A Spyware Guide: Detect and Prevent Infection

The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC), which is a group of academics, anti-spyware companies, and consumer organizations, defines spyware as:

"Spyware is a term for Tracking Software deployed without adequate notice, consent, or control for the user."

Spyware programs are installed into your system without your knowledge, in order to show you unwanted advertisements. They can record your personal data and browsing trends for showing better targeted ads. Unlike viruses or Trojans, spyware may not damage your software or operating system. They can, however, slow down your system a lot.

How Do Spyware Infect A System?

Facetime Communications, an online security company, estimates that almost 80 per cent of the world's computers are affected by spyware. Spyware installation can happen through various means. Most of them rely on the security loopholes in the host system. Here are some of the tactics by which they infect a system:

1. Automatically: Some spyware, such as Claria Corporation's tiny program called Gator, get installed without any notification. This happens when you visit a web page infected by the spyware. Only if you have set your browser security to the high level, you will get a notification of this installation.

2. By Tricking Users: Some spyware trick users with a message stating that the system is infected by viruses and Trojans, with a button to start scanning. If you click this button, it will spark a spyware installation instead.

3. As Browser Add-ons: Sometimes, spyware applications are installed as browser's add-ons. Installing unverified toolbars, buttons, or other functionalities to your browser may cause this. Therefore, it is recommended that you install add-ons only from the browser's official website, which contains verified components only.

4. With Software Packages: Sometimes spyware programs are bundled with the installation packages of other software. This is the case with many Peer-to-Peer file sharing applications. The issue here is that if you remove the specific piece of spyware, the original application may not run properly. So, many people see it as an unavoidable risk.

5. Through Unknown E-mails: Viewing and clicking links on emails from unknown senders may not always be safe. Some of these links may be already infected by a piece of spyware looking to expand its presence.

What It Does?

Many spyware usually don't install once, but multiple times. Some even have the ability to reinstall themselves after detection and deletion. Once installed, the spyware sets itself to start automatically every time the operating system starts. Here are some of the activities it can do:

• Degrades system performance by taking up RAM (memory) space.
• Gives numerous unwanted pop-up ads, rendering browsing almost impossible.
• Steals personal information, such as credit card and social security numbers.
• Configures system settings to initiate download of more spyware.
• Changes browser settings, such as the default home page.
• Disables firewalls and antivirus software.
• Creates troubles in your system's connectivity to the Internet.
• Dials to expensive telephone numbers and networks when you try to dial-up to the Internet.
• Redirects you to affiliate URLs to secure commissions from your purchases.

These are only a few of what spyware can do. They can be extremely effective in making a fortune for the people who engage in distributing them.

Spyware Prevention

Today, spyware programs are more prevalent than viruses or Trojans just because they can help make a lot of money. In order to prevent them from infecting your system, you need to follow a few strategies. Here are they:

Pop-up Blocking: Most of the browsers have the built-in functionality to detect and block pop-ups and pop-unders. You need to activate this feature. Refer to your browser's technical documentation for this purpose.

In case of Mozilla Firefox, you can block pop-ups from Tools->Options->Content tab.

In case of Internet Explorer, you can do this from Tools->Pop-up blocker->Settings.

Disable Scripting and ActiveX: Microsoft's ActiveX technology is used to run certain interactive scripts through your browser interface. This can, however, open an easy door to spyware. So, disable ActiveX and such other forms of scripting in your browser.

To disable ActiveX in IE, go to Internet options->Security. Choose the Internet icon, and click Custom level. You will find the option to disable ActiveX scripting among several other security settings.

Set High Browser Security: Set your browser to notify you of any installations or unauthorized activities. You can do this in IE from Internet Settings->Security tab.

Use Anti-spyware: There are several professional anti-spyware programs available. Purchase and use one such reputed program besides your firewall and antivirus.

Tips:

• Don't click inside any pop-ups. Just close it as soon as it opens.
• Before trying to install any new software you download, scan it with your anti-spyware program.
• Don't install unverified browser plug-ins from third-party websites.
• Keep your anti-spyware program updated and running all the time.
• Don't click links or open attachments in emails from unknown senders.

Famous Spyware Programs

Here are a few well-known spyware programs. These tiny applications garnered a lot of attention from users and programmers worldwide at the times they appeared.

1. CoolWebSearch: This piece of spyware appeared in 2003. It is capable of changing the user's browser home page and showing pop-up ads to sites including pornographic ones.

