Spyware
Learn the Spyware Removal Basic Tips! Dave Poon
Spam only occurs when the spammer is able to get your email address. They have a variety of methods for doing this, some legal and some not. Either way, the result is the same. You have become a spam victim. The single most important action that you can take to prevent spam from occurring is to keep your email address off of those lists.
There are a number of ways that this can be accomplished, starting with never giving out your address to anyone whom you do not know or are not conducting business with. You wouldn't broadcast your phone number over the internet, so why is your email any different? Be careful when putting your email address into directories or other form of printed lists. Those directories could end up on the internet giving millions of people access to your email.
If, for example, you are a member of your alumni association and they decide to build a webpage with that information, your address has been exposed however unintentionally. Make sure of the privacy practices that are in place with any organization that you give your email address to.
Spyware is now a big threat to internet users. And getting enough spyware knowledge is the best defense. The first thing you need to do is to educate yourself how a spyware gets into your computer.
You also need to learn how and where to check for it. Then, be familiar with the basic spyware removal process by inspecting your tasklist or using spyware removal programs.
Spywares are often bundled on freewares (meaning softwares that can be downloaded for free). So, be careful when downloading free programs. You may want to read the complete user agreement to avoid installing unwanted programs. Another way that a spyware may get into your system is when you are accessing sites due to some security holes on a browser. It is recommended that you evaluate sites that you visit to avoid getting a spyware.
There are several ways to know if your computer is infected with the spyware. Here are the symptoms or signs :
Spyware can be anywhere in your computer. However, there are several ways to check if your computer has one. And it is advisable that you remove it immediately once you found it.
Below are some basic tips on how to check and remove a spyware:
Check your tasklist.
Your tasklist will show you the programs currently running in your computer (to check your tasklist, press CTRL+ALT+DEL). If you are familiar with the files on your list, then you can easily determine which file is unwanted from the list. Then, it can be a spyware file.
Verify your start up list.
Since some spywares start automatically, then it is advisable to verify if your start up list contains a program, which you are not familiar with. You can do this by running msconfig (in the Windows Run Command, type 'msconfig'). Look for unfamiliar programs on your Program list. You can do this by checking your Programs Menu or Add/Remove Programs under Control Panel. Select the programs or softwares which are not familiar to you and uninstall them.
Install one or two Anti Spyware programs.
There are antispyware programs that you can download and will help you remove a spyware from your computer. However, a good spyware removal tool is one that will also prevent a spyware from coming into your computer system. Do your research on the available antispyware programs and make a comparison.
Manually remove a spyware.
Remember that there are spyware, which cannot be removed by a spyware removal software but needs to be deleted manually. Look for spyware removal help sites that will provides steps in removing a specific spyware.
Please remember that the tips mentioned above should only be followed if you have enough computer knowledge (which means that you are a computer expert).
Otherwise, contact a computer technician or your computer vendor to further assist you in troubleshooting your computer problems.
All you need to know about Spyware By: Richard William
Spy ware is a software program that watches what a user does on his computer. This program sends the information it has gathered on the users activities to a hacker over the internet. The information of the websites a user visits is collected and sent to advertisement agencies. More malicious spy ware can record all the keys that have been typed by the user. This method is used to gain passwords and credit card numbers of the user. Advertisement goals are furthered by Pop-Up advertisement and routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.
How is your computer infected?
In most cases it is installed by the user.
• The user is a victim of social engineering. He/she is deceived by an explanation of some problem or vulnerability with their computer system. What follows is the user accepting the software to correct this vulnerability. In reality the user installs the spy ware.
• Some users are more informed. Spy ware is ‘made known’ and propagated as an anti-spy ware program. It is also bundled along with legitimate software so that users are tricked into installing the spy ware without even knowing of it. Some instances of these are Web Accelerator software, P2P softwares like Bonzi buddy, File trading programs, Music softwares and some shareware software.
• Internet users can be tricked into making unwanted installations. The internet web browser prevents unwanted downloads or installations. It pop up window appears with buttons “YES” and “NO”. No matter what choice the user makes the program downloads and then manipulates the security of the browser for spy ware activity.
Security holes in browser and other software’s
• Users navigate web pages on the internet. In case the user navigates a web page by a spy ware author, a part of the web page code attacks the weakness in the browser and forces the download and installation of spy ware. The user is just a bystander to the attack. Common browser exploits target vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Java Run time Environment.
• Browser Helper Objects are an attachment to the browser. These are toolbars or attachments to redirect traffic. In a few cases these browser helper objects have been worms or viruses. W32.Spybot worm installs spy ware that pops up pornographic ads on the screen of the infected system.
• Trojans and worms are created to cause security holes in the softwares and operating systems. Advanced keyloggers that can send out information of every key typed can be installed through Trojans. This helps hackers get usernames and passwords. These are downloaded through open ports on the system and auto executes to install spy ware software as a part of its program.
Prevention and Removal of Spy Ware
Prevention of spy ware is simple
• Ensure that your operating system and application software is patched and protected against known security vulnerabilities. Look up Microsoft website and run the windows update to install patches that are marked critical
• Read the End Users License agreement carefully. There might be information that states that certain information is forwarded to its home site and provides the reasons for the same. Check online to find reviews on the software and information being forwarded to the home site before installing the software.
• Look up the email help center to configure your system such that it cannot install programs automatically.
• Use professional software for proactively blocking ad ware and spy ware threats. Download ad ware and spy ware removers. Ad-Ad ware from Lavasoft and Spybot are two softwares that have received good reviews. There are many other softwares, before buying them it would advisable to look for its reviews on the net or ask some one who is knowledgeable in this area if they would recommend the anti-spy ware software you want to buy. Free spyware detection and free spyware removal software may contain spyware so beware of such products.