How many spyware items are infecting your computer?

I just had, by mistake, a plug-in called Intelligent Explorer attach to my browser. What a nightmare!  I have another article on this topic, but this brings home a point.  Spyware or adware items are continually infecting computers. Most computers have no protection from them. Most frightening is the frequency of them.  From the InfosecWriters web site, "According to a 2004 survey by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance, 91% of users questioned were familiar with the term spyware. Only 53% believed their computers were infected, but a scan found that 80% of their PCs had some type of spyware installed on them."  It goes on to say,  "...The average number of spyware components per computer was 93 with one computer having well over a thousand."

What is Spyware?

“The term ‘spyware’ is broadly defined as any program that gets into your computer without permission and hides in the background while it makes unwanted changes to your user experience.
Spyware is generally not designed to damage your computer. The damage it does is more a by-product of its main mission, which is to serve you targeted advertisements or make your browser display certain sites or search results.

At present, most spyware targets only the Windows operating system (Internet Explorer).”

To be fair, spyware can be harmless, for example tracking cookies don’t do much. While such things infringe on your privacy, they don't really harm anything. Others, however, are extremely dangerous.

So what do you do about it?

No spyware program seems to do everything, but there are a lot of goods solutions out there that can help. Here is a list of some of the top Spyware tools to look at:

1) Try Ad-Aware 6.0 Professional from LavaSoft (there is also a free version with less functionality)

2) Spybot Search & Destroy from PepiMK Software

3) Xoftspy form Pareto Logic

5) Spyware Guard from Javacool Software is a free program

4) Pest Patrol (now part of Computer Associates by acquisition)

5) McAfee Anti-Spyware

One thing is for certain: you do need to take spyware seriously.  For some reason, too many people out there think anti-virus solutions are the end-all solution. They are not. 

And, when all else fails?

Finally, as drastic as it seems,  if your computer has been infected with a large number of spyware programs, the only solution you may have is backing up your data, and performing a complete reinstall of the operating system.

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Few easy steps you can take to immediately protect your computer.

=> Don’t run unfamiliar programs on your computer. 
It sounds like common sense, but many of the most prominent attacks have involved spyware and email attachment worms such as Bagle and Netsky.  If you don’t recognize the sender, don’t download its attachments.

 
=> Don’t allow unrestricted physical access to your computer. 

If you have sensitive or proprietary information on your computer, allowing other employees or family members to use your computer can lead to potential breaches in your computer’s security.

=> Don’t use weak passwords.
Use passwords which are difficult for someone to figure out.  People frequently use the names of children, pets, anniversary dates, or birthdays.  Because there seems to be a password needed for everything, it is not uncommon to see many people using the same password for everything.  Big mistake!  The use of only one password provides a hacker with easy access to a smorgasbord of personal information.  If you have to write your passwords down, it is best not to leave them on a post-it, attached to the screen of your computer.  You may chuckle at the absurdity, but it happens more than you think.

=> Don’t forget to regularly patch your operating system and other applications.
Many industry experts believe that most network security attacks would be stopped if computer users would just keep their computers updated with patches and security fixes.  Too often, we forget to do this on a regular basis.  Remember that every day, new viruses, worms and Trojans are being created and distributed.  They are looking for the weaknesses in your computer system.  Having outdated software is basically the same as holding the door open and inviting them in for a visit.

=>Don’t forget to make regular backups of important data

Always keep a copy of important files on removable media such as floppy/ZIP disks or recordable CD-ROM disks.  Store the backups in a location separate from the computer.

In most cases, Windows desktop and screen-saver passwords provides adequate protection for normal security concerns.  However, if you feel more comfortable taking additional security measures consider obtaining a comprehensive security suite. 

Selecting a Antivirus Software

The next question is how do you pick the best product for your needs?  You start by asking yourself a series of questions.  Do you need password protection for individual files, your desktop, a network, or to block someone’s access to the Internet?  Is your computer used only by you or do multiple users have access to the computer?   How many users in total do you expect on your computer? What are your system requirements?  How much do you want to spend? 

Once you are able to answer these questions, you can begin to research which security suite will best meet your needs.  Product reviews and user statements provide a great starting point.  PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com), Zdnet.com (www.zdnet.com), and Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) are just a few informative sites that offer research on various computer software products.

There are numerous security suites available on the market.  Take the time to choose the one that meets your specific needs.  As a starting point, we’ve listed a couple of the more popular programs.

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