Spyware, Adware News

The Solution to the Threat of Spyware

Spyware is a growing menace in the world of internet and is currently one of the biggest threats to security and privacy of every internet user. Along with viruses and worms, spyware is one of the many internet parasites that users should be aware of and eliminate. The threat of spywares is growing as more spywares infiltrate millions of computers around the world, usually without the user knowing it. These spyware, adware, tracking software and others should not be taken lightly by any internet user as they can seriously undermine the operation of a computer and exploit its vulnerability for the advantage of a third party.

What is Spyware?

The name spyware covers a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of computer’s operation without the informed consent of the owner or legitimate user. Spyware differ from viruses and worms because it does not usually self-replicate. Spyware is typically designed to exploit the computers it infects for commercial gain. Spyware does this by delivering unsolicited pop-up advertisements. More serious spyware tactics involve theft of personal information entered into the infected PC. Financial information such as credit card numbers are in jeopardy.

Spyware, as its name implies, can also surreptitiously monitor the user’s web-browsing activities for commercial purposes. They can also route HTTP requests to advertising sites; thus one of the most noticeable effects of spyware are changed home pages, search results and pop-up ads. Strange software installed without the owner’s consent is also one indication.

How does Spyware spread?

One of the reasons why spyware can easily infect a computer is because it can exploit software vulnerabilities and deceive the user into installing it on a computer; or it can install itself without the user knowing at all. The most direct route by which a spyware can infect a computer is when the owner directly installs it. Spywares usually deceive the user by disguising as desirable software or by tricking the user into doing something that installs the software without realizing it.

Spyware can also be bundled together with shareware, music files and other downloadable software. Another method by which spyware can be distributed involves manipulating security features designed to prevent unwanted installations. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is prone to this kind of technique as spywares can attack security holes in the browser. The fact that Internet Explorer is still the most widely used browser and that many users fail to update their secure versions makes the browser a very vulnerable entry point for spyware.

Spyware Cleaners – Eliminate Spyware

As the threat of spyware worsens, there are a number of techniques that a user can do to counteract spywares by blocking and removing it from a computer’s system. Altering user practices can also reduce the chance of acquiring software. Spyware cleaner or anti-spyware programs are available to combat the spyware and its damaging effects. Spyware cleaners utilize one of two approaches of combating spyware: scanning and removal; the other approach is real-time protection. Spyware cleaners scan the entire computer system and inspect files then remove those files and entries which match a list of known spyware components. Other spyware cleaners also offer real-time protection and prevent spyware from being installed altogether. Spyware cleaners and anti-spyware software such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE and Spybot – Search and Destroy are readily available as free downloads. These spyware cleaners are effective solutions to the threat of spyware.

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Where To Detect Spyware?

1. Unwanted Pop-ups
One place to detect spyware is the pop-ups. It is the very first warning signs that your computer have been infected by spyware is the presence of unwanted pop-up ads. One or two pop-ups may be acceptable & can be attributed to an oversight by your pop-up blocker, but a barrage of 10, 20 or more pop-ups constantly flooding your page is a sure sign of spyware presence. There is a type of spyware that is called adware—a fusion of “advertising” and ‘software”. Obviously, it is meant to perform an advertising function, one of which is to plague you with numerous pop-ups that cannot be easily blocked by your ordinary pop-up blocker. And the worse part is every time you click on the X & think that you are closing it, you may actually just be triggering more pop-ups to appear on you page.

2. Slower Internet Connection Speed
Slower Internet connection speed is another way to detect spyware. Spywares are software, first and foremost. It can be very bulky. Plus the tracking programs included in the spywares are not really designed for efficiency but more for performance therefore it burdens your connection immensely and in some cases can even cause it to crash. If you’ve noticed a sudden change in the speed of your Internet connection then it must mean that you have a spyware in the neighborhood. If your computer crashes or hangs more than normal it also means a possible spyware infection.

3. Changes in Web Browser Settings
One other annoying function of spywares is installing unwanted software in your toolbar & changing your browser setting entirely. You may try to remove these toolbars but they are programmed to continuously reinstall themselves no matter how many times you try to delete them and you’ll see them in your browser again when you restart your computer.

4. Suddenly–A New Homepage!
Detect spyware when you encounter this, which is also called homepage hi-jacking. When you see that you’re homepage has changed without you changing it yourself, then that is a clear sign of spyware presence. Some spywares have the detestable ability to change your homepage to the one they are sponsoring. The worse part of it is you may not be able to change it back to your old homepage.

These are some ways to detect spyware in your system. But the awful truth about the situation is, most of the time you will be unaware that spywares are in your system because they are designed to be stealthy & usually embed themselves in files & drives that you seldom use.

One sure way to detect spyware in your computer is with the use of spyware scanners or spyware detectors. These are unique computer software that are designed to detect spywares (its trails & traces) , adwares, malwares, keyloggers, cookies & more annoywares that may be clogging & troubling your connection. Once they detect spyware these anti-spywares will give you the full run down on what it found.

Another preventive measure that you can take is aside from arming yourself with spyware scanners or detectors you can also load up on good quality anti-spywares also known as spyware nukers, spyware removers or spyware killers. As the name suggests, they do the elimination & termination job.

With these programs, you have the whole army on your side. No spyware will be able to survive the unbelievable defense team you have put up. No spyware will be able to snoop on you again. No spyware will be able to ruin your day again with their annoying pop-ups & homepage hijackings. And best of all, with your anti-spyware team, spywares will never find its way back to your system ever again.

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Cookies: What Do They Do and When Should You Remove Them?

You visit a website that requires registration, and you create your own unique user-name and password combination. Then when you comeback to that site some day later, the site magically seems to know who your are, and greets you by name! Apparently it knew your login and password, and logged you in automatically!

Have you had this kind of experience? It sure feels kind of spooky. Of the millions and millions of users who use that website (in the case of very popular websites) every day, how can the site identify each and every user? You thought the internet was free and anonymous, is someone keeping a tab on you?

When you visit a website, that website sometimes wants to be able to remember you when you come back to it later. For this purpose, it asks your browser to accept a tiny file that contains information about when and from what internet location you accessed that site, and what actions you took. If your browser accepts this file, it is saved at a special location on your hard disk.

Then when some time later you go back to that site again, that site asks your browser to see whether there is any cookie from that site on your hard disk. If the browser answers in the affirmative and shows the cookie to the site, your identity is established. Now the site knows who you are, when you came to that site last, and what you did there. It may even know you by name, login name and password, if you provided that information to the site earlier. Thus it can magically or frighteningly seem to know all about you!

As you can see, cookies are harmless little helpful objects that you don’t really need to worry about. Or are they?

Cookies can be less than innocent when used illegally by shady websites for unlawful acquisition of information. Cookies can be used in a way that they know all about which sites you visit, and on which links you prefer to click. This information can then be used to illegally build a profile for your internet usage, and then this profile can be sold to advertising firms. These firms then send you targeted ads in the form of pop-ups, unsolicited e-mail or other forms of annoying unwanted material.
How can you fight against illegal cookies? How do you know which are illegal? What can you do about them?

First, you need a good browser that gives you options that are fine-tuned enough for this kind of filtering. You can find two such good browsers here and here. Both of them are free downloads. Then in the browser of your choice, set the options in a way that no cookie is allowed from third-party websites. It’s a bit difficult to explain here why you need to do this, but trust me – this is the way most illegal cookies are set.

Also, review the list of accepted cookies from time to time – there is an option in both of the above browsers to view these. Delete anything that is from a website that you don’t recognize. If this breaks some of your surfing experience, you can always go to the relevant site and have them set again.

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