By  Stephen Speregen
Managing Editor

I'll tell you what Spyware is!

It Robs you of CPU Utilization, Speed and your Personal Information!
Clogs up and slows down your Internet Connection.
Spyware allows Pop Up's to over run your computer, spyware sends out your personal info plus more (identity theft).
Your email address is worth about 5 to 15 cents un-quantified (just a fresh email address) but if they know where you go and what you like; then they can quantify your address and get 1 dollar to 3 dollars per email address!
These guys then burn CD's and Excel spread sheets that they Sell over and over again, making your email address even more popular with the spammers!

I tell this to you because I was a victim and had to reload my whole system (some thirty hours) more than once to get all of my programs, email address book, email messages and 18 gigs of data in My Documents folder.
It got so bad after a while I decided to get another computer just to surf the internet!
I've been in the computer field for 16 years and what you did (where you go on the Internet) six months ago you can't do today and it is getting much worse.
Forget down loading music and programs, you just don't know what you are getting and the long downloads open up a chance to be hacked. (Sasser worm)

Ever download something and it doesn't work when you try to open it?

Well it is a good chance that it was corrupted by a hacker going in for the ride to your computer. The file gets unusable and he is in under the radar in your settings (anti virus and or spyware programs: If you have Administrator or power user rights and you surf with these settings you just gave away the farm. If you surf on the internet you should be on a stripped down profile, user with no install or delete rights.
Then hopefully the hackers won't have a chance of deleting key core security files or anti virus files leaving you open to more attacks.
There are still ways they can elevate their standings in your computer.
By looking for programs that have Admin rights in their "sample" programs such as Microsoft Office. (Access data base program has a sample data base to help you understand and to see one in action, these samples need to be deleted or not installed all together!)
One of the reason you should update your office programs is to get better security and better functions.

Yes they have updates for your MS Office suites and patches are being made daily but you still need to go and do them it is not automatic.  
Go up to http://www.microsoft.com and click on updates then click on office updates.

Another way to get there is to open Internet Explorer and click on tools then updates and while you are there please update. One of you best defenses is to have all the current patches from Microsoft.

File sharing programs are fraught with danger and a lot of these computers have viruses (You have no Idea what is going on in their system) that could spread to your computer not to mention you have no idea what so ever if the file has been tampered with during the download!

Just having an Anti Virus program doesn't mean you are safe!
Anti Virus programs are only as good as their last update!
Most anti Virus programs are just getting into the Spyware removal game and are really not up to par.

A year ago Spyware wasn't looked at by your Anti Virus software.
You needed a separate spyware removal software program.

Last years programs that got the job done were Lavasofts Ad Aware SE, Bullet proofs No Spyware, Spybots Search & Destroy programs and at that time they were able to eradicate the problem. 
But they did not keep up and are not the best ones to get now!
We are currently evaluating about 10 products to see who's product gets the job done! We will in the near future (around the end of April 2006 have the best picks and comparisons) be able to tell you our best Picks.

Please note their are now fake Spyware programs running around just don't click on pop ups telling you that your system is infected.
Some of them are, Spy Axe, Spy falcon, Spy chief and they are bogus!
They are the bad guys with a nasty deep burrowing infection that you would probably be better off just formatting your system and starting from scratch. Using a clean backup of your data.
 

Oh and by the way your Spyware and Anti Virus programs need to be up to date or it is a waste of time.

They have to be on to work.
(Spyware removal programs and Anti Virus programs.
There are 20 to 35  new viruses a day that are found, and if your Anti Virus isn't up to date (newest definition list) then it is like not having any protection at all!
The same goes for Spyware and it is steadily getting worse.

If you haven't check or done your Daily or weekly scans then you are not protected at all!

Even with all this you can still be had!
(new virus and spyware that are not on the list.)
Yes there are an awful lot of removal tools out there to help, but new spyware (just found out about) requires new removal tools that unfortunately are not yet made. 
A lot of new Viruses and Spyware are sneaking in and shutting off your Anti Virus and Spyware software without you even knowing!
(they shut down the programs designed to catch them, leaving you with a false sense of security) Our next night mare are Web Bots.

