Computer Basics

Internet connection slow down lately?
Have any of your programs stopped functioning?
Do pop ups suddenly appear on your computer screen?
Are you receiving junk email from unknown sources?

You may be a victim of spyware. There may be symptoms other than the 3 above but they are the most prevalent.

What is spyware? It's simply a program that spies on your computer activity. It gathers information about you and sends the information to the author or owner of the software for their benefit and is usually done without your knowledge. The only clue you may have is when your PC acts abnormally.

Some spyware may only cause the occasional pop up, follow your website visits and send it to an advertising agency while other, nastier programs will also attempt to capture passwords and credit card numbers.

Spyware was first used in a post in 1994 on Usenet, then the founder of Zone Labs, Gregor Freund, used the term in a press release and it's been with us ever since. Steve Gibson, of Gibson Research, found ad software on one of his PCs in 2000 that had been installed without his permission and he very publicly reprimanded the two companies, Aureat and Conducent for secretly installing the software. Gibson soon released the first anti-spyware program, Optout. Hundreds of other anti-spyware applications have since followed. Spyware remains a major threat to this day.

Deception is the primary method used to distribute spyware and usually comes in one of four main categories:

1. A utility which claims to speed up your Internet connection
2. Programs claiming to provide special offers while you're shopping
3. Free smileys, animations, colorful cursors and screensavers
4. File sharing programs

Some spyware programs have also been disguised as anti-spyware applications!

Clues that you may have spyware on your system include but aren't limited to:

1. Pop up advertisements that suddenly appear on your screen
2. Your browser home page changes on its own and can't be changed back
3. Unfamiliar toolbars in your browser
4. New icons appear on your desktop
5. The browser goes to websites you didn't intend to visit

Removing spyware can be a frustrating experience. Most of the major anti-virus makers provide tools for spyware removal and for blocking reinfections in the future. Spybot and Ad-Aware come highly recommended as freeware that can be trusted. I favor Trend Micro's latest version for a permanent solution that is updated regularly and provides a support line should you have difficulties.

It is a connected world we live in and if your PC isn't working properly...or worse yet, spying on you...its certainly not a nice experience. Take some time, protect yourself and your PC so it works the way it should when you need it.