| |
| |
|
Security Information |
|
|
|
Spyware, What It Is, What It Does, And How To Stop It
Spyware is software that runs on a personal computer without the knowledge or consent of the owner of that computer. The Spyware then collects personal information about the user or users of the infected computer. The personal information collected is usually the name of the user; the users email address, Websites visited, online shopping habits, as well as various other information about the user. Spyware is also sometimes known as Scumware, and Adware. Although Adware is slightly different in that the makers claim that the users are aware that they are collecting information about the user. Sometimes this is true, other times it is not. Many times these terms are used interchangeably because many feel that they present the same problems. This however goes to the definition of what Spyware is, making it sometimes difficult to combat from a legal standpoint. This is generally due to how Adware works in that the user downloads a program that they feel is useful for some reason and, that program also collects user information as described above. Although the government is currently taking steps to protect users from these programs it is a slow process because of the current definitions. Once this information is collected, the Spyware then can send your personal information to advertisers that will then send you targeted advertisements through annoying popups, and spam in your email. They can also hijack your web browser and redirect you to a page that they want you to see with their advertising targeted to you through your personal information. This redirecting is sophisticated enough to notice what you are attempting to purchase on one site and can redirect you to another site with the same or similar products so that you make the purchase through them. In addition to the problems of "stealing" your personal information, Spyware runs in the background on your computer using up valuable system resources. This is a major cause of your PC "running slow." The statistics are 9 of 10 computers connected to the internet are infected with some type of Spyware. This could probably be taken a step further to say all PC's connected to the internet are infected with some type of Spyware. The reason for this is because all of the best Anti-Spyware software on the market today can only stop software that it knows or recognizes as Spyware. These Spyware killers work in a way similar to Anti-Virus software and need to be updated on a regular basis to be effective. Spyware is also a large cause of popups occurring on your computer as well. Popups are messages that "pop up" onto your computer screen generally through your internet browser. These popups can be reduced and at times stopped completely by using a web browser other than IE (Internet Explorer) such as Firefox by Mozilla.org and Opera located at: http://www.mozilla.org/ Both are adept at stopping popups from occurring. If you choose to use one of these browsers be sure to periodically check for updates to get the best protection available. One of the ways to defend against Spyware is to use a third party firewall. Although the current version of Windows XP comes with a firewall it is not effective at stopping Spyware as of this writing. Third party firewalls can block unwanted traffic from passing to and from the internet to your computer. Some of the better third party firewalls listed below are: ? Kerio Personal Firewall ? ZoneAlarm Firewall ? Sygate Firewall Kerio Personal Firewall can be downloaded from its Website at the following URL: http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html Although they have a limited free version it does not provide the same level of protection as the paid version does. I would recommend the paid version of their firewall at $45.00. Next there is ZoneAlarm which is perhaps one of the more recognized firewall around. You can get the free version for non business users at the following URL: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/ business users can get the paid version here http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp Sygate also has a good firewall that is available for $39.95 available at the URL: http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_pro.htm Firewalls are effective at stopping many Spyware programs as well as other potential problems but they are not a cure all. To be more effective you will want to use Anti-Spyware software along with your firewall. Some of the top Anti-Spyware programs are Webroot Spy Sweeper which you can buy for $29.95 and Spyware Doctor also $29.95, Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition which is free. Also free is Spybot Search and Destroy. All are good and considered some of the best at Spyware detection and removal. All four of these programs can be downloaded at download.com at URL: http://www.download.com/spyware-center/2001-2023_4-0.html You can also use the above URL for additional information about Spyware. Also available now is the Microsoft beta version of its Spyware blocker. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? Unfortunately there are also some very unscrupulous people out there who will purposefully cause your computer problems if you use their software. This software will often "miss" or "overlook" some Spyware leaving it unsuspectingly on your computer. Worse yet, some of these supposed Anti-Spyware programs will actually place Spyware onto your computer as well. Some of these programs are Spyblaster, Spyware Assasin, as well as many others. The best way to check to see if you are using an Anti-Spyware program that fits into this category is to visit The following URL: http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm If you are using any of the programs in this listing you should remove it immediately and use one of the known good programs such as the ones I listed above to check your computer. You can also keep up to date and learn more about the on going threat of Spyware by visiting the following websites. http://www.ftc.gov/infosecurity/ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/spyware http://spywareinfo.com/ http://spywarewarrior.com/ Copyright © Keith Erwood, 2005 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Keith Erwood, is an author, and head consultant and owner of Dyanmic Network Technologies a computer consulting and services business located in New York City. Visit us at Dynamic Network Technologies
