As technology advances and
more people come to rely on the
Internet for information, leisure, and business it
seems as if keeping your
computer free of advertising is a daunting task. Not
technically fitting into either the
virus or
spam
category we have spyware and adware, which are growing
concerns for Internet users. At times these
programs may invade your privacy, contain malicious
code, and at the very least they can be a nuisance when
using a computer connected to the Internet.
Adware
Adware is considered a
legitimate alternative offered
to consumers who do not wish to pay for software.
Programs, games or utilities can be designed and
distributed as
freeware. Sometimes freeware blocks features and
functions of the software until you pay to register it.
Today we have a growing number of software developers who
offer their goods as "sponsored" freeware until you pay to
register. Generally most or all features of the freeware
are enabled but you will be viewing sponsored
advertisements while the software is being used. The
advertisements usually run in a small section of the
software interface or as a
pop-up ad box on your
desktop. When you stop running the software, the ads
should disappear. This allows consumers to try the
software before they buy and you always have the option of
disabling the ads by purchasing a registration key.
In many cases, adware is a
legitimate revenue source for companies who offer their
software free to users. A perfect example of this would be
the popular e-mail program, Eudora. You can choose to
purchase Eudora or run the software in sponsored mode. In
sponsored mode Eudora will display an ad window in the
program and up to three sponsored toolbar links. Eudora
adware is not malicious; it reportedly doesn't track your
habits or provide information about you to a third party.
This type of adware is simply serving up random paid ads
within the program. When you quit the program the ads will
stop running on your system.
Spyware
Unfortunately, some freeware applications which contain
adware do track your surfing habits in order to serve ads
related to you. When the adware becomes intrusive like
this, then we move it in the spyware category and it then
becomes something you should avoid for privacy and
security reasons. Due to its invasive nature, spyware has
really given adware a bad name as many people do not know
the differences between the two, or use the the terms
interchangeably.
Spyware is considered a
malicious program and is similar to a
Trojan Horse in that users unwittingly install the
product when they install something else. A common way to
become a victim of spyware is to download certain
peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available
today.
Spyware works like adware
but is usually a separate program that is installed
unknowingly when you install another freeware type program
or application. Once installed, the spyware monitors user
activity on the Internet and transmits that information in
the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather
information about
e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card
numbers.
Because spyware exists as
independent
executable programs, they have the capability to
monitor your
keystrokes, scan files on the
hard drive, snoop other applications, such as
chat
programs or word processors, install other spyware
programs, read
cookies, change the
default
home page on the
Web
browser, while consistently relaying this information
back to the spyware author who will either use it for
advertising and marketing purposes or sell the information
to another party.
Licensing agreements that
accompany software
downloads sometimes warn the user that a spyware
program will be installed along with the requested
software, but the licensing agreements are not always be
read completely by users because the notice of a spyware
installation is often couched in obtuse, hard-to-read
legal disclaimers.
Combating Spyware
While one may not realize they have installed
spyware, there are some signs that it exists on your
computer. If you notice any changes to your
Web
browser that you did not make such as extra
toolbars or different
homepage settings, as well as changes to your security
settings and favorites list, you could have spyware
running on your system. Other signs of a spyware infection
include pop-up ads which aren't related to a
Web site you're viewing; usually spyware
advertisements are adult content in nature and are not
displayed in the same fashion as legitimate ads you would
normally see on your favorite Web sites. You may also see
advertisements when you're not browsing the Web. Clicking
hyperlinks which do not work (or take you somewhere
you didn't expect), a sluggish system, or your system
taking longer to load the
Windows desktop are all signs that your computer may
be infected with spyware.
With the onset of spyware
comes a plethora of anti-spyware software packages to rid
your system of these unwanted and malicious programs.
Anti-spyware software works by identifying any spyware
installed on your
system and removing it. Since spyware is installed
like any other application on your system it will leave
traces of itself in the system
registry and in other places on your computer.
Anti-spyware software will look for evidence of these
files and delete them if found.
It is important to remember
that not all companies who claim their software contains
adware are really offering adware. There is always a
chance that adware is spyware in disguise so to speak, and
that programs with embedded spyware may not state its
existence at all. Always stay on the side of caution and
be sure to research privacy policies and licensing
agreements that come with freeware. You should also become
familiar with Internet lists of companies reported to be
using spyware. Much like a
firewall or
anti-virus program, anti-spyware software is crucial
to maintain optimal protection and security on your
computer and network.
