Defend Yourself Against Spyware

Spyware is more annoying than scary, though you do have to be on your guard against the worst of its ill effects. Luckily, it is relatively easy to defend against. In this section I'll show you how to scan, cleanse , and defend your system against it. For the more advanced spyware infections, please see p. 66 . Okay, let's get busy.

Spyware Countermeasures: 10-Minute Tactics

Here are a series of tasks that should take no more than 10 minutes each. When complete you'll be a lot less vulnerable to spyware.

Download a Free Anti-spyware Program

Spyware can be detected and cleansed with an anti-spyware program. It works similarly to an antivirus program except that its purpose is to keep your system free of spyware and adware.

The good news is there are many anti-spyware programs out there. The bad news is there are many anti-spyware programs out there. It's hard to choose the good from the bad. Some are great, some are not, and some are really awful and don't do much except find your cookies and flash overanxious alerts at you. So what to do?

The three products I recommend you use to protect your system are

• Microsoft AntiSpyware

• Spybot Search & Destroy

• Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition

All three are free. In the case of Microsoft AntiSpyware (see Figure 2.7), it used to be called Giant AntiSpyware until Microsoft bought it. The happy news is it's one of the best products out there. (Say what you want about Microsoft, they never cheap out when it comes to key acquisitions.)

Figure 2.7. Microsoft AntiSpyware is an easy to use, highly effective anti-spyware tool for Windows XP and 2000 that's free.

Microsoft said it will build the program into future versions of Windows. In the meantime, the company has made it available free from its website. Note that it's designed for use with Windows XP or Windows 2000 (and won't work on older versions of Windows).

If you use either of these operating systems, the best thing you can do right now is download and install it. That should take you about 10 minutes. Do a quick scan to cleanse your system of most of the pressing spyware threats and then go back to your regularly scheduled life, until you have more time to think about the problem.

Tip

If you have an older copy of Windows such as Windows 95, 98, or Me, I suggest you get yourself a free copy of Spybot Search & Destroy from http://www.safer-networking.net or Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition from http://www.lavasoft.de.

To download Microsoft AntiSpyware, follow these steps:

1.	Open Internet Explorer, and visit www.microsoft.com/spyware/.
2.	Find the Download Microsoft AntiSpyware link and follow it until you get to the page with the Validation Required box and click the Continue button (see Figure 2.8).
3.	The program takes you to a page where you can start a Windows validation check to make sure you own a legal copy of Windows XP prior to downloading Microsoft AntiSpyware software (see Figure 2.9).
4.	When the validation process is finished, the MicrosoftAntiSpywareInstall.exe program downloads. Click Download (see Figure 2.10) and when the download box appears, click Run (see Figure 2.11).
5.	If you get a security warning, click Run (see Figure 2.12). It's safe to run the downloaded software in this case.
6.	Microsoft AntiSpyware begins to install. When you see a license agreement, read it and click the option beside I Accept the Terms in This License Agreement (if you agree).
7.	Click Next twice and click Install. Installation is quite speedy unless your computer is old and pokey or filled with spyware.
8.	When the installation process completes, tick off the box that reads Launch Microsoft AntiSpyware and click Finish.
9.	When the program launches, you'll see the Setup Assistant (see Figure 2.13). Click Next to get started.
10.	The program asks you if you'd like to configure it so it automatically updates itself. Select the Yes option, and then click Next (see Figure 2.14).
11.	You'll then be asked if you want to enable Real Time Security Protection (see Figure 2.15). This is importantselect the Yes option and click Next. Real Time Protection is a mechanism that watches for spyware trying to sneak on to your system from a variety of sources. If a spyware program is a cockroach, Real Time Protection is the guy with fat-heeled boots and good aim.
12.	Next you'll be asked if you want to join SpyNet and help fight against spyware (see Figure 2.16). This is up to you. If you agree, the program submits new spyware it finds on your computer via the Internet to the Microsoft database to help the developers learn about new infections.
13.	When you've made your selection, click Next. During this installation process, you may receive a notice that you're running NetBIOS, a service used to send alerts to a computer (see Figure 2.17). NetBIOS is to computers what those electronic alert boards are to a highway . Imagine if an advertiser hijacked one of those and used it to sell you soft drinks. So it doesn't hurt to let Microsoft AntiSpyware switch NetBIOS off.
14.	When you've finished with all of these options, you'll see the final screen, which suggests you run a spyware scan now. Click the big fat button in the middle of the screen that says Run Quick Scan Now.
15.	When it asks you if you'd like to update your spyware signatures, click on Update Now. These signatures help the program recognize known spyware. They are like electronic mugshots of the bad guys.
16.	Wait for the update to complete and click Close. Your first scan begins. Allow the program to clean up any spyware it finds. Learn more about spyware removal on p. 66 .

