The following is a guide on how to remove spyware, adware, and pop-up ads using FREE tools ready to download anytime.

Don’t settle for advertisements that sell $30 software programs that CLAIM to remove all these annoyances, when in reality all they do is hog system resources and slow your computer down even more.

Now, of course there are people out there who have their own little utilities they use that are just "wonderful" for this kind of operation, but the following tools I use, to this day, to completely rid my computer of anything that would cause it to slow down or rig it with pop-up ad crap all over the place. Also included is information about a free anti-virus tool that can get rid of viruses even commercial anti-virus programs can’t detect!

So, onto the good stuff.

The first program is called SpyBot Search and Destroy. It can be downloaded at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

You can also type in "SpyBot" at google.com and it’ll come up as the first link.

SpyBot is a great, FREE application used to get rid of spyware and adware. When you first install it, it’ll take you through a wizard that’ll set you up for first time use. This includes downloading updated lists, backing up your system, and even IMMUNIZATION of future malicious Internet Explorer scripts! Oh yea, did I mention it has a tool called the "Hosts" feature? You can do a google search on "hosts file" which will give you an interesting tip on how to block ads. Not many people know about this trick, and it’s a shame, because it WORKS. Anyway, SpyBot has an option that allows you to add a lists of marketing servers to your hosts lists which automatically blocks them. Go ahead and try it, the results will speak for themselves.

The next tool to download is Adaware (That’s "ad-A-ware" NOT "adware"). This can be downloaded at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Once again, just type in "adaware" in google.com and click the first link.

Adware is another program like SpyBot that gets rid of spyware, adware, viruses, and all the small little annoyances that bury themselves into your system files and cause all sorts of trouble. Sometimes Adaware will catch things that NO OTHER application will find. Just do an update and system scan as if it were an anti-virus tool. You will be suprised at how many things this tool will pick up.

After you’ve removed all that crap from your system, the next step is to download a FREE anti-virus tool called AVG. This can be downloaded at http://www.grisoft.com

…or type "AVG" in google.com and click the first link. (Gotta love Google).

Just install, update, and do a system scan. This nifty little anti-virus tool also can schedule updates and system scans. So, be sure to configure that when you get the chance.

Another tool (well, more like an internet browser) that eliminates viruses, adware, spyware and pop-up ads is called FireFox. This can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.org and the link is right there on the front page. You can also find it on google

Well, that’s about it. These tools are all free. There are editions available that you have to pay for, but the free versions will get the job done just fine. Gotta love FREE stuff that WORKS, huh?

Matt Marose
Visit my blog for more articles and fun, interesting content!
http://marosenet.blogspot.com

I am going to give you some information you will need if you surf the web. Especially if you have a cable modem or a DSL modem. This discussion will be limited to viruses, Trojan horses and the like. Software mentioned in this article does nothing to protect you from spyware or spam. I have another article that addresses this subject. You should check that one out.

If you surf the web you are going to get some nasty and pesky critters on your hard drive. These critters are called viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and a few other choice words. Not mentionable on a family site.

First and foremost you MUST invest in a good virus detection software package. Symantec’s Norton Anti Virus software or the one from McAfee are two well known publishers of virus software. There happens to be a very good free virus protection software package. It is called AVG. And it can be found at www.gristsoft.com. They also offer a version for sale. A publisher named Trend Micro has come up in the ratings lately. You might want to look at that one. Once you install the software you have to keep up with all the updates furnished to you by the publisher through regular updates downloaded from the Internet. Read the instructions on how to do this. You should do the update every week to keep ahead of the bad guys.

Installation of these software packages is usually straight forward. The best thing to do is to follow the default setting that they recommend. This will give you a good protection screen. As with most software today you will not receive a written instruction manual. That is usually on the CD. They want you to kill the tree. If you need this manual print it out.

An important thing to look into when looking at virus software is does it scan email, both inbound and outbound? The ones mentioned above have this capability. Also does the publisher offer downloadable updates from the Internet?

