Spyware, adware and malware - a problem for all15 August 2005
Despite the recent ratcheting-up of security by most companies, IBM has reported that virus-laden emails and criminal driven security attacks increased by 50 per cent in the first half of 2005.
According to the report, there were more than 237 million overall security attacks in the first half of the year. Many reading this will no doubt believe that such attacks are a greater threat to large corporations than they are to small businesses. However, the opposite may be true. For example, the Internet Security Alliance says the Mydoom worm of 2004 affected a third of small and mid-sized businesses - but only one out of six large enterprises.
So malicious attacks on your network are a real problem, the question is how to protect yourself? Here we look at three forms attacks can take and where to look for help in fighting them.
Spyware
Spyware is code that gets on to your computer from the internet, gathers information and sends the information out across the internet without your knowledge. The vehicle for this malicious code could be completely hidden or part of a program that you thought was innocent such as desktop search bars or screensavers. One of the most dangerous forms of spyware records every key you press. This can give a hacker information on every site you visit and even password information and personal details.
Adware
Adware is one of the most persistent and annoying forms of computer attack. It is very similar to spyware and arrives in many of the same ways. Computers infected with adware will be inundated with pop-ups or redirect users to different web pages than those they intended to visit.
Malware
Malware is basically a catch-all term to describe any unwanted programs on your computer or systems that could cause harm. A key feature of malware is that, in addition to the other problems, the programs are usually poorly-programmed and can cause your computer to become unbearably slow and unstable.
Protection and Removal
Such is the increasing sophistication and insidious nature of malware, all computers will at some point fall victim. Indeed research firm Gartner claims up to 90 per cent of computers connected to the internet are infected with spyware. The good news is that there are many freely available and paid-for programs available to help deal with the problem.
Some good information on recognising and removing malware can be found in previous BT features on How to Remove Spyware and Recognising Spyware.
The government has also recognised the threat security breaches pose to small business and, in addition to its up and running site itsafe, it has got together with leading companies, such as eBay and Microsoft, to develop a new site. To go live in October, getsafeonline will offer computer-related advice from industry experts in plain English on how to mitigate virus, hacking, spyware and other malicious attacks.
Other sites with more detailed information and links to spyware removal products include Microsoft's frequently asked questions on malware and Spyware Watch.
