How to Prevent Spyware

How to prevent spyware

The best way to protect your PC from spyware and virii is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, there is no way for you to completely prevent your system from future infections. Spyware is often bundled with programs and if you choose to install such programs, then you will also install the spyware on your system.

It is legal because the software makers mention that they bundle monitoring, logging, adware, etc. components in the EULA (End User License Agreement). This is the part of the installation of a piece of software where it asks you whether you Agree r Disagree. Hardly anyone reads these as they are so long but if you do read (skim through) some of them them, you may find that the software may bundle some spyware with the program. Consider whether you really need the software and whether alternatives are available. If you absolutely must use the software, install it and try to remove the spyware afterwards.

This section will cover some things you can do to help prevent spyware from infecting your system. You may not be able to completely prevent it but you will have more control. Some of it is common sense but there are some programs you can install to give yourself more control over what goes in and out of yoru system.

Keep your system up to date

You should perform WIndows Updates every so often so that security holes are patched as they are found. Windows has many security vulnerabilities. If you have Automatic Updates turned on, then it is done automatically but if you do not, you can either turn it on or open Internet Explorer and go to Tools > Windows Updates.

Choose Express to only install Priority updates or Custom so you can choose Optional updates as well. Note that you should have the most up to date Service Pack. This is a whole lot of security updates.

Spyware comes with free stuff

There are many programs out there that seem to have useful functions but unfortunately, many of them contain spyware and possibly even more malicious programs. You can avoid them by only visiting respectable websites, but that's not always a viable option. If you are ever asked to install or you see an advertisement for a supposedly useful program that you think you will benefit from, do some research first. Some typical program types that contain spyware are listed below.

• PC performance enhancers

Free s oftware that claims to enhance your PC's performance by freeing up memory, clearing junk, etc can contain spyware. If wanting such software, it is best to look for the more reputable ones.

• Clock synchronisers

These synchronise your system clock with the clock at a server somewhere to ensure that your clock is accurate. The clock program often contains spyware. An example of such a program is Atomic Clock

• Internet connection accelerators

These claim to accelerate your download and web browsing speed. Some may increase it a bit but they contain spyware and will cause popups, HTTP page redirects and slow down your PC. Their main purpose is to collect data about your Internet usage for marketing research purposes. An example of such a program is MarketScore

• Weather forecast programs

Programs that report the weather in your System Tray often come with spyware.

• Form autocomplete programs

These automatically fill in fields on online forms, to save you time. The most common autocomplete program is Gator.

• Screensavers

Screensavers are great fun but be careful where you get them from. Only download them from reputable websites.

• Toolbars

Most toolbars on the web contain spyware and adware. There are safe toolbars but these are only those from reputable companies. Reputable companies include Google, MSN, etc. eBay have their own toolbar but that contains spyware. It can be removed without rendering the toolbar useless.

There are free programs out there that are 'clean'. There are many small utilities out there that do not contain spyware. OpenSource software is usually safe but if looking for other software, download titles by reputable companies and download them from reputable sites. Search for reviews on the software if any are available.

Software titles to avoid

There are some big names in the world of spyware. See below for details.

• Gator

Gator (by GAIN Publishing) is a form autocomplete program. It remembers usernames, passwords and even credit card details. This is not safe as the details are stored on your computer. The information is encryped but the people at GAIN Publishing would be abel to get at your information. Gator also installs spyware.

There are a few ways to tell if you have Gator installed or not. You may see a pop up asking whether you want Gator to save your password. You would be able to see the alligator eyes icon in your system tray. It will be your Start Menu.

• KaZaa Media Desktop / iMesh

Many popular peer to peer (P2P) programs are bundled with adware and spywrae. There are spyware-free alternatives but many people are not aware of spyware and download the first P2P program they hear about without doing any research. KaZaa in particularly is bundled with lots of spyware and adware and it does not let you remove the spyware without rendering KaZaa Media Desktop (KMD) useless. If you must use a P2P program, use alternative ones. For example, to connect to the eDonkey network, there is a spyware-free alternative called eMule.

