Of course, keylogger protection in software can’t prevent a hardware keylogger from capturing keystrokes. But what if you don’t use the keyboard? A virtual keyboard on the screen lets you enter your most sensitive data by clicking with the mouse. Some products go to extremes, scrambling the key locations, or creating a flock of decoy cursors to foil screen-capture attacks. Virtual keyboards are often found in password manager tools as well, so you can enter the master password without fear of having it captured.
Trojans Can Steal Your Data
The historic Trojan horse looked innocuous enough to the soldiers of Troy that they brought it inside the city walls. Bad idea; Greek soldiers exited the horse in the night and conquered the Trojans. The malware type aptly named Trojan horse works in much the same way. It looks like a game, or a utility, or useful program of some kind, and may even perform its promised function. But it also contains malicious code.
So, now that you’ve brought it inside your city walls, what can the Trojan horse do? The possibilities are vast, but I’ll focus on the ones designed to steal your personal data. They silently sift through your files and documents, seeking information to send back to malware HQ. Credit card details, social security numbers, passwords—the malware coder can monetize these and other kinds of personal information.
One way to foil this sort of attack is to use encryption software to protect your most important files. You’ll find encryption built into many security suites, among them Bitdefender Total Security, G Data Total Security, and Kaspersky Total Security. Note, though, that it’s tough to find and encrypt every shred of personal data. Good thing that your antivirus usually whacks these nasties before they launch.
A variation on this theme creates what’s called a man-in-the-middle attack. All of your internet traffic gets redirected through a malware component that captures and forwards personal information. Some banking Trojans take this a step beyond, actually modifying the traffic they handle so. For example, the Trojan might transfer $10,000 out of your account but strip that data from the activity log that you see.
You can prevent man-in-the-middle and other types of browser-based spying by using a hardened browser. Implementations vary from suite to suite. Some wrap your existing browser in added protective layers. Some offer a separate high-security browser. And some move your browsing to a secure desktop, entirely separate from the normal desktop. The smart ones automatically offer the secure browser when they see you’re about to visit a financial site.
Routing your traffic through a virtual private network (VPN) is another way to foil many kinds of browser-level spying. You can definitely use a VPN along with your malware protection; suspenders and belt!
Advertisers Track Your Browsing Habits
Have you noticed how when you look at a product on a shopping site, you start seeing ads for it on other sites? Online advertisers really want to present ads that you might click on. To that end, they use a variety of techniques to pin down your browsing habits. They don’t necessarily know your name, or your email address, but they do know “that guy who keeps shopping for Kim Jong Un masks.”
Creepy, right? The good news is, you can set your browser to tell every site you visit that you don’t want them tracking you. The bad news is, they can (and do) totally ignore that request.
The advertising and analysis networks that perform this kind of tracking are necessarily large. It’s not too hard to compile a list of them, and actively block their tracking, or to at least give the user the option to do so. This active Do Not Track functionality is sometimes paired with general purpose ad blocking. Note, too, that using a secure browser or a VPN can help to throw off the trackers.
The most advanced trackers create a fingerprint by quizzing your browser about all kind of details, fiddly stuff like what extensions are installed, even what font are available. The usual active Do Not Track implementations can’t help you against these. If you really, really hate the idea of having your online behavior tracked, consider giving TrackOFF Basic a try. This one-trick pony only foils fingerprinters, but it does that one task well.
Of course, sometimes you can’t avoid giving out your personal details, like giving your email address and credit card to a shopping site. The etailer may not be spying on you, but others can get hold of that data. Using a tool like Abine Blur, you can go ahead and shop online without ever giving out your real email address or credit card. Blur includes active Do Not Track, password management, and more.
Webcam Antispyware
That webcam on your laptop or all-in-one computer makes video conferencing super easy. You can tell when it’s active, because of the little light next to it. Right? Well, no. There are varieties of malware that can turn on the webcam and watch you without causing the light to reveal their activities.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg famously tapes over his webcam, for privacy. If tape seems cheesy, you can get a sliding webcam cover for just a few bucks. But, with the right security software, you don’t need to physically cover the camera.
