Beware of Rogue Antispyware Software | Computer(1)

Spyware has become a fact of life for most computer users. From geeks to grandmothers, a bit of innocent web surfing can result in hijacked browsers, invasive cookies, and irritating pop-ups. Most users seek relief through antispyware programs, but if you do not choose your antispyware and pop-up blockers carefully, the cure could be worse than the disease.
If you're looking to combat pop-ups along with Spywares, adwares and viruses, Spyware Doctor anti spyware software is my precription. Many good antivirus suites now also come with pop-up blockers, so there is no need to actually buy a pop-up blocker.
However, there is a class of antispyware. Rogue or Suspect antispyware, that advertises through the very pop-ups that they are claiming to remove, and often badges a user with high pressure tactics until they finally agree to accept the download.
One of the hallmarks of these products is that they are free to download and scan, but if you want to clean your system, you must purchase a license. Some of these will produce false positives, claiming spyware infections to further convince the user to purchase the product while the others will use malicious installations, blocking removal and in some cases cause connectivity problems, requiring the user to buy the product to get the uninstaller. In addition, most of these rogue products will actually be spyware themselves, recording data and reporting back to their vendors sites.
So what do I do?
How do you tell the difference between a legitimate product and a ruse?
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