 |
| This information is provided to you FYI/FTR. Well, well, well.
How in the world are all of you doing? Yes, I know. It’s been
almost 3 whole months since I’ve written the last issue of
<start announcer voice>“FYI/FTR-A Technology Newsletter
for Professionals of All Industries”<end announcer voice>.
Some of you rascals actually wrote me asking for the next issue.
It brought a tear to my eye. I had a tough time choosing a topic
for this issue of FYI/FTR. Initially, I had planned to write about
virus hoaxes since a bunch of you actually believe Microsoft is
developing an e-mail tracking system and if you forward that email
to all of your closest friends, Uncle Bill will send you a fat check.
I came even closer to selecting virus hoaxes as a newsletter topic
when it became apparent that some of you actually believe Congress
could somehow impose a 5-cent per e-mail charge on all of your outgoing
e-mails. Seriously people. If you get an e-mail and it sounds like
a pile of shitake mushrooms, it probably is……even if
the freaking e-mail says it was ‘recently reported on CNN’.
Yeah, and I have some beachfront property in Kansas to sell you.
I’m sorry to be so hard on you humans but remember, it’s
tough love. Alright here’s a web page you can visit to check
if that e-mail you received is a hoax: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html It IS possible to install software on your computer without you knowing. Some companies throw you a bone in the form of a dialog box where you have to click the OK button but these dialog boxes are often cryptically worded and make no sense to the average user other than the understanding that clicking OK will make them go away. Internet marketing companies have always been pretty sneaky about delivering their message to your computer but ever since the so-called dot com crash these same internet marketing companies have increased their ruthless, intrusive methods ten-fold in an attempt to get your attention and hopefully those crisp green bills in your wallet. I’ve already preached about anti-virus programs and maybe more importantly, firewall programs (see May 2002 issue of FYI/FTR) but defending your computer may need to be a multi-patriot missile approach. I mean if these companies are constantly developing newer and sneakier ways to get messages to pop-up on your screen then you best be knowing about the latest tools of defense available. Quick show of hands….how many of you have ever been bothered by messages popping up on your screen when you’re surfing the internet? Uh huh. Now how many of you know how to get those to stop? Ah. Spyware defined: Spyware is software that resides on your computer that constantly monitors your online activity, communicates that information back to its mothership (or mother server if you will) which then delivers advertising content to your computer screen. It’s messages can be downright exasperating. I ran a series of tests again, just like I did with Trojan Horses….the things I do for you people. Anyways, I downloaded a program called Ad-aware created by a company called Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoftusa.com). The price was right. It was absolutely FREE and it was recently named the best Software Product of the Year in the Freeware category by PCWORLD magazine. According to Lavasoft’s website, “Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets you remove them safely.” Seemed simple enough. I downloaded it then ran it on one of my home computers, one of my work computers and my teacher’s workstation computer at the community college. Here are the results: Work Computer Home Computer Community College Computer Now, let me just say I’m glad I’m in good health because my heart skipped a few beats when Ad-aware’s final report told me I had 109 suspicious files, folders or registry entries on my home computer. 109!!! Holy *expletive deleted*! I then gave Ad-aware the OK to remove all 109 fragments of spyware. My work computer was about half as bad. The community college computer only had 9 spyware components. The reason for this is that every time the computers are restarted at the college, a program called deep freeze deletes any of the changes made to it since the last restart which results in the computer behaving as if it just came out of the box every time it’s restarted. I forgot to mention the trigger that prompted my foray into the
world of spyware. A couple of months ago I noticed a sneaky little
advertising message periodically expanding upward from the bottom
right hand corner of my screen, obnoxiously occupying about 1/4th
of my screen. In all my supposed expertise, I couldn’t figure
out how to permanently get rid of it! It would display all kinds
of ‘special offers’. I’d close it down, visit
another site and there it would be again! Annoying to the n-th degree.
Well, suffice it to say, Ad-aware successfully zapped it. It turned
out to be a little piece of spyware from a company called Top Moxie.
Here’s what TopMoxie says on their website (www.topmoxie.com)
“By shifting the client profile information and the processing
power to the end user’s desktop, TopMoxie developed a high
performance technology that offers superior marketing capabilities
while preserving consumer privacy.” I’m sorry but did
that just say TopMoxie has the right to invade my desktop and annoy
the heck out of me? I don’t think so. Unbelievable. Next company
for me to poop on….OnFlow Corporation (www.onflow.com) whose
website seems to have been down for the last two weeks…hmmmm…..cexx.org
describes OnFlow’s spyware as “…a browser plug-in
designed specifically to display advertising, usually of the large,
loud and flashing variety.” That’s just great. You know,
if I wanted large, loud and flashing, I would watch the Anna Nicole
Smith show. Next up, The Gator Corporation (www.gatorcorporation.com)
. I best be careful here because they are suing the Interactive
Advertising Bureau for saying bad things about their methods. Gator’s
software takes intrusiveness to the next level. Here’s how
they describe their methods “GAIN is an acronym for the Gator
Advertising & Information Network. GAIN helps keep many popular
software applications and services free in exchange for delivering
ads, information, and software based on the web sites being viewed.”
No wonder lawyers make so much money. I’m so thankful for
Ad-aware. I encourage each of you to use it. Download it from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/downloads.html
and run it. For goodness sake, it’s free and it works and
it could save you a few head knocks against your monitor. You know
who you are. You’ll be surprised at what you find. Spyware
on your computer may be communicating with its mothership right
under your nose. The truth is most definitely out there. Aloha, Clyne G. H. Namu`o |
| 858-204-2828 | namuo32@hotmail.com | cdoose@hotmail.com | PO Box 23626 San Diego, CA 92193