RE: Microsoft Anti-Spyware
- From: Bill <bill.cam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 14:58:18 -0500
finally found a decent review, best i ever read, but like the others they=20
use a limitted number of spy programs.
only 47.
or was it 45.
such a small pool could easily produce miss leding results.
by the way my earlier recommendations are based on programs that tested hi=
=20
in more than one review by differant reputable publications.
including one publication that does not get any money from any software=20
company for adds.
that publication tested far more than 45, though in my view it also used a=
=20
pool that was way to small.
around 200.
these reviews should be testing no less than a 1000.
heck their are probably 100 versions of cool web search alone.
note that this review actually rates search and destroy lower than their=20
own review a few months back, showing that the limitted numbers being=20
tested can result in verying results.
this review rates the other product using the giant engine number one.
but early results look good for the m s product in this review which also=20
uses giant.
why i like this review.
it test for more than infections.
it test hi jacking browser.
this seems to be the strength of the giant engine.
most other reviews i have read did not even test this aspect.
it also test clean up, and prevention.
plus all aspects.
still when you compare this to anti virus reviews it sucks.
most anti virus reviews test all zoo viruses, and also viruses in the wild.
their are thousands of zoo viruses.
so a review of only 45 spy programs is far from adequate.
considering their are thousands of these.
still i am certain that this review will have competitors scrambling to add=
=20
hi jack protection and prevention features.
2 areas where many lack protection.
it will also have spy ware eliminators competitors doing more than just=20
simple detection.
some thing the web root product did for a long time.
so for that reason i like the review.
another negative of the review.
their comments that hi jack this takes a power user to use.
well this can be true statement but it does not have to be.
if you have a clean system, not on the net yet, install it and scan system.
save that with a name like first.
then use this to compare when you get infected to see what you have that=20
you did not used to have.
anybody can do this simple comparison and you do not have to be a power=
user.
its over looked things like that that make me wonder how well they examine=
=20
these products.
oh forgot this is a free product and magazines tend to push things that=20
create revenue.
lol.
third negative, why is the number one market share product in this field=20
missing.
add aware pro is much better than the free add aware product according to=20
all the reviews i have read.
so i always scratch my head when a known product that excels and is=20
consistently at the top is missing from a review.
one last thing i want to comment on.
warning, the more protection you get from these programs the more apt that=
=20
they may screw up your system.
especially when one of their task is to prevent rogue programs from=20
writing to the registry.
so be sure to remove them when installing software programs.
just like removing anti virus.
realize to some degree these programs are now over lapping.
also realize some that allow rights to registry may offer some protection=20
with limitted knowledge of how to use them.
the more they do the more you need to know to use these products.
bill
here is the review.
enjoy.
PCWorld.com - Spyware Stoppers
new/PCWLogo
Topics >
Software >
Security Software >
Spyware Stoppers
Renegade programs can slip onto your system in an instant-and they can be=20
maddeningly difficult to banish. Our tests reveal the most powerful tools=
for
fighting back.
Mary Landesman
From the April 2005 issue of PC World magazine
Not long ago, Web- and e-mail-borne viruses were a computer user's worst=20
enemy. Though viruses and worms still cause more damage in compromised or=
lost
data, a newer menace, popularly known as spyware, steals users'=20
productivity and peace of mind. The "spyware" label can apply to legitimate=
=20
but annoying
programs that users consent (perhaps unwittingly) to have installed on=20
their PCs, or it can describe programs that install themselves without=20
permission.
Both types of applications can drain your computer's resources, slow your=20
Internet connection, spy on your surfing, and even forcibly redirect your=
Web
browser. For the purposes of this story, we'll call the former category=20
adware and the latter spyware. Adware clearly spells out its intent, comes=
with
an uninstaller, and can be readily removed from a system. Spyware, in=20
contrast, installs itself surreptitiously and can be nearly impossible to=20
remove
without assistance.
A crop of anti-spyware programs has sprung up to provide that assistance.=20
We evaluated ten current anti-spyware utilities designed to detect and=
remove
spyware and adware from PCs, looking at their rates of detection, scanning=
=20
speed, ability to prevent unwanted applications from installing themselves,
and ease of use. We were pleased to find that a couple of the programs did=
=20
a very effective job of cleaning an infected system and preventing new=20
infestations
with effective real-time protection.
