UNHCE Information Technology & Distance Education Blog

It used to be that we just complained about all that unwanted spam filling our Inbox. Now, we are seeing an increase in the proliferation of spyware (or adware.) If your homepage has suddenly changed, you get flooded with pop-up windows on the Internet, your search engine doesn’t come up right, or you have strange system performance problems, your computer may be infected with spyware.

At its worst, spyware can send sensitive information from your computer (e.g., passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) to a remote computer without your knowledge. At its best, spyware is a huge annoyance and drain on system resources.

So how does it get on your system? Spyware is not a virus or a worm; it is typically installed as part of another application. These applications are usually free downloads from the Internet that promise to personalize systems with American flags, add smiley faces as the mouse pointer, share files, customize the desktop, etc. When you agree to install one of these programs, you may also be agreeing to install spyware on your machine.

How to keep it off: Do not install any software on your Extension computer unless approved by, or at the direction of, an ITDE staff member. Be careful when presented with pop-up advertising; often the cancel or no button being displayed will actually install a program (use the X in the upper right hand corner to close the window instead.)

What if you’re infected? Fill out the on-line Computer Support Request form, and someone from the ITDE staff will contact you with instructions for removing the offending programs. Spyware can be difficult to remove, and may require a visit from an ITDE staff member to fully resolve the problem.

What about your home PC? Some of the biggest offenders of distributing spyware are music-sharing programs like KaZaa. Don't install free downloaded software, unless your sure it isn't carrying spyware. There are free utilities that will detect and remove spyware; CNET labs recently reviewed several.