The latest threat to your company's security and a problem for computer uses everywhere. In this issue we look at the problem and the solutions available today to help clean-up problems and prevent re-infections.

We also want to invite you to join our next web seminar discussion on spyware, scheduled for February 16th. You'll get more in-depth information on the threat, possible solutions and All Covered's technical experts will be on hand to answer your questions live. To join us, click here.

As always, we're eager to hear what you think about this issue and to receive suggestions for topics you would like to see covered in the future. Please send an email to Newsletter Comments.

Thank You,

All Covered




In this issue...

Spyware
Protecting your Company from the Latest Internet Threat

With 80% of computer users struggling with spyware infections, the problem is at an epidemic level. Unfortunately, there is not a single-shot solution... Read more…



Tech Talk
Spyware Software Round-up

Which anti-spyware product is best for you? Here's a round-up of the top products available today. Read more…



Microsoft & Spyware
Microsoft Jumps into the Spyware Game

The world's largest software company acquires a product and releases it as a free beta. Read more…



Tech Tip
Browser Wars/Making Internet Explorer Safer

Is switching from Internet Explorer the right strategy for you? If not, what can you do to make Internet Explorer safer? Read more…



Quick Tip
What about "Hijack This"?

It's a powerful tool that everyone has heard about. Is it the solution to your spyware problem? Read more…





Spyware
Protecting your Company from the Latest Internet Threat

Times have changed. Computer attacks were once the concern and interest of computer experts. Nowadays, everyone who touches the internet knows about viruses and worms and Trojan horses. Still, for many companies, Internet Security is an at-risk area. All it takes is one unsuspecting click and your business computer can be taken over by the latest internet-based scourge: spyware.

Spyware, which can surreptitiously track Web-surfing information down to the keystrokes of your credit card, was found on 80% of the computers tested in a program by the National Cyber Security Alliance. Just as startling, 90% of the computer owners had no idea their machines were infected.

How does it happen? Easily and often, which is why Dell suspects that spyware affects about 90% of all computers today. And don't think you're safe just because you don't open anonymous email attachments. Today's sophisticated spyware can infect if users so much as innocently click on the Close link in a pop-up ad instead of clicking the "X" in the upper-right hand corner of the window or simply visit the wrong website.

In fact, the one place many seek info about spyware is likely contributing to their spyware problems. In a recent review by noted spyware expert, Eric L. Howes, the top paid advertising spots on Google were actually from companies that were in fact installing spyware on your system if you visited their sites. These companies advertised side-by-side reviews on spyware, top 10 listings, and free spyware removers all of which sound useful and impartial and all of which were in fact infecting visitors. So where can you get sound, unbiased information about spyware? Try visiting www.spywarewarrior.com for access to Eric L. Howes excellent spyware resources.

The real question, of course, is how to avoid and combat spyware. Avoiding it is tough. Earthlink, in a recent study, estimates that the average computer carries nearly 30 pieces of hidden spyware. Once infected, the way to resuscitate gummed-up and slowed-down computers is with proven anti-spyware programs. What should you look for and what companies should you look to? For a quick look at some of the top anti-spyware programs available, read the "Spyware Software Roundup" that follows.

Until someone develops the single killer anti-spyware app, our recommendation is to use a minimum of two different packages plus a pop-up blocker for the best chance at cleaning up problems and preventing re-infection. As you look at options, here are the required features of any good anti-spyware program:

  1. Scans upon system start-up
  2. Scans the system's memory, Windows registry, and all computer drives, as well as allows for custom and scheduled scans
  3. Fully deletes detected spyware files
  4. Removes spyware programs on reboot that could not be eliminated during the scan and delete process
  5. Provides a scan report
  6. Offers quarantine and recovery functions to undo removals
  7. Immunizes Internet Explorer with ActiveX kill bits for known spyware and automatically updates the restricted sites list
  8. Automatically checks for updates upon program start, as well as allows for scheduled and manual updates
  9. Provides diagnostic tools for examining your computer system, including BHOs (Browser Helper Objects), installed ActiveX controls, entries in the Windows HOSTS file, modules in the Winsock LSP chain

For more information on spyware, attend our February 16th web seminar by clicking here.


Tech Talk
Spyware Software Round-up

Times have changed. Computer attacks were once the concern and interest of computer experts. Nowadays, everyone who touches the internet knows about viruses and worms and Trojan horses. Still for many companies, Internet Security is an at-risk area. All it takes is one unsuspecting click and your business computer can be taken over by the latest internet-based scourge: spyware.

Spyware, which can surreptitiously track Web-surfing information down to the keystrokes of your credit card, was found on 80% of the computers tested in a program by the National Cyber Security Alliance. Just as startling, 90% of the computer owners had no idea their machines were infected.

How does it happen? Easily and often, which is why Dell suspects that spyware affects about 90% of all computers today. And don't think you're safe just because you don't open anonymous email attachments. Today's sophisticated spyware can infect if users so much as innocently click on the Close link in a pop-up ad instead of clicking the "X" in the upper-right hand corner of the window or simply visit the wrong website.