PC World tested seven products in the $20 to $40 range from big and small=20
vendors: Allume Systems' (formerly Aladdin Systems') Internet Cleanup,=
Aluria
Software's Spyware Eliminator, Computer Associates' ETrust PestPatrol=20
Anti-Spyware, InterMute's SpySubtract Pro, McAfee's AntiSpyware, Sunbelt=20
Software's
CounterSpy, and Webroot Software's Spy Sweeper. In addition, we tested two=
=20
popular free programs--Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE Personal and Safer=
Networking's
Spybot Search & Destroy--and a third free program that operates very=20
differently but no less effectively, Merijn.org's HijackThis. (You can get=
=20
all three
free products
here.)
We did not include HijackThis in our charts because, unlike the others, it=
=20
does not scan for infections. We also tested one product in beta,=
Microsoft's
new Windows AntiSpyware, which was until late last year Giant Software's=20
AntiSpyware. (See "
Future Windows AntiSpyware Looks Like a Winner.")
Click here to view full-size image.
We pitted the anti-spyware utilities against 45 adware and spyware programs=
=20
we've frequently run into in our work. These 45 applications created 81=20
separate
files and processes--which proved a challenge for our apps to remove=20
completely. Spyware infections can begin with a single installation of=20
advertising-supported
software. Often, the adware alerts the user to its intentions and the user=
=20
willingly makes the trade-off in exchange for access to the free program (or
blithely clicks the agreement without reading it). But although many adware=
=20
programs seek your approval prior to installation, not all are so obliging.
And even the free application that promises only limited advertising can=20
morph into a system full of spyware by downloading and installing=
third-party
applications.
Adware varies considerably in how it gets on your system. Two common search=
=20
toolbars we encountered, Slotchbar and WinTools, did not show an End User=20
License
Agreement (EULA), in which adware typically declares that it may install=20
additional components. These two installed without our consent and proved=
the
most difficult to remove, using multiple processes that reinitiated one=20
another when anything tried to delete them.
In contrast, the common adware applications WhenUSearch (a search toolbar)=
=20
and Bonzi Buddy (a desktop companion that offers search assistance)=
presented
easily understandable EULAs prior to installing and provided an effective=20
uninstaller through Windows' Add or Remove Programs utility.
List of 8 items
=95 CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper Lead the Field (chart)
=95 Cleanup
=95 Cleaning Up the Mess (chart)
=95 Another Road to Success
=95 Real-Time Monitoring
=95 Beta Update: Future Windows AntiSpyware Looks Like a Winner
=95 Protect Yourself Against Spyware: Change or Update Your Browser
=95 Glossary
list end
CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper Lead the Field
Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy and Webroot's Spy Sweeper caught and cleaned=
=20
more than 80 percent of adware and spyware infections and finished well=
ahead
of the competition.
Table with 10 columns and 19 rows
Anti-Spyware Scanner
Scanning efficiency 1
Detects suspicious processes in memory
Prevents changes to Registry run keys
Protects against home- and search-page changes
Protects against Hosts file changes
Other 2
Supports scheduled/
startup scans
Supports automatic or scheduled updates
Comments
Best Buy
Sunbelt Software CounterSpy 1.0
$20 (
)
85%
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Posted the highest detection rate in our tests. Offers a wide range of=20
real-time protection, including script blocking and preventing infections=20
from the
addition of Browser Helper Objects.
Webroot Software Spy Sweeper 3.2
$30 (
)
81%
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Has the second-highest overall detection rate. Includes a shield to block=20
the Windows Messenger Service, which is often exploited to serve targeted=
ads.3
Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.0
Free (
)
65%
N
N
N
4
N
N
Y
Free scanner provides above-average detection. Real-time protection is=20
available only in the $27 Plus and $40 Professional versions.
InterMute SpySubtract Pro 2.6 $30
(
)
56%
Y
N
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Slightly above average in detection. Includes comprehensive history=20
cleaning and secure shredding of deleted files.
Safer Networking Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3
Free (
)
54%
N
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Former Best Buy didn't perform as well as the current leaders. Free scanner=
=20
provides average detection rate, plus real-time prevention components to=
guard
against infection.
Computer Associates ETrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware 5.0
$30 (
)
48%
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
With a detection rate of slightly less than 50 percent and limited=20
capabilities, this product failed to distinguish itself.