What ever type of package you choose it was a good choice. In today’s world one must be protected from infection gotten from Internet browsing and emails. Being on the Internet especially with a broadband connection makes you very susceptibable to infection. Keep you virus software package updated on a regular basis.

Enjoy your web surfing with this protection you now have you can feel some relief. One must remember even with the virus software protection software installed, someone has to be the unfortunate first to be infected with a new virus. That is the only way the publishers know of new virus. It is a simple task, keep your virus definition files updated this will give you the most protection.

My name is Chuck Stephens and I have been in the computer business for over 15 years. Things that go bump in mey computer are of interest to me. I hope that this short article helps. I can be reached at cstep@3rdm.net

When you talk to a seasoned webmaster, he/she will always tell you to backup your website files since the server you are hosted on will always let you down when least expect it.

I remember it happened to me when my webhost went down for about 4 hours at the same time I just launched a massive (and costly) marketing campaign. It’s really frustrating to see it happen when I need it to be up and running.

As a webhosting reseller, I experienced one time how my server is advertised to be backed up daily but when the server got fried by surging electric current by accident, my hosting partner cannot recover even the backup harddisk!

Not only did I lose my websites hosted on that server, I also lost my customers who hated me for what had happened. It’s a nightmare you wouldn’t want to happen to you.

Today, many webmasters still disregard the value of backups especially those who are just starting online.

They rely solely on their hosts to backup their websites but little did they know that not many hosts are not backing up databases but only the website files, scripts, images and settings.

The MYSQL databases are not considered to be included in their backup service. Yet this is an important component of any website especially those used in business. Imagine a forum getting back to square one, a mailing list that has been wiped out or customers that cannot login because the system cannot find their data. These are just few examples of how you can lose your online business if you forget the backup task.

Most hosting control panel programs like CPanel, which is leading in the world today in terms of server dominance, has a backup utility that you can use anytime. This is a manual process where you have to login to Cpanel, click on the backup page and the download link to the backup files.

This backup activity, although time consuming will ensure that you have available website files to restore even when a server problem gets worse thereby decreasing downtimes and headaches on your part. Recreating website files and databases from scratch takes much much longer.

Believe me I know. "Been there, done that."

As a webmaster, you should at least backup your websites once a week and for your MYSQL databases at least thrice a week. You can also relate this backup procedure to the frequency with which you update your websites and databases..

For example, if you are changing your webpages daily or you have dynamically generated pages, then you should backup those changes daily. If you websites or databases change less frequently, then you can backup less frequently. In this case, weekly or monthly backups will do.

Backup procedures are not to be taken for granted. This should become part of your regular activities as a webmaster to make sure your site is safe and insured from any eventualities. You should treat backing up files seriously.

Believe me, you will be thankful you did this when the times get rough.

If you care about your websites and all the things in it, backup regularly and completely. It’s one webmaster task you should never miss.

Manny R. Jao II is self-taught webmaster whose aim is to improve the lives and working habits of other netrepreneurs just like him. He is the developer and owner of the first automatic backup software for CPanel-powered websites named CPSiteSaver which you can see at

http://www.cpsitesaver.com

Can you be absolutely sure, that your activity isn’t being monitored and recorded right now, while you’re reading this?

The problem with many people is, because they’re alone in a room with their computer, they think that no body can be watching.

If only they knew how easy it is to plant a computer recording device or software recording program onto a computer, they wouldn’t feel so safe.

Whether you’re a total computer newbie or a seasoned Internet veteran, everyone needs to know how to protect their privacy using the right anti spyware tools for the job.

In this article, I will show you how to easily spot a computer recording device or detect spy software using specific anti spyware tools.

It’s really quite simple if you know what FREE anti spyware tools to use.

Computer monitoring devices come in two main categories, Hardware Key loggers & Spyware Software:

In this article I will address each of these categories and give you the best anti spyware solutions available, to spot and prevent them from spying on you

Hardware Key Loggers:

This type of Key Logger requires that the perpetrator have physical access to your computer.

