Inside Spyware: Part 4 Additional Ways to Prevent Spyware and Adware
In Part Three of our in-depth look at spyware and malware, we started talking about the different ways you can prevent spyware and adware from infesting your computers. Here we continue the discussion and offer some handy resources, too.
Blocking Pop-Up Ads
One way to avoid the potential danger lurking behind pop-up ads is to install software that blocks and prevents them from appearing in the first place. Many ISPs offer tools to stop pop-ups from appearing. The Mozilla and Firefox Web browsers do not allow pop-ups. Even the Google Toolbar, which we discussed earlier, will block pop-up ads.
Microsoft added pop-up blocking to its Internet Explorer browser with Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Service Pack also includes an updated Windows firewall and patches some holes exploited by hackers and worms.
Microsoft also has made these instructions available on how to set Internet Explorer in Windows XP Professional to block pop-ups.
You can find all kinds of additional programs that block pop-up advertisements. A word of caution, though: Before installing them, research the developer and the company to make sure they are legitimate. Also be sure to note how they affect your system. Some pop-up blockers may discourage new windows — such as instant messages being sent to you — from opening.
Windows Messenger Pop-Ups
One form of pop-up with potentially dangerous effects is spam sent using the Windows Messaging feature in Windows XP. We don't mean the instant messaging software used by millions of people, but rather an administrative tool that systems administrators use to contact people on their networks.
While utilities that claim to stop such pop-ups exist, you can easily disable the Windows Messenger feature. Here's how:
In Windows XP go to Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools, then double-click Services, and next double-click Messenger. In the Startup-type list, choose Disabled. Click Stop, and then click OK.
ISPs and Spyware Prevention
The largest consumer Internet service providers (ISPs) have added spyware protection in the latest versions of their software to help keep consumers safe from online pests.
Once upon a time, this software came in the form of anti-spam tools designed to help keep the e-mail inboxes of their subscribers clean. Now the attention had shifted to spyware. As with most ISP's add-on features, there is little to differentiate the spyware protection offerings among the major ISPs.
MSN – Microsoft's MSN ISP offers McAfee Security's anti-virus and personal firewall services as part of the MSN Premium subscription service for broadband users in the United States.
MSN Premium subscribers receive McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Personal Firewall Plus desktop-protection services as part of their subscription to MSN Premium. MSN Plus and MSN Dial-Up Internet Access subscribers can access trial versions of the services and purchase them through the MSN site.
McAfee Personal Firewall Plus helps prevent potential hackers and other Internet threats from entering and infecting your PCs by acting as a protective barrier between the PC and the Internet.
EarthLink –
EarthLink unveiled spyware protection in October 2003. Its Spyware Blocker works just like some of the freeware removal programs, such as Spybot Search and Destroy. EarthLink subscribers choose when to run the program. It then detects and removes all common forms of spyware from their computer, including adware, system monitors, keyloggers, and Trojan horses.
America Online –
AOL introduced AOL Spyware Protection as part of its 9.0 Optimized software. The product is actually software licensed from Aluria Software, which makes Spyware Eliminator, pop-up stoppers and optimizers. Unlike EarthLink, the AOL Spyware Protection automatically scans your computer once a week.
Members also can manually initiate a spyware/adware scan by clicking on the AOL Spyware Protection icon on their desktop, or they can set up automatic spyware scans at more regular intervals, such as daily/weekly or at a specific day and time. AOL regularly updates the Spyware Protection database to help members find and disable the latest spyware and adware applications.
