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Are you worried about privacy and security online? Could you be a victim of Identity Theft? Spyware
How to prevent spyware
Explanation :: Detection :: Solution :: Prevention
There are several steps you can take to prevent spyware. The first and most effective method of prevention is to never install applications from a Web site unless you know exactly what that application does and what company created it. This also applies to applications downloaded from the Web.
Disable third party cookies
“Cookies” are used by many pieces of spyware or Web sites to watch where the user has previously been and to record information for future visits. They reside in your Web browser's cache directory, and each is tied to a specific Web site or service.
Link required here to a page on cookie disabling (all browsers)
Enable prompting for software installation.
By default, Internet Explorer (many spyware problems are known to target Internet Explorer specifically) will allow the installation of ActiveX controls on your computer. These include such spyware products such as “Gator,” a well known spyware application. Without these more restrictive settings, spyware can be installed without your knowledge just by visiting some sites. With the following settings turned on, spyware must be authorized to be installed. That means that you need to grant permission by clicking OK or Yes or something like that when your computer asks you if it’s ok to install. That gives you the chance to see it, and delete it or prevent its installation. Note that these protections only work for spyware installed directly from the Web.
For spyware in e-mails or spam, you may not get that warning. A good rule of thumb for e-mail is that if you don’t know the person sending it to you, and it contains only a vague reference, part of a word, or something you don’t use in the subject, then you should probably delete it unopened. E-mail can open small programs that connect your computer to a Web site or server to let others know you are looking at that e-mail – which in turn gets you more spam. It’s a vicious and hard-to-break cycle. To change your settings in Internet Explorer to reduce spyware installation without your knowledge, read on.
To disable automatic installation of programs in Internet Explorer, take these steps:
1. Click on the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, and then on Security.
2. Make sure the setting is set to “Medium” or “Custom.”
3. Click on the Custom Level button.
4. Under the 'ActiveX controls and plugins' area, select these options:
- Download signed ActiveX controls – select Prompt
- Download Unsigned ActiveX controls – select Disable
- Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe – select Disable
- Run ActiveX controls and plugins – select Prompt *
- Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting – select Prompt *
* The last two options may cause annoyance, as they will prompt you to run the ActiveX application each time. These can be set to “enable” if they cause too many problems, but will be less secure. The first three should be set exactly as marked.
Don't run file-swapping software
Most free file-sharing applications contain spyware. If you install one of these programs, you run the risk of getting bundled spyware. While not all file-sharing sites have this problem, many do. If you must use file-sharing sites, check for online reviews to see which ones are best to use and contain less (or no) spyware.
Read the EULA
EULA stands for “End User License Agreement” and is the large block of legal text that is displayed before each program. While time consuming, reading these notices can let you know if spyware is installed on a system. Unfortunately, often times this is impossible or very difficult because of the length or complexity of the EULA in question. Again, online reviews can help with this.
Set your Web browser's history to one day
This will remove session information which can be used by spyware programs for tracking information.
Link required here to a page on history settings (all browsers)
Use a firewall product
There are two methods of running a firewall, through hardware or software:
- Hardware firewalls are fairly cheap (about $100), do not usually need to be upgraded, and can easily be added to a network. They take the form of a physical device which is plugged into the user's home network between their outside network connection and computer inside.
- Software based firewalls are run through a program on the computer, and are somewhat more flexible.
Use an antivirus product
Modern antivirus scanners now detect and remove many pieces of spyware, in addition to other forms of malware. Remember to keep your antivirus program up to date, as new viruses come out daily. It is a good idea to start up your computer, then update your antivirus program before you check email or visit any Web sites. Many people update weekly, but these days, daily is a good idea – and it only takes a few moments.
This can prevent many of the pop-up ads created if spyware is installed. There are many free products specifically designed to block pop-ups