The Windows SpyWare Epidemic
Support Nightmares and Security Breaches

    OptOut was one of the first SpyWare removal programs. And the following quote, from the OptOut Testimonials page, illustrates the type of support nightmares that SpyWare can cause.

    "Steve: My profound and heartfelt thanks for [OptOut]-- for the last couple of months, i have been experiencing constant system crashes (requiring a cold boot) whenever i was online, and lately even when i was offline. the frequency of the crashes had also been increasing, in spite of all the fixes and re-installations and driver replacements i tried. i'm far from inexperienced with computers, but i just could not nail down the problem. i went so far as to install new versions of all my browsers, aol, and related programs. i searched the net for a solution, but could not get anywhere with the problem. i tried just about every suggestion i could find, including support from netscape, microsoft, aol, and my computer's vendor. i was just on the verge of re-formatting my 13gig hard drive after doing massive back-ups. you can well imagine the frustration and anxiety this problem has produced, and the havoc it has caused. among other things, i go online to do active stock tracking and trading, and the crashes have caused monetary difficulties in addition to general stress. after running [OptOut] the lockups and crashes immediately disappeared, even when i deliberately stressed my system."

    "Some spyware modules include a number of insecure features, including so-called AutoInstall or AutoUpdate functions that can secretly download and install ANY arbitrary program on the user's system. This opens the door for further abuse of the system by malicious crackers or additional spyware programs! In particular, competent security experts including Gibson Research Corp. have proven how simple it is for a malicious user to hijack this capability to upload and run ANY program on a user's system!"