Products from Sophos and Kaspersky include a component that monitors any program that tries to activate the webcam. Trend Micro now has a similar feature. Authorized programs, like your video conferencing tool, get access without a problem. But if an unknown program tries to peek through the camera, you get a warning, as well as a chance to give the spyware a black eye.
Internet of Spies
Your home network supports a collection of very visible computers and mobile devices. Behind the scenes, though, it also supports an even bigger collection of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Connected garage doors, washing machines, light bulbs—everything’s on the network these days. Toys, too. It’s cool that your child’s new doll can learn her name and converse realistically. It’s not so cool when it turns out that the doll is spying on you. (No, the doll’s name is Cayla, not Chuckie.)
There are occasional instances like the connected doll where IoT devices deliberately collect data about you. But the lack of security in most connected devices is even more worrisome. Spending extra bucks to secure a smart lightbulb makes no financial sense, in some manufacturers’ eyes. The competitor who skips security can get to market faster, and for less. Ultimately, you may pay the cost for their negligence, however.
Any unsecured IoT device can potentially offer spies a view into your house, and your habits. Ironically, hacked security cameras provide a lovely view for the hackers. Even something as simple as a thermostat that adjusts the temp when you’re home can reveal that you’ve gone on vacation.
You can’t go around installing antivirus on each connected doorbell, refrigerator, and bathroom scale. Securing these devices requires network hardware like the Bitdefender Box or any of the many competitors that are springing up. But you can at least keep track of just what lives in your home network
Some security products now include variations on the theme of a network scanner. Features include verifying your network security settings, cataloging all devices on the network, and flagging devices that may be vulnerable to attack. If your antivirus or security suite includes this feature, be sure to take advantage of it, and learn as much as you can. If you didn’t get this feature as part of your protection, consider trying the free Bitdefender Home Scanner.
Other Spyware Protection Strategies
The spyware protection features I’ve mentioned are important, but they’re not the only tools available. I mentioned encrypting your sensitive files. For maximum security, you must also use secure deletion to erase the originals beyond the possibility of forensic recovery. And yes, quite a few antivirus and security suite products offer secure deletion.
If spyware does get a foothold on your PC, it can’t hoover up data that isn’t there. Many security products can clear traces of your browsing activity, general computer activity, or both. As a bonus, getting rid of unnecessary files can free up disk space and may boost performance.
It’s unlikely that a spy would get physical access to your computer and copy sensitive documents to a USB drive. That’s something that happens in the movies. But if you have the slightest worry about that possibility, consider choosing a security suite that lets you ban use of any USB drive that you haven’t previously authorized. G Data Total Security, ESET Smart Security Premium, and Avira Antivirus Pro are among the products that offer this kind of device control.
As I noted earlier, this article focuses on products that employ techniques aimed specifically at different types of spyware. It’s not about the best general-purpose security software. In the end, the most powerful tool you can apply to keep yourself safe from spyware is a top-of-the-line antivirus or security suite. These products handle all kinds of malware, including threats much tougher than mere spyware.
Where To Buy
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Abine Blur
Pros: Prevents advertisers from tracking your browsing.
Manages passwords.
Masked email addresses help block spam.
Masked credit cards protect your card number.
Masked phone number blocks unwanted callers.Cons: Requires giving a lot of private data to Abine.
Password generator not fully configurable.
Did not always fill Web forms correctly in testing.Bottom Line: Abine Blur lets you shop online without revealing your actual email address, phone number, or credit card number.
It’s an impressive solution for online privacy.Read Review
Bitdefender Total Security
Pros: Top scores from labs.
Cross-platform protection.
All expected suite features perform well.
Ransomware and spyware protection.
System speedup and cleanup tools.
Many useful bonus features.Cons: Features limited in iOS app.
Mediocre score in one of our hands-on tests.Bottom Line: If what you want is every possible security component in one integrated package, Bitdefender Total Security is exactly what you need.
It’s an Editors’ Choice for security mega-suite.Read Review
Kaspersky Total Security
Pros: Protection for PC, Mac, Android, managed online.
