The "spyware" software can be easily squashed in ten steps

The latest investigation reports show that the Anti-Spyware tool is insufficient and "spyware" is still operating on the Internet. But you don't have to be discouraged. If you learn and follow the following ten tricks, spyware will be helpless.

Sometimes truth and kindness are always hurt. We have just made some progress on anti-spam, but spyware will fill this gap. In the next few years, you will have to spend precious time fighting spyware at work and at home.

Although there are dozens of new anti-spyware tools on the market for our use, and these programs are indeed very helpful, running the anti-spyware utility is only part of the solution, there are many other things that you need to do. Please follow the 10 step guide we provide to start the operation.

1. Understand your enemies

If you naively define Spyware as a small cookie file left behind by a Web site, your setbacks will never end. All types of face changing software (Scumware) will bring you misfortune. The main four types are:

Spyware: a software that secretly collects information about your computer and may send data to unknown websites, includes "keyrecord software" or "Key capture parasite" (do not confuse with "malware (malware)". malware includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses)

Advertising software (Adware): a software that can bring up advertisements and banners randomly or according to the content of the current browser.

Hijackers: You can change the browser homepage, default search engine, or even change your direction so that you cannot reach the desired website.

Cookies: small files that track Web site parameter selection and passwords. The software can collect and spread the information without the user's knowledge.

Among the above four types, advertising software is the most annoying, while hijacking software and spyware are the most harmful.

2. Exit Internet Explorer

We cannot accuse Microsoft of generating spyware. However, the design of Windows, especially Internet Explorer, must make Microsoft an "accomplice" of "espionage ". We encourage users to switch to other products, such as Firefox or Opera. Both of them use the default settings to block pop-up text. Firefox is free and popular, and Opera costs a few dollars.

Need evidence to prove that there is a problem with Internet Explorer? I used Internet Explorer and Outlook Express on the main test PC running Windows XP Home, and found 739 spyware. On my personal PC, I ran the Thunderbird email application of Firefox and Mozilla, and found 11 spyware examples. In addition, these 11 spyware were all secretly intruded into this PC when I had to use Internet Explorer to access some Web websites.

However, unfortunately, some websites require Internet Explorer, which must also be used by users who are closely connected to Microsoft's Outlook email client. However, there is still a way to reduce the speed of being infected with Internet Explorer spyware. First, disable Microsoft ActiveX support. In Internet Explorer, Click Tools → Internet Options → Security → Custom Level, and then click the check box that forces ActiveX Control to request permission before running

Second, install Google Toolbar, which can also block the pop-up text. It applies to Internet Explorer 5.5 and more advanced products, so you may need to upgrade your browser. Similarly, you can run pop-up text blocking software that only works within Internet Explorer, such as StopZilla, 123 Ghosts Popup Killer, Ad Killer, Ad Muncher, and Anti Popup Pro.

3. Download Blocking

Follow the following requirements carefully: Never let Tech beginners try to download anything. Then download and install Google Toolbar for them.

Users want to download the "free" program from the Web, but ask them how they can distinguish the websites (such as PCWorld.com or Tucows.com) accessed for obtaining the utility ), and websites that appear in pop-up ads and Spam

Make up your mind and never get discouraged. It is imperfect to receive education. Spyware communicators generally do better than you in persuading people to download spyware. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly explain to users that the links that appear next to the browser pages like advertisements or links sent to them by friends are actually the most common way of spreading spyware. Remind your users to be sensitive to some dangerous signals, such as pop-up banners that offer free spyware checks (this is the most cruel abuse of trust)
4. Basic backup and recovery knowledge

Since many users do not pay attention to your warning, they should be taught how to recover from the disaster. Nowadays, people have too many things on their computers, so they are too reluctant to make various backup options. An external disk, tape system, or CD with full backup data can alleviate the trouble of a system that is flooded with spyware and bring it back to early days without spyware, so that everything can be restored to normal.