Aluria Software Spyware Eliminator 3.5
$30 (
)
32%
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
A below-average scanner, Spyware Eliminator provides a unique blacklist of=
=20
offending sites and ActiveX controls to protect users.
McAfee AntiSpyware 1.0
$405 (
)
22%
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
This product had one of the lowest overall detection rates, and the=20
real-time protection failed to block or detect anything in our tests.
Allume Systems Internet Cleanup 4.0
$30 (
)
5%
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Almost completely ineffective at removing or preventing spyware in our=20
tests. Provides features to block ads, pop-ups, and cookies, as well as=20
Internet
and system history cleaning.
table end
1 Denotes each application's overall success rate in eliminating our 81=20
test examples of adware and spyware infections. See chart
Cleaning Up the Mess
2 Includes other forms of real-time protection such as pop-up and ActiveX=20
blockers.
3 Not the same as the Windows Messenger program.
4 Ad-Aware locks the Hosts file only after performing a repair.
5 Download price for new customers; $30 to download upgrade; a packaged=20
disc by mail costs $50.
CHART NOTE: Street prices are as of 1/24/05.
Cleanup
Click here to view full-size image.
We first tested how effectively a program could remove the spyware's active=
=20
components; we then looked at each app's real-time protection, for=
preventing
the installations in the first place.
Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy proved the most capable of the bunch, finding=
=20
and stopping 93 percent of all the running processes created by our 45 test
programs. CounterSpy was the only product in our tests that was able to=20
shut down and remove the tenacious WinTools from our system. Webroot=
Software's
Spy Sweeper came in a close second, clearing 89 percent of the active=20
processes (but leaving behind elements associated with both WinTools and=20
Slotchbar).
The least effective were McAfee's AntiSpyware and Allume Systems' Internet=
=20
Cleanup, at a removal rate of 33 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Spyware often hijacks the user's browser home page and search pages so that=
=20
attempts to access or search the Internet are redirected to pornography and
other unwanted Web sites. What's worse, reversing the automatic=20
redirections can be hard when they're being monitored and restored by=20
active processes.
Browser home- and search-page modifications proved quite difficult for=20
these utilities to fix. Internet Cleanup, McAfee AntiSpyware, Computer=20
Associates'
ETrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware, and InterMute's SpySubtract Pro failed to=20
detect any of these changes, and Aluria Software's Spyware Eliminator fixed=
=20
only
7 percent. CounterSpy once again led the way--but with just a 53 percent=20
success rate.
Browser Helper Objects, or BHOs, are programs that customize Internet=20
Explorer and other browsers, usually for legitimate reasons. The Google=20
Toolbar, for
example, is a BHO. But spyware and adware developers also use BHOs to write=
=20
toolbar components that load with Internet Explorer, and they exploit=
ActiveX
controls to download and install BHOs to your PC. It's an easy way for=20
miscreants to create often unwanted toolbars that escape the notice of=20
permission-based
firewalls and gain access to the Internet.
When we tested the anti-spyware programs' detection of potentially unwanted=
=20
BHOs, both CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper caught 100 percent. Ad-Aware, eTrust=
=20
PestPatrol
Anti-Spyware, Spybot, and SpySubtract all managed 62 percent, compared with=
=20
McAfee AntiSpyware and Spyware Eliminator, at 31 percent. Internet Cleanup
detected none of the BHOs and toolbars.
Windows Registry run keys and system startup folders are also favorite=20
launching pads for adware and spyware. Items added to these critical areas=
=20
will launch
each time Windows starts. Unfortunately, the anti-spyware scanners produced=
=20
less-than-stellar results in this category. CounterSpy detected the most at
86 percent, followed by Spy Sweeper at 82 percent and Ad-Aware at 77=20
percent. Internet Cleanup found only 5 percent.
We also tested the scanners' detection of additions to a browser's menus.=20
Such changes do not automatically load spyware, but if a user selects the=
added
menu item, an infection can start. CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper had 100=20
percent detection rates for these buttons and menu items. SpySubtract Pro=20
and Ad-Aware
managed to detect 75 percent. Internet Cleanup, ETrust PestPatrol, and=20
McAfee AntiSpyware each had a hit rate of zero in this category.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Our tests challenged the anti-spyware utilities with 45 adware and spyware=
=20
programs that created a total of 81 infections in different forms. Sunbelt's
CounterSpy and Webroot's Spy Sweeper fixed 85 percent and 81 percent,=20
respectively, giving them a comfortable lead over the rest of the field.=20
Allume's
Internet Cleanup, on the other hand, detected only 5 percent of infections.