Figure 2.8. Before you can download Microsoft AntiSpyware, you have to go through the Windows validation process to ensure you have a legal copy of Windows XP.

Figure 2.9. The validation process analyzes the copy of Windows XP on your computer to ensure it is a legitimate copy before it lets you download Microsoft AntiSpyware.

Figure 2.10. After your Windows version is validated , you may download Microsoft AntiSpyware.

Figure 2.11. When the installer program for Microsoft AntiSpyware downloads, choose Run to install it.

Figure 2.12. You might get a security warning when you download the installer for Microsoft AntiSpyware. It's okay to run it.

If you do the validation with the Firefox web browser, the process has a few extra steps. This is outlined on p. 230 .

Figure 2.13. After installation, Microsoft AntiSpyware runs the Setup Assistant. Be sure you don't ignore this crucial step.

Figure 2.14. Be sure to turn on AutoUpdates in Microsoft AntiSpyware when prompted during configuration so you get the latest spyware signature updates.

Figure 2.15. Be sure to turn on Real Time Protection in Microsoft AntiSpyware. It keeps watch on your computer to ensure spyware doesn't sneak onto the machine.

Figure 2.16. Joining the SpyNet community allows the software to send suspected spyware back to Microsoft to help develop spyware signatures.

Figure 2.17. Microsoft AntiSpyware switches off NetBIOS, which is a computer messaging mechanism that can be hijacked to broadcast ads at you.

Caution

If you fail the validation test, you are not able to continue with the download. Microsoft gives you two options. If you send in your CD, show proof of ownership, and fill out a piracy report, the company replaces the CD with a free valid copy. If you don't have the CD, you can fill out a piracy report and get a discounted full version of Windows XP.

Increase Browser Security Settings

In Internet Explorer set your security settings to medium or high. This provides you with a reasonable amount of security as you surf the Web and you'll see a warning if anything tries to download to your computer without your permission. To set this up follow these steps:

1.	Open Internet Explorer.
2.	Click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
3.	Choose the Security tab.
4.	Click the Internet icon in the Web Content Zone box.
5.	Click the Default Level button and a vertical slider appears (see Figure 2.18).
6.	Move the slider to the Medium or High setting.

Figure 2.18. Set your security settings to medium or high in Microsoft Internet Explorer. This alerts you to unwanted downloads from the Web that could be spyware trying to get onto your system.

Anti-Spyware Web-Surfing Tips

If you remember these three tips you'll be on your way to preventing spyware from getting on to your computer:

• Only download files or programs from websites you trust.

• Read a website's privacy statement and software license agreements. These provide you with clues to any misuse of your personal information when using these sites or about programs you download.

• If you can't close a pop-up window, never click OK, Agree, or Close inside the body of the window. Only close the window by clicking the X in the top-right corner of the window.

Run Windows Update Frequently

You'll see this recommendation a lot in this book. Run Windows Update every week. This service downloads all the latest security fixes for Windows to your computer. If you have Windows XP, ensure you download and install Service Pack 2 and turn on automatic updates so your computer automatically downloads the critical fixes for you.

Caution

To curtail software piracy, Microsoft requires you to run the Windows validation process each time you download an XP add-on. The exception is Windows security updates.

Update Your Spyware Signatures

If you already have an anti-spyware program installed, be sure to update its spyware signatures regularly. These are like mugshots of bad guys. The anti-spyware program compares the spyware signatures to potential threats as they arrive on your computer. If there's a match, the program stops the spyware. Some anti-spyware programs update these signatures automatically. On others you have to do it yourself. For example, Microsoft AntiSpyware automatically updates its signatures, while Spybot Search & Destroy does not (see Figure 2.19).

Figure 2.19. To keep Spybot Search & Destroy up to date, you need to check for new spyware signatures using the program's update feature.

Tip

If your computer has Windows XP, the most critical fix available is a huge security update from Microsoft called Service Pack 2 (SP2). Learn more about installing SP2 on p. 281 .