RootsWorks
Spyware
by Beau Sharbrough
An estimate is usually worth what you pay for it,
but one free estimate is that only 10% of the computers
connected to the Internet are free of spyware. So,
nine out of ten of us have it. What is it?
Spyware is unwanted software, hidden on your computer.
It might include the following:
---
Adware. These programs serve you popup ads. They
might also send information to advertisers. One of
the more insidious examples is Gator. They produce
popup ads that don't come from the site you are visiting.
For a fee, they will put up Ford ads on pages that
have "Honda" on them, and other competitive
ads on competitive sites.
--- Snoopware. These programs watch what you do. They
might report your browsing habits to an advertiser,
or they might log your keystrokes, e-mail, and chats
so your parents can see what you're doing on that computer.
While these programs might make sense for parents or
employers, they are also used by future ex-husbands
and the like.
---
These programs might also leave "cookies" on
your machine. Cookies are files placed on your computer
to store information for your browser to use. Not all
cookies are bad. Some of them make browsing more efficient,
and keep you from having to type your password each
time to visit a site. Some of them are bad. One example
is the Tracking (or Data Mining) cookie. I found 38
of them on my computer today.
Don't take my word for it. Dick Meyer of CBS
News wrote an article on 22 April wherein he
suggests that people should complain loudly about
these invasions of their privacy, and urge legislation
to protect them.
Why Is It Bad?
First of all, it's about privacy. People are using these tools to gather information
about you, which might include sensitive personal information such as credit
cards or medical information. I manage my banking, credit card accounts,
employee benefits, and shopping online. We are doing a lot more on the Web
than we used to, and some of those activities are things we don't want others
to poke around in.
Second, it's about choice. You don't have the opportunity
to voluntarily accept or refuse to participate. You
have better things to do with your time and your computer
than to be supporting someone else's agenda without
your knowledge and consent.
Third, everything that runs on your computer, or uses
Internet connections, uses resources such as the processor
or the line that can't be used for other things. That
slows your computer down, or worse, can even make your
browser or computer crash.
How Do You Get It?
Most Internet browsing activity results in the accumulation of some spyware.
You can get it from websites, popup ads, or e-mail links. The installation
of programs falls into two categories. The "drive-by download" is where the
program is installed without telling you anything. One of the more irritating
examples is the Xupiter add-in to Internet Explorer. The "Popup Download" is
where the program is installed after you click "yes" in a popup window.
Usually the window has some kind of legalese and you click to get rid of
the popup. The next thing you know you are running a small server on the
Internet dedicated to telling marketers what you are doing. Gator is one
of the more popular examples.
What Can I Do About It?
There are a variety of things that you can do. Let's start with some common
sense. If you aren't using your computer and it's running like mad, find
out why. And be sure to use an anti-virus program all the time. You might
also want to use a firewall if you know how to set one up.
I don't like popup ads. Computers running versions
of Windows older than Windows 2000, such as Win98 and
WinMe, have a memory leak in Internet Explorer (a flaw
in the Microsoft program) that results in the gradual
reduction of available system resources. Every popup
ad opens a new instance of Internet Explorer, and part
of that memory isn't returned to the user until they
reboot. The system slows down until the user gets tired
of it and reboots. There are a couple of free popup
blockers: one from panicware.com and one from Google.
The Google toolbar is one of the best popup blockers--I
use it all the time.
I
also use a spyware removal product, called "ad-aware" from
lavasoft.com. They have a free and a pay version. I
use the free one. I just run it every once in a while
to check and clean the system. Lavasoft's
support pages include information about some ways
you can reduce vulnerability to spyware. These pages
are kind of technical, but give them a try and if you
don't feel like you get them, ask your computer guru
to help you.
Try Jason Levine's Browser Security tests (www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/).
This site has good suggestions for ways to stop certain
kinds of browser vulnerabilities. Yes, I said browser
vulnerabilities. This is a technical article.
Another good source of ideas is the article by Lee
Seats for About.com.
Oh, and if you think it's bad now, just imagine how
it will be when your cell phone, PDA, computer, and
car are all wireless Internet nodes. I can't bear the
thought that my phone will ring with a recorded message,
a text message ad, or a telemarketer. There oughta
be a law. Wait! There is a law! Utah passed one in
March. This law requires that vendors let customers
know how their programs work, get their consent, and
make uninstallation possible. That's not a bad starter
set. Mark one down for the people.
More Information
If you want to discuss your spyware issues, please drop by the RootsWorks Forums
at www.rootsworks.com/forums.
Registration is free, and I'd be interested to know what kinds of issues
you are facing.
Beau Sharbrough is a product manager at Ancestry.com.
His articles contain his own views and opinions and
do not reflect any corporate policy or statement by
the company. He lives in Provo, UT, where spring is
bringing a new flower, bud, or blossom every day. The
RootsWorks series of articles focuses on genealogical
applications for generic technologies. Beau would like
to hear from you. Stop by www.rootsworks.com/forums and
discuss this or any topic related to the use of technology
in family history. Tell us about your experiences.
Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual
computer and genealogy problems. Visit the RootsWorks
website (www.rootsworks.com)
for links to previous articles and Beau's lecture schedule
(next stop: Utah Valley PAF Users Group in June).
Copyright 2004, MyFamily.com.
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Ancestry Quick Tip
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(and Update!) Online
I
loved the line in Juliana's article, "stop researching?
I honestly don't think I can--at least not without
some kind of twelve-step program." That means that our narratives will continually need
revision. And that's why I have published my family
history on RootsWeb Freepages. As I discover new and
pertinent information, I can easily update my publication.
Some years ago (actually a couple of decades ago)
I printed a book on one of my family lines. Within
months it was outdated, so I printed and mailed out
a small supplement. But I was frustrated that I continued
to find new data without the ability to easily distribute
it. Fortunately, I mailed out my last remaining book
just weeks before RootsWeb made their Freepages available.
Because my family tree is online, I've been contacted
by relatives around the world. It has been a joy to
make contact with them and to receive information from
them. Paper publishing would never have provided that
benefit.
Mona Houser
Note: You
can browse the RootsWeb.com Freepages at http://freepages.rootsweb.com/
directory/genealogy.html.
To request space for your RootsWeb Freepage, go to http://accounts.rootsweb.com/.
Thanks to Mona for today's Quick Tip! If you have
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can send it to ADNeditor@ancestry.com.
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