Spyware needs to be Controlled - Part 4 of Extending your Computer’s Life Series

Yes, it’s your computer talking again (not your conscience!). One of the of the most common things is for computers to ‘gum’ up after awhile & browsing on the internet slows to a crawl… and people think that they need to buy a new one - when they really just need to get the spyware removed from their system. This can easily be avoided with regular maintenance. There is a lot of shareware available that can be valuable if used regularly will keep your computer happily free of the nasty spyware & adware. And this is one of the things I find gratifying to do (because when I get to hit the button to delete those nasty bugs - it just feels good!). A friend of mine had never cleaned out her spyware in the year she had had her computer. We ran Adaware & it found 400! items to remove! So do your computer a favor today & seek out & destroy that spyware! Leave a comment & let us know how many you found?!!

Spyware or adware

• What is adware?

Adware is software that displays advertising information with or without consent. Not all Adware is bad if you want to see advertisements.

• What is spyware?

It is software that collects personal information about users without their consent.

• What kind of information does spyware collect?

A variety of things - It can watch what you type, which webs you browse, or scan your hard disk documents.

• What can spyware do with this information?

It can record your passwords and lead to identity theft. It can also watch where you browse and send your information to advertisers.

• How do I get spyware/adware?

Some spyware is built into software that you download. Either free or shareware software. Another way involves tricking users into downloading something. Ever see one of those pop-up boxes “Your computer may be infected, please download this…” That was spyware trying to get on your system. If you hit any of the buttons, it may download the spyware. (This type of activity has been greatly reduced by new versions of browsers but if does happen click on the close button (the x in the upper right hand corner.) Another method for the spyware to get on your system is through a virus/worm on your system. The last way is via cookies. Cookies are little files that keep track of things for sites you visit. They are so convenient because they help you login into sites, keep track of contents of carts, etc. but they can be used as spyware too.

• Okay, this doesn’t sound like very nice software does it? How do I avoid it or get rid of it?

• Safe browsing: If you see pop-ups that look funny or suspicious. Always click on the close in the upper right hand corner, never on any of the buttons in it. If your browser can turn off pop-up’s, do so. Then if you encounter a website, that you need pop-ups to use the website (and your browser tells you this) and you trust the site, then allow pop-ups for that site. In your browser:

• In Internet Explorer: Go to Tools | Options, On the Privacy tab, set your Internet Zone to as high as you can that still allows you to do what you want. (If you block all cookies, you won’t have things saved in your cart, always have to login into sites manually, etc.) I would suggest one of the medium settings. (You can turn off pop-ups on this tab too.)

• In Firefox, they state this: “Firefox will not allow a Web site to download, install, or run programs on your computer without your explicit agreement. Period. You will be notified whenever downloading or installing software, and Firefox will always tell you what’s happening so that you can stay in control of your computer.”

• Updates:

• Keep up-to-date on your updates to your operating system and browser. They usually release updates if security flaws are found. (covered earlier in this series)

• Safe Downloading:

• When downloading software, make sure it is a trusted site. If you are unsure, download the software and install it and then immediately run your sypware/adware removal tools to verify that it is safe.

• Installing Anti-Spyware

• • • Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Persona is a well known free product. It doesn’t allow you to schedule scans automatically and it doesn’t watch your system in real time (watch and catch instantly.) If you pay for Ad-Aware SE Plus, you get those features.
  • • Spybot Search & Destroy is another well known free product.
  • • Microsoft Windows Defender
  • • Spy Sweeper
  • • Spyware Doctor
  • • Pest Patrol
  • • Symantec & Mcafee which are major anti-virus firms also have anti-spyware features built into exiting anti-virus products.

For any of the above, follow the download, install and how to run directions. Many people also recommend installing at least 2 spyware’s because only 1 may not find them all.

No single anti-spyware application will remove everything.

• Watch out for Fake Anti-Spyware Programs

Lastly, watch out because there are now fake anti-spyware programs. Please do not download any of these anti-spyware programs because they are spyware: List of fake anti-spyware programs

• More Information

If you want an AntiSpyware In Depth This site goes into a lot of detail about spyware and what you can do to avoid it.

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