A keylogger is a program that runs in your computer’s
background secretly recording all your keystrokes. Once
your keystrokes are logged, they are hidden away for later
retrieval by the attacker. The attacker then carefully
reviews the information in hopes of finding passwords or
other information that would prove useful to them.  For
example, a keylogger can easily obtain confidential emails
and reveal them to any interested outside party willing to
pay for the information. 

Keyloggers can be either software or hardware based.
Software-based keyloggers are easy to distribute and
infect, but at the same time are more easily detectable.
Hardware-based keyloggers are more complex and harder to
detect.  For all that you know, your keyboard could have a
keylogger chip attached and anything being typed is
recorded into a flash memory sitting inside your keyboard.
Keyloggers have become one of the most powerful
applications used for gathering information in a world
where encrypted traffic is becoming more and more common.

As keyloggers become more advanced, the ability to detect
them becomes more difficult. They can violate a user’s
privacy for months, or even years, without being noticed. 
During that time frame, a keylogger can collect a lot of
information about the user it is monitoring.  A keylogger
can potential obtain not only passwords and log-in names,
but credit card numbers, bank account details, contacts,
interests, web browsing habits, and much more.  All this
collected information can be used to steal user’s personal
documents, money, or even their identity. 

A keylogger might be as simple as an .exe and a .dll that
is placed in a computer and activated upon boot up via an
entry in the registry. Or, the more sophisticated
keyloggers, such as the Perfect Keylogger or ProBot
Activity Monitor have developed a full line of nasty
abilities including:

· Undetectable in the process list and invisible in
   operation
· A kernel keylogger driver that captures keystrokes even
  when the user is logged off
· A remote deployment wizard
· The ability to create text snapshots of active
  applications
· The ability to capture http post data (including log-
   ins/passwords)
· The ability to timestamp record workstation usage
· HTML and text log file export
· Automatic e-mail log file delivery

All keyloggers are not used for illegal purposes.  A
variety of other uses have surfaced.  Keyloggers have been
used to monitor web sites visited as a means of parental
control over children. They have been actively used to
prevent child pornography and avoid children coming in
contact with dangerous elements on the web.  Additionally,
in December, 2001, a federal court ruled that the FBI did
not need a special wiretap order to place a keystroke
logging device on a suspect’s computer. The judge allowed
the FBI to keep details of its key logging device secret
(citing national security concerns). The defendant in the
case, Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., indicted for gambling and loan-
sharking, used encryption to protect a file on his
computer. The FBI used the keystroke logging device to
capture Scarfo’s password and gain access to the needed file.

Clearing Your Browser’s Cache
Often referred to as the cache, the Temporary Internet Files folder contains a kind of travel record of the items you have seen, heard, or downloaded from the Web, including images, sounds, Web pages, even cookies. Typically these items are stored in the Temporary Internet Files folder.

Storing these files in your cache can make browsing the Web faster because it usually takes your computer less time to display a Web page when it can call up some of the page’s elements or even the entire page from your local Temporary Internet Files folder.

Your browser’s cache stores the contents of all the Web pages that you have visited during a session. To safeguard your information and prevent another user from viewing what you have entered, you should clear the cache memory after you have completed the application. To clear your browser’s cache, follow the instructions below:

All those files stored in your cache take up space, so from time to time, you may want to clear out the files stored in your cache to free up some space on your computer. This is called clearing the cache.

You can adjust your Internet Explorer 6 settings to automatically clear the cache whenever you close Internet Explorer 6. Go to the Tools menu, and click Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab. In the “Settings” box, scroll down to the section labeled “Security,” and click to check the box next to the “Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed” option. Click OK to finish. This option does not delete cookies, but it will clear your cache of other files when you close your browser.

If you tend to go online a lot and have ample space on your computer, you might want to increase the size of your Temporary Internet Files folder. Why? Because Internet Explorer 6 will read already-viewed files from the cache first rather than take the time to download the same page from the Web, thus saving you time and money.

