Dealing with Spyware - and other infections on your PC

The background to this article

We were asked in a number of emails to the SeniorNet UK site, about how to protect your PC when you’re online, from Viruses, Spyware and other 'hazards’; so we have put together a list of actions that you can take that should help you to avoid these issues.

Whilst these steps can help, it's our opinion that no amount of detection software can substitute your own vigilance. You should always know what's on your computer, you should make regular backups (more on that in another article) and you should be aware of what changes happen on your PC and as importantly, why they occur!

The delivery of Viruses, Spyware and other infections to PC's gets more sophisticated as each day passes, they can come as email attachments, they can come as links in emails, they can come as pop-ups, they can come as the result of a penetration of a PC without a Firewall and of course they can be delivered as part of software that you yourself install.

The figures vary, but today (Feb. 2006) an unprotected PC browsing the Internet has about 12-18 minutes before it has a 90% chance of becoming infected with some form of Spyware/Trojan etc. If this is your PC, then you could be heading for some big problems if you don't adopt some form of defence.

So what do you need to do to try and protect your PC from infection?

Although we suggest that you read the whole article, we have created a short Table of Contents (TOC) that can take your direct to the paragraph headings if you want to go straight to a section that interests you more.

Install AntiVirus software and keep it up to date!

Install a software firewall - Now!

Install a Hardware Firewall - if needed.

Update your PCs Operating System (O/S) and keep it up to date.

Install Spyware detection software and use it regularly.

Install AntiVirus software and keep it up to date!

Most new PC's now come with trials of antivirus software ready to install and in most cases they also include a free length of subscription time to their virus definition/update services. This is so that you can download lists of virus information that the antivirus software uses to check against for potential viruses on your PC. Once the free subscription period is over, you are then given an option to purchase an on-going subscription - typically then being renewed yearly.

Unfortunately, many PC users do not bother to continue with this subscription service, this is a false economy and you risk leaving your PC open to a series of outside security threats. You should update your antivirus subscription service as soon as possible. However, you should also be aware that as well of keeping your subscription service up to date, it is also advisable to update the antivirus product itself through the software vendors upgrade offers.

A number of the antivirus software vendors appear to be reducing the number of versions of their products that they will support. Typically if your antivirus software product is more than two years old, then it probably is missing some important features that in today's environment it should have. One way that the antivirus software companies encourage you to move to their latest products is by increasing the cost of subscription services on older products.

Upgrade your products?

For example if you have Norton AntiVirus software, renewal of one years subscription services for all Norton AntiVirus 2005 or older products is now priced at UK £24.67, whereas an upgrade to Norton AntiVirus 2006 product is priced at UK £29.99 and includes a full years subscription service. A further offer is to upgrade to Norton AntiVirus 2006 which includes two years subscription service and is priced at UK £39.99.

Which antivirus software to use? There are a wide number of software products on the market, it really depends on what extra features you're looking for. Many anti-virus software companies have now incorporated their anti-virus products into Internet Security Products (we will have a look at those in another article).

You might also want to look at some of the free Anti-virus software products on the market. Sometimes, but not always, these initially come in ‘lite’ versions, but can be upgraded to the ‘next’ level for a fee. These products might not have all of the features of the ‘paid-for’ products, but they might be something to consider.

We have included some links for you use in comparing anti-virus products, this one is from Personal Computer Weekly, this table provides a good comparison table between some of the major players (prices are in US$ dollars), another review table (again with US$ dollar pricing) however the table information is more important. Lastly here is a list from VNUNet.com, which includes a number of free antivirus software products.

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Install a software firewall - Now!

Although Windows XP has its own built in firewall (only fully turned on by default when you have installed the Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) see later paragraph), it is our belief that adding a stand-alone software firewall offers added protection to your PC. Here is an article from Microsoft on their Windows Firewall and what it can do.

Again there are many software firewall products available; some 'Internet Security Products' from antivirus product vendors can also contain firewalls. There are also a number of free software firewalls available; ZoneAlarm from ZoneLabs, it works really well and is very easy to set-up and use. We like it and have used this product for a number of years, although we have upgrade to the Pro version (for a fee), which has some additional features. Another product to look at is Kerio from Sunbelt. If you do install an additional software firewall, then make sure that you disable the Windows XP internal firewall - this happens automatically when you install Zone Alarm.

Here is an article from Information Week on a range of software firewalls including a usage pie chart.

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Install a Hardware Firewall - if needed.

Whilst a software firewall can do a very good job, installing a hardware firewall adds yet another level of protection, particularly against Denial of Service attacks (DOS) and other hacker activities.

Typically most people have purchased broadband connections to the Internet for single computers, generally with the Internet Service Provider (ISP) providing a basic dial-up ADSL broadband modem as part of the package, usually connecting to your PC via a USB socket. Although costing in some cases around UK£30.00, purchasing a separate hardware firewall might not be an economically viable option for you.