MORE RESOURCES:
Security - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sarbanes-Oxley: A Cross-Industry Email Compliance Challenge Is your enterprise following the rules?The bulk of financial information in many companies is created, stored and transmitted electronically, maintained by IT and controlled via information integrity procedures and practices. For these reasons, compliance with federal requirements such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is heavily dependent on IT. Phishing - Its Signs and Your Options Phishing is the act of some individual sending an email to a user in an attempt to scam the user to release personal information. Is it easy to determine if it's a scam? Sometimes - but not always. Viruses, Trojans, and Spyware - Oh My! Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to ask them how to remove a virus? Or have you spent hours online trying to figure out how to remove spyware, only to find out that you did something wrong and now your computer won't boot? I know your pain and frustration with just trying to use your computer without worry. As a computer technician at ARCH Computing Services, I know how hard it can be to pay someone to remove viruses and spyware. Another Fine Mess! I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot of advertising to promote my website, but here I am online and on the phone, giving my personal information to.. Is Your Email Private? Part 1 of 3 In a word, no - an email message has always been nothing more than a simple text message sent unencrypted to a recipient we choose. So all the email that we so blithely send all over the Internet everyday is neither private nor secure. Blogs as Safe Haven for Cybercriminals? To blog or not to blog? Well, why not? Lots of people like either to write or to read blogs -- sometimes both. The much-quoted survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, says 27 percent read blogs. Internet Shopping - How Safe Is It? Millions of people make purchases online, but many people are still wary. They fear the unknown and have many doubts and questions about who they are dealing with. Arming Yourself Against Spyware While clicking from site to site on the internet you are likely to land yourself on a website that downloads spyware onto your computer system. Even while using familiar or unlikely and secure web site you run the risk of being infected with unwanted spyware. New Mass Mailing Spamming Internet Trojan for the Windows Platform May. 16th 2005 - MicroWorld has reported the discovery of Troj/Sober-Q, which is a mass mailing spamming internet Trojan for the Windows platform. If You Sell Anything Online Your ePockets Are Being Picked You and I are a lot alike. We are both software publishers and eBook authors getting hosed on a regular basis. Crack The Code - Thats A Direct Challenge I Challenge You To Crack The Code ------------------------------------- I had quite an interesting experience recently. I was hired by a company to perform a vulnerability assessment and penetration test on their network. Phishing Recently I have received email from my bank/credit Card Company, eBay & pay pal saying that my account has possibly been compromised and I need to confirm my details and password in order to get continued access.Spam email now has a new and more frightening variant, it's called phishing and it has been made by criminals and hackers who aim at getting unwitting consumers to reveal account numbers and passwords. Can I Guess Your Password? We all know that it's dangerous to use the same password for more than one program. If you sign up for a program run by someone of low moral fibre, what is to stop them running through various programs with your username and password to see what they can access? But of course remembering all the different passwords can be a headache. How Free Scripts Can Create Security Problems With the Internet entering our lives in such an explosive manner, it was inevitable that Internet security issues would follow as well. While credit card frauds are an offline security problem that has been carried over to the Internet as well, spamming and phishing are uniquely Internet security hazards. Are They Watching You Online? When surfing the Internet you probably take your anonymity for granted, most of us do.Tapping phones, listening to confidential conversations, reading others' e-mail messages seems like something that only happens in spy movies to "other" people. The Never Ending Spyware Story It's been with us since 1993, it's gotten more intrusive, more complicated.It's created a whole ecosystem, so to speak. How To Be Your Own Secret Service Agency So you want to know who your kids are chatting with. Or if your spouse has a blossoming e-mail romance. The One Critical Piece Of Free Software Thats Been Overlooked Can You Prevent Spyware, Worms, Trojans, Viruses, .. Viruses and Worms, Protection from Disaster Virus damage estimated at $55 billion in 2003. "SINGAPORE - Trend Micro Inc, the world's third-largest anti-virus software maker, said Friday that computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003, a sum that would rise this year. The 5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet Spyware, viruses and worms..
|
|
home | site map Visit our other sites: GamesBlog | GamingDepot | GimmeaRide | GimmeNetwork | Golf Biz | HotorNotGame | I Want Computers | I Want Games | I Want Hosting | I Want Music | I Want Security | JokeBox | ScriptShock | Wantedfonts | Webalize |
| © 2006 |
