What is Adware?

Adware - or Advertising-Supported Software

Adware, which is short for “Advertising-Supported Software” is any software which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it.

It is usually included with other software downloaded from the Internet, especially what you download for "free". The price you pay is having the adware installed on your computer. when you run the program that you downloaded for "free" from the Internet, it will usually automatically cause adds to pop up on your screen thereafter.

Adware software is integrated into or combined with another program. The person or company who is making the free program available is usually paid for including adware in his program. This is one of the ways that some programmers make a living or cover the cost of writing "free" programs.

Sometimes Adware takes the form of spyware, keeping track of what you do on your computer, and which pages you visit on the web. This information is automatically sent over the Internet to the company which runs the adware. The data is then used in order to target you with specific advertisements, or is sometimes resold to other companies. This is can be done entirely without your knowledge. Should you, however, complain about this, you would most likely be referred to some fine print in the license agreement which you accepted when you installed the "free" program.

Some Adware can interfere with the functions of other programs running on your computer, in order to force you to visit a particular web site. If you find yourself being automatically sent to a certain website, you can be fairly certain that you have some form of adware running on your computer.

These days it can be hard to separate out "Adware" from "Spyware" and "Malware;" especially since many programs might do all of these things at the same time. For example, if you install "adware" knowingly or unknowingly on a computer, and agree to a tracking feature, the "adware" becomes "spyware" as it is now also keeping track of what you do and sending the information somewhere. If someone else visits or contacts your computer, this will also be recorded and his information is then passed on as well.

Some Adware is not classified as Spyware because, somewhere in the user agreement it says that "third-party software will be included that may collect and may report on computer use." As the company has included this statement in the "Terms of Use," it is now no longer Spyware but simply Adware, as they are not "secretly" collecting and tracking your information. But really... how many people actually fully read the Terms of Use.

Another circumstance to take into account is the case when there are more than one person using the computer. In the case of a family computer, your kids might download a simple "free game," and unaware of all the facts, automatically agree to have Adware installed. All you see is the kids playing a new game. You might even be happy as it didn't cost you dime this time. However the "free game" is most likely not all that was downloaded.

Here are a few names of well-known Adware programs. This list is by no means complete and serves only as an example:

123 Messenger
180 Solutions
180SearchAssistant
Zango
Bonzi Buddy
BlockChecker
ClipGenie
Comet Cursor
Cydoor
Direct Revenue
Ebates MoneyMaker
ErrorSafe
Gator
Hotbar
Mirar Toolbar
Smiley Central
WeatherBug
WinFixer

There are also programs that specifically detect and remove adware, some are as follows:

Ad-Aware by Lavasoft
Kaspersky Internet Security
AVG Free Anti-Virus and Internet Security
CounterSpy by Sunbelt Software
Spybot Search and Destroy by Patrick Kolla
SpySubtract by Intermute
SpySweeper by Webroot
Spyware Doctor by PCTools
AVG Anti-Spyware by Ewido
AVG Anti-Malware by Ewido

These programs are designed specifically to detect spyware, and will not detect or remove viruses. A few of the above Ant-Adware products are available for free on the Internet.

Keep in mind that anti-Adware or Anti-Spyware programs are not Antivirus programs. This is a different subject entirely. Most Anti-virus programs also detect Adware and Spyware.

You can do a more thorough search for adware or spyware by first scanning with one program and then with another (or others). In most cases I have found that different programs find different things. More example, if you would first scan with Spybot Search and Destroy and then with Ad-Aware, the Ad-Aware would possibly find spyware which spybot had not found. And vice-versa.

The same goes for antivirus programs. I sometimes have to scan with more than one antivirus program in order to find and handle any and all viruses that my system has picked up. This can be time consuming as one usually has to uninstall the first antivirus program before the second one can be installed – but it is sometimes worth it.

Some of the newer web browsers, such as Firefox, also include add-blocking functions which can prevent harmful or annoying adds - and, as such, are safer to use.


- Anna Stone

"Phishing" Defined

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a relatively new term used to describe the act of trying to get private information from a person. This is usually done through the use of computers, but sometimes via telephone. The information gained is then used to commit crimes - such as emptying your bank account.

Why the term "Phishing?" The word "phishing" is really a play on words. In English, the letters "PH" are pronounced the same as the letter "F." So "phishing" is pronounced in the same was as "fishing." One of the dictionary definitions of fishing is "to seek something by roundabout means." Since phishing is an action where one tries to get your personal information through the use of covert tricks and deceit, it appropriately describes this criminal activity.

How is Phishing Done?

Phishing is accomplished through the use of tricks or schemes to gain your trust so that you will give out your personal information. Your natural response to this statement is, of course, "yeah but I am not so easily fooled." And of course you aren't. This is why phishers use a technique called "social engineering".

“Social engineering” is a euphemism (a nice way of saying something) to refer to the use of confidence tricks or the dishonest manipulation of people. The manipulator uses all sorts of tricks in order to gain your trust, or to appear to be someone else who you already trust.

For example, you trust your bank right? Otherwise you would not use it to take care of your money. Well, if you get an email from your bank to verify your account information, or a request for you to log in order to verify the payment of a bill, you would most likely answer them.

Good, this is exactly what a phisher relies on. He will send you a fake email that looks identical to an email from your bank. He might even set up a fake web page that looks like your bank’s web page, and send you there through his fake bank email.
You, under the impression that you are responding to your bank, type in your account numbers and password - and bang! The phisher has your details. He can now log on and empty your bank account.

Another trick is where the phishers sends an email which instructs the receiver to call a toll-free number in order to sort out something with his account (such as a billing or a payment). This toll-free number will be set up to sound just like the service line of one’s bank, with an automated voice response directing one to dial in one’s account number and pin code. Once the phishers has these numbers, he can of course use them to get into your account and transfer all of your money somewhere else.

As you can see, quite some work goes into deceiving people in order to get their personal details. One is not dealing with a practical joke, when faced with phishing.

While the above is just one example, and there are many, there are many more ways a in which a phisher goes about gaining personal information, credit card numbers, bank accounts, Paypal account numbers, etc. The key strategy he or she uses is to pretend to be a person or a company that you trust, and to use lies which trick you into giving out information.

How Does One Deal With Phishing?

Unfortunately, there is no anti-phishing program that works like a antivirus program or Internet security program, although an Internet security program will definitely make it harder for a phisher to hack into your computer directly and steal personal information.

The only real protection against phishing is your own alertness on the subject. If you are aware that it exists and occurs, you will be more likely to spot it, if and when it occurs.

There are, however, a few precautions and tips that will help you avoid and spot possible phishing attempts. For more information, you may view the following links:

Tips on Preventing Phishing
How to Recognize a Phisher
Protecting Others from Phishers