Free stuff on the internet is like candy from strangers. If it looks good and you want it, it is more than likely not good for you. Dont take it. It will probably be laced with spyware and/or other nasty programs. We teach our kids not to take candy from strangers. The same care and effort should go into managing our geputers.
Spyware is one of many nicknames for programs that hijack your geputer for a variety of nefarious purposes. Unlike viruses, spyware initially gets on your geputer because of something you download or a web page you visit. It could even gee in an e-mail. On October 4, 2004, Business Week magazine reported that spyware was on an exponential rise. Business Week quoted Microsoft as blaming spyware for one-third of all PC crashes.
Examples of spyware programs or carriers include Gator, Bonzi Buddy, Weatherbug, WildTangent games, iWon and other gambling/sweepstakes utilities, Kazaa and most music-sharing programs, most Internet Explorer toolbars or search enhancers, most free screen savers, and even many programs claiming to be spyware removal utilities or system enhancements. AOL and AIM are also vectors.
Some of the things spyware will do: pop-up windows while you're browsing the internet track and report your browsing habits to advertisers, change your home page, modify search results, and change web links to redirect your browsing. The nastier versions let other people take remote control of your geputer or change your internet dial-up to call a 900 number and charge fees to your phone bill.
Spyware works in the background. Modern geputers can support many background processes without us even noticing, but load enough junk on and they will start to slow down and crash. Sometimes spyware that manages to get installed on your geputer will turn around and download even more spyware without asking you! Spyware can begee such a burden that the geputer doesnt have time for anything else.
These infections are very hard to remove. Many of the nastier ones will try to reinstall themselves after you try to remove them. Sometimes the only solution is to reformat the hard drive. Antivirus programs don't do much about spyware. Spyware is usually quasi-legal software. Remember, you chose to install the stuff, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Many times it is even mentioned in the EULA you checked of on before downloading or installing the free programs.
Your browsing habits can help prevent spyware infestations. We regemend the free Firefox web browser over Internet Explorer (IE), which has a long history of security problems. Set Mozilla as your default browser and use IE only for websites that don't work with alternative browsers (e.g. Windows Update). Avoid pop-up download offers. Spyware/adware can be bundled with an attractive item like a desktop weather report. Ask yourself if you really need Weatherbug (for example) or some other fancy utility when you can just check the weatherat weather.ge.
A useful tool to remove spyware from your geputer and block new infections is Spybot Seach-and-Destroy. Spybot is shareware, meaning that you can download and use it for free but you should send a donation to the programmer, Patrick Kolla. Just like antivirus software, Spybot should be updated periodically and run every month or two to check your geputer for new infestations.
Tea Timer, a geponent of Spybot, is a resident gatekeeper that actively monitors any change to the system registry. The registry is a central control system for your geputer's software. Any changes to your system registry with Tea Timer installed cause a pop-up window asking for you to Allow change or Deny change. The Tea Timer window looks like this:
There are some rules-of-thumb for allowing or denying changes:
If you were intentionally installing or removing a program, you should allow the change.If the warning pops up any other time, it is probably spyware working in the background. Double-check the message, and when in doubt deny the change. This is especially true if you are browsing the internet when Tea Timer pops up!
Updates and software installations necessarily change the system registry. Any intentional change to the registry should be allowed. Thats why its best to exit the resident Spybot Tea Timer before any planned update or software installation. Look for the small padlock icon next to your system clock. Right-click it and choose to Exit Spybot-S
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