Another Road to Success
Click here to view full-size image.
The tenth program in our tests, Merijn.org's HijackThis, is not a=20
traditional scanner. HijackThis provides a report of all active processes,=
=20
startup Registry
keys, Startup folder contents, BHOs, and services found on the system. With=
=20
this program's log, you can locate suspicious or unwanted startup items and
remove them. Though identifying the suspicious entries in the log requires=
=20
an experienced and confident user, the program is easy enough for even a=
novice
to run. Less-experienced users can post their logs to various forums on the=
=20
Internet for assistance in identifying undesirable processes. (For guidance
on using HijackThis, see "
Kill Really Stubborn Spyware With This Tool"
by PC World's privacy columnist, Andrew Brandt.)
We used HijackThis along with the Add or Remove Programs feature in Windows=
=20
XP's Control Panel. We were surprised to find that nearly all of the 45=20
adware/spyware
apps on our infected system had a corresponding uninstaller in Add or=20
Remove Programs. (To use these uninstallers effectively requires that you=20
know which
programs they belong to; it's not always easy to tell.) By using the=20
uninstallers and following up with HijackThis--which identified and deleted=
=20
active
components not removed by the uninstallers--we obtained our best score yet,=
=20
killing off 100 percent of all active components of the adware and spyware
infecting our machine. We obtained the same result when we followed a=20
CounterSpy scan with HijackThis. No other combination gave us 100=20
percent--the WinTools
processes that the other scanners left in place thwarted our cleanup=20
efforts, and HijackThis was unable to stop the processes on its own.
By the Numbers
We saw a significant difference among scan speeds. The most effective=20
scanner--CounterSpy--was also the fastest, taking only a minute to perform=
=20
a complete
scan of a system with 2.7GB of data. Also fast were Spybot and Spy Sweeper,=
=20
which scanned our test system in just over 2 minutes. Conversely, Spyware=20
Eliminator
was inconsistent and slowest at scanning, taking anywhere from 10 minutes=20
to an hour (we performed multiple scans). The remainder of the scanners took
between 4 and 5 minutes.
The spyware scanners reported infections very differently, too. For=20
example, when we installed the WhenUSearch toolbar on our system,=20
CounterSpy saw it
as two separate adware objects, WhenUSearch and SaveNow. Ad-Aware, in=20
contrast, detected the same toolbar as a total of 73 objects. And after we=
=20
allowed
CounterSpy to remove all active components of WhenUSearch, Ad-Aware=20
continued to report 5 "critical" objects--these turned out to be 3 empty=20
Registry keys
and 2 empty folders. Such alerts can be unnecessarily alarming, and can=20
cause the spyware problem to seem more severe than it is.
Real-Time Monitoring
The ability to remove spyware threats after a machine is infected is vital,=
=20
but preventing an infection in the first place is even more desirable. One=
of
the most effective tools in this respect was Spybot. Using the included=20
add-on Resident TeaTimer, the utility warned us when any program attempted=
=20
to make
changes to critical areas of the system Registry. Even the spyware=20
processes that were able to load themselves into memory were prevented from=
=20
changing
the Registry and thus were quickly squashed with a simple reboot of the=
system.
Spybot also includes a feature to protect the Hosts file from modification.=
=20
The Hosts file provides a sort of road map for the browser; each entry=
consists
of a Web site address and the corresponding IP address to which it is to be=
=20
redirected. Malicious software creators frequently exploit the file to=
prevent
users from visiting security-oriented pages such as those on antivirus=20
companies' sites.
CounterSpy and Spy Sweeper also blocked attempts to modify the Hosts file,=
=20
stopped edits to the system Registry, prevented our browser home page and=20
search
pages from being changed, and detected suspicious processes in memory.
Ad-Aware SE Personal does not include real-time protection, although you=20
can set it to block edits to the Hosts file. The paid versions of=
Ad-Aware--SE
Plus and SE Professional ($27 and $40, respectively)--include Ad-Watch,=20
which has features similar to CounterSpy's and Spy Sweeper's. ETrust=
PestPatrol
Anti-Spyware was able to detect suspicious processes in memory, but it=20
failed to alert us when changes were made to critical system settings.=20
SpySubtract
Pro warned us when changes were made to our browser home and search pages,=
=20
and it detected suspicious processes in memory. McAfee AntiSpyware includes
real-time protection, but its low recognition rates diminished its=20
effectiveness.
