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Security Center: Spyware

What spyware is, and what it does

Spyware goes by many names, such as adware, malware, parasite, stealth dialers and scumware.
Spyware may...
- plague you with unwanted pop-up advertising, even with Internet Explorer closed. (commonly known as adware)
- watch everything you do online and send information back to marketing companies. (commonly known as spyware)
- add advertising links to web pages, for which the author does not get paid, and redirect the payments from affiliate-fee schemes to the makers of the software. (commonly known as scumware)
- change your browser's home page and search settings to point to the makers' sites (generally loaded with advertising), and prevent you from changing it back. (homepage hijackers)
- make your modem call long distance phone numbers (with long distance charges applied) without your knowledge or consent. (commonly known as stealth dialers)
- leave security holes allowing anyone at all to download and run software on your machine.
- degrade system performance and cause errors due to poorly written code.
- provide either a fake uninstall feature (or none at all), and put its code in unexpected and hidden places to make it difficult to remove.

Spyware usually infects you in these ways:
- Visiting a malicious website when there are security vulnerabilities present in your web browser.
- A website asks you to install software via a popup Yes/No prompt.
- Programs intentionally downloaded from these web sites. For example, many file sharing software programs (examples: KaZaA, Morpheus, iMesh, Gnutella, and others) in addition to certain media players and other Internet-based programs may contain spyware.
Spyware often comes from questionable sites (pornography, gambling, illegal software, free music downloads, etc.), or from "free" programs downloaded from the Internet (WeatherBug, Gator, Bonsai Buddy, etc.).

Inexplicably slow internet performance.
If you're connected but not actively doing anything on the Internet, and see your network connection's activity lights blinking a lot, there may be something using your connection in the background.
You notice your home page setting has changed automatically.
Popups occurring on your screen before you've even loaded your web browser.
Your computer tries to dial in to the Internet for no apparent reason, usually immediately after turning the computer on.
Large phone bills to unrecognized out-of-state or out-of-country phone numbers.

ALWAYS keep Windows, Internet Explorer, and other related programs up-to-date using Microsoft's free update service, Windows Update.
Be careful of what you install on your computer. Anything you install has the potential to be spyware or install spyware. Be wary of free programs. Ask yourself why they are free.
Read the End-User Licensing Agreements (EULAs) before you install software.
If you're browsing the web and an "Install" box randomly pops up with "Yes" or "No" questions, choose No or simply close the window.
Check Security settings in your browser. Most browsers should be OK with a Medium setting. If you continue to have trouble, set it to High.

BCPL.NET has instructions for downloading and installing Ad-Aware here.

Note: Removing spyware from a user's computer is beyond the scope of the support the Help desk can provide.