Spyware Review
When you establish your presence on the internet, you should be aware of the dangers that face you personally, your business and your family. This article is a review of how to defend against a serious danger - spyware.
There are many sources of danger for you, your family and your company on the internet. Hacking often comes to mind very quickly. But danger lurks in many more corners. A serious danger lurks in the spyware corner.
Spyware is now being included in email virus. It is not removed when you remove the virus.
The worm, dubbed "MyDoom," "Novarg" or "WORM_MIMAIL.R", that was copying itself at such a fierce pace on Tuesday,27 January, 2004 that some companies were having to shut down their mail servers to stop it, secretly installed spyware on hundreds of thousands of computers.
When loaded, some versions of the worm launch Notepad and show random characters. At the same time it replicated itself, opened a backdoor that could allow hackers to break in and, in some instances, installed a "keystroke" program that records everything being typed, including passwords and credit card numbers.
If you were infected by this virus, you may have spyware on your computer. Even if you removed the virus, the spyware may still be there. And when you communicate with anyone that was infected by this worm, you may not be safe.
There are many other ways spyware may have secretly gotten onto your computer.
Protecting your data from being seen by others while you work on your computer.
Everything that you are doing on your computer now, (Now means right this second) what pages you have visited, what email you may have sent or received, could be in process of being recorded for playback by someone in the next room or in another country. Someone could be watching NOW on his computer screen exactly what you are reading and typing.
Such are the capabilities of monitoring software, often known as spyware.
Is spyware used much?
The government, in the case United States of America v. Nicodemo S. Scarfo, refused to disclose information about the covert installation of a key logger system. By capturing the keystrokes made on a computer, this technology can be used to discover encrypted passwords.
Here is a brief from the department of Attorney General of Michigan.
"Using a program to capture keystrokes entered by another person, Ning Ma was able to forge e-mail, acquire copies of final exams and answer sheets, and obtain a credit card number and bank account and PIN number of another student." Read The Complete Article http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-17345_18167-73027--M_2003_8,00.html Graduate Student Steals 60 Identities at U of M Attorney General levies 23 charges against hacker
People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years -- and thousands of dollars-cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of their good name and credit record.
27.3 Million - Number of victims in the U.S. in the last five years! 9.9 Million - Number of victims in 2002!
Is Spyware Hard To Buy?
Here is a copy of an advertisement for such a piece of monitoring software or spyware.
Monitoring software (spyware) comes with many different features, depending on what you need it for. Typically you will be able to retrieve all the e-mail or chat sent and received by the computer. Other software offers snapshot images of the computer screen so you will know exactly what your children, spouse, employees or other targets are seeing. You can even have the screen snapshots sent to another computer, so if you're at work you can still see what your kids, spouse or employees are doing. Some programs send the image at set intervals, others only if certain preset criteria are met. Other great features are junk mail filtering and recording the whole computer session, just like playing a tape on a VCR.
Record chat conversations, keystrokes, email, usernames, passwords and more secretly! It is completely undetectable to the user being monitored. It will not be listed in the task manager and also cloaks itself making it completely stealth and hidden at all times! To buy, click onBe Aware.
How Does Spyware Get On My Computer?
If you, or someone in your office or home, download a movie, piece of music, free computer program and even a catalog, there can be a hidden spyware program. Think about it. Your child or an employee downloads something and everything about you and your company is now available for someone to see.
Your computer technician can install for you, free of course, without your knowledge or permission.
Your wife, husband or partner can install one for you - when you are not around, of course.
A hacker can do it from a remote location. And don't feel safe behind a firewall. Hackers see them as just another step in the process of getting into your computer.
Consider this. Why steal someone's computer? Just add a spyware program and steal his credit card information, business secrets, identity, customer lists, legal briefs, etc.
Does your lawyer have a spyware defense on his computer? What about your accountant? Your girlfriend? Your boyfriend?
Your Protection Against Spyware
When someone invents a weapon, someone invents a defense. And the cycle continues.
There are many programs that you can use to defend against spyware. Having a defensive program is probably as important, if more so, than having a firewall because spyware can be put on your computer anytime, in many ways.
And remember that spyware can be on someone else's computer that receives compromising or credit card information from you. So ask your business associates, your suppliers, your lawyer, accountant, girlfriend, boyfriend and so on if they have a spyware checker.
And if you are in business, advertise that your computer is checked for spyware.
So, what have you looked at? Did you put credit card information on line for someone to see? Did you send an order via the internet? Is your competitor watching you look now?
Check to see if you have spyware installed on your computer by getting a free copy of a spyware removal program. Click here for information Spyware removal tool.
