Spyware and Adware News

For the past 7 months, I have always gotten great support from my account rep at Webroot. I recently went ahead and build myself a new computer. After I got done, I realized that I would need to install my version of Webroot Spy Sweeper that I purchased online. I must say that the experience was hassle free. Here is a little timeline.

• Called Webroot support using their toll-free number at 2:51pm
• Using their very simple to use automated system, I worked my way to a phone rep at 2:51
• The phone rep looked up my sale and stated that he would send me the license key and a link to the install program. I hung up at 2:52
• By 2:53, I received the email from Webroot and downloaded the program and reinstalled it

Now that does not get any easier. One of the best selling points besides the performance of their program is the support that I can receive when I need it.

I once again feel reassured that I am offering my customers a great spyware protection program that I know they will get support when they need it.

I was talking with a relative over the weekend. I had helped them build their computer several years ago. I mentioned that I had to renew my anti-virus protection. She asked why. I explained that new viruses are being created all the time so you need to keep a current andi virus program on your PC. She was working with the same virus protection program I put on her PC years ago. Luckily she didn’t have any viruses on her PC - which we found out when we purchased a new anti virus subscription!

At one point in time computer hackers were working for notariety or glory. They designed their attacks to be very widespread in nature - causing problems for computers and networks worldwide. Now the cyber criminals are becoming more targeted and selected in their attacks. Instead of media coverage, hackers are going for a specific monetary goals. This was illustrated by the attacks that evolved after the discovery of the Windows WMF vulnerability in December, 2005.

What does this mean for the average user? Make sure you keep your computer protected at all times with a firewall, antivirus and anti spyware software. Since threats are constantly being discovered don’t let any of your protection expire. Keep them up to date at all times.

I was reading through Webroot Software’s report on the state of spyware for the 4th quarter of 2005. I was shocked at the number of attacks against large companies worldwide during 2005. This bets the questions: Are companies lax about their computer security or cyber criminals just getting smarter?

During 2005 attacks were made against us companies including:

• BT’s Wholesale Club, when the credit card information of thousands of customers was stolen.
• DSW Shoe Warehouse, when 1.4 million names and credit card numbers were stolen from a database.
• Lexis-Nexis, when hackers gained access to the personal information of thousands of customers.

So I ask this - are criminals just out thinking and outsmarting the current security in place for companies, or are the companies not as dilligent as they should be about security? One thing is certain - companies will need to be more proactive and aggressive when it comes to the protection of sensitive information.

If you think that the cybercriminals out there are just targeting companies you’d be mistaken. I read a story of a spyware attack against a sheriff’s department in Oklahoma. Surveillance software was installed on the department’s computers. This software allowed the cyber criminals to gain access to information about prisoner movements and homeland security information. It just goes to show you that no one is immune to a spyware attack. Everyone who uses a computer needs to remain vigilant against spyware and viruses.

Experts estimate the 90% of computers worldwide have some form of a Windows Operating System on them. Knowing this statistic, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the creators of spyware programs like Trojan Horses and RootKits exploit any holes or flaws in Windows programs.

These are a few important things a computer user should do to protect against spyware infections using flaws in Windows. First, keep your Microsoft Windows critical updates and security patches up to date. We suggest setting your computer to automatically receive and install them on your PC. Second, a good anti-spyware program like Webroot Spy Sweeper can give you real time protection against spyware infections and automatic updates against new spyware programs.

It was announced today that Webroot Spy Sweeper was the first company to receive the “Checkmark Anti-Spyware Certification” from West Coast Labs. I have to be honest and admit that I was unfamiliar with this company. I learned that they are an independant company who certifies security products that meet their guidelines for quality products. Companies such as McAfee, Computer Associates and Panda Software International have received various certifications from the company.

After reading more about this company, I feel that this is a very positive step that can help companies and consumers to find security products that provide the services that they advertise they do. Just take a look as to what has been going on in the spyware industry. Their are so many products on the market that claim to provide quality spyware protection. Just take a moment to visit the rogue spyware page at Spyware Warrior and you will be shocked of their list of programs that don’t do what they claim to do. Suzi Turner and Eric Howes have been leading the way in trying to educate users of these bogus software programs.

Once again, this does confirm to us why we chose Webroot Spy Sweeper as our preferred program for protection against spyware.

Spyware infections are increasing. Programs are becoming more sophisticated and are changing and evolving all the time. A spyware protection program that worked last week might not be effective in providing protection against new threats.

It’s important to use a reputable spyware protection program on your computer to give you the protection you need. A reputable program can completely remove spyware from your computer, give you real time protection against future spyware infections, and provide spyware definition updates for recently released and discovered spyware programs.

A reputable spyware protection program will give you the option of receiving program updates automatically. To get the most protection from your spyware removal program, follow the company’s instructions for turning on this feature. If you use Webroot Spy Sweeper, we can tell you that this feature is turned on automatically when you install the program.

One other thing important to the safety of your computer is to run a full system scan on a regular basis. You can set a program to do this automatically at a time when you’re not using your PC.

You can read product reviews on the following reputable spyware removal programs:

• Webroot Spy Sweeper
• Spyware Doctor
• X-Cleaner
• StopZilla

If you ever really did not know how complicated it is to detect spyware signatures, just talk to Microsoft. Recently, their anti-spyware program was detecting Norton Antivirus as spyware. Yes, I said spyware. The user would be notified about the infection and asked to remove it. The unsuspecting user would naturally comply and then they would find themselves without antivirus protection.

This flaw was immeditately discovered and Microsoft has pushed out a signature update to correct the problem. If you run Microsoft AntiSpyware and had Norton Antivirus installed, take a moment and double check that this program is running. Due to the way Microsoft was deleting this, you will need to insert your original install CD for Norton and choose “reinstall”.

Webroot Software company, in their Spy Audit, found that there was a noticeable increase in the number of Trojan Horse programs on computers in the fourth quarter of 2005. Spyware programs that exploit flaws or holes in Microsoft Windows programs contributed to this rise. It’s important to keep your Microsoft Windows security patches up to date. The best way to do this is to set your computer to automatically receive and install the updates. You can go to Microsoft’s web site to get the specific instructions for the version of Windows you run on your computer. Another way to protect yourself and your pc is to run the most recent version of Internet Explorer on your computer.