What is Spyware?
'Spyware' is notoriously hard to define, but (to misquote Justice Potter Stewart on obscenity, 1964) "You'll know it when you see it". On this website we use the term to describe any software which behaves like a spy: it sneaks in (to your computer), and passes (your own private) information to its masters without your knowledge.
What types of Spyware are there?
Most spyware is 'Adware' (programs which profile a user for marketing purposes, generally without the user being aware of it), often via 'tracking cookies'. A more aggressive strain are 'browser hijackers' which take control of Internet Explorer to re-direct your Home Page, add uninvited sites to your Favourites list, and 'pop up' unwanted advertisement windows. Most of these are a nuisance but not directly dangerous, though they can noticeably slow your computer and even make it 'crash' (i.e. lock up, requiring a reboot).
More malicious are Diallers, System Monitors and Key-loggers, which pose a significant risk of identity theft (by stealing your user IDs, passwords, credit card details etc).
How dangerous is it really?
Provided you have no objection to marketing companies using your PC's memory, computing power and disk space to secretly monitor your activities, then the answer is probably 'not very' (at least directly). However, once spyware has a foothold it has a habit of inviting its friends in, so you end up with multiple infestations and a growing hole in your security. This can result in more malicious infections, and expose you to risks from 'Phishing', 'Pharming' & 'Zombie' attacks (see LINKS page).
What are the risks of infection?
If your PC is not connected to the Internet (including email), then the threat of infection from spyware is negligible. If you 'surf the Web' without protection from spyware it's virtually certain your PC is infected! If you have spyware protection, the risk depends on the software package (some are good, some are not), how up-to-date you keep the definitions, and how often you run it.
How do I know if my PC has been infected?
Symptoms include slow boot up and running, unusual error messages, crashes, and 'pop-up' advertisements. Run an online scan from a reputable website, or contact us.
How can I get rid of it?
If you want to try it yourself, visit a reputable anti-spyware website (see LINKS page) for advice and help. Please note that the task is seldom easy, and PC Health Checks recommend that it is not attempted by anyone who is not (reasonably) technically proficient and conversant with PC and Windows operation. If you want to attempt it anyway, then good luck, and please backup everything first. Alternatively, contact us!
How can I prevent it (happening again)?
Follow the rules! As an absolute minimum:
- Keep Windows up-to-date by downloading all security patches as soon as they are available.
- Use a Firewall - we recommend using a Personal Firewall such as Zone Alarm in addition to the Windows (XP only) Firewall.
- Use a reputable anti-virus package such as AVG. Keep the definitions up-to-date, and run it at least once a week.
- Use a reputable anti-spyware package such as CounterSpy. Keep the definitions up-to-date, and run it at least twice a week.
Links to these suppliers can be found on the LINKS page.
Where can I get more information?
There is a wealth of information on the subject available on the Internet. Try the websites listed on our LINKS page.