• Winfixer

WinFixer is a program that claims to fix registry errors and problems with on your computer. It will report hundreds or thousands of errors with your current system. When you choose Repair, it will tll you to register the program for $29.95 before it can fix the errors. The program does more damage than good. PCs with WinFixer installed become less stable and WinFixer itself is considered spyware by many spyware scanners.

If you encounter the above error message, click the red cross in the top right corner. It is an attempt to trick you into installing WinFixer. If or when the next message pops up, do the same or press Escape (Esc) for dialog boxes like the above. Even clicking Cancel may prompt to start the installation so be careful. You may see messages like the above for other programs and not just WinFixer.

• WinAntiVirus / WinAntiSpyware

These two are programs claiming to be for removing virii and spyware. They will scan your computer reporting problems whenever you start your computer and then tell you to pay to register them before they will fix your supposed problems. They may report actual virus and spyware infections but they are malware themselves.

Software types likely to be / contain spyware

Be wary of anything with anything that falls into the following categories:

• Accelerator
• Autocomplete / Autofill
• Bargain
• Free
• Peer to Peer / P2P
• Shopping
• Toolbar
• Search
• Weather

Not all programsrelating to the above is or contains spyware, just more likely. Do your research by searching for the name of the program you are checking up on, with the word "spyware" in your search in any major search engine. This will usually produce results for whether the suspicious program is or does contain bundled spyware.

Use an alternative web browser

Internet Explorer (IE) is the most used web browser but that is most likely because it is already built into Microsoft Windows. Many people do not know that they have a lot more options. Most alternatives are free.

The problem with IE is that it is integrated into Windows and using IE makes your system more vulnerable to spyware if you surf the web with it. IE is much more likely to become infected with spyware and other malware as well as infecting the rest of your system.

A good alternative to IE is Firefox. This browser is more secure than IE and supports 'Tabbed' browsing. This means that you can open many websites in the one browser Window. It can also be much faster than IE.

Know your system

Use your logic and be aware of what you're supposed to have on your system. Know what programs you installed yourself and what appeared out of no where. Pay attention to what programs are running. Ask yourself the following:

• Did I ask for this program to run/open?
• Did I ask for a file to download?
• Did I install this program?
• Does the program relate to a hardware component, device, peripheral?
• Do I recognise the file name?
• Do I recognise the web page that opened?

If you're unsure about an item, do some research online.

Don't believe everything you read

On some websites, they may tell you that you have a security vulnerability and to download a program to fix this. Be wary of such messages. It may not be a popup dialog box and may be a web page.

Do not press OK. Press Esc on your keyboard or the cross in the top right corner. Keep cancelling this way if it keeps telling you to or if you get any similar messages.

Anti-Virus

Always have a good anti-virus program installed and update the virus definitions on a weekly basis. Some software may bundle in virii along with spyware, so up-to-date anti-virus software is essential. Some anti-virus software requires that you tell it to update. Others do it automatically or you need to schedule it to perform the update. It is best to update your virus definitions evevery 3 or 4 days.

Firewall

A firewall acts as a barrier to prevent hackers or attackers from stealing your data or taking control of your PC. If a program trys to access the Internet or a program from outside tries to access your PC, the firewall will tell you so that you can either allow or block acess.

A firewall is built into Windows XP, but it is not very flexible and not the most secure firewall out there. If you do not want to use a third party firewall, make sure your Windows firewall is turned on. To turn on the Windows Firewall, follow the steps below.

Start > Control Panel > Security Center > Manage security settings for: Windows Firewall

Turn it on from there. When programs try to access the Internet or something tries to access your PC, the Windows firewall (or any other software firewall) will ask if you want to Block or Allow the program. Look at hte program, do not block everything as you would be blocking yourself or a program you want to use from accessing the Internet. Block the programs/requests that look suspicious. If you open Internet Explroer or Firefox and it asks if you want to Block or Allow, you should Allow access as web browser need to access the web to be able to request and download web pages that you want to view.

Registry shield

A registry shield blocks attempts to modify your Registry. They will stop the attempt and ask you whether you want to allow it or to deny the action. This way, you know exactly what is changed. If you install a free program from the web and an unfamiliar software title tries to modify your Registry, then you may wish to block it.