Whose Watching You?

Whose Watching You?
By John Leigh
Copyright © John Leigh 2003. All Rights Reserved

We all love 'Freeware' right? After all it's human
nature to want something 'free'. There are some very
good freeware programs out there, Simple to download,
simple to install, simple to get started with,
especially when you don't have a lot of money to buy
all the programs you want or need right?

Well........ There's always a Well... isn't there.

If you have installed any freeware, there's a good
chance that you've also got some advertising -
supported software too. Working in the background,
downloading banner ads - pop ups etc.

Then there's something different - spyware -
collecting information about you and your Internet
related activity.

How does spyware get onto you computer? Usually
downloaded as part of or in addition to the freeware
application. You install the program you have
downloaded then another user agreement pops up that
you click 'OK' (how many read all the user agreement -
you should). Sometimes spyware is 'misnamed' as
freeware. Then when you uninstall the original program
the spyware can remain.

What Can You Do?

A good first step is to install a firewall. ZoneAlarm
a good very popular firewall. A firewall stops spyware
'reporting back home' when surfing the Internet. You
have good control over what is allowed to have access
to the Internet.
Get a copy from
ZoneAlarm www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

Others include
Tiny http://www.tinysoftware.com/
Sygate Personal Firewall 5.0 www.sygate.com

You can approve or deny access for any application. If
an application tries to access the Internet for the
first time, you will be asked whether to allow or not.

Watch Out!

Always read the user agreement of any software you
install. Watch out for phrases like 'occasional or
periodic use of your Internet connection in the
background' or enhanced browsing. Watch for extra user
agreements and install windows popping up. It's easy
to click OK without realising it's not for the
original software clicked on earlier.

Be Gone!

Some spyware can be removed from the add/remove
programs in the control panel. The best way is to use
a program such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware (which comes in
three options - basic - plus and Pro). I like this
program and use it a lot. http://www.lavasoft.de/

Simple to use - this scours you system, scanning your
registry and hard discs searching for any adware and
spyware. Anything that is found can be quarantined
and/or removed.

If you have a program that you think is spyware check
it on spychecker database at
http://www.spychecker.com/. If it is adware and not
spyware then spychecker usually tells you.

Protect Yourself

Here's those addresses again

ZoneAlarm http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
Tiny http://www.tinysoftware.com/
Sygate Personal Firewall 5.0 www.sygate.com
http://www.spychecker.com/.
http://www.lavasoft.de/

Written by John Leigh. Editor and Publisher of
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