What is spyware?

Spyware is any software that is able to secretly gather information about users or organisations without their knowledge. On the Internet, spyware is usually installed onto someone’s computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Your computers could be infected with spyware either through the Internet, or as a result of installing free software or shareware that have spyware embedded in them.

As spyware typically consumes computer resources, it will cause your computers to be sluggish in performance. Slower-than-normal Internet access and unsolicited 'pop-ups' on your computers are typical 'symptoms' of spyware-infected computers.

Common forms of spyware

Spyware is grouped into 3 main categories:

  1. Tracking Cookies: This form of spyware tracks a user's surfing history and gathers the user's personal information when a syndicated website is visited.

  2. Adware:
    3. This form of spyware monitors a user's web surfing behaviour for the purpose of delivering targeted pop-up advertisements to the user.

  3. Browser Hijacker: 
    4. This form of spyware diverts a user to unwanted web sites by making modification to the user's web browser settings such as a home page, search engine, etc.

How could one be easily infected with spyware and what is its impact?

Type How spyware can infect user Impact of spyware on user
Tracking Cookies
When a user visits a website, the web server creates cookies to track the number of times that the user has visited the website.
A cookie contains personal information such as the user's name or e-mail address, but only if the user has given that information to the website.
Adware
When a user visits a website embedded with adware, these software will request permission to install free utility or an online survey via a pop-up window. If the user gives permission, adware is installed onto the computer. When a user installs a freeware or shareware (from an unknown source), adware can be automatically installed without the user’s knowledge.
The adware will usually continue to generate advertisements on pop-up windows even when the user is not running the original freeware or shareware programme. It also gathers the user’s browser usage information such as how often the user clicks on the advertisements and the duration spent viewing these web pages. These browsing habits of the affected users will then be sold to advertisers.
Browser Hijacker
When a user visits a website embedded with browser-hijacker software, permission is requested to install toolbars or utilities or to change the user’s home page via pop-up windows. If the user gives permission, the programme will install and makes changes to the user’s browser setting.
Re-directs the user to the websites of the spyware creator.

Symptoms of spyware-infected computers

  		• Slower browser start-up times – since some spyware tracks the user’s browsing habits by integrating with the browser, it delays the start-up operation of the browser.
  		• Browser home page has changed or keeps changing even after you reset it.
  		• Increased network traffic and slower-than-normal dial-up response times.
  		• Unexplained browser crashes or system instability.
  		• Unexplained pop-up messages or windows with advertisements even when you are not actively using the Internet.

    How can I remove spyware from my computer?

    Using a good spyware removal tool is the best and fastest method to remove unwanted software. These tools operate similarly to virus scanners in looking for unwanted software.

    Do note that some license agreements provided with host software may require that the spyware remains on your computer and remains functional for your continued use of the host software. Therefore, removing the spyware software may legally require you to stop using the host software and remove it from your system.

    Steps to allow Active Contents from legitimate websites

  		•  While you are running Internet Explorer, click the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options".
  		• Click on the "Security" tab. Select the "Trusted sites" icon and click the "Sites..." button to open the "Trusted sites" dialog box.
  		• To allow Active Contents from a particular website, type the website into the box and click the "Add" button. Note that by adding a website into your trusted site list, you allow the downloading of any content from that particular website. For example, adding http://www.cnn.com into the list of trusted websites would allow you to download active contents from http://www.cnn.com/~latestnews.
  		• Now click on "OK" to close the "Trusted sites" dialog box.
  		• In the "Internet Options" dialog box, make sure that "Trusted sites" is still highlighted, and click on "Custom Level".
  		• Under "Reset custom settings", select "Medium-low".
  		• Click "OK" to save the settings for the trusted websites.

    Steps to disallow Active Contents from unknown or untrusted websites

  		•  While you are running Internet Explorer, click the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options".
  		• Click on the "Security" tab. Select the "Internet" icon and click the "Custom Level... " button.
  		• Under "Reset custom settings", select "High". The "High" setting will disallow downloading of all active contents from all un-trusted websites. When you find that a site is not working properly, decide whether you trust that site. If you decide to trust the site, follow the Steps to allow Active Contents from legitimate websites (please refer to the section above).
  		• Click "OK" to save the settings for the internet sites.

    Best viewed in 1024x768 resolution with Internet Explorer version 4.5 (and above) or Netscape 6.0 (and above).