Key Loggers can easily be installed in less than 5 seconds.

It doesn’t matter if you use your computer at home or at work. If anyone has access to your computer they can install one of these devices without knowing a thing about computers.

If you want to see pictures and read up on this type of product, here is the URL for probably the most well known hardware Key Logger on the Internet:

http://www.i-loc.com

Once installed, a hardware Key Logger will capture every keystroke entered into your keyboard and then store it for future retrieval on the device itself.

Some hardware Key Logger companies boast a two-million keystroke capacity!

That’s about 5 years worth of typing for the average computer user.

Whether at home or in the office, you can easily fall victim to this type of spying. A hardware Key Logger is installed between your keyboard and computer.

Removal of Hardware Key Loggers:

There are no anti spyware tools available for this except you’re own two eyeballs. By taking a peek behind your system and following your keyboard cable, you can find out if there is something "odd" inserted between your keyboard and computer.

To remove a hardware Key Logger, you must shut down your system! You could cause damage your system if you attempt to remove the Key Logger while your computer is running!

Once your system is powered off, carefully remove the Key Logger from in between your keyboard and computer, and then plug your keyboard directly back into the computer. Make sure that it is plugged in completely and be gentle as the connectors are somewhat fragile.

It is very important to become an anti spyware enthusiast and check any computer you sit down at for hardware key loggers

Spyware:

Most everyone has heard of the term spyware.

Unfortunately the majority of people don’t really understand what spyware does and what kind of anti spyware tool is best for them.

Spyware itself is broken down into two categories.

Adware vs Spy Software

Adware:

Adware (Advertising Spyware) is the most prevalent form of spyware. It monitors Internet activity to send targeted advertising to you as a consumer, or simply monitor your surfing habits to gather intelligence for companies who want to know what your interests are.

Adware is generally not a security threat, but can really mess up your computer when you try to remove it. Adware removal could cost you hundreds of dollars in repair bills even using the best anti spyware tools available.

Adware is written by "coders" who don’t care what happens to your computer should you try to uninstall their software using an anti spyware tool.

Their only concern is making money from the information they acquire from your computer use.

Adware infections often cause many to make a trip to the computer repair shop just to get their computer back into running condition.

Adware can get on your computer in a variety of ways. You may download free programs, a screensaver, or some music or video, and the adware tags right along with your download file.

File sharing on peer to peer networks has been one of the worst culprits out there causing the serious spread of spyware worldwide.

Adware Symptoms:

The symptoms of Adware are uncontrollable popups, unwanted extra toolbars, and drastically slowed down computer performance that can result in freezes or lock up. When this happens it’s time to get out your favorite anti spyware tool.

Tip: Music or File Sharing Can Be Dangerous: Never download ANYTHING from a website you do not trust, or can’t verify, that they are a legitimate download site. Many times spyware can be attached to the music or file sharing programs themselves!

Adware Removal Using Anti-Spyware Tools:

You don’t have to purchase an anti spyware tool for adware removal. I’m going to show you how to deal with an adware problem for free.

Unfortunately there are many anti spyware companies trying to profit from the spyware problem, so some of the anti spyware tools on the market today are very inferior "slapped together" products.

Some of these anti spyware companies do as much damage to a computer as the adware does. Many times all they want you to do is give them money. After all, how can you really know if they have done the job or not?

Some sneaky adware companies have even joined up with anti-spyware software companies and created a spyware removal utility that actually puts spyware on your system!

It’s unbelievable what some people will do for a buck.

The only anti spyware tool you need to use if you have adware on your system is SpyBot, which comes highly recommended by security experts.

And it won’t cost you a penny!

SpyBot is FREE…

SpyBot anti spyware will do everything the paid ones do and then some.

If you like SpyBot anti spyware you can donate money to the author, but only if you want to.

Here is the website for this excellent FREE anti spyware adware removal tool.

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

Spy Software…Are You Sure You’re Alone?

Spy Software is designed to silently record computer activity and then archive it for later retrieval, or stealthily send everything you do on your computer back to the intruder.

