Tech Advisory - TA01

The World Of Spy-ware & Ad-ware

1. What is it?

Does your computer system act "sluggish"? Does your system spend a lot of excessive time when "booting up" and "shutting down"? Do things begin to happen, when you're "on-line", that are unexplainable? More and more, the possibility exists, that your system has been "infected" with "Spy-ware and/or Ad-ware"! If you are actively getting information from the Internet, or you have been exposed to “pop-ups/pop-unders” from Web Browsing, any time over the past few months, your computer system is most likely infected. This may be the reason why your computer seems to be running slower.

"Spy-ware" is a common term for files that are stored on your computer, without your knowledge or permission, that allow companies to "monitor" your Internet activity. What they also don't tell you is how these files can be compromising your privacy as well as being extremely dangerous to your PC and, in some cases, can cause the hard disk to crash. Spy-ware & Ad-ware will find its way into three different areas of your computer system. 1) the file system that resides on your hard disk, 2) the system registry, and 3) the "cookies" folder! Although most of the cookies are legitimate, and are beneficial to effective browsing techniques, the cookies folder is a favorite "hiding place" for the spies.

2. What can be done?

Due to the increase in "Spy-ware" activity, a major end-user concern, a plethora of Spy-ware Checking Software has been developed. Most will do a good job and detect most programs that attempt to search out your "sensitive" information, or do harm to your computer system. They will permit you to "download" and use their "Checker Application", to look for the little "spy robots" in your computer, but ask you for a fee before you can fix all of the problems that it finds! If you are technically proficient, the "free" downloads work just fine, and you will be expected to manually remove bad Files, bad Registry entries and bad Cookies to clean up your system.

PC Magazine, the March, 2004 edition, reviews a dozen of these Companies and their Spy-ware Detection applications. One of those reviewed is Spybot Search & Destroy. Spybot S&D is a "four-star rated" piece of software which includes the capability to "fix the problems" and can be downloaded and used FOR FREE! In addition to finding and fixing Spy-ware and Ad-ware problems, that are lurking in your system, it will also help you to "immunize" your computer system against future Spy-ware. The company that created “Spybot S&D" asks only for "donations" for the use of their product.

3. The Download Solution

Generally, what you download to your computer is a 4.9 Megabyte, self-extracting, .exe file, which will be used to install Spybot S&D on your system. Once the download is complete, you will find (locate) the file named "spybotsdl4.exe" on your system, and by "double-clicking" on the file you will install the application software.

4. The Procedure to Follow:

a) Open your Internet Browser, Home Page, and "highlight the address in the Address Bar"

b) Type: www.spybot.com and tap the ENTER KEY. You will go to the Spybot Website Homepage. Click the word “English” in order to “open” your session!

c) Scroll down, about half-way, to the "Welcome!" Section and read

about “Spybot Search & Destroy”. It will be the second paragraph on the page. You will see the word "download" and it will be colored “Blue”. Clicking this link will send you the download locator page, where you will select a location from which to download. Scroll down to the “Download” Section and find Spybot S&D version 1.4 at the top. Click the Blue “Download” Bar and from the “Available Mirrors” pick Zone-X for your download. The web address is www.zone-x.com. Follow the procedure of the site that you select in order to download Spybot S&D version 1.4. The download timing is geared to your Internet Connection and your Modem Speed, i.e., with a 56K Dial-Up Modem, expect to be downloading for 20-to-30 minutes!

d) Write down the "Receiving Location"! You will download a 4.9MB, compressed, self-extracting, executable file which you will run to install Spybot S&D. During installation, you can choose whether or not to have a Desktop Icon and other options that are available to make it easier.

e) Locate the file “Spybotsd14.exe”, that you just downloaded. Again, by double-clicking this file, you will install the program on your computer system. You are now ready to run “Spybot S&D”!

5. Notes Regarding Spybot’s Operation

To run Spybot, simply "double-click" the Desktop Icon, or if you installed without it, click START / PROGRAMS / SPYBOT SEARCH, The “easy mode” option (to begin). The advanced mode option is quite a bit more sophisticated and allows you to do other things like “immunize”, “update”, or “selective search”. After becoming accustomed to the operation of Spybot S&D, you can work in the advanced program!

The "Check For Problems" button, when clicked, will check your entire system for unknown programs that are there to pull information from your system. Remember - some are legitimate. The process takes from 30 seconds to 180 seconds, depending on your computer's clock speed. Your first pass will probably find numerous Files, Registry Entries and Cookies that qualify as “spy-ware” or “ad-ware”.

Don't be alarmed at the count .….. some initial checks have found several hundred, all of which have been bogging down the computer! These will be visible in the "working display" window! A "double-click" on the RED name of the item will open an information window, showing you the source of the item, and why it is there!

Underneath the working display you will see the "Fix The Problems" button. Clicking on this button will Remove all entries that show in the working display window, THAT HAVE A CHECKMARK IN THE BOX AT THE LEFT OF THE ITEM. If you don't want an item removed, REMOVE THE CHECKMARK BY CLICKING ON THE SMALL BOX!

After the “fixing” operation, the checkmarks will be presented in “green” indicating that they have been removed. Spybot S&D will allow a “recovery” of items that were inadvertently removed!

Close Spybot, then open Spybot a second time, and “Check For Problems” again. Your system should get a clean “notice”!

Have Fun! Keep your system clean! Run Spybot!