What to do with Spyware and Adware

What to do with Spyware and Adware

Created by Justin Leung

Table of Contents

– Introduction

– What is Spyware?

– What is Adware?

– How does Spyware and Adware work?

– How to detect if your computer has Spyware/Adware

– What programs are there to help get rid of them?

– Rating of the Programs

– Recommendations

Introduction

Welcome to the What to do with Spyware and Adware Powerpoint presentation!

This presentation will talk about:

What is Spyware and Adware

How can you detect symptoms of these programs on your computer

Rating of selected Spyware and Adware killing programs

Recommendations by the technicians.

What is Spyware and Adware?

They are independent programs that can be automatically installed when you surf throughout the internet or when you install free software.

What is Spyware?

Advertising companies uses spyware to “mine data” to further help them advertise better.

Uses your Internet connection and reports statistical data about you and your surfing habits a 3rd party

Violating your privacy.

And is a completely LEGAL program!

What is Adware?

Adware are created by advertising companies

Comes in the form of popups, unexplained advertising programs on your computer desktop like “Casino Night”.

Advertising companies hope to generate money from customers who receive the popups or unexplained programs on their computers.

Also a LEGAL program!

How was Spyware/Adware work?

Spyware and Adware programs have a tendency to hide as cookie or temporary internet files

Adware startup has the tendency to hide itself in the register keys as normal program.

How to detect you computer has spyware or adware…

Continuous popups

Persistent change in your homepage.

Slower computer processing, takes the computer longer to process or startup.

Extreme symptoms of spyware or adware…

Internet browser does not start up.

Parts of your computer you cannot access without freezing.

Major core data is lost or changed.

What programs are there to help get rid of those programs?

Out of many programs out in the internet that were created to detecting spyware/adware, four programs were chosen for this presentation.. They are:

Spybot Search and Destroy

Ad-aware 6.0

Symantec AntiVirus

Spysweeper

Rating Topics

I gave each program a rating for:

Detecting and destroying spyware/adware Additional features to protect the computerUser Friendly (How easy is it for an average Joe to use?)Updates in their spyware/adware definitionsCost to buy this productRecommendations from the technicians here at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.

Rating is from 1( Very poor) to 5 (Very good).Note: Each program tested detected certain programs that the other 3 had not discovered. The rating for “Detecting and destroying

spyware/adware” is judged by the number of spyware/adware programs that were detected in comparison to the others.

Spybot Search and Destroy

Type: Spyware Killer Rating:

– Detect/Destroy: 3– Additional Features: 3– User Friendly: 5– Updates: 2– Cost: 5 (Free)– Recommendations: 3

Advantages: – Has a Recovery feature that allows you to restore any files

you may be deleted infected with spyware– Has an Immunity feature that protects you from already

known spywares

Disadvantages:– Infrequent updates cause spywares to slip past scans and

immunity

Comments:– Good program, but because of slow updates of spyware

definitions, it renders the program not as useful

Spy SweeperType: Spyware/ Adware (Free Version)Rating:

– Detect/Destroy: 4– Additional Features: 4– User Friendly: 5– Updates: 1 (Free version)– Cost: 3 ($29.95)– Recommendations: 4

Advantages: – Has a immunity shield that blocks known

spywares.

Disadvantages:– Takes a while to scan.– Unless you pay for the Spy-Sweeper, it does

not come with definition updates.

Comments:– Effective program, only backdraw is the

payment you need to make yearly to keep the program updated.

Norton Symantec AntiVirus

Type: Virus/ Spyware/ AdwareRating:

– Detect/Destroy: 1– Additional Features: 5– User Friendly: 1– Updates: 5– Cost: 1 ($69.95)– Recommendations: 1

Advantages: • Can detect viruses, hacking programs,

spyware programs, adware programs, joke programs etc.

• Comes with a firewall.

Disadvantages:• Detects very few adware/spyware programs• Very confusing to use.

Comments:• Norton Symantec still has ways to go in

detecting adware/spyware programs

Ad-aware 6.0Type: AdwareRating:

– Detect/Destroy: 4– Additional Features: 2– User Friendly: 5– Updates: 5– Cost: 2 ($39.95)– Recommendations: 5

Advantages: • Easy to use scanning. • Detailed logs of where the adware and

spyware programs are hidden.

Disadvantages:• Ad-aware was built was adware, so its

ability to catch spyware is restricted

Comments:• Effective Program. A bit on the costly

side but its well worth it.

Recommendations

Preventing spyware and adware from getting onto your computer is your first step!

– Do not download unnecessary software from the internet, especially free ones because they most likely have adware or spyware inside them.

– If a download screen appears, asking you to confirm your download, click no if you not trying to install anything.

– Avoid clicking advertised popups especially ones that mention “free” stuff if possible.

Recommendations

Technical Recommendations

– Some adware/spyware files like to hide in the temporary internet folders. – Disable saving of temporary files by going to Program Files, Control

Panel, Network and Internet Connections, Internet Options, Temporary Internet Files Settings, Check Never under “Check for Newer Version of Stored Pages”.

– Constantly delete old temporary files and cookies by going to Program Files, Control Panel, Network and Internet Connections, Internet Options, Delete Cookies and Delete Temporary Files.

– Remember though, adware and spyware can be tricky, no matter how cautious you are, there are bound to be adware or spyware programs that install into your computer.

» Always constantly scan your computer for adware and spyware and keep your Adware/Spyware killer programs fully updated at all times.

Recommendations

Recommended Spyware/ Adware Killers without any restraints– The “Tri-Killer” combination:

• Ad-aware 6.0 Professional Edition: Primary scanner

• Spy-sweeper paid version: Primary scanner and use their immune guards.

• Spybot Free Edition: Scan for any spyware Spy-Sweeper may have missed.

Recommended Spyware/ Adware Killers with a price restraints• Ad-aware 6.0 Free Edition: Primary Scanner

• Spy-Sweeper paid version: Primary Scanner

• Spybot Free Edition: Scan for any spyware Spy-Sweeper may have missed

Recommended Spyware/ Adware Killers with a time restraints (not recommended)

• Ad-aware 6.0 Free Edition: Primary Scanner: Fast Scan Mode

• Spybot Free Edition:

• Suggestion: Spyware/ Adware killers are suppose to take time to scan, if you have time restraints, turn on the scanners, leave them running and go do something.

Thank you for watching!

Any questions please ask!

References

http://www.symantecstore.com/dr/sat1/ec_Main.Entry?SP=10007&SID=27674&CID=0&DSP=0&CUR=840&PGRP=0&CACHE_ID=39910

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

For those interesting more in this topic, here are some links:

Future Add-Ons

A detailed graph of the amounts of spyware/adware that was found during research.Additional software should be tested. Discover is there a software that can detect and destroy both adware and spyware effectively