Spyware, Tracking Cookies, Browser Hijacking, Keylogging and More Internet Pests
And you thought all you had to worry about were viruses...
- "My browser homepage has changed to some search portal page and I can't change it back"
- "I am getting hundreds of pop-ups on my computer even when I am not online"
- "When I search with google I get redirected to a different search engine"
- "I see words underlind in webpages and they lead to porn sites and other unsavoury stuff"
- "My computer is running really slowly these days"
...and so it goes on. I see hundreds of comments like these posted around the tech forums on a daily basis and the root cause of all these things and much more is invasive software which comes under the general heading of spyware.
What Is Spyware?
Spyware is the generic term given to hundreds of nasty little programs which invade the computer systems of unwary computer users without their knowledge and either transit your personal information out over the internet, modify or destroy personal files or attempt to take over parts of your computer system.
How Does Spyware Work?
There are several different types of spyware, some more harmful or annoying than others.
Tracking Cookies - A cookie is an essential part of a smooth online experience. Your saved internet passwords are stored in cookies, so too are things like your shopping cart when buying online so cookies themselves are certainly not something to worry about. Tracking cookies, on the other hand, share information across unrelated websites and record a little too much personal information about your browsing habits which invades your personal privacy and in the wrong hands, can increase the amount of spam your receive as a result. Many of the web's most popular providers of online advertising use tracking cookies so these are things your computer will always be picking up unless you use a third party program to block the main offenders.
Browser Hijackers - Moving up the scale of spyware annoyances are the browser hijacking parasites. It is pretty easy to tell when a browser hijacker parasite has invaded your computer because you will immediately see:
- Your browser homepage changed to another site entirely, usually a shopping search portal, one filled with nothing but affiliate advertising or an unpleasant porn site.
- Excessive Pop-Ups whether you are surfing the web or not.
- Additional sites added to your shortcuts and favourites menu and you may have a new uninvited toolbar.
- When surfing you are redirected to alternate sites than the ones you would expect. Yahoo and Google are particularly obvious targets.
Browser hijackers usually come with some form of spyware tracking component as well to track your surfing habits so they can bombard you with even more pop-ups and advertising related to your perceived online interests!
Monitoring software - Top of the scale of spyware nasties are the keyloggers, chat loggers, password recorders and other keystroke monitoring and recording software. These programs sit quietly in the background and not only seriously invade your privacy but also seriously endanger the security of you bank account, credit card and anything you have passworded online or offline. Keyloggers record EVERY keystroke you make and transmit this data across your internet connection to a waiting bad guy who will then have full access to your most private information. The more advanced take screen snapshots and can create a slideshow of your entire daily computer use. Keyloggers are very real threat and often not picked up at all by anti-virus software which doesn't deal with them as being part of their field. Those who thought spyware was just an inconvenience not to be worried about might like to ponder on what kind of damage someone with full access to everything they type on their keyboard might be able to cause...
Where Does It Comes From?
One of the most popular ways spyware gets into computers these days is through downloading 'free' software from the net. There's an old saying; "there's no such thing as a free lunch" and this couldn't be more true than in the online world. When you download free software, in particular those which tread the boundaries of illegality such as P2P filesharing programs like Kazaa or Warez programs, you often find spyware programs are included in the installation program. The creator of the 'free' software gets a mere few cents for infecting your computer with this junk and you get a piece of software sending heaven knows what kind of personal private information to someone, somewhere in cyberspace. Might be the most expensive freebie you ever received...
Another popular means of getting onto your computer is through an infected website or pop-up advert. Unless you have your browser security settings correctly set up to avoid this a website owner is able to set up an automated download of a spyware program onto your computer entirely unbeknownst to you. Just by visiting the site, or viewing the pop-up ad, your computer will become infected. You can prevent this by setting up our browser security settings correctly (and no, the default security level given in MS Internet Explorer is not safe!) by clicking here.
How Do I Get Rid Of Spyware From My Computer?
The $64 million question...
Firstly...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE SPYWARE YOURSELF! These programs are not designed to be easy to remove and they do not uninstall cleanly without a little help. Many scatter their component parts all over your hard drive and registry, attach themselves to existing important files or simply overwrite them and can cause programs to cease to operate or prevent you connecting to the internet if not dealt with cleanly.
Fortunately, there are now a lot of spyware removal tools out there and most are very good at what they do. Better still, two of the best are ABSOLUTELY FREE to download and use...and yes, in the case of these guys you really are getting free lunch.