Adjusting How Often to Update
While it’s true that the more files you can load from your hard disk, the faster your browsing speed, it’s also true that those pages on the Web might have changed since being stored on your computer. You might not want to miss fresh content just to save a little time. Fortunately, in addition to the size of the cache, you can also customize how often Internet Explorer 6 checks the Web for updated content.

First you will need to go to the Internet Explorer 6 Settings box:
1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. The Internet Options box should open to the General tab.

2. On the General tab, in the Temporary Internet Files section, click the Settings button. This will open the Settings box.

3. In the Settings box, there are four ways to check for newer versions of pages that are stored in the Temporary Internet Files folder:

• Every visit to the page: You’re assured of the most current content, but it’s slower to browse previously viewed pages.

• Every time you start Internet Explorer 6: On your first visit to a page, Internet Explorer 6 will check for new information, but not on subsequent visits in the same browsing session.

• Automatically: Internet Explorer 6 will check automatically for any new content.

• Never: This option is fastest, but you could be viewing old content from the cache. To refresh the page, press the F5 button on your keyboard – this will connect you to the page on the Web and download new information to the Temporary Internet files folder.

Try several combinations of these options and cache size to find the best fit for your needs. You may need to use the settings for a few days to fully gauge how they are working.

Netscape 6.x, 7.x and 8.x users:
Select Edit, then Preferences.
Select Advanced from the Category listing.
Select Cache.
Select the Clear Disk Cache button then the Clear Memory
Cache buttons.
Select OK.

Internet Explorer 7.x:
Select Tools, then Internet Options.
Select the General tab at the top.
Under Browsing History, select the Delete button.
Select the Delete Files buttons next to Temporary Internet Files.

Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x users:
Select Tools, then Internet Options.
Select the General tab at the top.
Select the Clear History button.
Select Yes to confirm.
Select Delete Files.
Select OK.
Select OK to close the Internet Options Screen.

AOL 9.0:
Select Settings.
Select the Essentials tab.
Select the Internet (Web) option.
Select the General tab.
In the Temporary Internet Files area, select the DeleteFiles button, and select OK.

AOL 8.0:
Select Settings.
Select Preferences.
Select the Properties option.
In the Temporary Internet Files area, select the Delete
Files button, and select OK.

AOL 5.0-7.0 and AOL Explorer 1.2 users:
Select System Information.
Select the Utilities tab.
Select the Clear Browser Cache.

Mozilla Firefox 2.0 users:
Select Tools.
Select Options.
Select the Advanced option.
Select the Network tab.
Select the Clear Now button.

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 users:
Select Tools, then Clear Private Data.
Select the Browsing History, Saved Form Information,
Cache, and Authenticated Sessions options.
Select the Clear Private Data Now button.

Use a “wipe” utility program, which overwrites the entire hard drive and makes the files unrecoverable. Use Ccleaner available for free:
Download CCleaner Free Click Here and when installed select ‘Options’ then select ‘Settings. Under the heading ‘Secure Deletion’ click the ‘Secure file deletion (Slower)’ radio button and change the setting to Guttman (35 passes).

Related Post:
CCleaner – Erasing Your Browser History Safely

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© Free PC Security 2007

This video tutorial will show you how to install AVG Anti-Virus.
If you have Norton or McAfee I personally wouldn’t pay their
fees especially when you can have this protection for free.
If you have any other Anti-Virus and intend to install AVG,
please uninstall any other Anti-Virus program that you may
have.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is one of the most popular
solutions to provide basic security protection on home and
non-commercial PCs and is used by millions of people worldwide.

Important

Create a backup of your system or a restore Point before making any changes

Can also be viewed in Windows Media Player by clicking:
AVG Installation

What does encryption do for me?
Encryption and cryptographic software has been used in many
different ways to make systems more secure.  This article discusses
only a few ways that such software can make your system more secure,
including:  

1) Encrypting your email  

2) Encrypting your files

Two programs are mentioned that will help encrypt information. There
are many more programs out there that will help, but these programs
are good and a good place to start as any. They have the added
benefit of both being free with source code available. 

