COMPUTERS MALWARE SPYWARE

1. Intelligent Explorer What A Nightmare For Your Safety

I recently hit, by mistake, what I thought was an Explorer upgrade option. It turned out to be a pop-up appearing legitimate but really was not. It uploaded a product called Intelligent Explorer on my machine. What a nightmare!

I did some research on the web and found messages like this one from a BullGuard Antivirus Forum,

"Please help!!! I have a spyware, Trojan and Hijacker on my computer. I have run bukkguard, cwshredder and ad-aware. All have picked up the viruses and said that they have been moved/removed but when I log on the internet that damn intelligent explorer toolbar is showing"

Another message from spywareinfo Forum goes something like this:

"Hey I'm having issues with something called Internet explorer toolbar - Intelligent explorer. I can't find a way to remove it from my comp and I really don't want to reinstall windows. I've used spybot, ad-ware, and cw shredder but nothing seems to work."

It appears that Intelligent Explorer allows other software to be downloaded to your machine and this is where the problem occurs. What is even more remarkable is that by downloading Intelligent Explorer, their license grants them the right to install software add-ins on your computer at their will. Take a look at what the software license for Intelligent Explore says (go to: ieplugins homepage to read it all):

"You grant to us the right, exercisable by us until you uninstall the Software or this agreement is otherwise terminated, to provide to you the Service of downloading and causing to be displayed advertising material on your computer, through "pop-up" or other display while you use your browser. You acknowledge and agree that installation of the Software may automatically modify toolbars and other settings of your browser. By installing the Software you agree to such modifications."

The company, IBC incorporated, is incorporated in Belize. I really can't believe this license!

One end user found highly objectionable pop-up advertisements generated by this software bundled with Intelligent Explorer in the form of extreme pornography.

I have yet to break this.

Intelligent Explorer is a plug-in, which can create a new home page, as well as start up and endless loop of pop-ups. You can remove the view bar, but then starting up Internet Explorer will cause it to reappear. I asked some friends to help, and no one could tell me what to do.

What I did about it:

I bought a copy of a program called XoftSpy and it removed the software. It took two scans and a reboot to do it. This is not an advertisement for this product. They advertised it was free, which it was to run, but then I had to buy it to actually fix anything. It cost me $40 and I am sure that there are freeware products out there as well, but that is what ended the nightmare for me. Other spyware products I have seen out there include spybot, NoAdware, Spyware Eliminator, Pal Spyware Remover, and Spyware C.O.P.

2. A Layman's Guide To Answering The Question: What Is Spyware?


So, what is spyware?

I'll tell you this much it's not something from a James Bond movie. It's far more sinister than Goldtooth, and far trickier than 007's projectile pen.

What is spyware? Experts define it as a software that clandestinely penetrates and installs itself to your system to partially override the user's control over the same.

What is spyware, in simpler terms? It is a program that you never knew was installed on your PC, which makes it do things that you never intended it to do.

What Is Spyware And Why Should People Be Interested?

Most spyware programs are more irritating than destructive. Constant pop-ups that hinder your browsing pleasure or interrupts your work, changes in the home URL of your browser, occasional redirections to a particular homepage, spam messages from outside sources you're sure you never contacted before: these are just some of the inconveniences that spyware victims have to endure.

But the main reason why many people want an answer to the question what is spyware, is because some of these programs are destructive. They can cause your system to crash, or worse, they can send personal and financial details; the ones you type and store on your PC to remote users who can use the same for their wicked purposes at your expense!

What Is Spyware And What Are The Signs That A PC Is Infected By One Or More Of These Malwares?

Determining what is spyware, of course, is the more technical part of the solution. Determining whether or not your system is infected with spy software is often the dirtier part of the job.

Be wary if your PC suffers any or all of the following symptoms:

* Terrible slowdown even if only a few programs are running;
* The homepage you have set has changed, or if it keeps changing even if you manually restore the original URL;
* You receive many emails that have bounced back, meaning, your PC is sending emails without your knowledge;
* Some programs are suddenly crashing (this can be an auto-preventive measure because such programs have detected a keylogger);
* Noisier hard drive, more than usual;
* CD tray suddenly ejecting;
* Other similar occurrences

One or two of these symptoms may mean nothing, or they can indicate that you need to learn how to block spyware since it has started to infest your system.

In which case, you should stop asking the question: what is spyware? and shift to the query, what is the best form of spyware removal?

What Is Spyware Detection And Removal? How Can They Be Implemented?

Thankfully, with the ever-ballooning problem of spyware infection and the ever-growing threat that this form of malware brings, hundreds of anti-spyware programs have been invented and are being offered on the internet. Some of these anti-spyware programs are free, like Search & Destroy, while others are commercially distributed.

Spyware detection and removal is a two-phase process employed by most anti-spyware programs. Most of them have comprehensive scan engines that sweep the entire system and report any case of spyware inhabitation. Thereafter, the detection phase shifts to the removal/curing phase, where the pinpointed digital anom

3. How To Eliminate Malware

Most of us that have used a computer for any length of time be it for work or home has a pretty good understanding of the numerous security threats that computer users face on a daily basis. The time we spend downloadng patches for operating systems, getting rid of viruses, and fighting malware seems to increase with each passing day. And while I agree that these kind of computer security issues have been around just about as long as computers, the security threats have been increasing. The more intergrated our computers become in our lives, the more concern we have about the safety and security of our machines.

So, what can be done to protect our computers from these never ending threats?

On the plus side there are more than enough excellent products that combat malware, and the majority of them are affordable and easy to use. Some of these programs are used to get rid of viruses, adware, spyware, and malware, then there are others that only combat one of these problems. Most effective applications are made by companies that specialize in malware elimination for home and business PC's.

Other types of computer security programs are considered security suites, these intergrated software solutions often offer anti virus protection, spyware and adware detection and removal programs, a software firewall and automatic updates all in one simple to use application.

Well, which type of computer protection is the best?

Both the security suite and the stand alone programs have advantages and disadvantages. The security suites offer a full range of protection options in a convienent all in one package, while getting rid of viruses, fighting malware, and providing the user a software firewall using one single application.

The main drawback to the all in one solution is that if there is a security breach in one of the programs it will most likely effect the other applications ability to function correctly. So if the software firewall is found to have a security issue, the chances are that the anti virus and malware detection and removal tool will also be compromised.

Some users feel secure using a security suite, while others are more comfortable using a different program for malware detection and removal, and seperate program for anti virus protection. You will need to choose which type of protection will be most effective for you, take some time and evaluate any programs that you are interested in and then choose what will work best for you.

The one thing that you must remember is that regardless of which type of malware protection you choose, is that you need protection. You need to be able to detect and remove malware, adware, spyware, and viruses at all times. The online enviroment can be a source of many important benefits, but also remember that there are security threats as well. It is important to be aware of the risks you face and to be able to take the steps needed to eliminate them.