AOL swaps out anti-spyware for users

America Online users will start receiving new anti-spyware tools on Wednesday, the Internet service provider said in a statement. AOL is swapping out the current technology provided by Aluria Software with software from Computer Associates, a company representative said. The change comes after AOL rival EarthLink said it had agreed to acquire Aluria, though AOL had decided to change before the takeover, the representative said.

The new AOL Spyware Protection 2.0 scans for more than 28,000 known types of spyware, adware, keystroke loggers and Trojan horses, AOL said. Different types of scans are carried by the software, which is based on CA's eTrust PestPatrol. The software will be updated later this year and early next year to provide an "always on" shield against pests, among other features, AOL said. AOL Spyware Protection 2.0 will download automatically for users on AOL 9.0 and those who have installed the earlier version, AOL said. Others can download it from the AOL Web site.