A Free Educational Resource Created by Carnegie Mellon University to Empower You to Secure Your Part of Cyberspace

Spyware

Software that sends information from your computer to a third party without your consent

Many community services require you to download special applications in order to use them. These applications, such as instant messengers, online dating applications, or browser plug-ins, are usually free for the user to download because their makers rely on advertisement as their source of revenue. One of the marketing and advertising tools they sometimes use is spyware

Spyware is any software that sends personal information (e.g., Web sites you visit, email addresses, passwords) from your computer to a third party without telling you and without your consent. Spyware differs from malware in that it takes information from your computer, while malware damages your computer.

Many people include adware (software that displays advertising banners in your browser) under the heading of "spyware" because adware often has spyware included in it. This adware can sometimes slow down your machine, make pop-up ads appear on your desktop, or change the settings on your computer. Many of these programs do not clearly state what the application will do or whether spyware is included, and they can be very difficult to uninstall.

A collection of anti-spyware software companies, academics, and consumer groups have formed the Anti-Spyware Coalition  to clarify what exactly can be considered spyware. Their current definition includes any software that makes it difficult for you to control:

  • How you use your computer, including your privacy and security settings
  • What your computer is used for and what is installed on it
  • How your personal information is collected and used

There are a few different ways you can get spyware on your computer. Spyware is sometimes installed on your machine when you download free software, such as file-sharing applications and games. However, you don't even need to download anything to get spyware: some spyware is installed on your machine just by visiting certain Web sites. This is called a "drive-by" installation. Spyware can also be loaded onto your computer without your knowledge when you open certain email attachments.

Protective Measures

Practices

  • Read the License Agreement and Privacy Policy thoroughly before installing an application: These documents state whether the application will install additional software on your computer in order to show advertisements. These documents will also tell you if you have to install the spyware to use the application.

  • Conduct regular spyware removal scans: You can scan your computer manually, or you can set commercial anti-spyware software to scan your computer periodically for you. If your software has this ability, set it to scan at least once every two weeks. To scan for spyware manually (using Spybot as an example):

    1. Open the Spybot application and look for the navigation bar on the left side of the program.
    2. Click on Spybot-S&D to go to the main page. You will see an empty list and a toolbar at the bottom.
    3. Click the first button in this toolbar labeled Check for problems. After the scan is finished, the list will be populated with threats.
    4. Select all the threats and click the button labeled Fix selected problems.

Tools

  • Spyware removal applications: Anti-virus applications generally do not rid your machine of spyware, but there are many commercial and free spyware removal tools available. Some examples are Spybot - Search & Destroy , Ad-Aware , Pest Patrol , and Microsoft Windows Defender . Make sure that you find a legitimate spyware-removal application, since some products touted as anti-spyware applications are ineffective or actually install spyware and adware on your machine. Spyware Warrior  can point you to some good applications and tell you which applications to avoid.

Connect Safely from Different Places

Office

Anti-spyware software: Business computer networks are just as vulnerable to spyware as home computers. Until now, there hasn't been much anti-spyware software made specifically for business users, but a few business-strength anti-spyware products are now available. Spy Sweeper Enterprise  is a version of the popular Spy Sweeper anti-spyware tool just for corporations. Another corporate product is Websense Enterprise . This software offers a solution to the spyware problem by limiting peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing on corporate networks.

On the road

Even though there are currently no spyware applications for handheld devices, you can infect your desktop or laptop PC whenever you synchronize your mobile device and there is a spyware application among the files you are synchronizing.

Don’t install applications from dubious sources: Mobile devices are usually more complicated than regular PCs. By changing important settings, or installing strange applications, you are compromising both the stability and security of your PDA or cell phone.

Ethical Issues

It is both unethical and illegal to include spyware in software without stating clearly in the license agreement that it is included. Therefore, you should read and understand all policies and end-user license agreements (EULAs) before doing any business at a Web site. Many policies and EULAs are purposefully ambiguous or misleading, and they can be difficult to interpret, so make sure that you read them carefully.

Some parents use spyware to eavesdrop on their children's online activities because they believe that this is a good way to protect their children from online predators and inappropriate content. Some people also use spyware to keep tabs on their spouses and other family members, but there are many who feel that using spyware on family members is not at all appropriate. They argue that such use is an invasion of people's privacy and therefore unethical.

Legal Issues

Some states, such as Utah , Washington , and California , are beginning to pass laws against spyware. Other states are expected to follow.

Privacy Issues

Spyware is a threat to your privacy because it attempts to capture your personal information. This can result in identity theft, especially if somebody gets a hold of your credit card number, social security number, or other personally identifiable information. As soon as you detect a spyware application on your machine, disconnect from the Internet and seek help in removing it.

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