2. Internet Optimizer: This spyware program redirects users, who accidentally types in a wrong URL, to a page full of advertisements.

3. Zango: Currently, this spyware program has a lot of promoters who get paid for making people install it into their systems. It collects the data regarding websites people visit, in order to display targeted ads. It also redirects users to affiliate tracking URLs to bag commissions from their purchases.

4. Popcorn.net: This piece of spyware was distributed by an online movie download service; it shows pop-up ads on user systems. It caused a lot of complaints at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Conclusion

On a daily basis, new spyware applications spring up and affect many systems. A huge number of computer users don't have any security software installed. Many people also do online transactions involving credit cards and other sensitive data, without encryption. These people are the primary target of spyware distributors. Spyware programs can easily transmit these sensitive data to third-parties. So, be very careful when using online services to send important data.

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There is No More GeoCities

GeoCities, Yahoo's popular free website creation service is coming to an end this year. The free hosting service, which was a hit for Yahoo since the beginning of this generation of the Web was not successful in terms of making money for the Web giant.

Yahoo had bought GeoCities in 1999 spending about 3.6 billion dollars. The following is what you will find at the GeoCities home page now.

Though the existing accounts will remain live, there is no guarantee that they will remain so in the future. As a measure to monetize GeoCities userbase, Yahoo recommends upgrade to the Yahoo Web Hosting Service as well.

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Windows 7 Test Release From Thursday

Microsoft will send out a release candidate (test version) of the latest Windows, Windows 7, next week for tests. The test version is available from Thursday for developers, though the public will get it from the fifth of May.

The good news is that the system requirements of Windows 7 are almost similar to that of Vista. So, most users won't have to worry about upgrading the hardware in order to run it.

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Landmark for Apple: One Billion App Downloads

Apple is nearing a landmark as iPhone and iPod Touch apps have been downloaded nearly a billion times from the online Apple store. You can see the live counter at the Apple home page now.

And this is a celebration time at Apple as you could win a 10,000 dollar gift card, an iPod Touch, a Time Capsule, or a MacBook Pro, if you get an app.

If you wish to enter the contest without purchase, please fill this application form.

The iTunes App store seems to be more successful than iTunes Music store, as about 53 apps are downloaded for each device, while only 29 songs are downloaded.

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What Went Wrong on the Web Yesterday?

Yesterday, the April fools' Day, Web went crazy with quite a lot of additions to entertain users. Various blogs, social networks, and companies had been part of this enormous scheme. Here are a few highlights I would like to discuss.

1. Google came up with a new tool, codenamed CADIE. Look at their official blog entry, and the CADIE page, which says "Please stand by while order is being restored." Check more on CADIE. Also check out the Google Twitter account, which CADIE used yesterday: @Google

2. Google Mobile launched Brain Search, based on CADIE.

3. Here is what happened in GMail: The autopilot. Now you don't need to send replies to all messages you get.

4. Google China launched the technology for map imagery collection using 32 million pigeons. Here is the entry translated from Chinese.

5. Youtube is upside down: New viewing experience.

6. Microsoft redesigned the Live home page to display the famous rabbit with three horns:

[for image, Thanks to Rustybrick, SE Roundtable]

7. Yahoo launched Ideological Search, which keeps controversy out of search results as they say. Here is the Ideological search home page.

8. The DailyBlogTips blog came up with one hell of a nice post, which tells about a website from which you can download the zipped packages of the entire World Wide Web, in 28 files of hundreds of GBs in size. Daniel also got a nice explanation for it all. You will find my comment too in the post.

And, well, you know what we had yesterday. Please share with us all pranks that you found elsewhere.

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Google Aiming for Microsoft's Hostile Acquisition!

Today morning, at about 10 AM PST, Google CEO, Eric Schmidt announced at the Palo Alto private residence of Google's founders that in the near future, Microsoft may be acquired by Google. Schmidt said that Google as a company holds more than eighty per cent of MS's shares in the market. And soon enough, all of market shares will be with Google, with a supreme power to do hostile acquisition of Microsoft.

Eric Schmidt (Google CEO): "We rule!"

With this revelation that could rock all areas of the current Internet and software field, Google could be in the forefront of offline and online software development. Within two hours after this shocking revelation, MS share prices dropped more than a half.

Once the acquisition is complete, a lot of changes are expected to happen in the software giant. Here are some of the highlights Schmidt spoke about:

MSN will be replaced with a Google social network, currently codenamed GSN.

