Spyware, Adware, Everywhere

By Dirk J. Hedlund
Originally Posted March 19, 2004

    A few weeks ago, your computer was humming along nicely.  Recently, though, the hard drive seems to be running a lot more, programs take longer to start, you're being plagued by error messages you can't make any sense of, and you're getting a lot of popup ads - even when you aren't surfing the Internet.  If that sounds like you, you may be a victim of spyware.

    What is spyware?  There are a lot of definitions out there, but I define it as software that tracks usage and reports it to others.  Many spyware programs not only report your usage, they also target you for Internet ads, which is where the term adware comes from.  Some spyware programs will install unwanted programs on your computer, or make it difficult to be removed.  (It's often these programs that are responsible for the crashes, slowness, etc.)

    I'm seeing more and more computers affected by spyware.  My clients call me up and complain about one or more of the symptoms above.  I show up, already knowing what to look for, but not yet ready to say for sure.  I usually start off with a few questions.  How long has this been going on?  Have you installed anything recently?  Have you noticed anything else unusual going on? 

    The next thing I look at is antivirus software.  Is it installed?  Is it running?  Is it up to date?  I'll do the same for whatever firewall my client has.  If any of these things are missing or out of date, I'll fix them on the spot.

    Then I shutdown and do a cold boot of their system so I can see what's going on.  I'll startup Internet Explorer and see how that is behaving.  Unusual start page?  Unexplained toolbars?  Popup ads?  These are some of the tell-tale signs.

    When I see something that looks like spyware on a computer, I go right for the big guns.  I'll either use AdAware (NOT adware, but AdAware) or my favorite tool, Spybot Search & Destroy.  (Check the Links page.)  Once they're installed, I make sure they have up-to-date definition files.  These programs are similar to antivirus programs, in that they need to be up-to-date to be truly effective.  Some antivirus vendors are actually starting to search for and remove spyware too.  So far, though, they aren't very good at detecting or removing all the stuff.

    I'll scan for spyware, and examine the list of results.  One thing to remember about spyware is that it is often installed, maybe without user knowledge, as part of some other program my client might have downloaded from the Internet.  The programs they downloaded are usually "free" and claim to do something like speed up Internet searches, scan for viruses, kill popup ads, or something else useful.  Unfortunately, these programs generally do a poor job of it, and they bring with them the spyware problem.  By the way, a program doesn't have to be free to have spyware in it.  There are a few programs you can buy at the store that have these "nasties" in them, too.

    Another thing to remember is this: Removing the spyware part of the program often breaks the other "desirable" part.  I say, "Good riddance to bad rubbish!"  You're better off finding another program, one that works and one that is free of spyware.  You might have to PAY for the program, but that's not such a bad thing.

    If I can see that spyware was installed with a particular application, I'll let my client know about it, and hopefully offer a few suggestions on how to replace the application with something better.  That done, I'll try to remove the offending program along with the spyware.  Then it's back to the scanning tools to see what's left over.  I don't know why, but I'm always amazed at how much of that junk is left behind, even after you uninstall the application.  This time I'll let the tool try to uninstall it.  I'll follow this with a reboot, and another scan.

    Hopefully by this time the system will be behaving a lot better.  Occasionally there will still be something that looks like spyware, but the tools haven't detected it or couldn't remove it.  Those problems call for some research, but in the end, they don't stand much of a chance.

    The best way to avoid spyware is to practice safe computing.  Be critical of things you find on the Internet.  If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't.  That's true in the real world, just as it is on the Internet.  There are some really good FREE files on the Internet, but not everything that's FREE is good.  I suggest that everyone do a little research before installing anything.  AT LEAST go to www.google.com and search for it.  You may also want to add "spyware" or "review" to your search string to see what you get.  If you're not sure, ask for advice from your local computer guru before you do anything that might cost you a lot of time, heartache, and money to fix.

    Dirk Hedlund is a computer consultant with Klatt & Associates, CPA, PC.  He can be reached at dirk.hedlund@klatt-assoc.com , or by calling (515) 232-5642.