Its Halloween! Spooks, Specters and Spyware!

It was late, I had put off going to the Software Convention till the last minute. I just had to watch my favorite show on TV, S-Files". Its that episode where the Computer Salespeople all turn into Pod People and , , , , well never mind. Its really scary! So I'm driving down the lonely one lane road from my house to the Convention. Its dark and the shadows are creepy, I'll never watch S-Files again,...

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Are You Secure?

David Geer

How do you know your computer is secure?

No computer is or can be 100-percent secure. However, you should take several reasonable measures like anti-spyware, anti-virus and firewalling tools, and ...

Auditing or testing your security with online tools.

Here are some good, free, Internet-based self-serve tools that will tell you a thing or two about how secure your computer is on the Internet.

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?productid=symhome& langid=ie&venid=sym

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 [Some tools may have appeared in other blogs here]

http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/scanoptions.asp

http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/

About the author: David Geer writes for national and international publications like Computerworld, certain IEEE Computer Society publications, The Enterprise Open Source Journal and dozens more. E-mail him at D avid@GeerCom.com, call him at 440-964-9832 or visit his Web site at www.GeerCom.com.


Free Spyware Removal - It's Not as Easy as it Sounds

Spyware is a massive problem in today's world. People get paid for creating this new and annoying threat, and conversely, others get paid to help us remove it. There are ways to get rid of it for free, but it takes a hint more effort. Nobody wants to pay to remove spyware. At the very least, I don't. The blasted stuff shouldn't be on my computer anyway, so what ever would make me want to shell out cash to get rid of something that I shouldn't have in the first place? Spyware removal tools come in many different forms, and from many different places. Lavasoft's Ad-Aware is from Sweden, and Spybot:...

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The latest information and news on Spyware Removal Advice:

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'WSJ' calls Microsoft antivirus tool 'spyware' (CNET)
In what appears to be just a bad headline, the business publication says that Microsoft plans to introduce spyware. (It's actually planning free antivirus software)
Court Slams Door On Sale of Spyware (Slashdot)
coondoggie writes "The Federal Trade Commission yesterday had a US District Court issue a temporary restraining order halting the sale of RemoteSpy keylogger spyware. According to the FTC's complaint, RemoteSpy spyware was sold to clients who would then secretly monitor unsuspecting consumers' computers. The defendants provided RemoteSpy clients with detailed instructions explaining how to ...
FTC get CyberSpy?s RemoteSpy banned in the U.S. (Geek.com)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been successful in its bid to get the RemoteSpy spyware application released by CyberSpy Software banned in the U.S. For now the ban is temporary, but the FTC are pushing to make it permanent. The ban stems from a complaint (PDF) lodged by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) back [...]
Microsoft to offer free anti-virus software (The Manila Times)
Microsoft has announced plans to offer free anti-virus software to PC users starting next year. The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said the software, code-named "Morro," will "provide comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans."
Microsoft Will Replace OneCare with Security Software (NewsFactor via Yahoo! ...
Microsoft plans to stop accepting paid subscriptions to Windows Live OneCare in mid-2009. The security software is slated to be replaced by a free offering code-named Morro, which will focus on providing consumer PCs with core protection from viruses, spyware, rootkits, trojans and other forms of malware.
Microsoft to offer free security in 2009 (ITP.net)
?Morro? to protect Windows users from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans
Microsoft to offer free security software (MSNBC)
Microsoft Corp said Wednesday it will discontinue sales of its subscription PC security service and instead offer free software to help protect computers from viruses, spyware and other threats.
Court Orders Halt to Sale of Spyware (WAAY-TV Huntsville)
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. District Court has issued a temporary restraining order halting the sale of keylogger spyware. According to the FTC's complaint, the Florida-based CyberSpy Software, LLC marketed and sold RemoteSpy keylogger spyware to clients who would then secretly monitor unsuspecting consumers' computers. The FTC seeks to permanently bar the unfair and ...
Microsoft to offer free security program (Sydney Morning Herald)
Microsoft to ditch its subscription PC security service and offer free software to protect computers from viruses, spyware and other threats.
Microsoft to Offer Free Virus Protection Software for Windows (Wired News)
Microsoft's new Windows antivirus package will furnish XP, Vista and 7 users free protection from viruses, spyware and other malware, starting in the second half of 2009. While it'll replace Microsoft's current paid service, we don't suggest throwing away any third-party solutions just yet.

Is "Spyware" Watching You?

Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from a friend who told me he'd been the victim of a spyware attack that left him shaking at his loss of privacy. I listened to his horror story with a sympathetic ear, but I felt secure since I carry anti-virus software and a firewall (both by Norton). At his suggestion - and to my surprise - I ran a program called Spy Sweeper and found a veritable minefield of dangerous and harmful programs lurking on my computer. Spyware is software that gets onto your computer and literally spies on your activities. The spying can range from relatively harmless...

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