Explaining spyware: detect, find, remove

Everyone has heard me rant about how important it is to have a firewall on your network - usually I am talking about installing a broadband router. Broadband router type firewalls keep people on the Internet from directly reaching the computers in your home. There is however a different kind of threat on the Internet - a more subtle and sometimes nearly undetectable thread - spyware. I am almost willing to bet that your computer is already infected and you don't know it.

Spyware is a broad software category that covers any program that secretly tracks or records information about you, your computer use or personal information. Often these programs have the ability to report back to a central database computer on the Internet without you knowing it. Since many people now have 'always on' broadband Internet connections, it is easy for spyware software to report it's findings without you ever knowing it.

Spyware exists for three primary reasons; gathering marketing data, hacking, monitoring your children.

On the marketing site, programs might make a record of every program you have installed on your computer or record every web site you visit. By looking at how you use your computer and where you go, marketing agencies can build a VERY intimate marketing profile of you. Information like this is very valuable to an advertiser but you get nothing in return - not to mention your loss of privacy.

On the broad 'hacking' side of things, spyware might record every keystroke you make on your computer enabling hackers to 'see' your logins, passwords and credit card numbers ad you type them - even if your browser is in a secure session! Spyware could also slowly send all the documents in your 'my documents' folder to someone without you knowing, or send your create and send IM chat logs!

Spyware like this has been used by the Government and in the field of corporate espionage for a LONG time. Spyware installed in a corporate environment could email sensitive documents to competition. During the cold war (and now) spyware is used to collect information about foreign governments. The FBI sometimes uses it as a kind of 'digital wiretap' to gather evidence against someone. Spyware use is so ingrained into computing, anti-virus manufacturers like McAfee Corp. are creating loopholes in their software that ignore FBI Spyware. 

The most 'legitimate' use of spyware is probably to monitor your children's Internet activity. The quality options for keeping your children safe on the Internet are few and far between. There are some good 'blocking' programs but the 'block lists' become outdated before they are even circulated. Spyware gives the parent the ability to log email, chat logs, and web sites for review.

BTW, Spying on your kids is a parent's decision. I don’t want to start a debate here - we just need to recognize that spyware is used like this. For an interesting viewpoint, read this salon article

Spyware can be delivered and installed on your computer in many forms. It is sometimes included in the install package of many popular shareware programs. Sometimes forms or spyware come installed in your favorite operating system or program directly from the manufacturer! Here are some spyware resource lists that will help you check for spyware.

http://www.spychecker.com/

http://www.tom-cat.com/spybase/spylist.html

http://www.infoforce.qc.ca/spyware/

Before you install any shareware or especially FREEWARE, go to the above resources and check to be sure it is not spyware. If nothing turns up, also do a newsgroup search using google. http://groups.google.com/. Just type in the name of the program followed by the word 'spyware' - like this http://groups.google.com/groups?q=gator+spyware  

Here are some programs that can help you manage and detect spyware.

Panda Security Suite

Panda makes an inexpensive complete solution. It's a FireWall, Anti-virus, Anti=Spyware and Anti-Spam solution rolled into one. Unlike most of the other software out there, one copy can be installed on up to 4 computers AND they have a free trial.

ZoneAlarm Pro

ZoneAlarm is and incoming AND outgoing firewall that monitors all the programs on your computer that try to establish Internet connections. When spyware tries to report its findings, ZoneAlarm can tell you. The PRO version will also scan your hard drive spyware and shield you from email borne virus. The standard version is free. The pro version is $39.99 and comes with PestPatrol for free.

PestPatrol is a powerful anti-hacker utility that finds and eliminates hacker tools, spyware and trojans from your personal computer or corporate network. These hidden pests can create "backdoors" which bypass established security measures, compromise the integrity of your network, and threaten your personal privacy.

http://www.PestPatrol.com 

If you download a lot of shareware, use this program to have access to the SpyChecker database right from your system tray.

http://www.spychecker.com/spychecker.html 

"dedicated to help secure your communications and files from third parties, as well as several other important security aspects that may arise when you are connected to the Internet". This program also disables broad categories of functionality on the Internet that make the internet usable like cookies and some kinds of graphics. Don't complain when some internet functionality goes away with this program enabled.

Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets you remove them safely. It is updated frequently

http://www.lsfileserv.com/index.html

OptOut warns its user when any spyware known to us has entered their machine, and provides the option of immediate or later removal.

http://grc.com/optout.htm

 Sometimes anti-spyware software is overzealous and blocks legitimate things like the use of cookies to enable shopping carts to work properly. Also, the removal of spyware may make the programs that installed them not function. Installing ZoneAlarm or other firewalls may make sharing files and printers a little harder and may make some on-line games not function at all while enabled. There is no easy answer to solve these problems. The only advice I have that if you suddenly have software that no longer functions, disable your firewall or ad blocker and see what happens.

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Explaining spyware: detect, find, remove