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March 16 2005:

Spies In Your Computer, and How To Surf The Net In Safety

Hi there, and welcome to the latest Tech Talk bulletin from the CallTheWatsons.com webmaster.

I get a lot of calls from friends and family about their computer having one of three common problems:

(a) Running slow
(b) Taking forever to boot-up
(c) Doing other odd things it shouldn't do.

In response to these calls I usually suggest that their computer may have had SPYWARE installed, and then proceed to tell them how to remove it.

You have probably heard of Spyware now. Either from friends and family who have become victims, on the Internet, or even on TV ads for Internet Service Providers like Earthlink, promising you Spyware removers etc. But what is it?

WHAT IS SPYWARE? AND HOW DID IT GET ON MY COMPUTER?!

Spyware is basically any program that is installed onto your computer in order to monitor your activity while on-line. Why would anyone want to do that? Well, information is power, and so the more information people can find about the sites you visit on the internet, or the time you visit them etc., the more it helps organizations to better target marketing and even spam to improve their sales.

"But how did the Spyware get on my computer in the first place?" many people ask me. By visiting sites on the internet, often sites of a "dubious" nature, you are at risk of having these websites install software onto your computer through security loopholes in Internet Explorer, all silently, without you knowing about it.

Not all Spyware is bad, or installed on your computer unknowingly, however. The Google and Alexa (Amazon.com) toolbars, for instance, are installed by you at your choosing, and record your online habits for their own, legitimate statistical purposes.

HOW DO I REMOVE SPYWARE?

To remove spyware, your first line of attack is to check your "Currently Installed Programs" list, which can be found by going to the "Start Menu" > "Control Panel" > "Add/Remove Programs". Look on there for any programs that look suspicious or unfamiliar to you. Be sure that they are not legitimate programs before you remove them, unless you want to go to the trouble of reinstalling them later.

You might also check your "Start-Up" folder ("Start Menu" > "All Programs" > "Start-Up") and see if there are any programs there starting up on system boot that seem unfamiliar.

Most spyware, however, does not show up in the Currently Installed Programs list or Start-Up folder, and is buried secretly within the Windows Registry (a large system file that keeps track of all your programs and system configuration information). Looking at or editing this registry is beyond all but a handful of very knowledgeable users.

Therefore, one must look to a smart program that can find the spyware hidden in the registry. I recommend a number of programs for this. The first two are FREE to use! They are:

1. AdAware Personal Edition
2. Spybot Search And Destroy

However, the most thorough program on the the market right now is Webroot's SpySweeper - http://spysweeper.com/, which according to PC Magazine, is able to rid a system of 95% of current spyware. It costs $30 - worth it if you can keep your system clean.

Because no single anti-spyware program can find all spyware signatures (characteristic markers left by spyware) on your computer, it's important to run several programs when trying to rid your system of spyware.

Microsoft are also getting in on the act, however their anti-spyware is still at the early stages, and they have stated that their solution is not intended to replace commercial anti-spyware, but is just there as a supporting tool.

Follow the instructions on scanning and removing the spyware from your system with each program. You will have to make some decisions on what to
remove, as each program will find both legitimate and illegitimate spyware on your system. If you're desperate, just select everything to remove, but be prepared to re-install things later on, if they happened to remove a utility you were using legitimately.

If, after running both these programs, your computer is still slower than it used to be, or exhibiting other strange behavior. You may have to try another spyware removal program, or check for viruses (I'm assuming that you ALL have a decent anti-virus program installed!)

You should also look in your "System Tray" (the bottom right corner of your Windows screen next to the clock). If you have a lot of clutter in the system tray, this could well be slowing down your PC, as these programs automatically load on start up and stay loaded at all times. Consider
uninstalling some of these programs using the "Add/Remove Programs" tool I discussed above if you can do without them.

HOW DO I PREVENT SPYWARE GETTING ONTO MY COMPUTER IN THE FUTURE?

Nearly all spyware finds its way into your computer through Internet Explorer, which is famous for all the security loopholes people keep finding
in it. If you like Internet Explorer, it's important to make sure you have the latest security patches (updates that patch holes in Windows and Internet Explorer security) downloaded from Microsoft.

At the very least you MUST ensure that you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed. This was the most significant step forward in tightening up your computer's security since the launch of Windows XP some years ago.

Go to "Start Menu" > "All Programs" > "Windows Update" to make sure you have Service Pack 2 and all the latest patches. Even better, set up your Windows to automatically check and download the latest patches as and when they become available by right clicking on the "My Computer" icon in the start-menu, selecting the "Properties" tab and then selecting the "Automatic Updates" tab. From there you can set the automatic update choice.

An alternative is to use a different web browser. Many users, frustrated with the continual security problems found with Internet Explorer have
switched to the FIREFOX browser, produced by Mozilla. Statistics show that usage of the browser has been growing at an explosive rate since its launch mid last year, a testament to it's usability and safety.

You can download the FireFox browser for free here.

Happy (and Safe!) Surfing!

CallTheWatsons.com Webmaster