internet explorer and spyware blaster

Learn about Computer Security General Security Questions and Comments
#1

latest internet explorer and spyware blaster

internet explorer properties - security - default level for all the security zones
but whenever i open spyware blaster, the restricted site zone in internet explorer changes to custom level from default level. again i have to manually set it to default level. smartscreen filter in internet explorer also turns off. i have to manually set it on. why this happens?? what should i do??

thanxx
naren

#2

ANYONE HERE TO REPLY !!!

#3

I guess introducing the block list as provided by Spywareblaster is a change of default setting.

What is the smart screen filter?

#4

Smartscreen filter:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/features/stay-safer-online.aspx?tabid=2&catid=1

Unlike Site Advisor, Smartscreen is a realtime phishing filter.

#5

ok. so what you guys advice. which one should i keep. spywareblasters settings for block list or internet explorers default settings.

i have internet explorer 8. in this version the antiphishing in version 7 is named as smartscreen filter. spyware blaster also turns off the samrtscreen filter.

lastly how effective is spywareblaster. is it really needed or helpful when internet explorer and firefox too handles this type of protection. is spywareblasters protection more effective than internet explorer and firefox protection?? which one is better?? and which one should i keep??

dell xps mxc051
win xp sp3 with latest updates
pc tools firewall plus
avast home edition
threatfire

thanxx
naren

#6
internet explorer properties - security - default level for all the security zones but whenever i open spyware blaster, the restricted site zone in internet explorer changes to custom level from default level. again i have to manually set it to default level. smartscreen filter in internet explorer also turns off. i have to manually set it on. why this happens?? what should i do??

spywareblaster changes the restricted sites zone to a custom level and makes the settings even more secure than the default settings, that is the reason why the zone gets changed to custom.

i have internet explorer 8. in this version the antiphishing in version 7 is named as smartscreen filter. spyware blaster also turns off the samrtscreen filter.
spywareblaster does not disable the smartscreen filter to me. maybe you have other security software that disables it because it has its own protection wich is similar to the smartscreen filter.
lastly how effective is spywareblaster. is it really needed or helpful when internet explorer and firefox too handles this type of protection. is spywareblasters protection more effective than internet explorer and firefox protection?? which one is better?? and which one should i keep??
spywareblaster retricts the actions of malicious sites wich is in its protection that may try to perform exploits or malware attacks against internet explorer. if all sites on the web was in the restricted sites zone then that gives the same protection as having the internet explorer internet security zone set to high. smartscreen filter does not disable all active content a site may contain, so if a site wich is in the restricted sites zone uses exploits that is unknown to smartscreen filter or other security software then the site is blocked anyway from using most malicious actions because it is in the restricted sites zone. if you set your internet zone to the high setting then you dont need spywareblaster at all and you are more secure than with using spywareblaster and the default internet zone setting wich is medium high.

some people say that you dont need spywareblaster with ie8 because ie8 has protection wich is better than spywareblaster, that is however not true (unless you have the internet zone to high) because the restricted sites protection gives additional protection but only to known malicious sites it has in its block list.

spywareblaster is however not so usefull with firefox (in my opinion) because with firefox it blocks only tracking cookies.

#7

thanxx anakinn.
by the way the dafault settings in internet zone for restricted sites is high and not medium-high. but i feel spywareblaster is better than explorer, so i have kept spywareblaster settings. and yes you are right spywareblaster doesn’t turns off smartscreen filter. my mistake. thanxxx replying all my queries.

regards
naren