Spyware

Internet Security - Spyware!

by David Foster, CBR Systems Analyst

(November 2004) This article is the first of 4 articles dealing with Internet security on your personal computer.  The growth in usage of always-on, cable Internet connections and the sophistication of Internet bad guys makes security a growing and never ending concern.  This article deals with Spyware, which is something we can quickly and easily deal with.  The following articles will touch on firewalls, anti-virus needs, and Windows Security.

Spyware is a multitude of different types of invasive files on your hard drive.  Their purpose is to track your Web browsing, capture your keystrokes (what you type, i.e. credit card information), capture passwords and logon names, and report it back to whoever put the spyware on your computer.

Cookies
Spyware is the somewhat harmless cookies that store personal information (like your password) to be used when you access a particular web site.  If you have a personal page with MyYahoo, CNN, or other news web sites, stored cookies are how they keep bringing up your personal preferences when you access those sites.  They are put on your computer for convenience sake, for the most part.

Then there are cookies whose job it is to collect information on your browsing habits and transmit it back to whoever created the cookie on your computer.  The same cookies that store your personal preferences can also do this, or some unknown entity can do this.  Again for the most part, cookies are used for marketing purposes.  Companies are trying to capture information on what people are doing on the Internet (i.e. consumer preferences and buying habits).

Cookies are the innocuous types of spyware out there.  Most do not see any harm with these files, since they are used for convenience and aid in overall Internet usage.  Most Web Browser?s security settings can regulate whether these types of files can be created on a hard drive.  It is important to note that more and more web sites require some sort of cookie to be available in order to access the site. 

Adware
Problems start when adware is installed on your computer.  Their function is similar to cookies, but they are applications that are installed on your computer that collect information and send it back to the creator.  These help create and send those dreaded pop-up ads that are becoming more prolific each time we access the Internet.

Programs like Xupiter are nasty because they will change your Web browser?s settings, thus hijacking it, to point to it?s own site.  They can start opening new windows showing their own advertising, without you doing anything on your end.  Basically, they can take limited control of your computer.  Xupiter is spread in spam emails and can also be installed in what is termed a ?drive by download?.  These are particularly annoying, since simply going to a web site will cause it to be installed, without your permission or even knowledge.

Gator and Hotbar are other adware programs that arrive via email.  They are advertised as an enhancement tool for MS Outlook or MS Internet Explorer and can do things like remember passwords and make customizations to Outlook messages.  However there is more to it.  They are also tracking your browsing habits and adding ads and sponsor sites accordingly. 

Key Loggers & Trojan Horses
Finally there are even more blatant spyware programs called key loggers and trojan horses.  The key logger programs will capture your keystrokes and send them back to the creator, while the Trojan horses can create access to your computer for others to take control.   These types of programs, if not out and out illegal, come very close.

The Problem
The main computer problem with spyware, other than pop-ads and tracking, is that they eat up bandwidth and resources.  Also, they can make such internal changes within a program that it will not work 100% correctly. 

Many members have been having problems with Tempo as a result of spyware.  Examples are pop-up ads occurring when no other browser is open, clicking on a link and MS Internet Explorer doing something erratic, having troubles in the Add/Edit area of Tempo, and having problems logging off Tempo. 

Trying to remove these programs can be a nightmare in and of itself.  First of all, they just do not install files, they get into your Windows registry, so to remove them manually you need to be comfortable editing your registry.  Secondly, they have obscure install files, so even if you can locate and remove the program, the install file will reinstall everything.  Finally, they can install themselves within MS Outlook and MS Internet Explorer so well, that simply trying to uninstall them will cause more damage than good.

The Solution
The good news is that there are a host of programs now available that locate and remove spyware from your computer.  These programs will actually search your hard drive and scan your registry for any signs of spyware and remove them for you. 

The Technical Support staff here at the Columbus Board of Realtor® has found that no one program will get rid of all the spyware, but that by running a few programs, most can be taken care of.  These programs are free or have a free version, and are easily downloaded from the Internet.  Please note that both the creators of these programs and the Technical Support staff warn to run these programs at your own risk.  It is possible that removing parts of a spyware program may cause an Internet program you have downloaded and use to stop working, like Kazaa or iMesh.  This does mean that a choice has to be made between these types of programs and being able to use the Tempo system.

The programs are Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy.  The easiest way to download is to do a search on Yahoo, www.yahoo.com, for ADAWARE FREE, select one of the result links and download the install file.  You can repeat the process for SPYBOT FREE to locate a download site for Spybot Search & Destroy. 

Once the programs have been downloaded and installed, you will then need to update them before you can run them (one at a time) to see what they find.  Spybot and Ad-aware will quarantine anything they find and remove.  This way, if there is a problem, you should be able to restore the files back to their original location. 

At this time we also suggest that you may want to consider purchasing an anti-spyware program as well.  We have found both Pest Patrol and SpySweeper to be effective programs.  They will do a little bit deeper cleaning of your system and they also provide constant monitoring of your system to block spyware from being installed in the first place.

These programs should find and neutralize the majority of any spyware on your computer.  If you had been experiencing any of the problems mentioned earlier within the Tempo system, you should find them resolved after this.  Depending on the amount of spyware found, this should also make a noticeable difference in both program and download speed.  Finally, you should probably run these programs monthly, since spyware can be added after cleaning your system.

Related articles:  Firewalls, Anti-Virus Needs, Windows Security