Neither Spyware Eliminator nor Internet Cleanup provided much in the way of=
=20
real-time protection. Spyware Eliminator only blacklisted suspect Web sites
and ActiveX controls, though this unique blacklist of offending sites and=20
controls is a very nice feature. Like Spyware Eliminator, Internet Cleanup=
=20
ignored
home-page and search-page changes, failed to detect suspicious processes,=20
and lacked Hosts file protection. It did, however, block pop-ups and provide
a personal-information blocker to prevent inadvertent disclosure of=20
sensitive data.
Ease of Use
Click here to view full-size image.
CounterSpy's interface is attractive and simple to use. The Scan Now button=
=20
appears prominently on the welcome screen, menus are easy to traverse, and=
=20
shutting
down the program does not result in a loss of real-time protection.=20
Ad-Aware's interface is equally attractive, but the program's menus are=20
hidden behind
unlabeled icons and require a bit of guesswork to find. Spybot requires the=
=20
user to first switch to Advanced mode and then sort through various=
categories
to find the most useful settings and tools options. Both Ad-Aware and=20
CounterSpy provided reports that were easy to understand, but Ad-Aware=20
listed a few
cookies as "critical" objects--giving the impression that some benign=20
cookies are a high-risk threat.
HijackThis's simple text-based interface presents options well, and the=20
program is exceptionally easy to use--though the results it reports may=
require
an advanced user to decipher.
Spyware Eliminator provides a clean interface with clear menus, but the=20
tool was slow to load. We found Internet Cleanup's interface cluttered and=
=20
difficult
to use. The menus were context-sensitive--they changed depending on the=20
section we were in; and inconveniently, our only recourse when we got in=20
too deep
was to click the Home button and start over.
Though easy to navigate, ETrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware's interface=20
appeared barren and unattractive. It was also a tad confusing initially:=20
The Enter License
Key button was the most prominent feature on the welcome screen. Only by=20
reading the fine print were we assured that we had properly registered our=
=20
copy.
Spy Sweeper's interface was intuitive, but we could not close the main=20
program without also closing real-time protection. As a result, we endured=
=20
numerous
prompts asking if we really wanted to shut down protection or simply=20
minimize the program. At the other extreme, McAfee AntiSpyware installed=20
the McAfee
Security Center icon in our system tray, but the Security Center gave no=20
options for--or access to--the anti-spyware component.
Our Picks
You can get an anti-spyware utility for free, but this is one area where=20
going cheap isn't worth the savings. The no-cost Spybot Search & Destroy=
offers
an overall detection rate of 54 percent and provides effective real-time=20
scanning. Keeping on the free path, you could combine Spybot with Ad-Aware=
SE
Personal, whose detection rate for active infections was slightly higher=20
than Spybot's in most categories. However, even when combining Ad-Aware,=20
Spybot,
and the free HijackThis, we were unable to remove 100 percent of the=20
infections on our test system.
Sunbelt Software's CounterSpy, our new Best Buy, proved the most capable of=
=20
the products we tested, with the highest detection rates, cleanest=
interface,
and fastest scan speeds. And its $20 price for a year of updates and tech=20
support is a bargain. You also won't be disappointed by Webroot's Spy=
Sweeper,
which was almost as effective as CounterSpy, scans quickly, and is easy to=
=20
use. Combining either product with HijackThis--and reasonable caution when=
=20
installing
dubious goodies--you should be able to keep your system pretty well=20
spyware-free.
Beta Update: Future Windows AntiSpyware Looks Like a Winner
Click here to view full-size image.
As we were completing testing for this story, Microsoft released a beta=20
version of its new Windows AntiSpyware, the product formerly owned by Giant=
=20
Software,
which Microsoft acquired in December 2004. The beta turned in excellent=20
results in our tests. Because its signature files were more up-to-date than=
=20
those
in the rest of the products, we didn't compare it directly with the others=
=20
in this roundup; nonetheless, AntiSpyware looks like it will be a top-notch
product when it's ready for shipping.