Windows OS will be available as a free web-based operating system, with client-side browser (which is expected to be Google Chrome) as the interface. With this, you only need to download 10 MB of software in order to run an entire PC. Special editions of Windows for Mac and Linux are coming forth too.

Already, Google Docs and Spreadsheets™ has been in close contention with Microsoft's similar products, under the MS Office Suite. With the forced acquisition of Microsoft, Schmidt said, the Office Suite will be soon replaced with Google Docs and Spreadsheets, available free online.

Encarta will completely be replaced in Google search results by Wikipedia's substandard content.

MSDN and Visual Studio .NET Suite will be freely made available to users worldwide, online.

Google will stop MSN Spaces and will point the domain to Google Blogger instead.

All of MS AdCenter advertisers' credits will be dragged into their AdWords account.

Besides these changes, all of other MS products, such as the games, Xbox, Media Center, Media Room, Money, Expression, Silver Light, MSN TV, etc., will be replaced or reinvented to make their free counterparts, with Adsense incorporated in the most unanticipated of ways.

This forced acquisition of one of the largest software companies hasn't been even in the remotest dreams of any software professional.

Microsoft's decision to pay users worldwide to start using MS products instead of their free Google counterparts later this month had garnered quite a lot of attention. With this decision, users in the government and civilian sector in countries like Somalia, Uganda, Zaire, Zimbabwe, and South Mugabe were given each hundred dollars and a copy of Microsoft products, with monitoring programs preinstalled to make sure they are using only MS products and not Google's or Yahoo's.

But unanticipated acquisition of Microsoft was quite a shock to its board of directors. It has already shattered all their dreams. Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, was also seen quite disturbed and agitated in a press interview this morning held at his residence in New York. "We never anticipated it. It's a charade! A charade! A cunning charade! And we are finished!" He shouted at the press conference, shortly before stopping the conference midway.

Steve Ballmer (MS CEO): "We are finished!"

Google is partying tonight at the Mountain View, and "the World is invited!" shouted Sergey Brinn, the co-founder of Google.

[This prank of a blog post is meant only as entertainment today, the All Fools' Day!]

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Former Convicts as Friends in Facebook: Jail Officer Loses Job

The Telegraph reported this story today: After investigating the misconduct of a jail officer in Leicester jail, the residential landing officer, Nathan Singh was relieved of the position for befriending thirteen former convicts through Facebook.

Nathan was suspected of giving cell phones and other items to inmates, but the investigation failed to prove it, though it got evidence of Nathan's Facebook contacts.

His friends have been jailed for various crimes from murder, fraud, theft, to drug offences.

Nathan explained that most of these friends were known to him over many years, either from school or football team. He also defended him saying that he accepted the friend requests from people without looking at their profiles.

The operation, codenamed Operation Earlgrey to pin down Nathan was initiated five months after he joined the prison service in January 2008.

This story is an indication of how important the social networking and bookmarking sites are becoming in the real world. From now on, your discreet use of Facebook, Twitter, and others is highly recommended.

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Important! Read About My Twitter Password Hijacker

A few days ago, while I was checking my Twitter mentors, I found an account that I obviously didn't follow. I stopped following him at that time. Then the next day, when I logged back in, I found the same guy's updates. I was surprised and thought I might not have stopped following anyway, and removed him again. The next day, he reappeared. I didn't give it much thought as I don't use Twitter for any kind of promotion or don't deem it as anything comparable to my email, so as to give a strong password.

The guy who continued to reappear is Gary Vaynerchuk, a wine blogger and vendor. He goes by the Twitter user ID @Garyvee.

For all weak services, I use a common password (which is changed now). The same password was used on my Facebook account. A few days ago, I found that I was following a page created by Gary Vaynerchuk in Facebook. I never had any recollection of joining that page.

This is possibly a Twitter password hijacking. This person has somehow got my password for Twitter as well as Facebook and manipulated my accounts.

If you look at his Twitter account, you will find that he has astoundingly huge number of followers. Even more than several professional bloggers. If you are following this guy too, then I advise you stop following right away, and change your Twitter password.

Here are some tips to stay safe:

1. Don't ever share your Twitter password with any online service other than Twitter itself. Many Twitter-related online services require you to share your password. Don't do it.
2. Change your Twitter password now!
3. Keep different passwords for different services.
4. If you are friends with anyone you didn't originally add, change your password quickly and remove the person.

It is good that the wine guy didn't change my password, steal my contact details, or manipulate my account in anyway, other than use it to further his reach. But this type of business is abhorrent. Please let others know of this.

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