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Anti-Spyware Protection: Behind How-To Tips
There is no doubt that "how-to articles" have become a separate genre. One can find such an article about almost anything; there are even some entitled "How to Write a How-To Article". And, of course, the Web is swarming with the ones like "10 Steps to Protect Your PC from Spyware"(if not 10, any number will do; odd ones like 5,7,9 are most popular) or "How to Forget About Spyware For Good". Please don't accuse me of being sarcastic -- I am not; all these articles by all means are informative and so very useful. They all include really handy tips to protect you from this recently emerged plague called spyware. But? A typical how-to article is short and snappy, with all unnecessary particulars carefully avoided. An ideal one is a clear scheme of what to do and how (because it is a how-to article). Some essential facts will surely be omitted just for the sake of brevity. Let's look into the author's "trash bin" for info ruthlessly (and maybe baselessly) thrown away. Hint one: What on earth is spyware? When you decide to apply "anti-spyware protection", you'd better realize what you want to be protected against. Unfortunately, there is not such thing as complete security. And? "There is no such thing as spyware in itself"-- you are perplexed, aren't you? I bet you are; what's more, it was Kaspersky who recently expressed this opinion. "The term spyware is basically a marketing gimmick," wrote Kaspersky in the company weblog on March 03, 2005. "Just to separate new ersatz-security products from traditional ones, just to push almost zero-value products to the security market." This quote (extremely curtailed and out of the context) have already spread all over the Internet, but it is very useful to read the whole posting to see the whole picture, so visit http://www.viruslist.com/en/Weblog?Weblogid=156679222 Few definitions caused so much controversy and confusion as did "spyware". Eugeny Kaspersky blames marketers for having coined this term--and partially he is right. But only partially. As a professional, he classified various malicious programs according to their structure and characteristics; in this classification there is indeed no place for "spyware", which is too vague term to exactly denote anything with a particular structure. On the other hand, marketers and journalists needed an expressive, easy-to-remember word to name existing (!) information-stealing programs to tell users (who may be not so versed in software as its developers) how to protect their computers. What is "spyware" then? Spyware is a commonly used general term for any type of software that gathers personal information about the user without his or her knowledge and transmits it to a destination specified by the author of the program. Spyware applications are frequently bundled in other programs--often freeware or shareware--that can be downloaded from the Internet. So, the term is very general and doesn't reflect either structure or characteristics of such software. After all, it is only a conventional word for programs that steal information. According to Kaspersky, programs which are now called spyware, have existed for years. It's true. Who disagrees? Password-stealing Trojans were actually known as far back as in 1996. But it's also true that most dangerous information-stealing programs are on the rise. Spy Audit survey made by ISP Earthlink and Webroot Software (the survey lasted for a whole year 2004) showed--16.48% of all scanned consumer PCs in 2004 had a system-monitor, 16.69% had a Trojan. Another bitter truth is that some unscrupulous producers now are jumping at the chance of making quick money. There are lots of suspicious, low-performing, or adware-installing products. See, for example, the list at http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm But saying that all the dedicated anti-spyware solutions are like that?To put it mildly, it's a bit too much. Hint Two: Too Many Promises Made -- Is it Possible to Keep them? There are loads of software programs nowadays created for fighting spyware. An ordinary consumer tends to get lost in plenty of information and lots of products, which are supposed to help him get rid of spyware. If all the advertising claims were true, it would have been easy. In reality it isn't. Anti- spyware and anti-viruses work almost the same way. The efficiency of most anti-spyware programs is determined (and restricted, too) by signature bases. The more code clips (i.e. signatures) there are in the base, the more effectively the program works - it means the more spyware programs it can identify. Only programs from the signature base are recognized as spyware; all other spy programs will be running unnoticed and unstopped. So, absolutely all the signature- basis- containing programs are pretty much the same, whatever their ads say. They all rely on the same "match pattern"; the difference is only how many signatures each of them contains. What conclusion we can make here? The bigger the signature base, the more reliable the product is, no matter whether it is anti-spyware or an anti-virus. If the software applies signature base, it's better to choose a product from a big company, which can afford spending plenty of money on research and updates. Another conclusion we can make is that all such software without constant updating pretty quickly becomes useless and even dangerous, because users still expect it to protect their PCs. New spyware is constantly being developed, and anti-spyware developers have to catch up with it all the time. This race started when very first malicious programs appeared, and it is impossible to say whether it will ever end. Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC--an independent software developing company. Software, developed by this company, does not rely on signature bases. Its innovative technology is capable of disabling the very processes of stealing information,such as keylogging, screenshoting, etc.Learn more -- visit the company's website: http://www.anti-keyloggers.com
MORE RESOURCES: Waltz and staff used Gmail for government communications, officials say The Washington Post Opinion | Read This if You’re on Trump’s National Security Team The New York Times Mike Waltz Faces Another Embarrassing Data Security Failure The Daily Beast Fight at maximum security unit precedes tour by state’s prison work group - South Dakota Searchlight Fight at maximum security unit precedes tour by state’s prison work group South Dakota Searchlight EU analysis highlights space capabilities, lists scenarios for space security by 2050 Industrial Cyber Mobile police installing new security cameras at city parks, following shootout at Langan Park fox10tv.com Leaders Describe Host of Threats to Homeland, Steps to Mitigate Them U.S. Department of Defense (.gov) Fortress Government Solutions receives impact Level 6 security accreditation from US Navy Industrial Cyber Alaska Capitol will get airport-style security checkpoint, legislative panel orders Anchorage Daily News JFrog Enables Trusted AI - Uncovers Critical Security Threats Emerging from AI’s Expansion in the Software Supply Chain Business Wire The urgent reality of machine identity security in 2025 csoonline.com MPD: Driver of security truck issued several traffic citations after hitting pedestrian along S. Parkway East Action News 5 Lawmatics Achieves SOC 2 & HIPAA Compliance, Reinforcing Commitment to Data Security and Privacy LawSites Could drones replace school security guards? FOX 7 Austin Breaking the Cone of Silence: The Jigsaw Puzzle of Operational Security Security Clearance Jobs Security officer made Pasadena middle schooler duct-tape her own mouth shut, father says Los Angeles Times Blocking 7-Eleven deal on security grounds would hurt Japan's image, head of state-backed fund says Reuters City to receive $94K in Homeland Security grant funding Oil City News LightPath Technologies to Exhibit Advanced Infrared Solutions at 2025 Border Security Expo PR Newswire "Credible Threat" to 2025 Chincoteague Pony Swim Prompts New Security Policies Chesapeake Bay Magazine Northwest Dallas security guard fatally shoots man outside motel FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth BitLyft Gives Back to the Information Security Community GlobeNewswire Israel’s National Security Council Warns of Increased Threats to Jews Abroad Ahead of Passover Algemeiner.com Akron-Canton Airport has new security measure: K9 Luna Cleveland 19 News AI Agent and Copilot Podcast: Microsoft Exec Dorothy Li on Role of AI Agents, Ecosystem in Security Cloud Wars Senate Education Focuses On School Security, Classroom Aides West Virginia Public Broadcasting Central America Builds on CENTSEC for Security Diálogo Americas Security dog bites woman at Mayfair Mall, police describe fight FOX6 News Milwaukee Pasadena school security officer accused of duct-taping 11-year-old girl's mouth shut for 'talking too much' ABC7 Los Angeles Gun-detecting dogs join LVHN security team Times News Online Secure Passage and Sunflower Labs Take Security to the Skies with Autonomous Drone Integration PR Newswire SCOTUS examines court’s role in national security Courthouse News Service This Security Control Is So Good We Don’t Even Have to Turn It On (LIVE in Clearwater, FL) CISO Series Women in Security: Tia Eskandari, Senior Director, Allied Universal Security Sales & Integration Jozu Accelerates Enterprise AI with 10x Faster Deployment and Contributes Security Project to CNCF Morningstar Two new security K-9s join Lehigh Valley Health Network NBC10 Philadelphia Europe on the horns of the security dilemma Le Monde diplomatique - English Clemson Po-po enforces TSA security at all downtown bars thetigercu.com Haiti’s upcoming constitutional referendum: A controversial process amid political and security crisis The Haitian Times Weekly Student News Quiz: Earthquake, Security Breach, Baseball Season The New York Times Border security and enforcement is an important issue The Clarion-Ledger U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong Officials for Pursuing Activists Abroad The New York Times After controversy, TF Green Airport revamps leadership of security, police department The Providence Journal Bitdefender Introduces Industry’s First Role-Based Family Plans for its Consumer Security Product Lines Silicon Canals Motel security guard kills man after altercation in Northwest Dallas FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth |
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