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Articles: Electronics
- Beating Adware
By Joel
Walsh
Promoters of
adware, software that shows advertising on a user's computer, use
some cunning tricks to get you to install their software on your
machine. Here's what to look out for.
Adware is, by
definition, something reasonable people don't want on their
computers. That's why malware can't just come out and ask people to
install it. Often, the computer owner is completely unaware of it
being installed. But not always.
When adware doesn't want to
sneak in through an open window, it will try to trick you into
letting it in through the front door. Don't think you could be
tricked? Don't be so sure until you've checked out these most common
ways people have been tricked into allowing malware to be installed
on their machines.
Adware Installation Trick 1:
Piggybacking
• How it works: malware may come bundled
with a legitimate piece of software the user actually wants, such as
a game or emoticon. The malware is merely labeled "companion
software," without any indication of what it will do.
• How
to fight it: be very suspicious of any software that comes bundled
with other software. Don't installed software that comes bundled
with other software unless you know everything that the bundled
software does. After all, if the bundled program has anything to do
with the program you actually want, why couldn't the software
developer just get both programs' functionalities into a single
piece of software? Software developers are now very sensitive to
malware concerns and will provide a lengthy explanation of just why
the bundled software is necessary, in the cases when they actually
do need to use bundled software.
Adware Installation
Trick 2: Bait and Switch
• How it works: since people
are getting more and more suspicious of bundled software, the
malware's developers may simply label it as valuable software, for
instance, a browser plugin that supposedly accelerates web browsing
(but in reality only shows ads).
• How to fight it: again, a
suspicious mind is useful in avoiding malware. Ask yourself some
questions:
o What will this software actually do? Malware
often comes with very fuzzy claims attached. Sure, it says it will
improve your browsing experience, but how? Often, this improved
browsing experience just means a browsing experience with more
advertising.
o If the software is so great, why is it being
given away free? Most commonly, software is only given out free in
two cases: if it's OpenSource (designed by a community of developers
and not proprietary--OpenSource software is always clearly labeled
as such); or simply a come-on for a fuller-featured version of the
software. If neither case is true, there's a real chance the
software is financed by adware.
Adware Installation
Trick 3: Outright Lying
• How it works: malware may
even be labeled as something else entirely, such as a well-known
piece of software or a crucial component of the computer operating
system.
• How to fight it: this is the trickiest malware of
all, and requires extreme caution. You don't want to start deleting
any of your program files, much less your system registry entries,
unless you're absolutely sure it's malware. Plenty of overzealous
parasite hunters have shot their own machines to bits this way. This
is one case where you want to be using an anti-spyware program, and
preferably a second anti-spyware program to provide a second
opinion.
Adware is so tricky that trying to uninstall
it by yourself could be like a trip into the Matrix. Luckily, there
are good anti-spyware programs that tackle adware as well--after all
many adware programs are also spyware since they monitor your
internet usage.
True, it may feel like adding insult to
injury to have to install more software to get rid of software you
never meant to install in the first place. But sometimes you just
have to fight fire with fire.
Joel Walsh has written
a companion article on stealth tactics used by adware: http://www.spyware-refuge.com?
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