Will encryption stop people from accessing my information? 
Encryption simply makes it harder for people to gain access to
important information, like passwords or sensitive information in a
file. The first thing you should know about encryption is that the
algorithm that is used to encrypt can be simple or more complex and
that affects how securely what you have encrypted is protected.
Encryption systems have been broken when the method of encryption is
understood by hackers and is easy to break.  

Why bother to encrypt my email?
It should be noted that email is far less secure than paper mail for
two very good reasons:  first, electronic data can be accessed easily
over an Internet and secondly, electronic data is really simple to
copy. There is a very good chance that someone has snooped around in
your email despite your best intentions to stop it.  

How do I go about encrypting my email? 
There are many programs out there that can help you encrypt your
email.  A very popular one is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) or its Gnu
offshoot GPG.   

PGP (http://www.pgpi.org/) self-describes itself this way: This “is
a program that gives your electronic mail something that it otherwise
doesn’t have: Privacy. It does this by encrypting your mail so that
nobody but the intended person can read it. When encrypted, the
message looks like a meaningless jumble of random characters. PGP has
proven itself quite capable of resisting even the most sophisticated
forms of analysis aimed at reading the encrypted text.” 

Why bother to encrypt my files?  
The answer to this boils down to what you store on your computer.
If you have financial data with important information like social
security numbers, email addresses, account numbers and passwords,
then you open yourself up to losing very valuable information.  Most
corporate Internet security employees will attest to the widespread
theft of very valuable information. As long as you are connected to
the Internet you are vulnerable. 

How do I go about encrypting my files?
 AxCrypt File Encryption Software  (http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/)
Self-described as “Free Personal Privacy and Security for Windows
98/ME/NT/2K/XP with AES-128 File Encryption, Compression and
transparent Decrypt and Open in the original application.”

Identity theft is an very real problem and you need to actively protect yourself from it!

If your identity is ever stolen, it can be used in Fraudulent or Criminal activities, to obtain a job where you end up liable for the taxes, to make purchases of products and services that you WILL end up having to pay for, can completely devastate and destroy your credit, and take literally many years for you get it all straightened out.

Never give out personal information on the phone, through Postal Services, through e-mail or over the Internet in any other way, unless you’ve initiated the contact and you are sure you know who you’re dealing with.

Identity thieves can be skilled liars, and may pose as representatives of banks, government agencies, owners of a company, and yes, they can even pose as Internet service providers (ISPs) to get you to reveal identifying information. Before you divulge any personal information, confirm that you’re dealing with a legitimate representative of a legitimate organization. Double check by calling customer service using the number on your account statement, listed in the telephone book, or obtained via a Telephone Operator.

Your computer can be a goldmine of personal information to an identity thief. Here are some points on how you can safeguard your computer and the personal information it stores:

· Update your virus protection software regularly. Computer viruses can have damaging effects, including introducing program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information.

· Regularly check for security repairs and patches you can download from your operating system’s Web site.

· Don’t download files from strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don’t know, especially when it comes to e-mail where the e-mail contains an attachment. Clicking a link or opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program that could hijack your modem like a Trojan.

· Use a firewall, especially if you have a high-speed or “always on” connection to the Internet. A firewall allows you to limit uninvited access to your computer. Without a firewall, hackers can enter your computer remotely from anywhere in the world and even take over your computer and access sensitive information without you even knowing it.
I recommend the use of Online Armor Free Firewall

· To guard the safety of your online transactions always be sure the Web site you are on uses a secure browser software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet. When you’re submitting information, the address of the Web page should start with “https://” (apposed to the normal surfing address of http://), and also look for the “lock” icon on the status bar. It’s a symbol that your information is secure during transmission.

· Try not to store financial information on your PC or laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a “strong” password that is a combination of letters (upper and lower case) and numbers.

· Avoid using an automatic login feature that saves your user name and password; and always log off when you’re finished working in a password protected entry area. If your PC or laptop ever gets stolen, the thief will have a hard time accessing sensitive information if they need to enter usernames and passwords to access something.

