Open Site - Computers: Internet: Software: Spyware

Top: Computers: Internet: Software: Spyware

[ history ]

Definition of Spyware

Spyware is software that is secretly placed on your computer by a website owner, an advertiser or a software publisher. It may do a number of things including one of more of the following: show popup ads, redirect your Internet browser window to a site you did not request, capture demographic data about you so that advertisers can show additional popup ads, capture your keystrokes and acquire passwords, banking information, credit card numbers and the like.

Spyware should be removed from computers. As the above description implies, spyware is not a virus so many anti-virus programs that remove many viruses will not detect spyware.

[ history ]

Spyware Infection

Unlike viruses, spyware does not spread by duplicating itself. Quite often spyware is distributed by attaching it to so called free software. When user installs downloaded software, installer automatically infects target computer with spyware. While the installed software itself may do no harm, the bundled spyware does.

[ history ]

Spyware Removal

There are two ways to remove spyware:
1. Manual spyware removal by following instructions in projects which specializes in manual removal.
Example: spyware removal.
Check for suspicious system processes and files. Spyware related files and processes described in dedicated 2-files.com project.
2. Automatic removal of parasites.
2.1. Currently there are few hundreds of various spyware removers. Not all of them can be trusted. Detailed explanation of spyware removers can be found in rogue anti-spyware programs.
2.2. Clear Corruption Evidence of various Anti-Spyware software can be found in Corrupt Anti-Spyware list.

[ history ]

Spyware Prevention

Spyware is prevalent on Windows Operating Systems (OS). There are two things that are needed to prevent spyware infection. First, you should never read email or browse the web while logged onto the computer as an administrative account. Administrative accounts should only be used for updating the operating system, installing software or conducting other administrative tasks. Instead computer owners should make a “limited” user account to do their work on the computer. Second, the file system security is not secure by default in the Windows 2000 or XP systems. These systems should be formatted as NTFS and have the NTFS ACLs called “Everyone” and “Creator Owner” removed from the root of the systems drive (sometimes called the C: drive). Windows Vista has these setting by default.