In my opinion, this type of spyware does the more damage to lives WORLDWIDE than any virus or adware product ever could.

Because spy software is so easy for anyone to purchase and install, now ANYONE who wants to find out what you’re doing on your computer can see everything.

The worst part is, spy software is virtually undetectable by most adware scanners.

Want to see what I’m talking about? One of the best known companies who sell this type of spy software is www.spectorsoft.com

Most Spy Software is sold to spy on other family members, leading to divorce and all kinds of grief.

The worst cases are when used by business associates or even those who are after your credit card information or passwords to your accounts.

I’ve got a firewall you say…

Many Spy Software products can bypass even the best firewalls.

A firewall will lock up your system and require you to give your permission for any software program to operate on your system.

Spy Software companies know this, and many have figured a way to bypass most firewalls and send your personal information right over the Internet to the perpetrators.

When your firewall is triggered to ask you for your permission to send your captured information, the spy software will actually alter the message your firewall uses to ask your permission.

Your firewall will now ask you if it’s alright for "Internet Explorer" or some application you’re totally familiar with to access the Internet.

Of course you will click yes, and many times you will tell your firewall not to bother you when this program accesses the Internet in the future.

By clicking yes, you’ve just allowed the spy software to send your private information to the perpetrator(s).

Spy Software can be slipped onto your system via e-greeting cards, emails, Trojans or just simply physical access to your PC.

Spy Software Removal:

Whatever anti spyware tool you get, don’t spend your money unless you’re VERY SURE the product will do the job for you.

You wouldn’t get a virus scanner that only got some of the viruses would you?

You can use the anti spyware SpyBot for most adware related spyware and it will even catch some Spy Software products.

The absolute best product I’ve seen to detect Spy Software is SpyCop.

SpyCop does not… I repeat, DOES NOT focus on adware. Do not download SpyCop to deal with adware infections.

SpyCop is a tool that is totally dedicated to detecting Spy Software products and has the most up to date spy software database anywhere.

SpyCop will scour your system for over 500 spy software products

SpyCop has been tested and proven to work by the most ardent anti spyware experts. http://www.spycop.com/download1

Elizabeth Ward makes it easy to protect your Internet & computer privacy. Learn the 4 essential steps to spy proofing your computer. To receive your FREE 4-part mini-course visit the Anti Spyware Toolkit

About three years ago, I received the first email from Nigerian scammers. They have different methods to introduce themselves. Some of them claim that they work on some Nigerian banks and need someone from another country to help them to transfer a huge amount of money. They say that the previous owner of the money has lost his/her life in a car accident or airplane crash and they couldn’t find any other member of family to give the money to him/her and….

Click here to reads some samples of the letters and stories they send to their potential victims:
http://www.work-at-home-topics.com/scams

What to do if you receive a Nigerian scam letter?
1- Do not respond to it.
2- Notify your own nation’s national law enforcement agency and your own nation’s foreign office.
3- File a complaint with the Nigerian embassy or high commission in your nation.
4- If the contact from the scammers was via email, write their email provider at their "abuse" address (abuse@yahoo.com, abuse@onebox.com etc.) And include the scam message with its headers; complain about the scam message; and ask that the account be shut down.

Why they focus on people who look for business opportunities or have internet business opportunity websites?
They know that people who look for business opportunities or have internet business opportunity websites are eager to make money. On the other hand, they know that making money is not easy and these people always look for a better way to make more money, faster and easier. So they will respond to scam letters more than the others.

Please prevent scammers!
If you promote a business on internet, you can easily help to prevent scammers to cheat more people. One of the best ways is placing a separate page on your website with a visible link on the home page to inform your website visitors about these criminals and scammers. Try to educate your websites visitors who can be the future victims of scammers. People should know about them and the ways they use to cheat and if so, they can never be fooled by them.

If you promote a MLM or affiliate program, you’d better to inform your referrals about scammers. Most of your referrals are new to internet and online business opportunities and so they can easily be cheated by scammers. This is your responsibility to educate them about scammers because you have referred them to the new world of internet with all its good and bad things.

