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Don't take Spyware lying down - tips for fighting against spyware
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 Informative Article Summary by Anny Redperz
Douglas Heck and Thomas Bethune, Tech Tips
Spyware is a relatively new threat to corporate and home computer networks, is rapidly becoming more prevalent and is remarkably hard to identify and remove.
By definition, Spyware is a program that is loaded onto your system without your permission or knowledge. This threat exploits a user's lack of understanding and security flaws, or uses outright deception to gain entry to your computer to begin collecting data.
The most common form of Spyware is "Browser Hijacking." Browser hijacking software often adds a new or expanded tool bar to your browser. This program might add shortcuts, desktop icons, redirect home pages, change desktop wall paper, or even alert the user of current weather conditions. Some add embellishments to e-mail programs like dancing smiley faces.
A common sign of an infection is a large number of pop-up windows when surfing the Web. This is caused by a trigger that your machine registers every time you surf the Internet. The shear quantity of pop-up windows often panics a user, and he or she frantically clicks the pop-ups to close them, causing the pop-ups to spawn even faster.
At that moment, a computer becomes vulnerable to malicious Spyware and Trojan Horse programs because the user is so preoccupied with closing the pop ups he or she fails to notice other system changes such as software downloads or system warnings. With the user distracted, malicious programs are easily loaded in the background.
These programs are embedded in the pop-up Web pages. Here's a hint: The entire pop-up is often a button that runs the malicious code.
If you start seeing "end task" errors, or "cannot close program" errors, you may have an infection. This is often the result of a failed attempt to remove Spyware from your machine using a slash-and-burn approach, deleting the unwanted program's directory, hoping the deletion will remove the program. Most of the time, this course of action does not work, generally worsening the problem. This method of cleanup can cause the startup process to fail completely, and the user may be unable to log onto the computer. This may require a complete rebuild.
Spyware is a fact of the digital age, but this doesn't mean computer users should take it lying down. We believe that the best defense is a good offense. The market is flooded with anti-Spyware programs. Every effort you can expend to prevent infection is well worth it. Once a machine has been infected, the only completely corrective action may be to rebuild the computer's operating system and loading AntiVirus and Anti-Spyware programs to prevent future infections.
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