Caution! Wireless Networking: Preventing a Data Disaster

People use the term spyware when referring to two different types of software. One type of spyware, also called adware, is used to track your Web browsing and other online habits. Advertisers and marketers sneak adware onto your computer by bundling it within other programs like games or media players.

Does this sound a lot like a Trojan to you? It should. In principal, it’s the same thing, but there are two major differences. Adware doesn’t destroy data or harm your system and, in most cases, advertisers get your consent before installing it. Consent? Yes, hidden within the end-user license of many programs is the disclosure that the software will collect information and report to a central tracking server.

The problem is that most people never take the time to read the end-user license of any software they install. They simply click OK and proceed with the install; creators of spyware know this. I did an informal survey of this and found one person out of 20 who claimed to have read an end-user license, and I’m sure that he thought that it was a trick question.

Protect Yourself Against Spyware and Adware

Spyware and adware are fast becoming a major problem for Internet users. Adware and spyware can hijack your Web browser, and you’ll find yourself trying to Web surf against a deluge of pop-up ads, and have your browsing and searching redirected to hijack sites.

Running an anti spyware/adware application is important and will save you much grief. A good choice is Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware. Ad-Aware can detect and remove most spyware and adware, as well as:

Almost any program can be adware: product demos, shareware, free software, and even shrink-wrapped software that you buy in a store. Many software developers are selling advertising within their programs and bundle the adware to earn additional income from their product. The problem with adware is that it can use up your Internet bandwidth, and you have no way of knowing exactly what information the software is gathering.

The second and most dangerous type of spyware includes applications called system (or Internet) monitors and keyloggers. These programs monitor all of a user’s activity on a computer and report it back to a cracker or some other unscrupulous individual. A keylogger monitors every key typed at the keyboard and logs it into a file for later viewing. The software may also e-mail the log to a third party.

Companies market keyloggers and system monitors to jealous spouses and to employers who want to know what their employees are doing on the Internet. There are many of these programs for sale, so it doesn’t take a cracker to find and install one. These programs are simple to set up and use, and some of them can even install remotely, without the victim even knowing (again, like a Trojan).

Spyware is usually legal as long as you are installing it on your own computer and not targeting someone else. Installing a monitor or keylogger on someone else’s computer without that person’s knowledge could amount to information theft.

To protect yourself against spyware, you should take the following precautions:

Related

Категории