It was able to detect 91 percent of the adware/spyware in our test suite,=20
including 96 percent of processes running in memory, 67 percent of home- or=
=20
search-page
modifications, 100 percent of BHOs and toolbars, 95 percent of Registry=20
additions, and 100 percent of other items such as menus and buttons added=20
to programs.
The utility scanned our 2.7GB of data in less than 3 minutes. AntiSpyware's=
=20
real-time monitoring stops infections by preventing changes to the browser
home and search pages, identifying unknown processes in memory, blocking=20
unauthorized edits to the Hosts file, and preventing changes to Registry=20
run keys.
To counter browser home- and search-page hijackers, AntiSpyware can=20
automatically reset the pages to the operating system defaults. You can=20
also specify
custom home and search pages by selecting Advanced Tools, Browser Hijack=20
Restore. AntiSpyware will alert you to any attempts to change the=20
designated pages
from the custom or default settings. This is a better way to handle=20
hijackers than the similar scheme of Webroot's Spy Sweeper, which restores=
=20
the pages
to the settings that were in place when Spy Sweeper was first installed.=
Read
more
on AntiSpyware.
Windows AntiSpyware boasts a clean, intuitive interface that is nearly=20
identical in features and layout to that of Sunbelt Software's=20
CounterSpy--an application
that also makes use of Giant Software's spyware-signature technology.=20
Unlike CounterSpy, AntiSpyware automatically ignores cookies as it scans--a=
=20
refreshing
change for those users who appreciate the automatic log-ins and site=20
personalization features that cookies can provide.
Protect Yourself Against Spyware: Change or Update Your Browse
Click here to view full-size image.
You can protect yourself from much spyware by switching from Internet=20
Explorer to a different browser, such as Mozilla Firefox. Still, even=20
alternative
browsers have security vulnerabilities that can lead to trouble. And you'll=
=20
face hassles with the few Web sites that don't function properly with=
browsers
other than IE.
For people who don't want to switch, IE version 6 and later has default=20
security settings to better protect against spyware. (For more on security=
=20
settings
in IE, visit
Browser Security.)
Upgrading to the latest version, keeping your PC patched (
windowsupdate.microsoft.com),
and being careful about installing unknown software will help avoid spyware.
At the
PC World Spyware Help Center,
you can research programs before you install them. For those you do=20
choose to install, make sure you carefully read and understand the=20
implications of
the End User Licensing Agreement; it may warn you that it will load other=20
programs. Finally, if you end up with spyware on your system, try the easy=
=20
route
first: Check the Windows Add or Remove Programs list to see if an=20
uninstaller is provided.
Glossary
Confused by BHOs and Hosts? Here's a primer on important terms in=20
anti-spyware lingo.
Adware --PC World defines adware as advertising-supported software that=20
plays by the rules, no matter how obnoxious you might think it. Adware=
displays
a prominent End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) during the install, does=20
not install any other applications without explicitly asking the user's=20
permission,
and provides an effective uninstaller in Windows Add or Remove Programs=20
section.
BHO --Browser Helper Objects are small programs used to customize Internet=
=20
Explorer. Spyware and adware developers often use Browser Helper Objects to=
=20
write
components that load with Internet Explorer each time it starts.
Cookies --Small text files placed on the user's system when visiting a=20
particular Web site. Cookies can be used to locally store log-in or=20
preference information
to help personalize or enhance the user's experience. Most browsers provide=
=20
a means to block cookies; however, many Web sites will not function properly
if cookies are not allowed.
Hijacker --Changes to the system that cause users to be forcibly redirected=
=20
to Web sites other than those they have specified. A hijacker is often used
to redirect users to pornography sites.
Hosts file --A text file that correlates Web site names to specific IP=20
addresses. Entries in the Hosts file will override remote DNS queries=20
typically handled
by the ISP. Modifications to the Hosts file can force the user to visit a=20
site other than the one expected or can be used to prevent access to a=20
specified
site.
Processes --Any executable programs that use CPU time, memory, or other=20
resources.
Registry --A database of settings used by Windows that control hardware,=20
software, and user preferences. Modifications to the Registry can allow=20
unwanted
programs to load, prevent wanted programs from loading properly, or change=
=20
the user's browser preferences.
Spyware --Software that is surreptitiously installed on the user's system=20
to monitor the user's Internet activities and that often displays=
advertising
based on that monitoring.
Illustration by: Doug Fraser
Related Topics:
Adware,
Maintenance/Management, Tips,
Spyware
bill
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