In fact, the one place many seek info about spyware is likely contributing to their spyware problems. In a recent review by noted spyware expert, Eric L. Howes, the top paid advertising spots on Google were actually from companies that were in fact installing spyware on your system if you visited their sites. These companies advertised side-by-side reviews on spyware, top 10 listings, and free spyware removers all of which sound useful and impartial and all of which were in fact infecting visitors. So where can you get sound, unbiased information about spyware? Try visiting www.spywarewarrior.com for access to Eric L. Howes excellent spyware resources.

The real question, of course, is how to avoid and combat spyware. Avoiding it is tough. Earthlink, in a recent study, estimates that the average computer carries nearly 30 pieces of hidden spyware. Once infected, the way to resuscitate gummed-up and slowed-down computers is with proven anti-spyware programs. What should you look for and what companies should you look to? For a quick look at some of the top anti-spyware programs available, read the "Spyware Software Roundup" that follows.

Until someone develops the single killer anti-spyware app, our recommendation is to use a minimum of two different packages plus a pop-up blocker for the best chance at cleaning up problems and preventing re-infection. As you look at options, here are the required features of any good anti-spyware program:

  1. Scans upon system start-up
  2. Scans the system's memory, Windows registry, and all computer drives, as well as allows for custom and scheduled scans
  3. Fully deletes detected spyware files
  4. Removes spyware programs on reboot that could not be eliminated during the scan and delete process
  5. Provides a scan report
  6. Offers quarantine and recovery functions to undo removals
  7. Immunizes Internet Explorer with ActiveX kill bits for known spyware and automatically updates the restricted sites list
  8. Automatically checks for updates upon program start, as well as allows for scheduled and manual updates
  9. Provides diagnostic tools for examining your computer system, including BHOs (Browser Helper Objects), installed ActiveX controls, entries in the Windows HOSTS file, modules in the Winsock LSP chain

For more information on spyware, attend our February 16th webseminar by clicking here.


Microsoft & Spyware
Microsoft Jumps into the Spyware Game

In December, Microsoft announced the acquisition of Giant Company and their highly regarded anti-spyware product. Microsoft released the first test version of a Microsoft-rewrite of the Giant product, called Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta1, on January 7. This version supports only Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server™ 2003. The Beta1 version of Microsoft AntiSpyware is free and includes updates, but it will expire at the end of July . Microsoft has not announced the pricing for the final product nor have they indicated when a final version might be available.

We're testing this new product, and it is impressive. It continues with the features of the Giant product that weren't available in any other anti-spyware product, and has been quite reliable on our test computers. We share the concerns that other industry experts have expressed: a) it asks for a licensing validation of Windows that may be problematic in a large organization, b) it doesn't (yet) have centralized management features that will be important to companies, and c) some of the features and alerts are very informative for technical people, but may be overwhelming for regular computer users. We'll keep a close eye on it, and we naturally expect that it will become a dominant player in this space.

For more information or to download the free Beta1 version of the product, visit: www.microsoft.com/downloads/




Tech Tip
Browser Wars/Making Internet Explorer Safer

With an estimated 92% market share, Internet Explorer (IE) is the most widely used web browser and a keen target for spyware creators. Microsoft's stated position is that the safest version of IE on the market today is XP with Service Pack 2. They strongly recommend that users upgrade their operating system to XP in order to take advantage of the IE security improvements.

If upgrading isn't an option for you, there are two choices: switch to an alternate browser or work to make your current version of IE as safe as possible.

If switching browsers makes sense for you, popular choices for Windows users include Firefox (www.mozilla.org), Netscape (www.netscape.com) and Opera (www.opera.com). When considering a switch from Internet Explorer, the biggest frustration expressed by users is that not all websites and web applications work properly with these alternate browsers.

Making Internet Explorer Safer:
Internet Explorer users can minimize Spyware infections by using the built-in security settings. While this won't prevent all potential infections, it will help users reduce their chances of getting infected.

For the highest level of security, but the least amount of web browsing functionality – meaning users may be prompted multiple times when visiting sites that use ActiveX controls – use the following settings:




Quick Tip
What about "Hijack This"?

What about Hijack This?

In our first spyware seminar, many questions were posed about "HijackThis". Andrew Brant of PC World Magazine has this to say:

HijackThis is a free tool of last resort, something you should turn to only after you've exhausted both Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy --and a full system antivirus scan as well. But if your PC has been infected with spyware, HijackThis can look deep within the places in Windows where spyware apps dig in their roots, and help you figure out how to yank the weeds.

HijackThis is different from a lot of anti-spyware apps. It doesn't attempt to identify which code it thinks is spyware, and it won't offer to remove the bad stuff automatically. To use HijackThis effectively, you'll probably need advice from experts, unless you can spot a spyware program by the names of its Registry keys and DLL files. Because it's a powerful tool, HijackThis could kill a critical part of Windows, rendering your PC unbootable. Your best course of action is to perform a full system backup beforehand.

We agree! HiJackThis is not an easy tool to use with logs that are very difficult to decipher and can cause more harm than good if not used properly. There are dedicated forums on how to interpret the log files and address other issues relating to how it does its magic. Check out: http://forums.tomcoyote.org for more information.