What is the spyware history?

Answer 1

Spyware has been around since the late 1990s when programs such as Elf Bowling were first introduced. Elf Bowling was a silly little free game that took the internet by storm during the Christmas season of 1999. Only trouble was, Elf Bowling packed more than silly little elves. Elf Bowling was actually a stealth program that reported user information back to its developers.

As spyware has evolved, it has grown more complex and more complex solutions have evolved along with it. Today, anti-spyware technology exists to detect and remove these nasty programs. Unfortunately, digital con artists are sneaky and many anti-spyware programs are actually spyware disguised as an anti-spyware solution!

The technology behind detecting and removing spyware is complex. Known spyware definitions are input into databases and algorithms are created to detect known spyware behaviors such as unethical installation practices.

When an anti-spyware program scans a computer system, it compares files to its definition database, if a file comes up as a match to an existing known spyware program the anti-spyware program detects it and alerts the user to its presence. From there, the user can choose to remove it or leave it alone.

Another method of detecting spyware is by comparing a program's behaviors. For example, if a particular program demonstrates unethical installation practices such as installing without the user's knowledge, the anti-spyware will alert the user to its presence. Other installation practices that may raise red flags include: installing through ActiveX controls, installing as part of a bundle (piggybacking on another program), aggressive solicitations for installation and more. In general, if a user is unaware of the program being installed, anti-spyware will consider it a problem.

Anti-spyware technology also searches EULAs (end user license agreements) for practices that are considered to open the door to spyware such as the right to install additional software without the user's request, the right to alter other software by disabling, blocking or removing it, the right to use the computer for the software designer's own uses or by imposing other restrictions not in the user's interest.

When a piece of software makes certain changes to a user's system, an anti-spyware program might become suspicious. When the software changes home page settings, search page settings, error page and other browser preferences without the user's intervention it's usually a sign of spyware doing its work. Other known behaviors include: routing internet traffic through a different route, disabling or bypassing security and privacy programs, modifying internet connection settings to block access, using the user's modem to dial adult or international phone numbers. When anti-spyware software detects these behaviors it alerts the user to a possible spyware infection.

Programs that lack decent removal procedures are also detected using anti-spyware technology. Programs that make it difficult to remove by not providing an uninstall option or making users go to a website for removal are considered suspect by anti-spyware programs.

Spyware is more than a nuisance; spyware is capable of stealing personal information from your computer and sending it to third parties. This includes financial information and information that thieves could use to steal your identity.

As spyware continues to grow more sophisticated, so too must anti-spyware. In the game of digital spy vs. spy, it's best to arm yourself with the best technology can provide against spyware.