Posted on 30-5-2003
Remove
Spy Software
by Chris Barton, NZ Herald, 30.05.2003
They come with names like Gator, Cydoor, Show Behind and Bonzi
Buddy.
Mostly you don't realise they are there. But then for some reason
you decide to do a bit of cleaning and there they are - a distasteful
discovery, like mildew growing at the back of your wardrobe.
Collectively they're known as spyware - although some call them
parasites, malware or scumware - and they inhabit the remote
recesses of your computer's hard disk drive.
They are small pieces of software surreptitiously installed
on your computer from the internet.
At their most benign, they track your browsing habits or the
terms you type into search engines - "datamining"
your computer's use to hit it with targeted advertising.
Nastier are the types that include advertising delivery software
- causing those annoying pop-up ads. Worse still are those that
hijack your browser and herd you to unintended sites - usually
pornography or gambling.
Often these hijackers modify your default start and search pages;
sometimes they add links to your favourites folder.
Most odious are those that want to sell your disk space, processor
cycles and bandwidth. Or the auto diallers - programs that automatically
dial 0900 numbers in other countries, racking up exorbitant
charges on your Telecom bill.
How do they get there? Sometimes by using certain types of software
- especially the file-sharing kind like KaZaA or Grokster -
you agree to accept "adware" programs that tell advertisers
where you go on the web.
Before long, pop-up ads arrive on your PC and often slow it
down.
But often just visiting a website can attract it - a "drive-by
download".
Or it can come through bits of code called browser helper objects.
Either way, when you run free spyware removal programs such
as Spybot: Search &
Destroy or Ad-aware
- and I suggest you do so right away - you'll be surprised at
how many nasties they find.
Just like cleaning out the mould at the back of your wardrobe,
it's hugely satisfying to rid spyware invaders - albeit briefly
- from your disk.
For more on the subject go to "the
spyware and hijackware removal specialists". Or DoxDesk
which has a good explanation of where the wretched things originate.
And for a list of how many and varied these creatures are, go
to Cexx.
Advertising is the root cause of most spyware. And web advertisers
are adopting increasingly aggressive tactics.
Take Bonzi Software, a prolific
web advertiser best known for Bonzi Buddy, a purple gorilla
that accompanies users around the net and suggests sites to
visit.
The company has just settled a class-action lawsuit in Washington
for operating a "diabolical scheme" that tricked internet
users to click through to Bonzi's site via online ads that mimicked
Windows PC's "message alert," security alert,"
or "warning" dialogue boxes.
One of the worst claimed your computer was "broadcasting"
an IP address and needed to be fixed right away.
Under the settlement Bonzi has to change to the word "transmitting"
and include the notation "advertisement".
Bonzi also agreed to stop other misleading interfaces, such
as "x" boxes that do not close an ad, and to replace
its "ok" button with a "more info" button.
Another rogue advertiser is Gator, which offers free software
utilities with a catch - a bundled program called OfferCompanion,
which displays pop-up ads on users' screens.
United States publishers point out many users don't know they
have OfferCompanion on their computer and mistakenly think the
pop-up ads come from the site they are visiting.
There was a time a when virus checker and a firewall were all
you needed to be safe online.
Today, you need to add spam buster, pop-up killer and spyware
remover to the list.
Speaking of which, I think it's time I did a bit of mildew cleaning.
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