The Spyware Menace

Imagine what you would do if you turned on your computer one day and saw the following message pop up on your screen:

"Hi! I'm about to install a piece of software that will track the websites you go to and send that information to online retailers who want to send you lots of spam. While I'm at it, the software I'm about to install will send you about a dozen pop-up windows every time you try to open your web browser and will make your computer run as slow as a snail. If I'm in a particularly bad mood, then I'll alter some files on your hard drive so that your machine won't start up properly anymore.

Oh yes, one more thing: I'll also collect your credit card information every time you check out at an online store and send your credit card numbers and personal information back to my nefarious maker.

If you'd like me to install this software, please click Yes so that I can start. If for some reason you'd rather I didn't install this software, go ahead and click No, and I won't bother you again."

Now, if you saw a message like this, you'd click "No", right? Of course you would: if a piece of software as malicious as this one came right out and told you everything it was planning to do, there's no way you'd install it on your computer willingly. But what do you do if this piece of software wasn't polite enough to give you this kind of warning? What if this software installed itself automatically (and without your permission) just because you browsed to a particular website or downloaded a game that you like to play? I bet you'd call that annoying at best and downright dangerous at worst.

Unfortunately, this kind of software already exists on the Internet. It's called spyware, and it can install itself on your computer without you even being aware of it. You don't remember installing it, and that's probably because you actually didn't it installed in the background while you were doing something else on the Internet. All you know is that you've got all these pop-up ads every time you turn on your PC, your computer is running slower or is just acting "weird," and your browser opens up to this strange web page that you don't remember visiting. It almost feels like it isn't your computer anymore, and in some ways it's not. Spyware has become fairly widespread, now that so many people have high-speed Internet access from their homes. Because your cable modem or DSL connection is always connected, it means that you're always "on the Internet," even if you're not actually browsing websites or checking your email. Spyware can use this always-on connection to display pop-up ads on your screen just about at will, and it can often do even worse things.

Luckily, there are a number of steps that you can take to protect yourself from this threat, even if your computer has already caught a bad case of spyware. From free tools that you can install to monitor for spyware and remove existing problems to simple tips and guidelines to make Internet browsing a safer experience, there are steps that you can take to minimize your exposure to spyware. In this book, I'll talk about some guidelines that you can follow to protect yourself, and I'll look at some free tools that you can use to clean up the clutter that spyware causes on your computer.

A few words on language before we get started: I'll use the words "PC," "personal computer," and "computer" fairly interchangeably throughout this book. I'm referring to the personal computer that you have sitting in your bedroom, your kid's room, or your home office. If you have a problem with a PC at work, I suggest that you talk to your company's IT people before installing any of the spyware removal tools that I'll be talking about. I say this because many companies have specific policies in place about what kinds of software you can install on your office PC, and they (hopefully) have their own procedures in place for dealing with spyware.

You'll also hear me talk about "spyware," "viruses," and "malicious software," or "malware" for short. I use the term "malicious software" to describe any kind of software that (1) you didn't install, and (2) tries to do something bad to your computer. Spyware is malicious software, and computer viruses also fit the bill. Spyware and computer viruses aren't quite the same thing, though, which we'll talk more about later in the book. I'm also going to assume that you're running some version of Microsoft Windows, and that you've been using the Internet Explorer browser, which comes pre-installed on Windows machines.

I'm also not going to be an alarmist and tell you that the Internet is this horrible place that's full of nothing but spyware, viruses, and spam. I like the Internet, and I like computers I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't. Without the Internet, I'd have a much harder time researching the things I write about and use in my life as a computer consultant. The Internet is a great resource for anyone, just so long as you approach it with a certain amount of common sense. I try to think of the Internet as if it were a major city like Manhattan, London, or Berlin. That is to say, the majority of the people who live there are basically decent folks who are just going about their business and want to be left alone. The bad and even criminal element is there, for sure, but as long as you take a few precautions and don't needlessly expose yourself to risks, you can enjoy a stay on the Internet just as much as a trip to New York to see a Broadway show.

So, let's get started with a look at what spyware is and how you can protect yourself from it.