Yahoo Spyware

Although Yahoo! does not have its own brand of spyware (like Microsoft does), the Yahoo! Toolbar is fitted with spyware protection called Anti-Spy. The most recent edition is available for free download from Yahoo! at toolbar.yahoo.com. The Yahoo! Toolbar is also available with or without the spyware protection.

Used by over half a million people, Yahoo spyware is free and blocks pop-up ads and spyware. Users familiar with the Yahoo spyware give it four and a half stars on a scale of five, reports CNET, an online consumer reports site for the tech-savvy. CNET editors gave it five stars, saying, "The new Yahoo Anti-Spy spyware scanner is an excellent addition. Our test showed it to be just as thorough as stand-alone scanners. It quickly scans your system and provides detailed information about any spyware or adware found. You can then easily remove what you want."

Users recommend it, saying it supplies generally good spyware protection and they enjoy the completely customizable interface. A few users ran into trouble with opening Internet Explorer after they had downloaded Yahoo spyware, but this is easily remedied by closing all your browser windows before you download. Then restart your computer if the browser seems a little sticky.