Always keep yourself updated about the new ways that scammers use, their websites and everything related to them. Try to join work at home business opportunities forums like http://www.work-at-home-topics.com/forums and let others know about your experiences and also know about others experiences. Also try to take a look at article directories like http://www.work-at-home-topics.com/articles every now and then and learn about new scamming methods. Only if you know about them, you can easy distinguish and avoid them and also help the others to avoid them too.

Work At Home Topics Team is a group of working at home people who try to make working at home and finding reliable work at home jobs easier: http://www.work-at-home-topics.com
This article can be distributed but not sold as long as no single word is modified or deleted. Work At Home Topics Team owns this article and in every publication of this article, this copyright notice must exist at the bottom:
© Copyright 2005 Work At Home Topics Team. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Many scam artists on the internet today are getting more and more unscrupulous and this article will how you can avoid losing your money to these people who live off ill gotten gains.

Other names for phishing include spoofing and carding. In all these transactions, these scam artists attempt to gain access to your sensitive credit card information and then proceed to take your money.

A typical phising artist would set up a website that looks a lot like the real website and then purchase a list of leads and email those leads. We shall take each of these elements in turn.

The website

Most phising websites have domains that sound like the real one and these scammers purchase templates that are modified from the real website. Such websites are frequently shut down and then these scammers start a new website with a new domain and then go on their spree. These websites are usually situated in Eastern Europe or Russia so enforcement against such scammers is quite hard and almost impossible in certain cases.

The emails

There are several things you need to know about these phising emails. The first is that many large mailing programs today can spoof emails so I can send an email to someone else and put whatever email address I want it to appear to be coming from. The second is that these emails usually use html, this is because they can embed the click link so that you do not realise that you are being directed to the scammer’s own website as opposed to the correct website. Remember, most banks and online payment processors like Paypal never ask you for your password and signup ID via email as they already have it.

The email copy

The old emails used to say that someone has broken into your account and so they need your login ID and your password to check. Just today I received one email that claimed that the number of phising emails was on the rise and asked for my password and ID. Always remember never to give anyone your IDs or passwords as this is a recipe for fraud and disaster on your bank account.

In conclusion, never divulge your sensitive banking or payment processor details online due to reading phising emails. A better thing to do is to forward such scammers to the company involved so that they can take legal action to shut the website down and track the scammers.

Joel Teo is the owner of the Money Making Directory which boasts of money making tips, recommendations and resources to help ordinary people make money online. Signup for his free newsletter today at http://www.MakeThousandsToday.info and receive his complimentary “7 Insider Secrets to making money online” Course.

Instant messaging (IM) has triumphed in the past 2-3 years among personal Internet users as well as within companies. There are now few school children not in touch with their friends via ICQ, MSN or AOL Messenger — but also stockbrokers, currency dealers, and the IT department are constantly chatting with their most important contacts via Messenger software.

According to a recent Gartner poll, instant messaging is used today in 70% of all companies. According to the Yankee Group, however, only 15-20% of companies operate a solution for IM administration. In the remaining 50%, IM constitutes a huge, rampant infrastructure usage that poses a severe security risk for firms. The same is true for the use of peer-to-peer services, e.g. music exchange services, which have also become pervasive in many organisations, but lack any administrative supervision whatsoever. These Peer to Peer services entail both security and legal risks.

Does my company need instant messaging?

IM is suitable for all areas where quick, immediate contact among a known and manageable group of people is crucial. As with SMS, short messages can be swapped and, for instance, a deal team can finalise and authorise the terms of an offer. Technicians helping a customer on location can send queries back to company headquarters via IM, and obtain immediate answers from customer support specialists, without their queries being buried under an avalanche of emails or suffer from constantly engaged phones. Stockbrokers can also instantly swap the latest market rumours via IM and act upon what they learn.

