Spyware
has become a huge problem in internet space. Computers infected with
spyware parasites infringe users privacy, decrease usability, display
ads, sometimes log sensitive information such as passwords, logins,
credit card numbers, give remote access to the secure data and can do
enourmous damage to the computer owner.
What is spyware?
ANY SOFTWARE communicating
across the Internet without user knowledge or consent is guilty of information
theft and is properly and rightfully termed: Spyware.
Lots
of so called spyware programs DON'T collect specific information about
you, but only report general demographics, and therefore are NOT stealing
your name, credit card, or other personal information. But these capabilities
do exist. Do not wrongly accuse all Adware programs, as proper Adware
is a serious revenue model for many software companies that allows you
to get products for free, and used correctly does not pose a significant
privacy threat.
What
are parasites?
"Parasite" is a shorthand term for "unsolicited commercial
software" - that is, a program that gets installed on your computer,
which you never asked for, and which does something you probably don't
want it to, for someone else's profit.
What
spyware does?
• Plagues you with unwanted advertising
("adware").
• Watches what you do online & sends
info to marketing companies
• Adds advertising links to web pages, for
which the author does not get paid, and redirect the payments from affiliate-fee
schemes to the makers of the software (such software is sometimes called
"scumware");
• Sets browser home page and search settings
to point to the makers' sites (generally loaded with advertising), and
prevent you changing it back ("homepage hijackers")
• Makes your modem (analog or ISDN) call
premium-rate phone numbers ("diallers");
• Leaves security holes allowing the makers
of the software - or, in particularly bad cases, anyone at all - to
download and run software on your machine ("trojans");
• Degrades system performance and causes
errors
• Provides no uninstall feature, and put
its code in unexpected and hidden places to make it difficult to remove.
Where
do they come from?
There are three major ways unsolicited commercial software can make
its way on to your machine:
1. Some freeware programs are "bundled" with parasites, which
are installed at the same time.
2. Many parasites load using Internet Explorer's ActiveX installation
option. When a web page includes a link to an ActiveX program, a window
will appear asking the user wishes to execute it. If "Yes"
is clicked (or if IE security settings are set lower than normal so
that it never even asks), the software is allowed to run and can do
anything at all it likes on our computer, including installing parasites.
3. Some of the really sleazy parasites, particularly homepage-hijackers
and diallers, execute by exploiting security holes in Internet Explorer,
ways of getting code to run that are not supposed to be possible, but
are due to mistakes in the browser code.
Why
doesn't my anti-virus software detect this?
Technically, most unsolicited commercial software isn't viral; it doesn't
spread from computer to computer, it just installs and runs on one system.
That doesn't mean it's not harmful, but anti-virus software does not
attempt to detect all software that could be harmful.
S ome anti-virus programs (such as Norton Antivirus 2004) do detect
some of the parasites outlined on these pages, but not nearly all, and
not all versions of them. Parasites that install using IE security holes
are more likely to be targeted by the anti-virus software vendors, but
the selection of targets seems for the most part to be pretty arbitrary.
For this reason there are now a number of anti-parasite packages around
that work as a complement to anti-virus software.
AustinHelpdesk has successfully defeated all of the spyware & parasites
on hundreds of computers, again making your computer the useful tool
it was designed to be.
Complete
On-Site PC Tuneup
Spyware
& Adware Tools
Call
AustinHelpdesk today for on-site Spyware & Adware Removal
512-552-4766
7 days 8am - 6pm
