Helping the Internet Mind Its Own Business
"Beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason, and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you."
--Sherlock Holmes, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Norwood Builder"
How did Holmes do that? Well, if he were around today, he might have used something called "spyware."
Whenever you so much as visit a web site, you can be sure that its administrator can easily tell a number of things about you: for instance, when you began your visit to the web site, what operating system and browser you are using, what web site you visited most recently, and what your IP address is. Take a look:
http://www.bignosebird.com/cgi-bin/i_spy.cgi
Depending on how sophisticated you are as an Internet user, that administrator may learn things about your computer that you don't know yourself, and he or she doesn't have to be a Sherlock Holmes to do it.
There's a legitimate reason for your computer to share most of this information, such as to tell the web site's server which version of its web page is best suited to your software. The justification for collecting other types of information--collected by programs known as spyware (also adware)--is less than legitimate, though, and it can amount to a serious and unwarranted invasion of your privacy. As is the case with much Internet mischief, most spyware is targeted at Windows computer users.
Fortunately, you can easily download free, effective software that will shut down and eliminate any spyware from your computer and keep it out.
What Spyware Is, Where It Comes From
Spyware can be defined as any program that tracks your computer's activities and then reports those activities to another computer via the Internet. Usually the computer user (that's you) is unaware that the spyware is running.
Most spyware will get into your computer when you download and install freeware and shareware applications, and you won't even know it's there. You can find a link to a list of common infected applications (and clean alternatives) at
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=articles
Probably no one knowingly installs spyware. The spyware creators pay free- and shareware developers for the privilege of the free ride into your computer. Once there, the spyware will launch the next time you start up you computer, and it will keep on doing its silent work, monitoring various aspects of your computer use, until you remove or disable it.
Spyware is not illegal in and of itself, but some argue that it ought to be. Besides reporting on what web sites you visit, it has the capacity to record and report a log of your keystrokes and the documents you work on. Depending on the nature of your work, that can be a big problem.
How To Get Rid of It
The good news it that not all free software is out to get you. As a matter of fact, some very good spyware-removal applications are available for free download.
The two most popular applications are Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware. Ad-Aware offers a free version along with several priced versions; the free one seems to do the job just fine. Spybot is available free of charge. The Spybot web site allows you to make an online donation if you like, but none is required. Spybot and Ad-Aware each offer a free, automated update service to make sure they can recognize and control the latest spyware.
The two programs are very similar (as, by coincidence, are their instructions that follow): they search out and destroy or disable spyware. Each one takes 5 or 10 minutes to run. Like spyware, they run quietly in the background; the difference is, Spybot and Ad-Aware protect your privacy by preventing spyware from doing just the opposite.
Spybot - Search & Destroy (version 1.2)
The current release of Spybot - Search & Destroy is version 1.2. You can download a free copy by clicking the first "Download Here" link at
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Save the download file to a folder where you'll be able to find it later (for instance, "My Documents").
Now quit your browser and all other Windows programs. Find the installation file named "spybotsd12" in My Documents (or wherever you saved it), and double-click on the file. The installation is pretty straightforward: just click the "Next" or "Install" button on each page and select "I accept the agreement" on the license agreement page. On the last page, click the "Finish" button.
Congratulations! You've installed Spybot.
Now:
(1) INITIATE! Double-click the Spybot icon on your Windows desktop to launch the program. After a couple of introductory questions you'll see the main screen for Spybot.
(2) UPDATE! Now, before you run your first scan, click the "Search for updates" button so you will have the latest spyware detection filters. You'll get a list of available updates. Make sure all of the updates are checked, and then click the "Download updates" button.
(3) EDUCATE! I know you want to run that scan right now, but there's one more thing you need to do first. Click the "Help" button and take a quick look at the tutorial. It will give you a simple explanation of how to deal with the results of your first scan.
(4) ERADICATE! Now (finally!), click the Spybot S&D tab on the left and then click the "Check for problems" button. After a few minutes you can see the results. Did it find anything? If it did, you'll know just what to do: the results are color-coded, and you've already read the tutorial so you know just what each color means.
(5) REPEAT! And that's it! Once a week, repeat steps 1, 2, and 4 (you can skip step 3 unless you're having short-term memory problems). Spyware is a thing of the past!
Ad-Aware (version 6, build 181)
The current release of Ad-Aware is version 6, build 181. You can download a free copy by clicking the "Ad-Aware 6" link at
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
Save the download file to a folder where you'll be able to find it later (for instance, "My Documents").
Now quit your browser and all other Windows programs. Find the installation file named "aaw6" in My Documents (or wherever you saved it), and double-click on the file. The installation is pretty straightforward: just click the "Next" button on each page but the last, where you'll click the "Finish" button.
Congratulations! You've installed Ad-Aware.
Now:
(1) INITIATE! Double-click the Ad-Aware icon on your Windows desktop to launch the program. You'll go directly to the main screen for Ad-Aware.
(2) UPDATE! Now, before you run your first scan, click the "Check for updates now" link so you will have the latest spyware detection filters. In the resulting dialog box, click "Connect" to contact the update server. If it says an update is available, click "OK," and after it downloads click "Finish." You're up to date!
(3) EDUCATE! I know you want to run that scan right now, but there's one more thing you need to do first. Click the "Help" button at left and take a quick look at the items under "Getting started." You will get a clear explanation of how to run a scan and what to do with the results. For instance, you will know whether and when to use the "Quarantine" button.
(4) ERADICATE! Now (finally!), click the Scan now button on the left and then click the "Next" button. After a few minutes you can see the results. Did it find anything? If it did, you'll know just what to do: probably quarantine the listed files. By quarantining the files, you put them where they can't do any harm, but you also allow yourself the option of bringing a file or two back out of quarantine if it turns out that a favorite program can't run without it.
(5) REPEAT! And that's it! Once a week, repeat steps 1, 2, and 4 (you can skip step 3 unless you're having short-term memory problems). And yet again, spyware is a thing of the past!
So Don't Forget...
Whether you choose Spybot or Ad-Aware, make sure to remember steps 2 (UPDATE) and 5 (REPEAT). Just like computer viruses and spam, spyware will continue to change and evolve, so you need to check regularly for updates to your protection software. And though you'll get a satisfied feeling after completing that first spyware scan, this stuff is like doing the laundry: It has to be seen as a routine housekeeping task, not a one-time job.
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