· Delete any personal information stored on your computer before you dispose of it. Use a “wipe” utility program, which overwrites the entire hard drive and makes the files unrecoverable.

Use CCleaner freeware and when installed select ‘Options’ then select ‘Settings. Under the heading ‘Secure Deletion’ click the ‘Secure file deletion (Slower)’ radio button and change the setting to Guttman Algorithm (35 passes).

· Read Web site privacy policies. They should answer questions about the access to and accuracy, security, and control of personal information the site collects, as well as how sensitive information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties.

· Never provide personally identifiable information like a username and password, a government issued number that identifies you, financial details, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, or your home address in areas like chat rooms, forums, instant messengers, e-mail, or any other area over the Internet that gives others access to the information.

Remember, always back-up your system before making any changes. If using ccleaner make sure you know your passwords. I suggest you open a spreadheet or word processor, enter the site url, username and password and save it to floppy. Do NOT save this information on your hard drive.

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© Free PC Security 2007

How prevalent is Spam?  According to Scott McAdams, OMA Public Affairs and Communications Department (www.oma.org):

“Studies show unsolicited or “junk” e-mail, known as spam, accounts for roughly half of all e-mail messages received. Although once regarded as little more than a nuisance, the prevalence of spam has increased to the point where many users have begun to express a general lack of confidence in the effectiveness of e-mail transmissions, and increased concern over the spread of computer viruses via unsolicited messages.”

In 2003, President Bush signed the  “Can Spam” bill, in December of 2003 which is the first national standards around bulk unsolicited commercial e-mail.  The bill, approved by the Senate by a vote of 97 to 0, prohibits senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail from using false return addresses to disguise their identity (spoofing) and the use of dictionaries to generate such mailers. In addition, it prohibits the use of misleading subject lines and requires that emails include and opt-out mechanism. The legislation also prohibits senders from harvesting addresses off Web sites. Violations constitute a misdemeanour crime subject to up to one year in jail. 

One major point that needs to be discussed about this: 

Spam is now coming from other countries in ever-greater numbers. These emails are harder to fight, because they come from outside our country’s laws and regulations.  Because the Internet opens borders and thinks globally, these laws are fine and good, but do not stop the problem.

So what do you do about this? 

Here are the top 5 Rules to do to protect from spam.

Number 1: 
Do what you can to avoid giving your email address out on
the net.  

There are products called “spam spiders” that search the Internet for email addresses to send email to.  If you are interested, do a search on “spam spider” and you will be amazed at what you get back.

Interestingly, there is a site, WebPoison.org, which is an open
source project geared to fight Internet “spambots” and “spam
spiders”, by giving them bogus HTML web pages, which contain bogus email addresses

A couple of suggestions for you: 

a) use form emails, which can hide addresses or also b) use addresses like sales@company.com instead of
your full address to help battle the problem. c) There are also
programs that encode your email, like jsGuard, which encodes your email address on web pages so that while spam spiders find it, it is difficult or impossible to read your email address.

Number 2: 
Get spam blocking software.  There are many programs out
there for this.  (go to www.cloudmark.com or www.mailwasher.net for example).  You may also buy a professional version.  Whatever you do, get the software. It will save you time.  The software is not foolproof, but they really do help.  You usually have to do some manual set up to block certain types of email.

Number 3:
Use the multiple email address approach.

There are a lot of free email addresses to be had.  If you must
subscribe to newsletters, then have a “back-up” email address. It would be like giving your cell phone number to your best friends and the business number to everyone else.

Number 4: 
Attachments from people you don’t know are BAD, BAD, BAD.

A common problem with spam is that they have attachments and attachments can have viruses.  Corporations often have filters that don’t let such things pass to you.  Personal email is far more “open country” for spammers. 

General rule of thumb:  if you do not know who is sending you something, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT.  Secondly, look for services that offer filtering. Firewall vendors offer this type of service as well.

