The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had used existing fair trade laws in asking a federal court to shut down some of
leading distributors of malicious “spyware” or “adware” software. This type of malicious software may be lumped with viruses, worms, and spam, and is all referred to as “malware” – short for malicious software. What are spyware and adware software?
Spyware and adware are software that is installed on your computer, generally without your knowledge, that monitors or controls your computer’s use. The software may send pop-up ads, redirect you to an un-requested website while you are on Internet, monitor your Internet activity or record your keystrokes while you are online. This recording of keystrokes may lead to identity theft or credit card fraud.
The terms “spyware” and “adware” are essentially same type of software. They are software that you may not be aware of running on your computer.
The online marketers who distribute this type of software maintain that you have downloaded software to help them better service your Internet marketing needs. They would also state that you received their software as part of another free software package that you downloaded and installed. Lastly, that during download process, that you clicked on “agree” button, where there was their statement that you would accept online pop-up ads for their advertised products.
This same software that have victimized individuals with a mysterious change in their opening Internet page, a new default search engine, an avalanche of pop-up ads while online, computer slow downs or a computer crash – know software as spyware.
Any unsolicited software that runs on your computer is malicious spyware software.
Spyware Distribution
Regardless of what it is called -- your computer is infected just same. Simply clicking on a banner ad can install spyware software. Worms, which are self-propagating viruses, can also carry spyware. They search for machines that don't have up-to-date security patches and install their crippling software. Spyware may also be distributed by email.
As stated before biggest method of distributing spyware is to secretly bundle it with free software that you download from Internet. Sites that offer music sharing, videos, weather data, games, screen savers, a tool bar, or program that synchronizes your computer’s clock often are paid to distribute this spyware as adware.
Such as file sharing programs like Kazaa, has adware bundled right in package download.
Before these programs are installed, you must click a box saying you accept contractual agreement. These agreements can be thousands of words long and people rarely read them. Upon closer examination, however, they would find that accepting pop-up ad serving software were part of getting package.
Another common method is a message saying you need to download ActiveX to view a website or email note. Don't do it! It's just another method to get you to click yes to their adware.
Sometimes presentation is an outright counterfeit of a Microsoft agreement or some other recognizable document. A safe rule to follow: If you're not sure what it is, don't click yes. Cancel out of program any way you can, even if it means rebooting your computer.
Unlike virus writers, who mainly want to infect as many computers as they can just so they can brag, spyware distribution firms have a financial incentive to have their software stay on your computer as long as possible. The more of their ads that they load onto your computer screen, more likely that you will click on one of ads.
Is Your Computer Infected
To eliminate spyware, you must track down every file and completely erase it. That can be tough since spyware hides inside your computer's operating system, making it difficult to find.
If you suspect that your computers is infected and want to search Internet for an “anti-spyware” solution -- be careful.
A Google search will return over 1,500,000 for “anti spyware software”. You will return about 749,000 hits for phrase “anti-spyware software”. Some companies that offer anti-spyware software solutions also make spyware software. Who else would know how to remove spyware then makers of spyware software? Their anti-spyware software may remove a version of spyware on your computer but discretely load a more current version of their spyware to be launched in a few days after you had thought that you had cleaned-up your spyware problem on your computer.
You may download three free spyware cleaning programs at:
Ad-Aware (www.lavasoftusa.com), Spybot (www.security.kolla.de), and CWshredder (www.spywareinfo.com/merijn/index.html)
Before you run any of these, use their automatic update feature to get latest protection. Some users report better results when they make repeated passes with each of three programs.
