Spyware
Spyware- What is Spyware?
- Adware, Spyware, Malware
- Am I Already a Victim?
- What Can I do to Remove and Prevent It?
Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Data collecting programs that are installed with the user's knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared.
While advertising/sponsoring is a common way to publish and promote a product for free, some software advertising systems do more than just show banners; they secretly use your internet connection to retrieve new banner ads from third parties or they collect information about you and your surfing habits and sell to third parties.
Because of the secret behaviour of these systems, they are also called advertising trojans. Most of these systems are installed with a (often popular) host application, which may or may not work without the snoopware components installed. Some attach themselves to your browser, some are completely invisible.
Has your browsing speed slowed after installing a free "connection enhancer"? Is your mailbox inundated with tons of targeted spam? Are there any new and unknown icons in your system tray? If so, there is a good chance that your system has spyware installed on it.
Spyware detectors scan your system for known spyware components and lets you safely remove them. They use a reference file to detect the latest spyware parasites. The reference file, like virus definitions, needs to be updated regularly.
Here are 2 free and highly recommended spyware detectors:
In order to effectively protect your computer against Spyware and other security threats, you need to take a layered approach to security. Some of the layers that should be addressed are:
- Operating System Updates/Patches - Protect your computer against the latest vulnerabilities by applying the latest patches. For Windows users, Microsoft offers a "Windows Update" feature to ensure that you have installed the latest updates. Hackers use these exploits because they know that people fail to keep their systems patched. The SQLSlammer, Code Red & Nimda threats are a perfect example of this.
- Browser/E-mail/Plug-in Patches - Keep your internet applications up-to-date. Vulnerabilities are constantly being uncovered in web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla, as well as in e-mail clients such as Eudora and Outlook Express. Check the vendor's website to make sure that you are running the latest version of their software and have applied all updates and patches. Be aware that viruses also spread by Instant Messengers like AIM and MS Messenger.
- Anti-virus Software - Install anti-virus software on your computer and keep the definitions up-to-date. Definitions that are older than 1 week could leave you vulnerable to an infection.
- Personal Firewall Software - Install a personal firewall to protect against unauthorized inbound or outbound internet traffic.
- Spyware - Use programs like Ad-Aware and Spybot to help detect and remove spyware.
- Common Sense - Do not open unsolicited attachments and avoid installing freeware applications that may have embedded spyware.
- Try a different browser - Most spyware programs are designed to exploit Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Try switching to Firefox to add another layer of protection.