PC Security:
How many
spyware items are infecting your computer?
by Ainuddin Mohamad
Spyware is generally not
designed to damage your computer. The damage it does is more a
by-product of its main mission, which is to serve you targeted
advertisements or make your browser display certain sites or
search results.
I just had, by mistake, a plug-in called
Intelligent Explorer attach to my browser. What a nightmare!
I have another article on this topic, but this brings home a
point. Spyware or adware items are continually infecting
computers. Most computers have no protection from them. Most
frightening is the frequency of them. From the InfosecWriters
web site, "According to a 2004 survey by America Online and
the National Cyber Security Alliance, 91% of users questioned
were familiar with the term spyware. Only 53% believed their
computers were infected, but a scan found that 80% of their
PCs had some type of spyware installed on them." It goes on
to say, "...The average number of spyware components per
computer was 93 with one computer having well over a
thousand."
What is Spyware?
Butte College (www.bctv.butte.edu/support/spyware.html)
offers this definition:
“The term ‘spyware’ is broadly
defined as any program that gets into your computer without
permission and hides in the background while it makes unwanted
changes to your user experience.
Spyware is generally not
designed to damage your computer. The damage it does is more a
by-product of its main mission, which is to serve you targeted
advertisements or make your browser display certain sites or
search results.
At present, most spyware
targets only the Windows operating system (Internet
Explorer).”
To be fair, spyware can be harmless, for
example tracking cookies don’t do much. While such things
infringe on your privacy, they don't really harm anything.
Others, however, are extremely dangerous.
So what do you do about it?
No spyware program seems to do everything, but
there are a lot of goods solutions out there that can help.
Here is a list of some of the top Spyware tools to look at:
1) Try Ad-Aware 6.0 Professional from LavaSoft
(there is also a free version with less functionality)
2) Spybot Search & Destroy from PepiMK
Software
3) Xoftspy form Pareto Logic
5) Spyware Guard from Javacool Software is a
free program
4) Pest Patrol (now part of Computer Associates
by acquisition)
5) McAfee Anti-Spyware
One thing is for certain: you do need to take
spyware seriously. For some reason, too many people out there
think anti-virus solutions are the end-all solution. They are
not.
And, when
all else fails?
Finally, as
drastic as it seems, if your computer has been infected with
a large number of spyware programs, the only solution you may
have is backing up your data, and performing a complete
reinstall of the operating system.
About the Author
Ainuddin Mohamad is the Webmaster of
http://www.BestWebsites.com.my which is a Directory of Best Websites. Since
July 2000
BestWebsites.com.my has featured thousands of best websites in many
categories of interest with descriptions/reviews given by leading publications
and webmasters.
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PC Security: Parental Peace of Mind
PC Security: Phishing For Your Identity
PC Security: Protection You Can Afford
PC Security: Securing Your Computer System
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PC Security: Spyware Beware
PC Security: Surfing the Web Anonymously – Questions to Ask
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PC Security: Department of Defense Crackdown on Security
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