But what about if since you first connected to the Internet, you now have a second PC (particularly a Laptop) that you also want to connect to the Internet? There are a number of connection options that you can use to connect the Laptop to the Internet; the ADSL Guide has very good information on this subject (and many other Broadband related issues).

But perhaps the best connection approach might be to replace your dial-up ADSL broadband modem and purchase an ADSL Router/Modem with wireless (WiFi) connection ability and generally containing a built in Hardware Firewall. Some ISPs do now offer broadband modems with firewalls, so you will need to check what type and model you have.

Home Networks, many ways to make one.

Typically these types of Home products allow for 2 to 4 computers to be connected to your network via wired connections (printers, desktop PCs etc.) and if combined with a wireless option many more devices to your network and subsequently to the Internet. The advantage is that all the computers on the network (wired and wireless) receive the same protection benefits from the central Hardware Firewall. However, you should also install a copy of your software firewall product on each of the connected computers. We will be looking at 'home' networks in another article shortly.

As with ‘all things’ computers today, there is a wide choice of ADSL Router/Modem products available. A good place to start looking at these types of products would be the ADSL Guide. If the second PC that you intend to connect to the Internet is a laptop and you have decided to go the wireless (WiFi) route, then for total compatibility, make sure that you purchase a wireless (WiFi) network card from the same manufacturers as your new ADSL wireless Router/Modem. In spite of the claims of WiFi compatibility, issues do still come up when using different manufactures products in the same network; having the products from the same manufacturer reduces this possibility.

There is of course a need to make sure that your wireless network connection is also secure from hackers - yes they can get you that way as well!! More on this subject in another article.

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Update your PCs Operating System (O/S) and keep it up to date

If you have not already done so, we would advise that you upgrade your PC with Windows XP and Service Pack 2 (SP2). Make sure that you read all the information on SP2 before you upgrade, also make a backup of all your important data before you make the upgrade.

Windows SP2 is a very big file and unless you have a broadband connection you should not attempt to download it. Most monthly PC magazines usually have a directory on their CD/DVD that contains the SP2 update and other software that we talk about in this article.

Windows Update

You should also run the ‘Windows Update’ often; this will ensure that your O/S is kept up to date with the latest software updates. You can reach the Microsoft Windows Update site by clicking the Start button on your PC; you should then see a 'Windows Update' icon in the list, which will take you to the Windows Update site. If you also use other Microsoft products such as Office, you can update the linking when you arrive at the Windows Update page by 'converting' to Microsoft Update and then update Office and other Microsoft products at the same time. You can also access the Windows Update menu option via Internet Explorer under the Tools menu.

You can ensure that you don't miss any updates by setting Windows XP to tell you when any updates are available. Go to the Security Centre in the Control Panel and select Automatic Updates, then choose the setting you require. You can of course choose the option to have Windows download and install the ‘High Priority’ (typically called Critical) updates completely automatically without any ‘user’ intervention. We prefer not to choose the totally automatic option, but the 'notify me but don't automatically download or install them' option for more control over when and what is installed on our PCs.

Caution

Finally a word of caution, in addition to ‘High-Priority’ (Critical) updates and ‘Optional Software’ updates, both the 'windowsupdate' and 'microsoftupdate' websites offer the ability to update your PC with  ‘Hardware Options’ updates including various driver software updates.

Upgrading hardware drivers can sometime cause conflict issues on PCs. We suggest that in general unless a piece of hardware has suddenly stopped working (you should investigate that as a separate issue), that you leave the driver updates alone and work with the ones that were first installed with your hardware. There are however exceptions which can only be treated on an individual basis.

Perhaps an item for the SeniorNet UK Forum.

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Install Spyware detection software; use it regularly.

As we mentioned at the start of this article Spyware can arrive on your computer in a variety of ways. There are a number of software products that focus on detecting Spyware and depending on the products various options, dealing with it.

Many antivirus software products can also deal with Spyware by detecting what they call Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) A PUP is a program that may be unwanted, despite the possibility that PC users have consented to download it. PUPs definitions include Spyware, Adware, and sometimes Remote Diallers. Typically they are often downloaded in conjunction with a program that the user wants; an example of this would be some versions of Download Accelerator from SpeedBit.

Read your software agreements, don't be surprised!

The term PuP was created, because some software vendors object to having their products called "Spyware": In the view of these firms, all the information necessary for user consent to install and run these programs is included in the download agreement that the user ‘reads’ and ‘agrees-to’ before installing the product.

However it is widely understood, that many, if not most PC users fail to read a download agreement in sufficient detail to understand exactly what they are downloading onto their PCs. It may be a laborious task, but SeniorNet UK would suggest that you always read any software agreement before you install the product. For example, many PC users do not realise from any software agreement that they are in fact not actually buying software; all they are buying is the right to use a copy of the software for a period of time!