In companies with more complex and clearly defined workflows and processes, where flexible decision-making and coordination timed to the minute play a lesser role, it is questionable whether instant messaging is beneficial. Private chat sessions, and the constant distraction from larger tasks by incoming instant messages, can bring about a drop in productivity. A derogatory comment made by IM can be just as much of a legal problem as one made by email so there could also be exposure to potential litigation.

However, what is decisive is not the question of whether your company needs IM, as much as the answer that your company very probably already has IM without your knowledge.

If instant messaging has already taken root in a company and is popular, where’s the problem?

Speaking technically, instant messaging tools, similar to peer-to-peer exchanges, function as ‘wild’, non-standard protocols, which mount on HTTP or HTTPS protocols. They are capable of transferring not just active technologies such as scripts and macros but also all kinds of data attachments (word files, zip archives, etc), and thus can transfer all currently known carriers of viruses and worms. Content exchanged via peer-to-peer services also entail a considerable legal risk. A study of Gnutella P2P traffic showed that 47% of requests related to pornography and 97% infringed existing copyright. It is also evident that such content is often infected with viruses. Thus instant messaging and peer-to-peer exchanges pose threats every bit as dangerous as the flow of data into the company from email or web. In contrast, however, IM data flow cannot be controlled by firewalls, simple web filters and URL blockers.

Is my company helpless in the face of instant messaging?

No — the use of special IM and P2P filters allows instant messaging to benefit the company while controlling the security risks that it involves. In order to implement a uniform security policy simply and consistently, the IM filter should preferably be part of a comprehensive, integrated Content Security Management Suite. This enables company, group and user specific configuration of the security profile, and its consistent application to the entire data flow and all standard and ‘wild’ application protocols. A typical ‘policy’ could, for instance, block all IM clients who send requests to unauthorised, public messaging servers, and permit requests only to the company’s own messaging server(s).

It only remains to ask: What are others doing and why do I have to act?

As was also the case with the wave of spam, IM-connected security problems first occurred in the USA. As a result, for instance, Sarbanes Oxley made mandatory the permanent monitoring and protocolling of instant message traffic in all US financial institutions. In current US tenders for content security solutions, the filtering of instant message data flows is a standard requirement. US companies’ were triggered into action by very real breaches of security. Instead of waiting for the wave to break here as it did in the USA, companies in this country should take advantage of the ‘early warning system’ and have their content filtering systems upgraded now – not least because the cost of improving IT security is more than offset by the ensuing increase in productivity.

http://www.SecurityPark.net - The leading online News portal for the Security industry.

Online shopping has now become very popular. Besides vast information at your fingertips to help you learn more about products and services before making a purchase decision, you can compare prices with a few clicks whether you go for comparison shopping for computer hardware, compare prices for sporting goods or compare watches prices to find perfect birthday gifts for your loved ones. Home appliances comparison shopping could safe you a lot of money. As more and more people use the Internet for convenient shopping, con-artists are getting into online world as well. In virtual world, you send money with a click and without physical interaction with a cashier.

Most online shopping sites accept credit cards, and many of them take debit cards and e-check. Some B2B exchange even accept purchase orders. paypal now has over 70 millions of users world-wide, and it’s common for people to conduct transaction purely in emails. Shopping on the Internet is no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail if we follow the same principles of safe offline shopping.

* Shop at Trusted Sites - Shop at the websites of companies that you know and trust is the beginning of safe online shopping. You’ll likely have a happy shopping experience without getting into potential troubles later on.

* Make sure a site is what it claims to be - Some con-artists create websites looking like trusted websites. I receive at least one ebay scam email almost everyday - those who pretend to be ebay or paypal customer service to lure you to give out your username and passwords. Look at the URL carefully and use a secure connection for your payment submission. Secure browser not only encrypts the purchase information you send over the Internet but also authenticate the owner of a website to ensure a site is what it claims to be, not a predator.

* Use payment options which offer protections - If you shop on a authenticated trusted website, online shopping is actually safer than offline shopping since every transaction is tracked and you’ll receive confirmation email too. Both credit card transactions and paypal transactions are protected by the payment service processors or issuers.