Don't buy anything from Pop up's!
Please don't encourage them to do more pop up's by buying from them.
If they see it is not bring in revenue, Maybe just maybe they will stop or slow down.
Double check programs by putting there Name in Google to see what everyone else is saying about them.
I have found bogus programs that are actually Virus, worms, Key loggers, Trojans and the worst Spyware you have encountered yet!
 
Complain to your ISP that they should be doing something about the spam (unsolicited Email).
 
Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) happens to be your first line of defense and they are dropping the ball!
ISP's complain that bandwidth is tight because of Spam, Worms & Virus's that are running unchecked.
Close the barn door and BANDWIDTH will decrease from all this Malware not being dumped on your subscribers computers!
 

Without email complaints that they can physically count,
they will do nothing to clean up this mess!
They have the ability to block this Spyware and Malware before it can get to your computer!
(The ones that are on everyone's radar at least) This way you are not hit by common ones.
This might put the odds in your favor instead of the Malware maker.
I understand new types of Spyware and Malware are evolving into the worst nightmare we as computer users and the ISP's are having to deal with.
 

What can I do to clean this mess up?

1. Complain to your ISP, (email, call them and state they need to fix this or you will leave and join a class action suit in the works to get this fixed) (Earth Link, MSN, AOL, SBC, Prodigy, Net Zero, Juno and the list goes on)
    

2. Get a couple of Spyware removal tools one doesn't cut it ,  Newer Versions of Anti virus software are now stating to bundle their products with Spyware awareness tools. This is a start but Anti Virus programs are tackling an area they don't have the expertise in YET! (please note don't go over board and run 5 or 6 cause it will slow down your computer.)
    

3. The tools above are great and do most of the job.
   I like the Spyware Blaster because it is not reactive it is proactive,  and Ad-ware is almost an industry standard but is not the best on the block now. Bullet Proof has a lot more tools and does a decent job finding and cleaning out the mess but as I said earlier has fallen by the way side.
    

4. There are newer versions of spyware programs out there please check them out first before you click on them (don't get a wolf in sheep's clothing.  There are plenty of shareware products and it pays to buy them or donate to their cause. We will have a list of the best Spyware programs in April of 2006 that we have tested.
    

5. Don't put Browser helpers on your computer no matter who makes them!
   Toolbars or BHO's on your computer open holes in your security.
   (Yahoo, Google and AOL just to name a few all track what you do with their tool bars)
    

6. If your home page changes and you did not do it,  you have been hacked by Malware!
    

7. Have POP UP's been over running you? you have been hacked by Malware!
    

8. Start in your Add and Remove programs, Remove hotbars / programs from Google, Yahoo and other search engines.  **
    

9. Run the SpyWare removal tools next! (go to Google and type Spyware tools to get lists of Spyware tools out there. Don't buy one from a popup!
    

10. Don't buy a pop up blocker from a pop up!
    "THINK"
    Please don't encourage them!
     

11. Microsoft doesn't send email for Tests, Patches or Security updates, if it did we would have a slow down on all of the email servers for month's to come.   
    ( 64 million plus and growing client's have Microsoft as their Operating system )
    You have to go up to Microsoft to update.
     

12. Common sense goes a long way.
    Think did I ask for this? Don't just accept every popup?
    Net Send command are hard to block and they might look like something Microsoft is sending out but think before you Click.
     

13. Think before you click and then think again before you cost yourself a lot of grief that just one click can cost you! Reloading nightmare

Flash News

Some thing is getting done finally about this terrorism!
Click on the link above.
 

*     VX2 has morphed (12/09/04) into Oh my god I will have to reload all of my software cause the removal tools don't work as of this date. Give it a week and I'm sure the bugs will be out of it but the fact remains this is worse than Virus's and they the hackers are having a field day!

**   Some Hotbars are open security holes, spyware reports where you go and what you look at, sending this info to advertisers. Claria, Gator (Gain) Start page, NCase, Zestyfind, Win fixer, vurtmundo, Win Anti Virus 2004 thru 2010 versions and a ton of others.
They sell your email address to advertiser's  for huge boat loads of money.
Hackers take advantage of holes like this to steal your Identity.

Don't make them RICH.

Date last edited 12/22/2008