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May, 2005
As if spam and viruses weren't enough now we have to deal with
Spyware, Adware and Malware. Everyone wants to know how they got
it, how to prevent it, how to get rid of it, who to blame for it and so on.
While they each have their own specific definitions, for our discussion
I'll refer to all of them together as Spyware.
I don't intend to make you an expert on Spyware but I hope to give
you enough info to get you to look further and to provide you a few
links to other Spyware info.
These sometimes malicious pieces of code are byproducts of
browsing the Internet. Whether downloaded as part of a web page,
as part of a shareware program or as a result of pop-up activity all
Spyware should be viewed cautiously. Most of the time you won't
even know when you've downloaded Spyware. You may start to
notice symptoms like your PC seems slow, you are seeing a lot of
pop-ups or your hard disk has more activity than normal. In extreme
cases your PC may become unusable.
Spyware is used for various reasons by different entities but the
common denominator seems to be specific personal information. This
includes everything from monitoring web browsing habits to trying to
capture passwords and credit card info. There doesn't seem to be a
clear consensus on what constitutes bad Spyware but most people
agree, when in doubt remove it.
For more background information on these threats please see the
following articles:
ZDNET - Immunity From the Pop-up Plague
Microsoft - Security at Home, Spyware
Prevention depends quite a bit on web browsing habits and regular
maintenance. You can't tell which sites are questionable just by
looking so you need to take proactive action to protect your PC before
you browse the Internet. One of the best steps for Windows XP users
is to make sure they have installed Service Pack 2 for Windows XP.
See the following article for more info on prevention.
CNET - Outsmart Spyware
Getting rid of "most" Spyware is usually just a matter of downloading
GOOD anti-spyware software and using it to find and fix any Spyware
problems it finds. I've tested AdAware by Lavasoft, Spybot Search
and Destroy and Microsoft's Anti-Spyware Beta, (all free for personal
use), and have found all to be excellent Spyware removers. Spybot
and MS Anti-Spyware also include the ability to monitor your PC while
you surf the Internet. Adaware includes this in the commercial
version.
A category of Spyware that deserves special mention are Trojans.
These are programs that appear to be beneficial but are in fact
malicious. In fact, there are Trojans that download other Trojans all
without your knowledge. CAUTION: Some spyware removal
programs are actually Trojans. Most good Anti-virus and
Anti-spyware software can find and remove most Trojans. A serious
infection may require more effort to remove however.
Most Anti-virus vendors now see that Spyware is becoming a serious
problem and are developing anti-spyware capability in their anti-virus
products. In time you should be able to rely on just one application to
take care of your PC but I'm not sure that time has arrived yet.
questions and comments to admin@ricsproulconsulting.com.
573 680-0318
admin@ricsproulconsulting.com