MY BROWSER HAS BEEN HIJACKED! The Annoyance: Whenever I start my browser, a rogue search page called find4u.com takes over, even if I reset my home page. I also get inundated with pop-ups every time I open my browser. How can I put an end to this evil hijacking? The Fix: You've been attacked by spywaresoftware that silently collects information about you, including the web sites you visit. It then blasts you with pop-up ads, and even puts extra toolbars and links in your browser. And some spyware programs, as you've found out, hijack your home page as well. Worst of all, it will send information about your web browsing habits to other web sites without your knowledge. Pretty sneaky, huh? What should you do if you think you've been invaded by spyware? You can download free software to do away with it, such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) or PepiMK Software's Spybot Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org). Ad-Aware comes in a free version as well as several paid versions. The paid versions include more advanced features, such as real-time spyware detection. Both programs work similarly. They scan your system for any signs of spyware, give you a full report on what they find, and then delete the spyware you select (see Figure 9-9). They also delete suspicious files and folders, repair Registry entries, and find and delete cookies that track your web travels. Figure 9-9. Even systems that you think are free from spyware may be infected, as this Ad-Aware report shows. If you're willing to pay, you can get an even more comprehensive program called Spy Sweeper from Webroot Software (http://www.webroot.com). In addition to detecting and eliminating spyware, it prevents spyware from installing itself on your system. It will also protect you against other exploits, such as web sites that change your home page without telling you. You can download a free, 30-day trial; if you decide to keep it, the software costs $29.95. AD-AWARE DELETED MY FAVORITE PHOTOS The Annoyance: Ad-Aware did more than just kill spyware on my computerit also deleted a folder filled with pictures of my family's summer vacation. I may not look great in a swimsuit, but that's no reason to remove the whole folder. How can I get those pictures back and prevent this from happening again? YOU'VE GOT SPYWARE! How do you know if you've been hit by spyware? Watch for these telltale signs: A sudden increase in pop-up ads, especially on sites you've never visited before Pop-up ads for objectionable or pornographic sites Being taken to a strange web site instead of your home page when you launch your browser Being taken to a strange web site if you do a search Inexplicably sluggish performance from your computer
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The Fix: Ad-Aware keeps a backup of everything it deletes, so you can easily restore the folder. To get your pictures back, follow these steps: Run Ad-Aware, and from the main screen, click "Open quarantine list." You'll see a list of "quarantined objects," which are objects that Ad-Aware has deleted. Each listing contains all the objects deleted during a particular Ad-Aware session. Double-click each object and look at the listing. When you find the quarantined object that contains your folder, click it, choose Restore, and click OK All the objects found in the list will be restored, so run Ad-Aware again to delete the spyware and any other items you don't want on your system. To keep Ad-Aware from deleting your folder again, when you do a scan, check all the items on the scan result list that you want Ad-Aware to ignore from now on. Right-click in the list window and select "Add selection to ignore-list." Click OK. Whenever you do a scan from now on, Ad-Aware will ignore those items. CAN THE FEDS OUTLAW SPYWARE? Spyware has become such an overriding annoyance that the federal government is getting into the act. As of this writing, the House of Representatives had passed the Spy Act (H.R.2929) by a vote of 399 to 1. (The Senate had yet to vote on it.) The proposed law, sponsored by Representative Mary Bono (R-California), would make it illegal for a software program or web site to change your home page, alter your security settings, collect personally identifiable information, install software, or disable or remove anti-spyware or anti-virus software without your knowledge. In the Senate, three U.S. SenatorsRon Wyden (D-Oregon), Conrad Burns (R-Montana), and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York)have introduced the SPY BLOCK (Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge) Act (S.2145), which would ban programs that send users to counterfeit web sites. It would also make it illegal to install software on a computer without a user's consent. In addition, it would require software vendors to warn users before they click a button that will install software on their systems. They must also tell users if the program creates pop-ups, collects information, or modifies a computer's settings. The software must also include uninstall procedures. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would enforce the law. Before you get too excited about these measures, keep in mind that neither bill is close to becoming law. Note, too, that two of the Senate bill's sponsorsSenators Wyden and Burnscosponsored the much-maligned CAN SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) Act. After President Bush signed it into law, the act was widely ridiculed as doing absolutely nothing to solve the spam problem. |
AD-AWARE HANGS DURING SCANS The Annoyance: I set Ad-Aware to scan my archived, compressed files for spyware, but it seems to "hang" on one specific folderit churns away for a few minutes, but nothing happens. Has it met its spyware match? The Fix: Actually, Ad-Aware may not be hanging. In order to scan inside compressed archives, it has to decompress the entire archive, scan each file, and then compress the files again. This can take a substantial amount of time. So start the scan, and then go refill your coffee cup or start a load of laundry. If it still hangs, tell Ad-Aware not to scan compressed files. Click the Settings button on the main screen (it's the cog button near the top of the screen). Next, click the Scanning button, and then uncheck the "Scan within Archives" option. Now exit Ad-Aware and decompress the files. Run Ad-Aware, and it will scan the decompressed files. After the scanning finishes, compress them again. Ad-Aware won't need to scan those files again, unless you change them and then archive them again. In that case, you'll have to repeat the above steps.
Tip: If Ad-Aware hangs when it tries to delete the spyware on your system, click the Settings button on the main screen. Next, click the General button on the left and uncheck the "Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal" option. This should fix the problem, but you will no longer be able to restore objects deleted by Ad-Aware.
AVOID SPYWARE IN THE FIRST PLACE The Annoyance:It's nice to know you can get rid of spyware after it infects your system. But what can I do to keep spyware from getting onto my PC in the first place? The Fix: There's no single solution for keeping spyware off your system, but the following tips will help you keep your computer clean: Beware of free software downloads. Spyware often piggybacks on file-sharing software and other free programs and installs itself without your knowledge. Kazaa is notorious for being rife with spyware. Read the fine print. Before you install a program, make sure you read the fine print, including the privacy rules. Does it say it will connect to the Internet without telling you? Does it say it will share information about you with its partners? If so, click the Cancel button or the X in the corner of the installation window to close it down. Before downloading, make sure you read any information about the software on the web site as well. Don't click links sent to you in email or instant messages. Before you click an embedded link, check with the sendereven if you think a friend sent you the message. A virus or worm may have taken over your friend's email or instant messaging software. If you click the link, it may send you to a web site that installs spyware on your system. This has become a real problem with AOL Instant Messenger. Only install software from web sites you trust. Why download software from unfamiliar or random web sites? Many well-known and trusted web sites (such as Download.com) offer tons of software that you can safely download and install. Adjust your browser's security settings. Make sure your browser prompts you before you accept ActiveX controls, which can install spyware. In Internet Explorer, select Tools Internet Options, and click the Security tab. Select the Internet icon and click the Custom Level button. Go to the "ActiveX controls and plug-ins section at the top of the next screen. Enable the first option ("Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls"), disable the second ("Binary and script behaviors"), and choose Prompt for the remaining four options. Click OK, and then OK again to close the dialog boxes. Don't click on pop-ups. If you click on some pop-ups, they will install spyware. Visit Microsoft for updates. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx or http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.mspx to find the most current patches and security bulletins regarding spyware and other threats.
Tip: Spyware sends information about you to a web site or person over the Internet without telling you, but a personal firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, can stop spyware from "phoning home" and reporting information about you.
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