Secrets to SpyProofing Your Computer In Four Easy Steps
Elizabeth Ward
Secrets to SpyProofing Your Computer In 4 Easy Steps
DO I NEED TO SPY PROOF MY COMPUTER?
I think the question should be, do I use my computer for anything that would best remain private and confidential? Computer monitoring has become a huge industry, involving individuals, companies and governments worldwide. Ask the millions of people who’ve had their identities stolen if they would have done anything different, knowing what they do now.
Did you know identity theft is the nations fastest growing crime?
With the advent of computer technology and the Internet spreading through our homes and businesses at lightning speed, if you haven’t been affected by computer crime in one way or another, chances are you will be soon. TYPES OF COMPUTER RECORDING DEVICES
There are two main products that are used to capture and record computer activity: Hardware Keyloggers and Surveillance Software. 95% of these are designed to be undetectable by computer users. Many Surveillance Software programs are available via a simple download over the Internet, FREE of charge, and completely anonymously!
HARDWARE KEYLOGGERS
This product requires no technical skill whatsoever to install and is often overlooked by even seasoned computer users. This type of keylogger requires that the culprit have physical access to your computer and can be installed in less than 5 seconds.
Once installed, a hardware keylogger will capture every keystroke entered into your keyboard and then store it for future retrieval on the device itself.
Some hardware keylogger companies boast a two-million keystroke capacity! That’s about 5 years worth of typing for the average computer user. Whether at home or in the office, you can easily fall victim to this type of spying.
A hardware Keylogger is installed between your keyboard and computer.
One of the most popular hardware keyloggers is KeyGhost (www.keyghost.com) . You can visit their website for more information on hardware keyloggers and why they are such an intrusion into your privacy.
REMOVAL OF HARDWARE KEYLOGGERS
By taking a peek behind your system and following your keyboard cable, you can find out if there is something "odd" inserted between your keyboard and computer. To remove a hardware keylogger, you MUST SHUT DOWN YOUR SYSTEM! You could damage your system if you attempt to remove the keylogger while your computer is running! Once your system is powered off, carefully remove the device from in between your keyboard and computer, and then plug your keyboard directly back into the computer. Make sure that it is plugged in completely and be gentle as the connectors are somewhat fragile.
BEWARE SURVEILLANCE SPY SOFTWARE Surveillance Software is by far the most insidious…and hard to detect of all computer monitoring type spyware products. Some legitimate uses for spy software are to watch a child’s Internet activity or to monitor employees while in a work environment. Unfortunately, this type of spy software is often used unethically and even illegally by ANYONE who wants to spy on or steal sensitive or private information from you, or your business, without ever being caught. Surveillance Spyware can be broken down into four main sub categories:
Keyloggers, which record keystrokes like a hardware keylogger, but without a physical device. Email Redirectors, which silently duplicate all incoming and outgoing messages to a third party. Chat Loggers and URL Recorders, which will monitor popular instant messaging programs such as AIM and Yahoo Messenger, regular IRC chat clients and web browsers. All communications and web site visits are recorded and sent back to the intruder.
Screen Recorders, which silently take snapshots of your entire desktop screen and everything you are doing, and then package it up as a slide show, for the intruder to view. Screen recorders can also email or upload these recordings for remote access.
DANGERS OF SURVEILLANCE SPY SOFTWARE Surveillance Spy Software is wreaking havoc in families and businesses around the globe with very little media attention. Surveillance Spy Software among other things is used for: • Spousal Spying • Financial Spying • Blackmail • Identity Theft • Corporate Espionage • Stalking
Whatever anyone wants to find out about you or your business can now be easily obtained with Surveillance Spy Software that can be purchased by anyone easily right over the Internet…
One of the leading Surveillance Spy Software companies is Spectorsoft http://www.spectorsoft.com
They openly acknowledge that a large part of their sales are from spouses who spy on their mates. Businesses will not let anyone know their systems have been compromised with Surveillance Spy Software, unless they are absolutely forced to. It's bad for business.
DETECTING SURVEILLANCE SPY SOFTWARE
The only product I've found to specifically target and detect surveillance spy software is from a company call SpyCop ( http://www.spycop.com).
SpyCop has been reviewed by the best in the industry including law enforcement, government and hundreds of businesses both large and small.
