Spyware Overview

 

Imagine a program that watches your computer.

It sits in memory, watching everything the computer does–the websites it displays, the passwords used to get into them, the advertisements that get clicked on. This program silently and secretly gathers all of this information, without the user’s knowledge. Then, at some point, it connects to a server somewhere on the Internet, and hands over this collection–again, without letting the owner of the computer know what it’s done.

Scary thought?

Experts believe that at least six out of ten perhaps as many as nine out of ten computers on the Internet have this kind of malware installed. Like a virus, many spyware programs run without the user’s consent or knowledge.

There is an entire industry devoted to gathering demographics information through the use of spyware, and there is another industry that’s grown to combat spyware.

Spyware is meant to capture “demographics.” This is meant to help advertisers better target their ads. For example, if a piece of spyware reports that the user recently visited websites for car dealerships, then the spyware server would then send ads for cars to the computer.

Many people, however, regard this as an invasion of privacy. Spyware companies claim to only gather “generic” information, like web site addresses and zip codes, but it’s still very easy to gather critical information. Anything entered into a web form can end up in the spyware collection–such things as phone numbers, email addresses, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers can all find their way into a spyware database.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. Some popular programs have spyware attached, and will quit working if the spyware is uninstalled–so the user has to decide whether that program is worth it.

Provided, of course, the user even knows that the spyware is running on his system.

More About Background Checks

 

Trust is something hard to come by especially if one does not know the person. To make this happen, companies and people do background checks on the individual to avoid being swindled or victimized.

An example is when people apply for a job. The company has to do a background check to see if that individual is for real or a fraud. Human resource practioners do this by letting the applicant fill up a form.

This usually has the name of the applicant and other details such as where the person worked before. In the bottom, these people ask for 3 individuals to be used as character references that have either worked or known the individual.

Some companies do not have the budget to do this so it is left to an employment agency to do the necessary checking before forwarding the application of the person to the client company.

When calling references, questions such as how long the individual has known the person and at what capacity. If the one being called is a co-worker or the employer, questions such as what the strengths and weaknesses of the person, why did the person leave and would the company re-hire the individual if there is an opportunity.

Another way of doing a background check is going online. The person can check if the applicant has a criminal record and other important details such as the social security number that may cost a little but it will all be worth it if the person is clean.

Background checks are also done when a person applies for a loan in a bank.

If this person has not done business with the bank or has only recently opened an account, this is needed to avoid being victimized by impostors or other criminal elements.

The bank will do this by asking for some information such as where the person lives, documents that may be used as collateral for the loan such as the house or the car. A check online will also determine if the person has a criminal record or not before the loan can be processed and given to the individual.

Credit card companies do the same. Aside from filling up the form, other documents need to be presented such as one’s pay slip to know how much the person is earning. Once this has been done, the creditor can determine how much credit can be given to this customer.

Some companies who are in the same industry for example retail have an association among it’s members.

Should an applicant who worked in one company decide to work in another but has a bad record, that individual will be blacklisted and will surely not get the job.

Whether an individual applies for work or needs something done, background checks are needed for the safety of the firm and the people who work for it. By implementing these procedures; a person who deserves the job fills that vacancy, a loan can be granted to the right people and the person can shop until the card has reached its limit.

Security is something needed in modern society. It separates the good from the bad and those who deserve something or not. Without it, people will fall victim to criminal elements and businesses will not flourish.

Background Checks and Public Records

 

Whenever you need to look up public records you usually have to take a trip down to a public office in order to get what you need. This involves driving to the town hall, dealing with an intermediate person, and maybe having to wait a while to get the information you need. With the internet becoming more and more rapidly the source of our information every day you should definitely get in on the research opportunities that the internet offers. Well, I bet you have heard the cliché that nowadays you can find almost anything you want on the internet and I bet you did not believe that it was true at all. Well, guess what, it definitely is true. You can find any kinds of public records online that you would normally have to take a trip to the town hall to find. You can look these up quickly and easily on the internet rather than going through a lot of hassle to get them in a physical hard copy.

If you do not really know how to do research on the internet then that might be the problem you are experiencing when trying to find out really specific kinds of information that you might need. Commonly, you cannot find this kind of information by just using a search engine. However, there are specific sites set up with this information all compiled and organize into one place that is easy to use and has no hassle for you because it links you directly to the information you are looking for. So if you just look around on the internet for these kinds of sites then you will have no trouble at all finding the information that you need whenever you need it.

Popular searches tend to deal with sex offender records and criminal background checks. This shows that people can use this site to protect themselves by remaining knowledgeable about the people that they need to have trust in. Employers can also use this when they are looking to hire someone new and need to do a quick check to verify information and to make sure that the person is actually trustworthy enough to perform the job. Another great thing is that you can just get this information whenever you need it.

A lot of people ask the same question a lot. The most frequently asked question is if something like this is legal and usable by everyone. The answer is certainly yes. No one would allow you to get hard copies of these records in your town if it were not legal and completely normal for you to have access to them. Also, these are compiled to help you find information hat you need to know to make sure you are safe. These records are all public records that you could get in other ways but this is just a much more convenient method of getting the same information that you are looking for because you have a need of it.

Malware!