Recommended Spyware Removal Software
Ad-Aware - 100% free spyware removal software from Lavasoft. No home computer should be without this, It removes spyware, browser hijackers, tracking cookies and many keyloggers quickly and safely. The interface is very easy to use and you are safe to delete anything it finds and reports as being bad guy at the end of the scan. Highly recommended.
SpyBot Search & Destroy - Again, a totally free spyawre removal tool with free updates and millions of happy users. This is the perfect companion to Ad-Aware as it tends to find a few things the other misses and vice versa. I recommend using both these programs in conjunction with each other for a really clean system.
Both the above programs will scan and clean your system of the most 'popular' forms of spyware and should solve 99% of problems. They are free so there's no excuse not to download and at least try them out. If it's the first time you have ever scanned your sytem for spyware expect to be somewhat shocked at the amount of junk they find...
In addition to these two programs we also recommend:
CWShredder - This free tool removes a particularly virulent and tough to remove piece of spyware which goes by the name of Cool Web Search. There are umpteen variations of this scumware around so it needs its own dedicated program to kill it off successfully. If adaware and spybot didn't solve your problem then you might consider giving this a try instead.
Pest Patrol - Not a freebie this time but a very good all round piece of PC protection software. Pest Patrol does exactly what its name says...patrols for pests on your computer. Pest Patrol will remove spyware, has a component to monitor your keyboard to warn you of potentially damaging keyloggers and can be set up to prevent spyware getting onto your system in the first place with their memory resident monitoring. I you do not want to download anything then you can try the free online spyware scan at the Pest Patrol website which will perform a quick scan of your system for bad guys.
TDS-3 - As a companion program to the above...TDS-3 is the bad mamba jamba of trojan detection and computer protection. This is an initially daunting program to use and not recommended to computer novices but with a little technical knowledge it easily offers the best online protection and analysis of trojans you are going to find today.
How Do I Prevent Spyware From Coming Back?
Once you have removed spyware form your computer there are several things you can do to prevent the majority of it from coming back.
1) Anti-Spyware Software
These programs work in much the same way as your anti-virus program but are designed solely to keep spyware out of your computer. The upgraded (i.e. "paid for") versions of Ad-Aware, Spybot and Pest Patrol all do an excellent job of keeping these parasites at bay and are the best way to ensure your system stays clean.
2) Change Internet Browsers
Internet Explorer users suffer the worst at the hands of spyware producers. IE is the most popular browser around because it comes pre-installed with all Windows computers and most people simply don't bother to change to an alternative. It is also unfortunately not a particularly secure browser with several security 'holes' which the makers of spyware can exploit to sneak their parasitic software onto your computer without your knowledge.
Alternative (and 100% free) browsers which are far better at preventing browser hijackers, sneaky virus downloads and cookie control include: Mozilla, Opera, Avant Browser or even Netscape.
3) Increase IE Security
For those who insist on continuing to use Internet Explorer or a skinned version of that browser like MyIE2 or CrazyBrowser you are highly recommended to ensure your security settings are correct. The default set up is NOT the safest and will allow malicious code to exploit security flaws.
There are several things you can do to make your IE more secure:
- Firstly, be sure to download all the latest security patches from the Microsoft website to fix up all the current security holes they know about. To do this simply open your browser, select "Tools" from the top menu and click on Windows Update then follow the instructions...be aware this may take several hours to complete all the downloading and installing you will might need to do.
- Secondly, run the full test at this site to ensure your settings are all OK. You'll also get a free PC tune up into the bargain.
- Thirdly, install a pop-up blocker. A lot of spyware is installed through third party advertiser's pop-up ads and blocking them offers an extra layer of protection. Free pop-up stoppers include Pop-Up Stopper and the Google Toolbar...or just use one of those alternative browsers I suggested which have built in pop up blockers.
4) Be Smart
Wise up to the problems out there and you will be on the way to avoiding them. The internet is full of free information and knowing what's out there and how people are being caught out will help you avoid falling foul to the same tricks.
Summary & Where To Now?
I hope this article has been somewhat enlightening about what spyware is and how to deal with it. A few simple security tightening procedures and software installations will mean you can browse far more safely and securely and best of all, it can all be done totally free.
Protection against spyware is part of a three-pronged attack against the malicious software and their producers who seek to invade the home computers of users worldwide. Now read our articles on Firewalls and Antivirus Protection for more free ways to protect your home computer from malicious intrusion.
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