Ask Leo!: Spyware

How do I remove spyware from a computer I loaned to a former friend?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:01:22 -08:00

I have a classmate who borrowed my computer at school one day. He is really talented when it comes to computers and I am not. He did something to my computer that allows him to access my webcam from his computer. I have no idea how he did that, but when I use the computer, I can suddenly see the light indicating that my webcam is running and he can watch me. It's creepy and I don't know how to undo what he did. My question to you is how can I remove his access to my webcam?

]]> You're right. It is creepy.

And depending on where you live, it might actually be an illegal form of harassment or even assault.

If this person is really your friend, you would ask him to remove it, he would, and you'd believe him when he told you that there was nothing left of his handiwork on your machine.

But because you've come to me instead, I can only assume at least one or more of those conditions is not true.

Spyware: How do I remove and avoid spyware?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:00:00 -08:00

Spyware is a modern scourge. It's certainly on the list of top five topics that I deal with on a daily basis.

Some forms actually live up to the name and spy on you by monitoring and recording what you do. Others are worse: acting almost like viruses, hijacking your web browser, popping up ads, or wreaking just general havoc.

Like viruses, spyware isn't going to go away any time soon. It requires vigilance on your part to avoid spyware.

There are three important steps to avoiding spyware:

So just how sneaky can spyware be?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -08:00

Suppose someone had an MSN instant message conversation on a computer that had spyware on it (unbeknownst to them). Could a hacker access these messages, without access to the computer that had the spyware on it, where the messages were sent from? In other words, from an unrelated computer source?

]]> The scenario you outline is a little unclear, but the short answer is probably ... Yes

Spyware can be extremely invasive and, for lack of a better term, "sneaky".

There are some very frightening scenarios.

Can clicking "Cancel" still mean "Accept" when I get a popup?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:55:02 -08:00

My daughter got an offer at a song lyrics website that had a pop-up, and as always she clicked 'cancel' to get rid of it, then it came back that she had accepted the offer because clicking 'cancel' was to accept the offer! Now we are having problems with the computer, especially application hangs. Did we download spyware or adware inadvertently? So how can we remedy the situation? Just an FYI, I cannot believe what tactics some of these websites will go to to gain access to your PC. Shame on them!

]]> Shame on them, indeed.

Yes, I think it's very likely that your daughter - trying to do the right thing - inadvertently allowed spyware onto your machine.

And yes, sometimes a cancel button isn't a cancel button at all.

While it's possible to tell the difference, it's not always easy.

My anti-spyware tool is reporting errors in my hosts file. What is that, and why?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:53:21 -08:00

I tried a different anti-spyware program which reported a stream of different trojans all related to my HOSTS file. This list (1677 in all) are listed on my hosts file as inserted by Spybot. The program I was testing told me to delete them immediately. I am very confused, should I remove all these entries?? I understood that they were placed there by Spybot so that these sites could not be accessed. Each entry follows the loopback address 127.0.0.1

]]> You're bumping into a classic problem that results from running more than one anti-spyware program. One program thinks that the other is itself spyware.

Who do you believe?

In this case, if we understand why the hosts file is so important and how it can be used and misused, we'll have our answer.