Here’s what some of the leading experts in the industry are saying about SpyCop:
SpyCop... found a trace of SpectorSoft's Eblaster keylogger on my system that Spy Sweeper and Norton AntiVirus failed to notice EDWARD C. BAIG PERSONAL TECH WRITER USA TODAY
The best I've seen so far is SpyCop. It scours your system, looking for secret keystroke-logging software. JOHN DVORAK CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, PC MAGAZINE
If you're on the receiving end of a snooping program, wouldn't you want to know? SpyCop can ferret out hidden spy programs… KIM KOMANDO THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW
SpyCop has been recommended in many books: The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security by Kevin D. Mitnick Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security by Mitch Tulloch Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures by Joel McNamara : Steal This Computer Book 3: What They Won't Tell You About the Internet by Wallace Wang : Privacy Tactics by Scott Germaise Home Networking Bible by Sue Plumley Computer and Intrusion Forensics by George Mohay Absolute PC Security and Privacy by Michael Miller
WHAT IS ADWARE?
The public has become outraged at the advertisers who use hidden marketing programs to take over computers for the purpose of marketing their products. The symptoms of Adware are uncontrollable popups, unwanted extra toolbars, and drastically slowed down computer performance that can result in freezes or lock up. Most spyware detectors are concentrated on detecting adware because that is what is getting all the press…and adware profiles are free for them to add to their detection databases. This makes it very easy and inexpensive for anyone to get into the adware detection business. Many times the same advertising spyware databases are passed around or copied between Adware detection companies with very little new research done.
Unfortunately, there are many inferior products out there that only do a half job at detecting adware. Adware is extremely annoying and will often cost you money because this type of spyware is poorly designed, and may cause severe damage that only a computer repair shop can fix. All expenses related to adware damage come out of YOUR pocket, not the advertiser.
REMOVAL OF ADWARE I’m going to let you in on a little secret that many in this industry don’t want you to know: You DO NOT have to spend ANY money to detect and deal with Adware because the best product out there is FREE. Yes, I said FREE, and it amazes me how many people are spending their hard earned cash to detect Adware …but as I explained earlier, there is a lot of confusion regarding the subject of spyware.
Look what Andrew Brandt from PC World wrote about all these so called spyware detectors
POOR DEFENDERS Some anti-Spy Software companies use confusing ads, and our tests show their $20-$60 products are less effective than free competitors. Andrew Brandt
From the December 2004 issue of PC World magazine
You've almost certainly encountered the ads: A dialog box pops up on your system bearing the message Warning! Your computer may be infected with Spy Software and suggesting that you scan your computer immediately. Click it, and you often reach a Web site providing a free Spy Software scanner that finds all sorts of malware on your PC--and then offers to sell you software that will clean it all up. Should you buy these products? Based on our tests, our opinion is no.
Following complaints from several PC World readers, we tested seven heavily advertised Spy Software-removal tools-- MyNetProtector, No Adware, Pal Spy Software Remover, SpyAssault, SpyBlocks, Spy Software Stormer, XoftSpy--
and found that none were as effective as reputable free products such as SpyBot Search & Destroy
Andrew Brandt PC World Magazine...
Here’s what some of the leading experts are saying about FREE SpyBot
Spybot Search and Destroy is adaptable for both beginning and power users, BRUCE STEWART CNET EDITOR.
Spybot: A powerful, easy to use tool for detecting, removing, and preventing adware… WINPLANET.COM
So folks, don’t waste your money on Adware Spyware detectors, just do like Andrew Brandt says and get your FREE copy of SpyBot S&D from the website link below: To download your FREE copy of SpyBot go to www.safer-networking.org
There are a lot of companies imitating SpyBot and tricking customers into thinking they are going to the SpyBot website when they are really going to a competitor who wants to cash in on SpyBot’s popularity.
Adware Prevention (Careful what browser your using)
Many people are unaware that they can get adware deposited on their computer by simply visiting a website with an insecure browser. To help prevent new adware from making its way onto your machine when you surf the net, I recommend FireFox. FireFox is the latest cutting-edge browser designed for simplicity and security: To download your FREE copy http://www.mozilla.org/
FOUR EASY STEPS TO SPY PROOF YOUR COMPUTER 1. Check for hardware keyloggers attached to the keyboard input. 2. Download your copy of SpyBot from www.safer-networking.org 3. Download your copy of SpyCop www.spycop.com 4. Download your copy of FireFox browser http://www.mozilla.org/
Copyright © 2005 Elizabeth Ward. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce this report for free distribution at any website as long as it is reprinted in its entirety. Copies may be obtained in Ebook format from www.nospyzone.com
About the author: Elizabeth Ward is a freelance writer and consultant for tech magazines and security magazines. She is a watchdog for consumer computer users and small business.
The latest information and news on Spyware Removal Advice :
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 ...
Phisher-besieged PayPal directs users to faux log-in page (The Register)
Error.com's missed opportunity PayPal, the online payment service that is a major target of phishers, has been caught sending customer emails that confuse its own login page with a third-party landing site that offers spyware protection and a bevy of other products.?
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.