 

The five types of malware are:

Virus: A virus is a computer program that has been coded to replicate itself and infect a computer without the user’s knowledge. A virus spreads from computer to computer by infecting network files as well as CDs, USB drives, and other forms of removable media.
The best free anti-virus is AVG anti-virus which can be found at http://free.grisoft.com/ .

Trojan horse: Trojan horse or just Trojan is a program which looks legitimate but performs illegitimate actions such as granting full access to the intruder, installing a keylogger, disabling security software and as an invisible downloader and spywares. Spybot Search and Destroy is a free program that can find and delete Trojan horses and spywares. It can be found at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Adware: Adware (advertising supported software) is a software bundle which automatically downloads and displays advertisements to a computer in which it is installed. Adwares can be classified as privacy invading software. It is seen as a way to recover development costs by software developers. The best program to combat adwares is Ad-Aware 2007 and it can be downloaded at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

Rootkit: A rootkit is a program which has been coded to take complete (or root) control of the system without the user’s knowledge. Rootkits take full control of the operating system and therefore cannot usually be removed by anti-virus software. Rootkits usually modify the boot sector of the operating system or disguise as drivers and load during boot up. As a result, it is usually hard to delete them.

Malware Overview

 

Do you know what goes on under the hood of your car? Do you know the solution for a warning light on the dash? Do you know what’s wrong with the car if it starts making strange noises or loses power?

Those same questions can be asked about your computer.

Computers can have many of the same problems as cars. Engine problems can cause cars to lose power, just like a large program can take up too much of the computer for anything else to run. Where an engine could “throw a rod” or “break a timing chain,” computers can mysteriously reboot or die with the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death.”

We expect that our car will bog down sometimes. You can’t expect a car to perform as well when pulling a two-ton trailer up a five degree hill. Likewise, when a computer gets bogged down with a big project, you would expect it to respond a little slower.

What you don’t expect is for either the car or the computer to bog down or die when we’re not pushing so hard.

One of the things that “Malware” can do is exactly that. It forces the computer to work harder, taking power away from our programs. It would be like sneaking a dozen cinderblocks into the back of the family car right before the trip.

“Malware” is software that works without the user’s knowledge and consent. Sometimes called “badware,” it covers a wide range of programs, including computer viruses, spyware, adware, and more. Adware can bog down the computer, because it contacts websites to download fresh ads. Spyware collects data on you and the websites you visit and returns all of that data to the host website. And viruses just want to find a way to spread to other computers.

But most importantly, malware runs “under the hoood” and behind your back, so that you don’t even know that it’s there.

Firewalls and Proxies

 

In building construction, a firewall is a structure designed to contain building fires. For example, an attic crawlspace that covers the entire length of the building would allow a fire to roar from one end of the building to the other. Breaking up the crawlspace with non-flammable walls helps to slow the spread of a fire.

Network firewalls have a similar function. A firewall is a network security system, either a program or an actual device, that breaks up a network to contain viruses and hackers.

Imagine two large fish tanks side by side, separated by a wall. We want to allow the blue fish to mingle, but we need to keep the carnivorous fish on the left away from the baby fish on the right. If we opened a computer-controlled door in the wall, programmed to only allow blue fish to pass but no one else, that would be a fish tank firewall.

Network firewalls “segment” the network. Local traffic, the information that moves between the computers in that segment, doesn’t go through the firewall to the larger network outside. And information that doesn’t need to reach anyone inside the firewall is blocked out, just like the carnivorous fish in our example.

A Proxy is another network security tool. Proxies are replacements for Internet servers. When a computer requests a website from the internet, a main hub provides the IP address. A firewall can interfere with this, and declare that no one inside the firewall can surf the Internet. The Proxy is then the “official” way past the firewall.

A proxy server has a list of “authorized” websites. When the user’s computer requests the address from the Internet, the proxy checks it against the list, and if the website is approved, it authorizes the firewall to let the traffic through. If the website is not approved, then the firewall sends a message saying “you are not authorized to visit this website.”

Adware Overview

 

Adware is advertising delivered directly to your computer. Generally, a program puts ads on the screen at some regular interval. In some cases, this program can be installed without the user’s knowledge, but not always. Many programs clearly state on install that “this program is supported by advertising, and if you turn off the advertising, you also shut down the program.”

Adware tends to be a “grey area” in the malware family. Yes, it can run without the user’s knowledge, and yes, it can bog down the system (especially when the adware program goes online to retrieve new ads to display). At the same time, adware is generally more open about what it does, giving the user the choice to install the program the adware is attached to.

Adware is most often tied into Internet Explorer somehow. The ads that appear are browser windows.

When it’s installed above-board, adware is generally accepted by the internet community as a valid marketing system, even though it can include elements of spyware (ie, it tracks information, and uses that information to deliver targeted ads to the user). If one user of a system installs adware on a system, and another user is then tracked, then the program crosses the line from adware to spyware–because the second user is being tracked without their consent.

Some other forms of adware have used sneaky programming tricks to hide or cover website advertising. For example, an adware program can read an incoming website, and learn the location of a banner ad on that page. Then, the program can use that information to put an ad of it’s own in the exact same spot, hiding the legitimate ad. This deceptive use of adware is often called “stealware” because it steals the advertising space from the original website.