Number 5: 
Email services now have “bulk-mail” baskets.  If what you
use currently does not support this, think about moving to a new
vendor.  The concept is simple.  If you know someone, they can send you emails.  If you don’t know them, put them in the bulk email pile and then “choose” to allow them into your circle.  Spam Blocking software has this concept as well, but having extra layers seems critical these days, so it is worth looking into.

 Bob Matharoo has also written an interesting article on Spam,  check it out here

I just had, by mistake, a plug-in called Intelligent Explorer attach to my browser. What a nightmare!  I have another article on this topic, but this brings home a point.  Spyware or adware items are continually infecting computers. Most computers have no protection from them. Most frightening is the frequency of them.  From the InfosecWriters web site, “According to a 2004 survey by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance, 91% of users questioned were familiar with the term spyware. Only 53% believed their computers were infected, but a scan found that 80% of their PCs had some type of spyware installed on them.”  It goes on to say, “…The average number of spyware components per computer was 93 with one computer having well over a thousand.”

What is Spyware?

Butte College  (www.bctv.butte.edu/support/spyware.html) offers this definition:

“The term ‘spyware’ is broadly defined as any program that gets into your computer without permission and hides in the background while it makes unwanted changes to your user experience.

Spyware is generally not designed to damage your computer. The damage it does is more a by-product of its main mission, which is to serve you targeted advertisements or make your browser display certain sites or search results.

At present, most spyware targets only the Windows operating system (Internet Explorer).”

To be fair, spyware can be harmless, for example tracking cookies don’t do much. While such things infringe on your privacy, they don’t really harm anything. Others, however, are extremely dangerous.

So what do you do about it?

No spyware program seems to do everything, but there are a lot of goods solutions out there that can help. Here is a list of some of
the top Spyware tools to look at:

1) Try Ad-Aware 6.0 Professional from LavaSoft (there is also a free version with less functionality)

2) Spybot Search & Destroy from PepiMK Software

3) Xoftspy form Pareto Logic

4) Spyware Guard from Javacool Software is a free program

5) Pest Patrol (now part of Computer Associates by acquisition)

One thing is for certain: you do need to take spyware seriously.
For some reason, too many people out there think anti-virus solutions are the end-all solution. They are not. 

And, when all else fails?

Finally, as drastic as it seems,  if your computer has been infected with a large number of spyware programs, the only solution you may have is backing up your data, and performing a complete reinstall of the operating system.

Who hasn’t received an email directing them to visit a
familiar website where they are being asked to update their
personal information?  The website needs you to verify or
update your passwords, credit card numbers, social security
number, or even your bank account number.  You recognize
the business name as one that you’ve conducted business
with in the past.  So, you click on the convenient “take me
there” link and proceed to provide all the information they
have requested.  Unfortunately, you find out much later
that the website is bogus.  It was created with the sole
intent to steal your personal information.  You, my friend,
have just been “phished”.

Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act
of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have
an established, legitimate business.  The intent of the
phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their
private information, and ultimately steal your identity.

It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing
for information.  At first glance, the email may look like
it is from a legitimate company. The “From” field of the e-
mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in
the e-mail.  The clickable link even appears to take you to
the company’s website, when in fact, it is a fake website
built to replicate the legitimate site.

Many of these people are professional criminals.  They
have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look
authentic.  Users need to review all emails requesting
personal information carefully.  When reviewing your email
remember that the “From Field” can be easily changed by the
sender.  While it may look like it is coming from a .com
you do business with, looks can be deceiving.  Also keep in
mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make
their email look as legitimate as possible.  They will even
copy logos or images from the official site to use in their
emails.  Finally, they like to include a clickable link
that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their
information.
A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to
point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom
left hand screen of your computer.  The actual website
address to which you are being directed will show up for
you to view.  It is a very quick and easy way to check if
you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Finally, follow the golden rule.  Never, ever, click the
links within the text of the e-mail, and always delete the
e-mail immediately. Once you have deleted the e-mail, empty
the trash box in your e-mail accounts as well. If you are
truly concerned that you are missing an important notice
regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL
address of the website into your browser.  At least then
you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed
to the true and legitimate website.

