Part 1 - What is it?
Written on October 20, 2004 by Robert & Karen Vanderzweerde
Appeared in Greenmaster Magazine
Earlier this month, legislation passed in the US House of Representatives to
prohibit unfair or deceptive practices involving "spyware". The
legislation carries significant fines and even prison terms for those convicted.
At the time of writing this article, the Senate had not passed the legislation,
nor had it been sent to President Bush for signature. To the best of our
knowledge, no such legislation (outside of the more general Privacy Acts) exists
in Canada.
We've all been bombarded with spam, viruses and various other impediments to
worry-free use of the Internet, but what is this "spyware" stuff,
anyway?
Spyware, and the related term Adware, are Internet jargon for
"Advertising Supported Software". It is one way for shareware authors
(software developers who write the programs that you can download for free) to
be paid for their services without passing the cost on to the user (you). Media
companies offer the developers a percentage of the revenues from banner ads the
developers agree to place in their software. While it looks like a win-win for
everyone - you get free software, the developer gets paid, and the advertising
folks sell enough to make their clients happy, there is a dark side.
You see, they don't just place ads. They also include other programs that
monitor and track your computer and Internet usage. These programs report this
information periodically back to the media company, using your Internet
connection. There are no controls over what they track and report, or how that
information is used or with whom it is shared. You probably don't even know your
computer is being used in this way, and there is a good chance you didn't give
them permission to do it.
You may start to receive ads from the media company, based on the information
collected on your surfing and Internet habits. Of course, more sinister uses are
possible.
How does spyware get on your computer? You may have downloaded it when you
downloaded new software off the Internet. You also may have downloaded by
clicking on a deceptive "pop-up window" that appeared on a website you
were surfing.
Once installed, spyware is particularly difficult to remove (we'll address
this in the next article). Spyware is notoriously inefficient, using valuable
system resources and Internet bandwidth to do its job, leaving less available
for you. Often, if you delete the spyware, the free program that you downloaded
with it will no longer run.
Common sources of spyware are music and video sharing programs and children's
programs. Spyware is often targeted to children and teenagers, as they may be
less suspicious and wary of free software than their parents.
How can you tell if spyware has taken hold of your system? You may notice the
following symptoms:
- Pop-up advertisements appear, even when you aren't on the Internet;
- Your computer takes longer than usual to perform routine tasks;
- Your computer crashes more frequently, for no known reason;
- A new toolbar appears on your internet browser that you can't seem to get rid of;
- Your home page or your browser settings have changed "by themselves"
Many people think there is something wrong with their hardware when the
symptoms of spyware first start to appear. Unexplained crashes, slow response
time, and strange behaviour from your computer (a changed home page) may lead
you to believe your hardware is defective and needs to be replaced. One article
I read while researching this topic indicated that spyware could reduce the
responsiveness of your computer by up to 50%.
Before you rush out to replace your computer system, check first for spyware.
You could save yourself a lot of money and the hassle of setting up a new
computer system.
And, if you haven't been infected yet, take the necessary steps to stay
spyware-free.
Part 2 - Getting Rid of It
Written on December 24, 2004 by Robert & Karen Vanderzweerde
Appeared in Greenmaster Magazine
Spyware can infect your computer no matter how careful you are. At last
count, there were over 78,000 known spyware programs.
Spyware can be used to track your browsing habits and log your keystrokes
(think about your user ids, passwords, and credit card numbers). There are also
Trojan Horses, programs that run malicious programs on your computer to attack
other computers.
You can install spyware without even knowing it. It is often attached to free
software or information sites on the web. You want to access information or
download something, and in return you agree, in the fine print, to take the
spyware as well. Remember to read the license agreements of any shareware or
file sharing service you use to see what permissions your are granting to them.
Consider if what you want to access is worth the risk to your system. Spyware
can also be installed from infected e-mails or by clicking on dubious banner ads
when you surf the net.
Good computing practices are not enough. You should install and run at least
one antispyware program.
Spyware is clever at hiding itself. Programs known as burrowers hide deep
within your computer and are difficult to find and remove. Other programs, known
as ticklers, will re-install the spyware after it is removed.
Antispyware, like antivirus programs, identify and remove known threats.
While some antivirus programs like McAfee Internet Security and Norton Internet
Security do have some anti-spyware capabilities, they are not enough. Here are
two good antispyware programs:
You can do a one-time scan of your computer for free. An annual subscription
with updates will cost a small fee. Spybot Sweeper, for example, costs $29.95US
for an annual subscription for home computing. Both of these programs were
top-rated by PC Magazine.
If you are familiar with antivirus programs, antispyware is much the same to
install and run. Here's a quick checklist of what to do:
- Back up any critical files before you begin.
- Install the antispyware
and immediately connect to the developer's website to get any recent updates.
- Scan your system and remove the threats. Repeat the scan until no threats
appear. Remember that spyware sometimes reinstalls itself after you remove it!
- Once your system is free of spyware, scan your system on a regular basis or
set the software to shield you from spyware continuously.
Be careful. Removal of some spyware may cause some programs to stop working
properly, especially file sharing services. Most antispyware software allows you
to restore items that you have removed.
If you are unsure about whether to remove spyware or suspect that not all the
spyware has been removed, you can check information sites such as the Pest
Control Centre to find out more about a particular program. The Pest Control
Centre's website is www.pestcontrol.com/pestinfo.
Finally, no one antispyware program removes all threats. You may want to run
more than one. Your motto should be, "run many, run often".
Don't give up your computer or your identity without a fight. Use antispyware
now!
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