Top marks from antivirus testing labs.
Excellent antiphishing.
Full-featured parental control, firewall, and backup (PC only).Cons: Mac suite limited compared to PC.
iOS protection limited to password management and safe browsing.
Pricey compared with competition.Bottom Line: Kaspersky Total Security offers great protection for PC and Android devices, but Mac protection is a bit limited and iOS protection quite limited.
It’s good, but the competition is better and cheaper.Read Review
TrackOFF Basic
Pros: Foils websites that track your online activity using fingerprinting.
Actively detects tracking attempts.
Can clear cookies and other browser traces.
Includes anonymous search.Cons: Doesn’t encrypt network traffic.
Can’t stop your ISP from gathering and selling information.Bottom Line: Modern websites quiz your browser to generate a fingerprint that uniquely identifies you, so they can track your actions.
If you’re concerned about privacy, use TrackOFF to foil the fingerprinters.Trend Micro Maximum Security
Pros: Protects five devices, all platforms.
Excellent scores in our antiphishing and malicious URL blocking tests.
Multi-faceted ransomware protection.
Password manager.
Many bonus features.Cons: Some poor scores from independent labs.
Parental control limited.
Fewer features on macOS, fewer still on iOS.
No firewall.Bottom Line: The excellent Trend Micro Maximum Security gives you five licenses for use on Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices, though you get a much richer set of features on Windows and Android.
Avira Prime
Pros: No-limits VPN
Comprehensive system optimizer
Excellent scores from antivirus testing labs
Protection for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices
Includes Pro editions of all current and future Avira tools
Cons:Cons: Lacks many expected suite features
Browser-independent Web Protection seriously ineffective
So-so scores in our hands-on testingBottom Line: If you’re going to buy any Avira product, Avira Prime is the one to get, as it includes every free and paid tool from Avira. However, even with its entire posse of apps it can’t challenge the best cross-platform multi-device security suites.
Read Review
Sophos Home Premium
Pros: Excellent antiphishing score.
Very good malicious URL blocking score.
Protects against ransomware, keyloggers, and exploits.
Remote management for up to 10 PCs or Macs.
Inexpensive.Cons: Lab test results not current.
Advanced features require uncommon tech expertise.
Limited parental control and webcam protection.Bottom Line: The new Sophos Home Premium security suite brings consumers powerful protection technology forged in the company’s Enterprise-level products, including ransomware protection, keylogger blocking, exploit mitigation, and more.
Read Review
Bitdefender Smart Home Scanner
Pros: Lists all devices attached to your home network, identifying name and type when possible.
Flags devices that may be vulnerable.
Offers advice for vulnerabilities.
Reports new devices connecting to network.Cons: Advice is the same for most vulnerabilities, pushing the Bitdefender Box network security device.
Can’t sort or export the device list.Bottom Line: Bitdefender’s free Smart Home Scanner lists every device that’s connected to your network, flagging those that could be vulnerable to attack.
But advice on how to fix things is limited.Read Review
BullGuard Premium Protection
Pros: Network security scanner.
Identity protection.
Good scores from independent antivirus labs.
Good phishing protection score.
Full-featured Android security.
Antivirus for macOS.
Many bonus features.Cons: Antivirus allowed takeover by a ransomware sample.
Poor score in hands-on malware protection test.
Some components dated and limited.
Awkward configuration for identity protection.Bottom Line: BullGuard Premium Protection adds identity protection and network security scanning to the uneven features of BullGuard Internet Security.
The added features are worthwhile, and a quirk in pricing makes Premium Protection a better deal.Read Review
ESET Smart Security Premium
Pros: Good antivirus lab scores.
Includes password manager and file encryption.
Enhanced home network scanner.
Anti-theft.
Scans firmware for malware.
Webcam control.Cons: Password manager lacks advanced features.
So-so phishing protection.
Device control too complex for most users.
Old-school firewall.
Limited parental control.
Expensive.Bottom Line: ESET Smart Security Premium adds file encryption and a basic password manager to the features in ESET’s entry-level suite.
These additions don’t merit the higher price.
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