Spyware

Phone:  413-789-1030

Fax:      413-789 -3855

E-mail: online@onlinecom.com

· What Is Spyware?

 

             Spyware is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.

· Why Is Spyware bad for my system?

 

             Advertising companies also install additional tracking software on your system, which is continuously "calling home", using your Internet connection and reports statistical data to the "mothership". While according to the privacy policies of the companies, there will be no sensitive or identifying data collected from your system and you shall remain anonymous, it still remains the fact, that you have a "live" server sitting on your PC that is sending information about you and your surfing habits to a remote location

· Is Spyware illegal?

 

             Even though the name may indicate so, Spyware is not an illegal type of software in any way. However there are certain issues that a privacy oriented user may object to and therefore prefer not to use the product. This usually involves the tracking and sending of data and statistics via a server installed on the user's PC and the use of your Internet connection in the background.

· How do I tell if my system is infected?

 

             If you computer is doing the following:

1. Running slow particularly on the internet.
2. Displaying an excessive number of "pop up" ads.
3. Hanging and showing the hourglass when opening a new page.
4. Showing hard drive activity when no demand has been made for a new file (sitting idle and the hard drive light is on) then there is a good chance your computer has spyware installed on it.
5. The increased popup activity shows ads related in content to websites you have recently visited. i.e. you visit 5 investment related websites and suddenly the frequency of investment related popup's increases. While this may be as a result of visiting one of the websites in many cases it is evidence of adware activity

· How do I protect myself from spyware?

 

             This is virtually impossible, at sometime during the operation of your computer spyware is going to be introduced to your system. Anti-spyware programs are available but the people that produce spyware can pump it out faster than the removal people can update their software. The best strategy to use against spyware is to attempt to minimize the risk of exposure to these programs. You can use the following tactics and procedures to achieve this:

1. Be very careful when downloading freeware or demos of software. Many deliverers of spyware companies make deals or offer financial incentives to companies that produce software that allow "freeware" or shareware evaluation of their software. The spyware is bundled with these free downloads and when you install what you downloaded you get these miserable "freebies" as a bonus.

2. Be suspicious of sites containing "free online gaming", "get rich quick schemes" and
"download this postcard, cutesy thing, and email it to a friend site". The latter can be a mother lode for the malware'er since not only do you infect your machine but you have the potential of infecting everyone in your address book.

3. Show care with email. Never open unsolicited emails that contain attachments and be wary of attachment from friends that contain "novelty type" programs and features.

4. Be especially careful of popup's  that imply that your computer "is or maybe infected with spyware" because 9 times out of 10 if you let these programs do their check your computer WILL be infected with spyware. Likewise be wary of popup's that optimize your computer. These offers will generally fulfill their promise, when the "optimization" is complete your computer will optimally display the popups these popup's load and they will efficiently record every website you visit so that you will efficiently receive popup's related to these visited websites.