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Spyware Info Center

What is spyware?

Operating Systems Vulnerable to Spyware: All Microsoft based Operating Systems

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Spyware is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. The term was coined in 1995 but wasn't widely used for another five years, is often used interchangeably with adware and malware (software designed to infiltrate and damage a computer respectively).

 

 

 

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Personal information is secretly recorded with a variety of techniques, including logging keystrokes, recording Internet web browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer's hard disk. Purposes range from overtly criminal (theft of passwords and financial details) to the merely annoying (recording Internet search history for targeted advertising, while consuming computer resources). Spyware may collect different types of information. Some variants attempt to track the websites a user visits and then send this information to an advertising agency. More malicious variants attempt to intercept passwords or credit card numbers as a user enters them into a web form or other applications.

Tool bars generaly found in Internet Explorer are considered serious spyware infestations, and many times very difficult to remove. see examples

The spread of spyware has led to the development of an entire anti-spyware industry. Its products remove or disable existing spyware on the computers they are installed on and prevent its installation. However, a number of companies have incorporated forms of spyware into their products. These programs are not considered malware, but are still spyware as they watch and observe for advertising purposes. It is debatable whether such 'legitimate' uses of adware/spyware are malware since the user often has no knowledge of these 'legitimate' programs being installed on his/her computer and is generally unaware that these programs are infringing on his/her privacy. In any case, these programs still use the resources of the host computer without permission.

Common spyware categories include:

  • Spyware steals information about you, your computer and your surfing habits.
  • Adware displays unwanted advertising to your computer, can track your Web surfing habits and report it back to a central advertising server. It can slow your PC to a crawl by bombarding it with unwanted ads.
  • Keyloggers can record every keystroke you make on your PC and steal your passwords and confidential data.
  • Browser Hijackers can reset your default homepage and search results. Some may prevent you from changing your browser's homepage back to its original default or visiting a particular site.
  • Remote Access Trojans (RATs) give a hacker complete control over your PC, as if the hacker was at your keyboard.
  • Browser Helper Objects (BHOs) can search all pages you view in Internet Explorer and replace banner advertisements with targeted advertisements, monitor and report on your actions, and change your homepage.
How do you get spyware?
Spyware can be installed on your computer without you even knowing. It happens in several ways.
  • Web Browsing. Spyware can be installed by ordinary surfing on the Internet. “Drive-by downloads” are the most common.
  • Peer-to-Peer File Swapping (P2P). P2P allows users to share files with other members within a file sharing community on the Internet. A good example of P2P is free music sharing websites such as KaZaa, Napster and limewire. Although the websites are not spyware themselves, spyware is often bundled within the downloaded program. Another example of P2P that can install spyware is engaging in instant messaging or chat sessions.
  • Installing Legitimate Software. Spyware and adware can come bundled in software that you intentionally download. For example, adware comes bundled in free downloads such as screen savers with the consent to install buried in a long end user license agreement.

What are the symptoms of spyware?

  • Slower PC Performance. One of spyware's many effects is the significant slowdown of the performance of your PC. Your computer may seem sluggish, take longer to start when you turn it on, or take longer to get to the Internet. For example, a computer with as little as two adware applications could take more than 14 minutes to boot.
  • System freeze ups.
  • New Toolbars. Certain types of spyware such as hijackers can add new toolbars to your Internet Explorer that you did not knowingly install.
  • New Desktop Shortcuts. Some spyware may add new shortcuts on your desktop.
  • New Default Homepage. Browser hijackers change your default homepage to a different default homepage. Some homepage hijackers may prevent you from changing your browser's homepage back to its original default or prohibit you from visiting certain websites.
  • New Search Results. Hijackers can also change the results of a web search and point you to designated websites that you did not request in your search.
  • New Error Pages. Error hijackers will display a new error page when a requested url is not found. Excessive Full-Page and Pop-Up Ads: Adware can saturate your computer with targeted ads based on web surfing habits that have been tracked. Adware can slow down your PC to a crawl.
  • Slow Network Performance. Spyware robs your network of speed and Internet access efficiency. For example, a computer with as little as two adware applications could take more than 14 minutes to boot. This can significantly affect employee productivity.
  • Congested Network Traffic. Spyware transmits and receives information across a network causing significant overhead and therefore bandwidth waste.
  • Modified or Deleted Files. If you notice that files have been modified or deleted for an unknown reason, this could be the result of spyware.
  • Lost Control of PC. Certain types of spyware such as RATs can take control of a PC or an entire network.

Spyware removal:
The major challenge of spyware is that it is extremely difficult to remove, sometimes requireing a full format and system reinstall. Spyware programs can have hundreds of bits of individual code that are cumbersome, difficult and risky to manually remove. The uninstallers of most spyware programs do not usually completely uninstall the program, they can include self-protection mechanisms such as reinstallers, they have constant re-writes to the registry, and can even have two copies of the program running at the same time to protect each other.

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If you feel that you are a victim and infected, or unable to remove a threat, contact

Panhandle Linux for a System Check.

Phone: 806-282-9380

Email: Panhandle Linux