As if fighting with things like spam, pop-ups, and viruses wasn't enough, keeping spyware off of users' computers has practically turned into a full-time job. The reason why keeping spyware at bay is such an ordeal is because there are so many different types of spyware, and because spyware authors go to great lengths to ensure that you won't be able to get rid of the various spyware modules. Using these techniques, you can get spyware under control in your organization.
What is spyware?
In case you didn't already know, spyware is a generic term
usually applied to what I like to call -browser parasites." In most cases,
spyware gets installed onto your computer without your knowledge when you visit
a malicious Web site. In a way, spyware is actually sneakier than most viruses
because most e-mail viruses get sent to you and don't actually activate unless
you open an infected attachment.
Most spyware modules install without you having to do anything other than visit a malicious Web site. Furthermore, visiting such a site is easier to do than you might realize. How many times have you accidentally mistyped the name of a common site into your browser and unintentionally landed on another site? Often sites that capitalize on common misspellings of popular site names are the most notorious for distributing spyware.
So what does a spyware module do once it's installed onto your system? It varies because there are many different types of spyware. Some spyware modules monitor your browsing habits so that they can flood your computer with pop-up ads based on the types of sites that you visit. Others look for things like credit card numbers and transmit them to some unknown destination across the Internet. Still other spyware modules hijack Internet Explorer, resetting the home page and filling your Favorites list with Web sites of the author's choosing.
Why is spyware so hard to get rid of?So far, you have seen that spyware has virus-like qualities, so you might be wondering what makes spyware so much more difficult to get rid of than a virus? Traditionally, controlling spyware just hasn't been as much of an issue as controlling viruses. Think about it for a second. Almost everyone has some sort of antivirus program installed, but how many non-IT people do you know that have programs installed for preventing spyware?
Although a lot of the antivirus manufacturers are starting to scan for spyware along with viruses, in most cases, the only way to really get rid of spyware is to use an anti-spyware program, such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, shown in Figure A.
Figure A |
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| Ad-Aware does a good job of getting rid of spyware and is free for personal use. |
In case you aren't familiar with Ad-Aware, it is, in my opinion, one of the better utilities for cleansing your computer of spyware. One of the best things about it, though, is that it is completely free for personal use. You can download the personal version of Ad-Aware from Lavasoft's Web site. Lavasoft also makes a professional version that will continuously monitor your PC for spyware.
If Ad-Aware works so well, you might be wondering why I don't just end this article right now and save you some reading. It's true that Ad-Aware works very well when it comes to removing spyware. The problem is that, depending on the type of spyware that's infecting your system, your system may not work correctly once the spyware has been removed. This problem is not specific to Ad-Aware, but is common among spyware removal programs.
When spyware breaks WindowsTypically, when spyware removal breaks Windows, the symptoms look a lot like a DNS error. You might be able to ping a favorite Web site by IP address, but not by DNS name. When you attempt to access the site, Internet Explorer typically displays a message stating that the page cannot be displayed.
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Hi Brien,
Loved your article but....
Windows XP Pro SP2 does not have linkages via Control Panel/Performance And Maintenance to carry out the processes to remove Gator as outlined in your article.
Would love an update for SP2!
Graham