 |
Canadian Computer Consulting
|
|
|
|
Spyware, Adware, and Malware are all different names for practically the same thing. For the purposes of this information page, we'll call them all spyware. The simplest definition of these is that they are a "legal" version of viruses. We'll tell you what they are, what they do, why they're legal, and how they get on your computer. Spyware is the legal version of viruses? Yes, you heard us right. In many ways, they act exactly the same as viruses. In fact, many of the newer versions of anti-virus software, such as Norton Antivirus 2004 or newer, actually refer to spyware as "infections" to your computer. When spyware infects your computer, it generally tries to hide itself, and make itself extremely difficult to detect and remove. Some spyware even tries to disable your anti-virus software, just like a virus. It's legal because at some point you gave them permission to install the spyware on your computer. Once your computer is infected, spyware will sit on your computer and do one of several things. Often you will get pop-ups in your browser window at random. Sometimes the pop-ups will only occur when you visit certain websites. Ironically enough, the pop-ups will often tell you: "Your computer is infected with spyware. Click here to remove it now". That's often the catch behind spyware. If it can manage to sneak onto your computer and infect you, then it can advertise a way for you to remove it -- which is how they make their money, and why they infected your computer in the first place. They infected your computer, and now you're going to pay them to remove the infection for you? Do you trust these companies not to place something else on your computer in the process of removing the first item? Please do NOT pay for spyware removal software -- you can get it for free elsewhere. (see our Links page) So how is all this legal? Legal Method #1 If you've ever installed ANY software on your computer, you've probably seen the screen called the End User License Agreement (EULA). It is usually many, many pages of fine print, and you have to "Agree" to it before they'll let you install the software. Do you know anybody who actually reads these? Most people have never read an EULA in their entire life, but agree to them all the time. The EULA is, in essence, a contract between you and the company that manufactured the software you're installing. By clicking "I Agree", you're binding yourself into a contract. And this is all completely legal. So what is it that you're actually agreeing to? Most if it is more or less irrelevant. But sometimes, hidden in the middle of all the legal jargon, is a one-line statement that you're agreeing to that gives the software manufacturer permission to do practically whatever they want to your computer. And it's not just fly-by-night software manufacturers that do this! Do you or your kids use Kazaa? It's a classic example of what we consider to be a scam, but is made legal by the fact that you agreed to the contract. Here's a link to Kazaa's EULA, which you MUST agree to in order to install Kazaa on your computer. Now scroll down to Section 9 of the agreement. Here's an excerpt: "During the process of installing Kazaa, you must install software from third party software vendors pursuant to licences or other arrangements between such vendors and yourself ("Third Party Software"), including without limitation those software components noted in Section 9.4 below." If you read down a few more sections to 9.4.7, you'll find that it is actually illegal to even download spyware-removal software, let alone run it, unless you have completely uninstalled and deleted Kazaa from your computer. Wow. And you agreed to that in a legally binding contract. The current version of Kazaa specifically lists five (5!) different spyware programs that it automatically installs on your computer, all in the background, when you install Kazaa on your computer. They also leave the door open in that they say they might install other softare without telling you. Your only notification of this is if you read the fine print in the EULA. So what happens to this spyware if you then remove Kazaa from your computer? Nothing. It stays on your computer and hides itself so that it's not obvious that it even exists. What happens if you break your contract with Kazaa and remove even one piece of the spyware without deleting Kazaa? Depending on the circumstances, Kazaa either refuses to run or automatically re-installs the spyware. (If you don't want the spyware, but you DO want to download music, check out our file sharing page for more information.) There are many thousands of other software programs that do this same thing, installing software without your knowledge. Most of these are "free" programs available for download from the internet. Common culprits are games, file-sharing programs, and even some supposed spyware REMOVAL programs. Some are even software you can buy for a few dollars at London Drugs or Future Shop. So what do we suggest? If you're downloading and installing ANY software, read the EULA carefully. And don't let your kids install ANYTHING on your computers. Legal Method #2 The other way spyware commonly gets on your computer is through web pages using something called ActiveX Controls. Although they can be very useful, you should always be wary of ActiveX Controls. An ActiveX Control is a computer program that runs over the internet. If you go to Windows Update, you're using ActiveX. If you install MSN Messenger on your computer, you're using ActiveX. So it does have many good uses. But by far the most common use in every-day web browsing is to install spyware on your computer. Luckily there are security features built into Windows and Internet Explorer that prevent this from happening automatically, but it's not hard to click the "Yes" button by mistake when it asks permission to run the ActiveX. There are ActiveX controls that install spyware in MANY different places on the internet. Some very common ones are file-downloading websites and music lyrics websites. You'll be searching for something in particular on the internet, finally find what you're looking for, and then try to download or look at it. All of a sudden you get a pop-up on your screen, or instructions on the website telling you "You must click Yes in order to continue". And they try to be as deceptive as possible, obviously, but somehow they have to convince you to click "Yes". When you click yes, they install something on your computer, and it's usually NOT the program or information you were looking for! In newer versions of Internet Explorer there is a yellow or pink bar that pops up at the top of the web page. If you click on it, you're giving them permission to install whatever software they like on your computer. In older browsers, and sometimes in the new ones, there's a grey pop-up box instead of the bar that asks you to click Yes or No to continue. If you click yes, it's the same as clicking the yellow bar. So, unless you know specifically WHAT the ActiveX Control is going to install on your computer, DON'T CLICK IT. It may pop up 10 times in a row and make it difficult to get out of the website or even use your computer again without clicking yes. It's not worth it. Hit the power button on your computer if necessary to make it go away. |
|
Vancouver: 604-249-4486 Victoria: 250-412-1593
Edmonton: 780-701-7167
|