* Think twice before giving out private information - Before giving out personal information, ask yourselves whether the information is necessary for a transaction. Trusted websites will usually ask for minimum information that is required to process the order, no more no less.

* Keep records of your online transactions - This is necessary in case you ask for a refund or file a dispute. Keep all your transaction confirmation e-mails in one folder for easy access and make backup copy of important electronic information.

* Review your monthly credit card and bank statements - This is the time to identify any errors or unauthorized purchases and to reconcile your account balance. Review the statement thoroughly, call their customer service promptly and notify your card issuers if you had identified disparity or unauthorized transactions.

Happy online shopping.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. She writes about family, health, business experience and travel. She reguarly use online comparison shopping to compare prices for sporting goods or compare watches prices to find perfect gifts for her loved ones.

What is Spyware? Is it related to Hardware?

Well, no, Hardware is the physical parts of your computer while Spyware is a fairly new term that refers to software that gathers and then sends information about your Web surfing habits to its own Web site. It is often installed in your computer in combination with a free download that you selected from the Web, but it is occasionally installed just by visiting a Web site. Just as there are many types of computer viruses, Spyware is actually a broad category of malicious software, and known now as Malware, intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer’s operation without the user’s informed consent.

Spyware transmits information in the background, without announcing itself, as you move around on the Web. Because of this “stealth” aspect of the software it has been given the name: Spyware. It’s also known as "parasite software," "scumware," "junkware" and "thiefware, and a lot of other names that I can’t mention in a ‘G’ rated article!

Sometimes, It Might Even Tell You It’s Spyware

The license agreement for your software that everyone accepts without reading may actually state that you are installing spyware and explain what it does. For example, it might say that the program performs anonymous profiling, which means that your habits (where you go on the Web) are being recorded, not your information individually. Such software is used to create marketing profiles; for example, a 60 year old man who goes to Web site "A" often goes to Web site "B" and sometimes to Web site “C”. These profiles get gathered into a statistical report and is most times sold to advertising or marketing agencies.

Spyware may also deliver competing products in real time as you surf the Web. For example, if you go to a Web page and look for a certain type of automobile, an ad for a competitor’s vehicle might pop up. Or, if you’re on a site looking for a recipe, an ad might pop up for a new cookbook. These are very targeted ads, meant to get the attention of the Web ‘surfer’, but for the most part, they are just annoying!

Why are they infecting me? I didn’t download anything!

Merchants place ads with spyware advertisers because they feel their promotions are focused. In fact, many feel that the Internet has opened up the most intelligent marketing system the world has ever seen. Merchants say they are targeting prospects that are really interested in their products, and spyware vendors argue that as long as they treat users anonymously, they are not violating privacy.

This is a very ‘iffy’ definition that walks a fine line. Most of the time, the Spyware is wrapped in a ‘helpful’, free program that claims to do ‘fun’ things or assist you as you learn the Web.

There are also spyware programs that keep changing your home page in your browser to a particular Web site. This is known as a Browser Hijack and is one of the most difficult types of spyware to remove from your system.

Why are these little windows getting on my computer?

Some of the Spyware programs just keep popping up ads all the time, even if you are not connected to the Internet! If you see this happening on your computer, it is a sure sign that you have Spyware lurking somewhere! Nevertheless, once you have detected spyware, it can be eliminated with the correct types of programs, although, with some amount of difficulty at times.

How do I get rid of these nasty programs!

Spyware blockers can detect an invasion of spyware into your computer and have become as popular as antivirus programs. These are programs that you must pay for, due to the sophistication of the program in blocking the spyware from coming into your computer in the first place!

Written by Debbi Baird, Co Owner, PC For Seniors Author of many technical articles in ‘plain English’ for the “Older Generation” and Trainer / Tutor / Consultant in the Palm Beach, Florida area. Go to http://www.pcforseniors.com to find more information on computers and The Internet in the “How Do I …” section of the web site! Also, check out our Hot Sites! Listing for links to great places to go online for Seniors!

