Spyware Sorrow
Spyware is quickly becoming the bane of every computer user
and the cause of 20-30% of all IT support calls. In this first
Simon Says article we hope to enlighten you as to what Spyware
is, its motives and what you can do about it.
Spyware is simply software that infiltrates your PC without
your knowledge or permissionSpyware is simply software that infiltrates your PC without
your knowledge or permission. Its aim is to generate money for
its creators by undertaking such dubious tasks as gathering
information about you and your internet browsing history, acceding
control of you PC to its creator, sending out Spam and other
Spyware programs or requesting pop-up adverts on your behalf.
It is designed to operate in the background and its presence
is usually unknown until a sign, such as adverts or an increase
in the amount of spam, makes the computer user suspicious.
Tell Tale Symptoms
Since Spyware operates covertly on a PC, how can you tell its
presence? Well there are a number of tell tale symptoms:
- Pop-up adverts - These adverts cannot be sent to your PC,
something requested them
- Your home page or search page changes in Internet Explorer,
or a toolbars mysteriously appears
- Icons appear on your desktop, toolbar or system tray
for software you didn’t install
- Your PC is slow in booting or when surfing the internet
Prevention
Spyware can only usually infect your PC if you have a specific
vulnerability, which it can exploit. So the best form of protection
is to limit the vulnerabilities. Here are some things you can
do:
- Keep windows up to date. Run Windows Update regularly. If
you can't remember to do that then turn on Automatic Updates
- Update to Windows XP Service Pack 2 which includes fixes
for lots of faults and also comes with a software firewall
- Install Windows Defender or Spybot, both of which can continuously
monitor you PC for Spyware
- Change your browser to Firefox. Most Spyware seems to infect
PCs through vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer
- Use a router instead of the USB modem you received for free
when you signed up for Broadband. USB modems allow someone
on the internet to connect directly to your PC and upload
Spyware through vulnerabilities in Windows. A router stops
this because it sits in between your PC and the internet
Cure
Removal of Spyware can be simple, but it does depend on the
type of Spyware. We have sometimes spent half a day or more
removing some troublesome Spyware. The two programs we can recommend
are Spybot and Ad-aware. They are both easy to use and can usually
remove most Spyware infections. There are more sophisticated
removal programs, but these come with the caveat that they can
also damage PCs and should only be used with caution.
