Spy programs threaten data

There are ways to overcome this, one effective way is changing your hosts file to point to your own IP address this points the spyware application to itself and no data is sent out and your freeware still works. An application that can do this for you is Silencer. There are organizations actively studying spyware and adware activity. This bandwidth consumption is at the organizations expense and is divulgence of private data and will cost the organization the value of the bandwidth used.

The latest trend is that companies that produce adware have now started alerting users to the fact that they will be reported on and that they can either opt in and install the adware or opt out and not install the adware and in some cases that will also not allow the installation of the freeware. The issue with this is that a person wanting to download a file off the internet will install this application very quickly without reading the agreement in most cases, if they read the agreement they do not clearly understand that by installing this free software will mean that in fact it is not free and that the payment is in information and in bandwidth.

Who is to say that the company is indeed disclosing exactly what the software will be reporting on and how can a normal user trust this company?

How do we know that the company is in-fact not gathering locally stored sensitive information and transmitting it unencrypted over the internet? It has been found that some applications once installed function even if the freeware is not in use, consuming bandwidth without user benefit. Antivirus vendors are researching and implementing pattern files that look for adware on the initial scan and then report if there is an attempted installation of the software.

Virus software normally flags adware and spyware as Trojan viruses. Set your network sniffers to look at any communication that is on non standard ports and then trace the IP address.

If privacy is a big thing to the organization it is recommended that any conspicuous software be removed. On the internet many free applications are released daily, it would be in the interest of the organization that any new application installed goes through a stringent test and authorized for use. Make a list of the applications and the process allowed on the machine and if other applications are run ensure that it is reported and that these applications get removed.

It is in no ones best interest that your privacy be compromised. It is good practice to remove any software that transmits any personal information unencrypted and without user consent. Some organizations incorporate this statement into their security strategy for user protection. Where does it stop you ask? It doesn't! Some web browsers like IE are affected by web applications that can load by merely visiting a website. When visiting a website with a non mainstream web browsers like Mozilla yu may find that a script will not load and functionality is lost, even though the browser is compatible will all internet browsing standards.

What is happening here? Well some companies load applications onto your machine without you knowing about it. These applications load themselves onto your local machine and typically report on topics of interest and habits that a user may have via http only when you are browsing making them very difficult to detect.

Recommendation: set our browser security settings to high. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. Home » Middle East News » Israel says it took…. Share This: share on facebook share on twitter share via email print.

Related News. For more information on the categories of personal information we collect and the purposes we use them for, please view our Notice at Collection. Become a Member Sign In.

Events Upcoming Media Partner Webinars. General Newsletters Got a news tip? Free: Join the VentureBeat Community for access to 3 premium posts and unlimited videos per month. Learn More. Posted on. December 14, Latest News. January 12, Never miss a story on cyberattcks. Article type:. Website content layout. Partners Partner s. Download Compatible Browser. You may experience some issues on older version of Internet Explorer.