Spyware is one of the fastest-growing internet threats.  According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, spyware infects more than 90% of all PCs today.  These unobtrusive, malicious programs are designed to silently bypass firewalls and anti-virus software without the user’s knowledge.  Once embedded in a computer, it can wreak havoc on the system’s performance while gathering your personal information.  Fortunately, unlike viruses and worms, spyware programs do not usually self-replicate. 

Where does it come from?

Typically, spyware originates in three ways.  The first and most common way is when the user installs it.  In this scenario, spyware is embedded, attached, or bundled with a freeware or shareware program without the user’s knowledge.  The user downloads the program to their computer.  Once downloaded, the spyware program goes to work collecting data for the spyware author’s personal use or to sell to a third-party.  Beware of many P2P file-sharing programs.  They are notorious for downloads that posses spyware programs.

The user of a downloadable program should pay extra attention to the accompanying licensing agreement.  Often the software publisher will warn the user that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested program.  Unfortunately, we do not always take the time to read the fine print.  Some agreements may provide special “opt-out” boxes that the user can click to stop the spyware from being included in the download.  Be sure to review the document before signing off on the download.

Another way that spyware can access your computer is by tricking you into manipulating the security features designed to prevent any unwanted installations.  The Internet Explorer Web browser was designed not to allow websites to start any unwanted downloads.  That is why the user has to initiate a download by clicking on a link.  These links can prove deceptive.  For example, a pop-up modeled after a standard Windows dialog box, may appear on your screen.  The message may ask you if you would like to optimize your internet access.  It provides yes or no answer buttons, but, no matter which button you push, a download containing the spyware program will commence. Newer versions of Internet Explorer are now making this spyware pathway a little more difficult.

Finally, some spyware applications infect a system by attacking security holes in the Web browser or other software.  When the user navigates a webpage controlled by a spyware author, the page contains code designed to attack the browser, and force the installation of the spyware program.

What can spyware programs do?

Spyware programs can accomplish a multitude of malicious tasks.  Some of their deeds are simply annoying for the user; others can become downright aggressive in nature.

Spyware can:

1.            Monitor your keystrokes for reporting purposes.

2.            Scan files located on your hard drive.

3.            Snoop through applications on our desktop.

4.            Install other spyware programs into your computer.

5.            Read your cookies.

6.            Steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information.

7.            Change the default settings on your home page web browser.

8.            Mutate into a second generation of spyware thus making it more

         difficult to eradicate.

9.            Cause your computer to run slower.

10.        Deliver annoying pop up advertisements.

11.        Add advertising links to web pages for which the author does not get paid.  Instead, payment is directed to the spyware programmer that changed the original affiliate’s settings.

12.        Provide the user with no uninstall option and places itself in unexpected or hidden places within your computer making it difficult to remove.

Spyware Examples

Here are a few examples of commonly seen spyware programs.  Please note that while researchers will often give names to spyware programs, they may not match the names the spyware-writers use. 

CoolWebSearch, a group of programs, that install through “holes” found in Internet Explorer. These programs direct traffic to advertisements on Web sites including coolwebsearch.com. This spyware nuisance displays pop-up ads, rewrites search engine results, and alters the computer host file to direct the Domain Name System (DNS) to lookup preselected sites. 

Internet Optimizer (a/k/a DyFuCa), likes to redirect Internet Explorer error pages to advertisements. When the user follows the broken link or enters an erroneous URL, a page of advertisements pop up.

180 Solutions reports extensive information to advertisers about the Web sites which you visit.  It also alters HTTP requests for affiliate advertisements linked from a Web site.  Therefore the 180 Solutions Company makes an unearned profit off of the click through advertisements they’ve altered.

HuntBar (a/k/a WinTools) or Adware.Websearch, is distributed by Traffic Syndicate and is installed by ActiveX drive-by downloading at affiliate websites or by advertisements displayed by other spyware programs.  It’s a prime example of how spyware can install more spyware.   These programs will add toolbars to Internet Explorer, track Web browsing behavior, and display advertisements.

