How to Kill Spyware

by Andre Bell

Published on this site: November 7th, 2005 - See more articles from this month

Almost everyone who uses the internet has seen popup ads and has been embarrassed when your browser is redirected without your permission to web pages you had no desire to see. Aunt Mabel would get sent to an early grave if she were sitting there. The shame of it!

Worse perhaps is finding your bank accounts or credit cards or online accounts like PayPal and eBay have been charged for things you've never purchased, from companies you've never heard of, and shipped to places you've never been to.

All this can result from privacy intrusions and malicious spyware.

The internet is a great place to schedule vacations and shop for everything from low-cost specialty toothpastes to high-end luxury homes all from the comfort of your favorite easy chair. So how do you continue to do this without risking your privacy?

You make certain the computer you use is free from all identity threats and spyware.

How do you know if your computer has been infected?

Most spyware leaves traces and clues that your computer has been infected. You get popup ads even after being disconnected from the internet, your computer starts slowing down for no apparent reason, it takes longer to connect to the internet, your home page has changed without your permission, and sites you've never visited have been added to your favorites.

Those are just some of the more obvious clues.

Some spyware `hides' in your computer and watches everything and you do online and offline. Then it reports back to its owner all the information (your information) that it has gathered. It is just as dangerous but harder to notice.

So how do you remove spyware and protect your identity?

The hard (and crazy) way is to manually edit your registry and hidden startup files. I do not recommend this for most people unless it's a last resort attempt to gain back control of your computer.

The easy way to get rid spyware is to install anti-spyware software such as Spybot Search & Destroy, Webroot SpySweeper, or AdAware. Spybot S&D is the preferred single choice.

What makes Spybot such a good value? Spybot is very thorough at removing the majority of spyware threats you are likely to see and it is free. However, by itself no single anti-spyware program is sufficient if your privacy is important to you.

I also recommend you run Webroot Spysweeper. It has a free demo version that works very well and last that I checked it was in no way `crippled', as some demos are.

Webroot and Spybot make a powerful one two punch that will get rid of most, if not all spyware that is running on your computer. However, neither will get rid of Trojans or viruses that might be serving up spyware or other exploits. You'll need a strong antivirus program for that.

Once your computer is clean from spyware how do you prevent reinfection?

The best defense is not to get infected in the first place.

Get a MAC. Supporters of Apple's MAC computers claim there has never been a successful virus written for Mac OS X and there is very little spyware that targets the Mac computer. Nearly all existing spyware and viruses target vulnerabilities in Windows machines because most computers are running some version of Microsoft Windows. This makes the MAC an attractive option for anyone who is mega-concerned with online privacy.

However, the learning curve, the cost of implementing all new software and an unfamiliar operating system, and the lack of compatibility with Windows pc owners (not to mention the high cost of purchasing a MAC) discourages most people from seriously considering buying a MAC. If that doesn't turn you off then maybe a MAC is right for you.

Keep your version of Windows security up-to-date by frequently visiting http://update.microsoft.com

Stay off of questionable web sites. This includes `adult' sites and piracy sites

Run real-time protection shields that come with programs like AdAware, Spybot, Webroot SpySweeper, and `The Cleaner'

Once you've cleaned your machine of threats and taken these steps to protect yourself you can return to doing your online banking and making online purchases with confidence your privacy is safe and without the fear of giving Aunt Mabel a coronary.

Andre Bell is an author and Microsoft Certified Professional who has worked as a system administrator, an independent computer technician, and as a technical support specialist for UPS. He has authored The Internet Identity Theft Protection DVD. To request a free copy of this DVD go to www.noidtheft.net/free