Typically you can separate PUPs from other types of malware (a generally accepted name that describes unwanted software) such as viruses, trojans, and worms, which typically is unwanted by the user.

As before, there are many Spyware detection products available on the market, here are some that SeniorNet UK uses.

Ad-Adware SE from Lavasoft has a free product available for home use. This product scans your PC for various types of Spyware, like anti-virus software it relies on a 'reference' file that is updated regularly and needs to be downloaded into the installed software to update its scanning ability. More information can be found on the companies main web pages.

Another product is Spybot - Search & Destroy, this again is a free product that scans your PC and as in the case of Ad-Adware works against a reference file, which you update at regular intervals. This product also has a number of interesting additional features. One, Tea-Timer, can detect unnecessary & unusual Windows Registry changes.

A third product is X-Block; again like the two products above it is a free scanning tool working in much the same way. We have upgraded our version to the 'Pro' version as it has some interesting additional options that we use. Visit their web site for more details.

Another product to consider is from Microsoft and its Anti-Spyware software product. This product offers 'Real-Time Protection' and is a 'background' program, in that you install it on your PC and it runs much like antivirus software, 'always on'. There are various options that allow you to configure how and when it will run, it automatically updates its ‘reference file’ and pretty much runs without any problem.

However this is Beta software, that is, it is not a formally released product, which is why it is free. You have to decide if you want Beta software running on your PC.  We had not realised that the core product has been updated a while ago and renamed ‘Windows Defender (Beta2)’. So having updated this product on our PCs in the last few days we can report that it is as easy to use as its predecessor. We do not have any information as to when or if, Microsoft will formally release this product.

Learn and remember.

Learn from some of the above products' web sites as to how to recognise potential threats to your PC, even with the above programs to protect you, you still need to be vigilant. For example, you're browsing away quite happily, then all of a sudden a new window pops-up on your PC screen, claiming that you have a 'virus, trojan or Spyware' infection and offering to scan your PC for free. Should you click on the offer of a free scan? We suggest that the best option is to ignore these sorts of prompts, even if the creator of the window has somehow made it look like one of your Spyware programs.

If you didn't ask for a scan then don't trust the prompt. Close the pop-up by clicking on the X at the top right-hand corner of the open window, not by the cancel button within the pop-up (another ploy used by the hackers to get access to your PC). Then shutdown Internet Explorer and run a Spyware scan with whichever program you have installed. If that doesn't show any Spyware has been installed, then you have escaped a typical method to trick you into potentially downloading viruses, trojans and Spyware. There are or course legitimate pop-ups that you may want to see. One tool that you can use to control them is under the Tools menu of Internet Explorer; here you can define what are allowed pop-ups and how Internet Explorer handles them. Pop-up blockers can also be found in the Google and Yahoo toolbars.

An example of an online Spyware scanner that is not a threat and you can use to it to check that your system is not infected is Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool. Another is from the maker of X-Block discussed earlier. There are others available, some of which ask you to install and/or purchase products after the scan to repair the problem.

Further general reading can be found in this article about Spyware on The Register.

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And Finally!!!

Some do's and don'ts that can also help you protect your own PC.

• Do install or turn on any anti-spam software that you have working with your PC email program or if your using Web Mail that your ISP has. In the case of a local email program it should protect you from most things. As a back up, do not open email (or download web mail) attachments from users that you do not know. This is probably the way that most viruses enter PCs. If you do not know the user, then simply do not open the email and delete it. However, you must also remember to check your spam folder regularly, just in case it has ‘trapped’ any legitimate emails that you may want to receive.
• Don’t ever open an attachment that has an .exe, .pif, .com, .scr, .vbs or .bat extension. These types of attachments do more damage than any other. If in doubt, then throw it out! If it was important, then whoever sent it to you, can send it again.
• As we said above, if you visit a site and a pop up suddenly appears saying that your computer is infected, you can pretty much treat it as a threat to your PC. Close it by clicking on the X on the top right hand corner of the window and do what we mentioned above if you want to run your own Spyware scan or your use your pop-up blocker tool.
• Most illicit music/video file sharing and XXX sites are typically full of traps enticing you to click to download/view and without your knowledge will try to download various 'nasties’' to your PC. A very straightforward solution is not to visit these types of sites at all. There are of course many emerging and highly respected legal music-sharing sites, which do not aim to 'infect' your PC when you download files, a European list containing UK music download companies can be of which can be found at this Review Site. We have also downloaded music from a number of sites that appear on this list, including Big Noise Music (BMG) and HMV Digital.

We hope that we have not put you off from experiencing the 'wonders' of the Internet/email etc. Generally if your PC is well protected, then you will probably never have any of the major problems that we have discussed in this article. If you have any comments, additions or corrections for this article or suggestions for other articles, then let us know through the SeniorNet UK Forum.

Happy browsing.

SeniorNet UK
February 2006

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