How can I prevent spyware?

There are a couple things you can do to prevent spyware from infecting your computer system.  First, invest in a reliable commercial anti-spyware program.

I recommend you follow this link  http://www.linkbrander.com/go/34613 and read more and you can also scan your PC for free. There are several others on the market including stand alone software packages such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware available for free at http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php or Windows Antispyware.  Other options provide the anti-spyware software as part of an anti-virus package.  This type of option is offered by companies such as Sophos, Symantec, and McAfee. Anti-spyware programs can combat spyware by providing real-time protection, scanning, and removal of any found spyware software.   As with most programs, update your anti virus software frequently. 

As discussed, the Internet Explorer (IE) is often a contributor to the spyware problem because spyware programs like to attach themselves to its functionality.  Spyware enjoys penetrating the IE’s weaknesses.  Because of this, many users have switched to non-IE browsers.  However, if you prefer to stick with Internet Explorer, be sure to update the security patches regularly, and only download programs from reputable sources.  This will help reduce your chances of a spyware infiltration.

And, when all else fails?

Finally, if your computer has been infected with a large number of spyware programs, the only solution you may have is backing up your data, and performing a complete reinstall of the operating system.

Surfing the Web Anonymously – Questions to Ask

When you surf the web it is possible to learn information about you even when you don’t want to advertise who you are. This is true even if your system contains no virus or malware software. Specifically information that is easily available online includes your IP address, your country (and often more location information based on IP address), what computer system you are on, what browser you use, your browser history, and other information. It gets worse. People can get your computer’s name and even find out your name if your machine supports programs like finger or identd. Also, cookies can track your habits as you move from machine to machine.

How do people get this basic information about you?
When you visit another web site, information about you can be retrieved. Basically, information is intercepted and used by others to track your Internet activities.

How do you stop this from happening?
First of all, it is possible to surf the web anonymously and thereby stop leaving a trail for others to find. Note that this is not fool-proof, but it makes it much harder for people to know who you are. There are products called anonymous proxy servers that help protect you. The anonymous proxy server replaces your Internet address for its own. This has the effect of hiding your IP address and making it much harder for people to track you.

How do I get an anonymous proxy server?
There are many vendors who sell anonymous proxy servers. There are also free proxy servers available to you.

Three such products are YouProxy, ShadowSurf and Guardster.

Guardster offers various services for anonymous and secure access to the web, some paid as well as a free service.

YouProxy allows you to browse the internet securely. You can unblock popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, YouTube, Friendster and many other sites. Feel free to browse 24/7 and don’t forget to tell your friends!

ShadowSurf ShadowSurf provides anonymous surfing at their site for free. Go to it and you will find a box to enter a URL that you want no one to track. There are many others, but here are three that are frequently used.

Another interesting product, given the recent news about the Google search engine filtering its findings for the Chinese government, is Anonymizer. This company, among others, recently (Feb 1st, 2006) pressed that it “is developing a new anti-censorship solution that will enable Chinese citizens to safely access the entire Internet filter free” (http://www.anonymyzer.com/consumer/media/press_releases/02012006.html).

With AnonyMouse you can unblock popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, YouTube, Orkut, Friendster and many other sites. It’s a free web based proxy server which hides your IP and allows you to surf in complete anonymity without installing anything on your PC.

Does an anonymous proxy server make you 100% safe?
No. Still, you are much better off if you use such technology.
What other things should I be concerned about when trying to keep my private information private?

Three other items come to mind when trying to keep your information private.

First, you can use an encrypted connection to hide your surfing.

This article does not go into detail on this, but search the web and you will find a lot of information on this.

Secondly, delete cookies after each session.

Third, you can configure your browser to remove JavaScript, Java, and active content. This actually leads to limitations, so you need to think about the cost/benefit of this course of action.

Anything else?

Wishing you happy and safe surfing!