It teaches users how to generate recovery points in XP and how to set a recovery point before each download from an unknown website. In most new PCs, the disk space is not a problem, And even if their hard disks are full, creating some recovery points is much easier than clearing spyware infections.

5. Create an anti-spyware CD

Install the anti-spyware utility on your CD and make your own spyware toolkit. When you need to clear spyware, it is a waste of time to find and wait for download of the tool software, CD-ROM disks are currently cheap, so, creating more copies and sending them to your users is also an effective means. For me, there are three free utilities and three test versions of Commercial utilities. These programs have a capacity of 2 m to 10 M bytes, so there is enough space on the standard CD to accommodate them.

6. run at least two spyware cleanup programs

In our experience, no spyware cleaner can erase every part of malicious code. All utilities have blind spots that Spyware programmers can exploit. Every vendor claims that its products can capture everything. However, no matter when people use an anti-spyware tool to clear 100 threats, another tool can find more than a dozen threats.

Every spyware purge checks the Registry. However, because spyware complies with Microsoft's registry entry rules, it is impossible to completely clear spyware.

Run multiple different utilities on a regular basis and make sure they are all up-to-date. This is important at 01:10. Paid purge provides continuous file updates, and some new features are added on a regular basis even for free parts. To run, update, run, and update spyware, repeat the preceding steps. The general practice of the author is: Clear the system, restart to enter the safe mode, and then use another tool to clear, and then restart

7. Block desktop communication Vulnerabilities

Every time spyware uploads information, it means more future problems, because spyware can update itself and add new "performance ". Blocking outbound information can improve user security levels

Some (but not all) Resident Anti-Spyware utilities can block spyware uploads, which is better for commercial products. However, you can also block Upload by installing the personal firewall. ZoneAlarm and Sygate Personal Firewall are both great.

Almost all brands of vrouters sold today include firewall protection. Search for products that can check the full status of the inbound and outbound information packages. The combination of personal firewalls and vro control is not uncommon, especially for users who cannot resist the temptation of various new websites.

8. Process DRM

One reason spyware will continue to exist in the next few years is that companies are adding digital rights management (DRM) to use entertainment files and license files. Vulnerabilities for these applications will be exploited by spyware for several years. Tracking Cookie files such as regular customers in online stores makes Web sites more humane. But the problem is that these Cookie files look like spyware, so it is difficult to distinguish them without killing normal files.

The same is true for new entertainment and playback applications. The MP3 music files you download must be confirmed that you have the right to play these files on mobile devices, the new anti-spyware software may block DRM queries on authorized databases, because this does not comply with the definition of the spyware that sends system information to a third party without permission? This definition applies to commercial application license files and DRM application license files, at least at the application interface level.

One solution is to avoid DRM applications such as music playing programs. If you like music, find an anti-spyware program that regularly updates its spyware database, because it can coordinate protection and music services

9. give full play to the advantages of AOL membership

Spyware protection for AOL members to download for free is another very useful addition product. I found that although its scanning speed is slower than that of many other spyware cleaner programs, this program was cleared by CounterSpy and SpyBot, and seven other spyware examples were found.

AOL also provides users with some very valuable protection, including providing free technical support for its members.

10. Recommended Macintosh or Linux systems

Spyware mainly attacks Microsoft's operating system and uses Internet Explorer to access and hide Windows vulnerabilities. Some spyware, especially malicious Cookie files, can work in any browser. However, this is only a small part of spyware.

Some software products of Microsoft, such as Internet Explorer, Word, Outlook, and Media Player, are automatically executed once downloaded, making spyware accessible. Linux and Mac operating systems do not allow such automatic execution, making it easier for them to resist spyware. More importantly, Windows allows any user (or spyware) to load the Dynamic Linked Library to the kernel. Linux system access requires administrator privileges. Although this method is not suitable for most people, Apple and Linux will welcome you very much if it does become too painful because of spyware.