A close friend of mine walked into his minority SMB office, cup of coffee in hand and was blown away by this question no owner wants to hear coming from his sales manager - ‘Hey boss, is a keylogger, spyware? Of course the cup of coffee hit the floor as my friends blood pressure hit the roof. Like most SMBs or solo entrepreneurs they have no IT guy, so he/she wasn’t there to get fired on the spot. No, I got the brunt of the frustration - being his IT guy on the side and now we get to the global definition of spyware.

Spyware loosely defined is unwanted, obstrusive (read system intensive - memory hogging) and always potentially dangerous software unintentionally installed on a pc. Most anti-spyware software makers lump adware (that stuff which gets installed because it’s free or cheap), BHOs (browser helper objects - stuff that suddenly appears on your browser), distributed attack tools, keystroke loggers, pcp software, tracking cookies, and unauthorized remote admin tools in the same global spyware box.

That list should scare even a pro at surfing on the Internet, but some of us have to be online 365/24/7. This is the audience that should be paying attention, everyone else don’t stop reading.

Still reading? Good, because spyware is getting worse - those insanely smart people who keep finding ways to hack intoyour company’s operating system are getting beter at what they do…

The list I just gave you earlier is getting longer and longer and longer. As the spyware fighters get better, the hackers try harder and harder. Making new software to attack different parts of any system made on earth. Just when we thought that XP was locked down, they restarted their attack on Win2k. And they haven’t exactly given up on the other versions of Windows that older computers are using still today. Now no computer is safe any more as people got lulled into thinking that older computers were forgotten.

Quick fix for ’some’ spyware problems - stop everyone using a computer from installing anything not approved by IT guys that know about the ever growing list of spyware. Remove all admin rights to install software today, some of these programs can even get the installer to load their spyware and then open up holes in your firewall or otherwise disable the protection setup on your computers. Stop others from installing bogus software today and you will thank yourself tommorow.

If you can’t do that without your employees spiking your coffee with diet sugar until you ‘fix’ their computer back, then the only other option is anti-spyware software.

Minority SMBs and entrepreneurs that don’t have an IT department or somebody’s son/ daughter is your IT department then they will have some form of anti-spyware to keep computers free of spyware and running at the speed/reliability it was intended. Spyware can eventually or sometimes immediately bring any computer to the point where you cannot even logon to your account or computer. Your web browser will look like a neon sign for toolbars and other ‘browser helpers’ that only help to send hackers info you don’t want them to have in the first place.

As spyware gets more deadly and sophisticated it soon will begin to infect other programs used in your OS and bloat your registry to the point of freezing the screens of XP.

Your anti-spyware options are far too numerous to list here and we should stick to the ones where it is run and monitored by one person and that person alone. It prevents anyone from uninstalling the anti-spyware accidently or disabling the software on purpose. I have known friends complain that their software keeps notifying them when it eliminates spyware and malware (close cousins), so they disabled it. Not an especially good idea these days.

Reporting and alerts are a must, that way you can pinpoint the culprits and then have a talk with Bill about the reason his computer is always so slow - the spyware he keeps downloading. Alerts are critical so that if someone else uses Bill’s computer and loads spyware/malware, you find out immediately.

Scheduling and real-time scanning are the leather seats/steering wheel on this piece of software, to prevent new infestations from re-clogging your computer network again and again. Anti-spyware that is bundled or integrated will be the favored choice for an entrepreneur or SMB, you won’t have several licenses to deal with and the software will update the whole rather than parts. The way spyware/ malware is gaining in strength an updated anti-virus/anti-spyware/anti-spam module is better than wondering whether each piece is updated.

Spyware is not something that can be ignored, as it becomes more sophisticated and dangerous it may cost your business more than it can afford.

Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer Helps African American and minority SMBs bridge the digital divide by becoming wireless Small Office Digital Offices (SODO). Free article on Home Wireless Internet Security and other related articles http://www.mogendaviydtechgroup.com/firewallsmb.htm See a video where big time firewalls duke it out!