Double Click
Spies in the Machine
Spyware and adware can be more than an annoyance — make sure you are protected.
FROM:
JUL-AUG 2005 ISSUE | BY
GABRIEL VITUS
James Bond may be the world's most infamous spy, but these days, there are many spies among us whose gadgetry is nearly as high-tech as Bond's. These spies work at stealing identities and monitoring online behaviour. Stealthy and vicious, this electronic armada infiltrates personal computers, compiling information to profile us and bombard us with ads and spam.
Spyware — and its less aggressive sibling, adware — constitute a second wave of covert Internet pests, similar to worms and viruses, though not as destructive. Spyware is software that uses your Internet connection to send your personal information to a third party without your permission or knowledge. The information can include details about Web sites you visit and your browsing habits, or something more sensitive such as your username and password. Adware is software that displays advertisements on your computer, such as those that appear on your screen even when you are not browsing the Internet.
Once companies have a good idea of your interests and online habits, they may use this information to send you unsolicited, targeted advertisements. Most users find adware and spyware cause performance issues with their computers — Web browsers don't work properly, computers freeze more often, or slow down significantly. While inconvenient, these problems are merely symptoms of the real trouble: spyware and adware have taken up active residency in your computer.
Older versions of antivirus programs do not necessarily prevent adware or spyware from being downloaded, since the programs do not view them as threats. Adware and spyware do not behave like a typical virus or worm: they do not do actual damage to your computer, but instead gather and send out information about you and your surfing habits.
Regardless of the source, experts agree that spyware and adware are essentially from the same family. The difference is in the way they act. The most common way for spyware or adware to enter your computer is via free downloads, free software, or free services. And on the Internet (as in life), nothing is truly free. Unauthorized adware or spyware are usually installed on your computer covertly when you install freeware that includes it. For example, you might download a free file-sharing program that surreptitiously installs spyware on your computer. Once it is installed, spyware is hard to detect, and can transmit your personal information and download advertisements 24 hours a day. It can also override and reset your browser settings, such as your start page.
Other sources of spyware and adware are freeware, free media players, and file sharing programs. These are the most common routes for spyware and adware to find their way onto your computer, as they can contain code or components that allow the developers of these applications to monitor your online habits, and tools to actually collect and disseminate this information.
Links to spyware can be deceptive. A Web site that aims to upload spyware onto your computer might open a window that looks like a Windows dialog box. When you click either OK or Cancel, the software download begins. It is a better idea to click the "X" in the corner of the window to close it. Another technique uses a fake title bar in an empty window that installs the spyware when you try to close the window.
Spyware will record your surfing habits, send the data to a third party, log your shopping preferences in a profile, replace your browser's home page, make changes to system files or registry, or add annoying and oh-so-difficult-to-get-rid-of taskbars to your Internet Explorer, all without your knowledge or permission.
Some of the most well-known spyware/adware programs are:
- Cydoor
- Date Manager
- BonziBUDDY
- Gator
- HotBar
- Download Accelerator Plus (contains spyware)
- Kazaa (contains spyware)
The key to avoiding adware and spyware is to be aware of how they can get onto your computer. Ensure that programs you download or install do not contain adware — many freeware programs do, so make sure you read the license agreement carefully. It is also a good idea to install a pop-up blocker to prevent adware and spyware pop-up windows. If you don't see them, you won't be tempted to click on them. However, there is legitimate software that uses this functionality. Windows users should also download patches and service packs regularly — the Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes a number of security features, as well as a
pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer.
Not all software that provides ads or tracks online activities is bad. And data collecting programs that are installed with the user's knowledge are not, in a proper sense, spyware. For example, you might download a free file-sharing program such as Kazaa, and in the licensing agreement, you agree to "pay" for the service by receiving targeted ads. You might feel this is a fair tradeoff, and might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
And there is hope for the future. Most antivirus software, including the latest versions of McAfee VirusScan, Norton Symantec, and Trend Micro
PC-cillin, now include adware and spyware scanning. Some Internet service providers are also introducing protection from adware and spyware.
There are also software companies out there focusing on developing programs that can track, quarantine, and destroy spyware and adware. Some, such as Lavasoft, are well-known. Lavasoft's anti-spyware program is called Adaware, with a free downloadable version available for individual users, and higher-performance versions for sale. Others, such as Spybot, work on a donation basis. And, of course, Microsoft has jumped into the fray, recently releasing the Beta version of Antispyware.
There are no miracle gadgets to fight spyware and adware. The recommendation is simple: if you do not already have it, get anti-spyware software as soon as possible. And, make sure that other people using your computer don't download software without your knowledge.
[
TOP ]
Gabriel Vitus is director of Information Technology at CGA-Canada.
"Double Click" is co-ordinated by
John Yu, M.Sc., CDP, FCGA. Yu has been in the IT industry since 1970 in a broad range of roles in technology and in management. He is vice-president, Information Technology, at CGA-Canada.