Adware and Spyware

Adware and spyware (as well as snoopware, spybots, tracking software, and malware) are terms used to describe software designed to gather information about you and your surfing habits. For this page we'll use malware as an umbrella term. Malware is almost always installed on your system without your explicit knowledge, as the result of activities such as installing software, visiting a website, clicking on a deceptive pop-up window, or viewing or clicking a link in an e-mail message.

Malware is so prevalent and pervasive that if you have used your computer to access the internet, you're computer is almost certainly infected.

Some malware simply keeps track of sites you visit in order to provide you with targeted advertisements in the form of banners or pop-ups (adware) while other types transmit information to a third-party site without you being the wiser (spyware). Pernicious types of malware can even record and transmit sensitive personal information like passwords and credit card numbers. The line between some pernicious types of malware and a virus is basically non-existent.

Milder types of malware are often found in the form of cookies. While we don't recommend that you block all cookies, you might want to investigate upping your internet security settings (e.g., in Windows XP, access the Internet Options Control Panel, click on the Privacy tab, and check out the options under Settings—we use Medium High).

One of the best ways to prevent or remove malware is to install, and regularly update and run malware removal software. There are a number of such software packages available, but we'll list only a few (check out the Anti-Spyware Software Review for a more complete list):

Ad-Aware Both free and pay versions of this highly recommended utility are available.
Malicious Software Removal Tool This is a free tool from Microsoft for users of Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003. Tool is updated each month and can be run from the web page or using the Windows Update feature.
Spybot Search&Destroy Free (although they accept donations) and one of the most highly recommended spyware utilities available.
Symantec's Norton Internet Security $69.95 for home or home office version. A good all-in-one package that includes anti-virus, firewall, privacy, spam, and parental control solutions.
Windows Defender Microsoft's free spyware detection and removal software for Windows XP (SP2 or later) and Windows Server 2003 (SP1 or later).

As incidences and awareness of identity theft increases, so do the efforts of software companies (it's in their best interests to keep you as a satisfied customer). In addition to installing, and regularly updating and running malware removal software you should also be sure to regularly update your operating system, browser software (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, Opera, Firefox, Safari, etc.), firewall (see our Firewall Software page), and anti-virus software (see our Anti-Virus Software page) with the latest versions, security fixes, and patches available to you.

For more information about malware, perform an online search or check out the following links:

Anti-Spyware Software Review
Counterexploitation
Defining Malware: FAQ
Security at Home: Spyware

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