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Welcome to the ValleyNet Security Website |
Pop-ups, spyware and adaware are a relatively new nuisance to the web and can collectively be called malware because often they are so poorly written they can cause major problems to web browsers and computers they end up installed on-usually without the knowledge or permission of the user!
Click here for ways to tell if your computer is plagued by spyware.
Pop-ups – A pop-up and pop-under ad is just what it implies-a new window that opens either on top or under the current page you're trying to view. There are numerous pop-up killer applications available for free including the Google toolbar and the MSN Toolbar which works very well. Both will work fine but the MSN Toolbar has many features that can be configured for the users preferences.
Spyware and Adware – Spyware is any piece of software that covertly gathers information through the user's Internet connection, usually for advertising purposes, without their knowledge. Much spyware is so poorly written, it is often called malware because of the problems it can cause. Like pop up killer's, there are a number of applications available to remove spyware but caution is advised-many of them are simply a different type of spyware and can remove files necessary for the proper operation of your computer and web browser. Read the MSN story about it. One free application that works well is Adaware available from Lavasoft. One special note about spyware is one called CoolWebSearch. This is by far the most insidious and requires a special free removal tool called CWShredder courtesy of Merijn.org. There are many versions of the CWS trojan but the one we've seen recently that is the most offensive is a version that changes the home page to a pornographic site and will not allow the user to change it.
Microsoft has a very good article about spyware, it's effect and what you can do about it on their security site.
A word of caution is to not install any software from spam you received or pop up windows on web pages with the exception of Macromedia Flash Player or the Microsoft Windows Update site.
Links:
MSN Article on Spyware Prevention-a good article on dealing with the tougher cases of spyware removal