Real Spy Monitor is an Internet and PC spy-monitoring and security program. It can monitor all PC activity, including keystrokes typed, Web sites visited, windows opened, programs executed, screens captured, and files and documents accessed. Internet monitoring can record all instant messengers, including AOL, ICQ, MSN, AIM, and Yahoo Messenger, and capture Web mail content, including that from MSN, Hotmail, and Yahoo. Also, the program can send you recorded logs through e-mail and FTP delivery and optimizes the code to avoid unknown error. Set time and stealth mode allows the program to run silently in the background. One feature allows you to prevent your children or employees from accessing the applications and Web sites you hope they never run or visit.
Version 2.51 allows the program to spy on MSN 7.5.
Pros: Interface looks nice from the screenshot I suppose.
Cons: Not free.
Kaspersky indicates that the the trojan Trojan-Spy.Win32.RealSpy.b. Just based on this alert alone its enough to avoid the program. However this could be the case of another Serv-U FTP server type program. The advanced protection DAT files for Kaspersky indicate Serv-U is infected with a trojan as well, but it is because of the nature of how it initiates FTP connects, not because its infected with a bad trojan. Based on the name I would have to say that is the case as well, but I will have to wait until Kaspersky says the installer is clean before I try installing this.
Cons: I've done my fair share of downloads, so I'm not a novice who just can't figure things out. Although the user interface looks extremely useful and intuitive, it is riddled with problems. First is the timing - it has a bad habit of popping up and becoming fully visible on the screen at seemingly random times... a situation far from ideal for something you want to be a secret program running in the background. Associated with the timing is the 20 minute-at-a-time trial period. Its just not feasible to get a reasonable assessment of this program if it only runs for 20 minutes. (Gee, I hope my teenagers do something I can track in 15 minutes, then get off the computer and leave the house so I can check on things in my remaining 5 minutes). But this is all a mute point, since even signing in with my super-secret password fails to begin the monitoring process. Its a shame, because the interface really does look intriguing... but how is anyone ever going to know for sure?
