Spyware: A Growing Threat

Spyware: A Growing Threat

It may call itself a "browser helper" and fill your screen with ads or pump your Favorites list full of porn. Or it may quietly sit in the background, sending information about your surfing habits to advertisers without your permission.
Spyware and browser hijackers are a growing problem on the Internet. These programs either automatically install themselves when you visit a Web site or piggyback on the installer of an existing program (such as popular file-sharing application Kazaa). Beyond imperiling your privacy, they can damage the stability of your PC, and they're often very difficult to remove.
"We have some anecdotal information that as many as 40% to 50% of the people who call into our tech support have some sort of spy- ware on their machines," says Jim Anderson of EarthLink.
Most of the spyware average Internet users run into exists to spread advertising. Programs, such as Gator and Cydoor, track your browsing habits, serving up ads to fit your preferences, and share the profits with free software vendors who let adware piggyback on their installers. Gator and Cydoor are annoying, but not necessarily harmful.
"Advertising spyware and adware spread with popular file sharing programs such as Kazaa, Imesh, and Grokster. As more people install these programs, they also install the spyware that pays for them," says Mike Healan, a spyware tracker who publishes a newsletter at http://www.spywareinfo.com.
Browser hijackers, on the other hand, are noxious. Sites such as Lop.com and Xupiter.com install toolbars, add Favorites, and change your home page, often without your permission. New .Net and WebHancer integrate themselves into your network settings, making them difficult to remove and potentially crashing your browser or your computer, according toHealan. "Lop.com will hijack your browser, and you'll end up with casino and porn links on your Desktop and in your Favorites. It's pretty nasty," says Michael Wood of antispyware firm Lavasoft.
The makers of Lop.com, C2 Media, claim that its software is always installed voluntarily. Every spyware expert we spoke to says that's not the case, and that on systems with low security settings, Lop.com simply walks in and takes over.
Then there are porn dialers, another kind of hijacker. If you get an email message or see a site that advertises "free porn" if you run a "viewer" or "dialer program," stay away. The viewer program will disconnect your dial-up line and try to reconnect to a service provider overseas, charging as much as $5 a minute to your phone bill. This is an old trick (we saw it back in 1999), but it's still going strong.

Smash Spyware

Keeping your Internet security settings high is the key to avoiding and disabling spyware. For now, ISPs don't provide antispyware tools, although EarthLink plans to introduce one later this year. Until then, here are some tips:
Shields Up - Change your Internet security settings so nothing gets installed without your knowledge. Go to Internet Options (click Start, Settings, and Control Panel). Double-click Internet Options, click the Security tab, and click the Custom Level button under Custom. On the long list of options, change everything possible to Prompt or High Safety. That way, when Web sites try to activate programs, your computer will always ask you first. Refuse requests from sites you don't know and trust.
Wall It Off - Spyware tries to secretly talk to the Internet, so a personal firewall can help identify and foil malicious software. There are plenty of free firewall programs out there; in the past, we've recommended the free Sygate Personal Firewall (http://soho.sygate.com) and the Zone Labs ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonelabs.com).
Eliminate Explorer - Mozilla and Netscape are more resistant to browser hijackers and "helpful" toolbars. "Lop.com can infect Mozilla/Netscape, but only if you choose to run a downloaded installer," Healan says.
Disinfect and Destroy - Several freeware applications can rid your PC of spyware and browser hijackers. Healan recommends the free Spybot Search & Destroy (http://security.kolla.de). Another well-respected product is Lavasoft's Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware), also free. Run these programs frequently to keep bad guys at bay.

Source : http://www.techiwarehouse.com/engine/6a876b0f/Can-There-Be-a-More-Annoying-Place-Than-This?