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Spyware Term Paper
[April 21, 2008]

Spyware Term Paper


Spyware



Cade Lambert

4/21/2008






With internet use and growth expanding at an almost exponential rate, more and more computers are connected than ever before. This huge growth in internet connectivity has opened the gates for huge growth in another technology: spyware. Spyware has become a major problem but the biggest problem concerning spyware is that most people who have spyware on their computer do not even know it is there. In 2005, America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance conducted a report on online safety using 354 individuals from 22 different cities across the country. In their study, they found that 61% of users surveyed had some type of spyware on their computer. More disturbingly, 92% of those with spyware on their computer didn’t even know it was there and 91% never gave any permission for it to be installed (“AOL (News - Alert)/NCSA Online Safety Study” 6). In this paper, I will explore the different types of spyware and how it infiltrates networks and computers. I will also take a look at the damage that spyware is capable of. Finally, I will discuss several different ways to combat spyware and prevent it from damaging your system. Firstly, let’s review the different types of spyware that one may come across while on the internet.
Spyware has many capabilities. In order to better differentiate the capabilities, they have been broken down into several categories. First, let’s look at spyware in general. By definition, spyware is “is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first” (“What is Spyware”, 2006). What this means is that if spyware is installed on your computer, any personal information you display on that computer is at risk of being compromised. This includes passwords, social security numbers, personal addresses and can eventually lead to identity theft. Another type of spyware is parasiteware. Parasiteware is much like traditional spyware in that is can record your information, however, parasiteware will also directly damage your computer whereas regular spyware will not. It is also known to redirect affiliate links, links that advertises need to generate revenue. One of the more devious types of spyware is adware. Adware functions much like traditional spyware. Adware does a little more, however. Adware software populates ads on your screen in one way or another, the most popular method being pop-up ads. Adware will use security holes in your browser to install itself into the browser, triggering unwarranted pop-up advertising on your screen. In extreme cases, a user can become unusable because of the amount of pop-ups that will appear. Finally, the last type of spyware that I will discuss is malware. Malware is much like a standard computer virus. Malware manifests itself in various forms, including Trojan horses, worms, or viruses. By definition, malware is “refers to a program that is inserted into a system, usually covertly, with the intent of compromising the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the victim’s data, applications, or operating system (OS) or of otherwise annoying or disrupting the victim.” (Mell, Kent and Nusbaum, 15). Now that we’ve reviewed the many different types of spyware, let’s take a look at how they attack our computers.
Since most users don’t authorize spyware to be installed on the computer, how does it get there? Spyware attacks your computer in many different ways. One common way it gets on your computer is through deception. Many spyware installations begin with a fake Windows message indicating some sort of error or suggesting some sort of virus scan. A user will then unknowingly click the ad and install or run whatever spyware is associated with that fake message. Once the spyware is installed, it is free to capture whatever information it wants oblivious to the computer’s user. Spyware is also installed simply by going to a spyware infected website. Without your permission, the spyware will replicate itself onto your computer. This usually is part of a larger internet scam called ‘pharming’. According to the Utah Bar Journal, “Pharming uses Trojan horse programs to redirect people to counterfeit banking or e-commerce sites (sometimes called "page hijacking") (McLean and Young, 2006). In other words, pharming scams redirect you to a site the looks like the site you intend to visit but is actually owned by a hacker or identity thief. Any information you enter into this site is saved and could be used to steal your identity. Spyware is also included in some legitimate software packages as an optional installation. Users who do not pay attention to what they are doing during the software installation procedure may inadvertently install spyware onto their computer. These types of installations are often found in P2P software or various browser “add-ons”. Some software companies may even add spyware software installation as a part of the EULA for that particular software. Users who don’t completely read the EULA may unknowingly permit spyware to be installed on their computer. No matter how it got there, once spyware is on your computer, it can do a lot of damage. Let’s take a look at some of the problems spyware can cause.
First and foremost, spyware can compromise your personal information. Since most spyware sits ‘behind the scenes’ of your computer and records information, any pertinent information you enter into your computer could be stored into a database, used by the hackers or even sold on the black market to others who will then use your information to buy goods or create new identities and forged documents for themselves. This alone is enough to take spyware seriously and be proactive about defending it. Unfortunately, there are several other ways spyware can damage your computer or your company’s computers and networks. Most victims of spyware will first come in contact with pop-ups or other on-screen advertising. Not only can these be very annoying, they can severely slow down your computer and internet connection. Below is an extreme, but not too uncommon, example of adware gone awry.

Figure 1
Figure 1 (WikiPedia, 2008) shows just how bad things can get if spyware is not properly controlled and prevented. Many of the ads and toolbars were probably installed without the owner’s permission and as a result, the browser in the image is practically unusable. Not to mention all the adware processes running in the taskbar, this user’s computer will have a hard time running at its optimal capacity. For businesses with private networks, spyware can bog down network traffic if it infects that network. Spyware constantly monitors and sends information to and from your computer, which takes up potential bandwidth on the network. Not only will spyware take up precious bandwidth space, but each infection will require time to remove. According to a 2006 report by the Radicati Group, each computer infected with spyware would cost the average company $265 to remove (“The Cost of Spyware” 6). That may seem small, but if you’re a large company, $265 per infected computer can add up very, very quickly. To close, I will review some measure that can be used to protect ones computer or network from spyware.
The most common and possibly the most effective method to guard against spyware is to install software that will identify spyware and either block it or remove it. There are many programs that do this, some more effective than other. Some popular anti-spyware software includes AdAware, NOD32, Spybot Search and Destroy and BitDefender. All of these programs are a good start to protecting your computer from spyware attacks. Another measure one can take is to install a firewall. A firewall is a piece of software that manages all internet traffic that comes into your computer. Think of it as a bouncer at a club. It only allows internet traffic that it knows and trusts. Anything else will be blocked from coming in, unless you tell the firewall otherwise. Most importantly, a computer user must pay attention to what they are installing or clicking on when using their computer. If you are unsure of what something is, don’t open it or click on it. Likewise, during software installation, be sure to read all steps carefully to make sure that one doesn’t inadvertently install spyware on their own computer. These are just a few steps that anyone can take to help prevent spyware from being installed on their computer.
In this essay, I have discussed several details about spyware and the harm that is can do. I have discussed the many different types of spyware, including adware, malware and parasiteware. I also took a look how it gets inside your computer and what it does once it’s in there. This was followed by a brief synopsis of how much damage spyware can cause on your computer or business’s network. Finally, I looked at some preventative measure used to combat spyware. Spyware will never completely disappear. It will continue, in one form or another, for as long as there are computers. However, by being informed and taking the proper precautions, one can limit or prevent spyware from harming their computer or network and reduce the risk of losing sensitive information about themselves or loved ones.




References
• AOL/NCSA Online Safety Study. Page 6. (December 2005). April 21, 2008. http://www.staysafeonline.info/pdf/safety_study_2005.pdf

• “What is Spyware?”. Microsoft (News - Alert).com. October 23, 2006 http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/basics/spyware.mspx

• * Mell, Peter, Karen Kent and Joseph Nusbaum. Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling. (November 2005). April 21, 2008 http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-83/SP800-83.pdf

• * McLean, Polly and Michelle Young. “Phishing and Pharming and Trojans - Oh My!”. Utah State Journal. (April 26, 2006). April 21, 2008. http://webster.utahbar.org/barjournal/2006/04/phishing_and_pharming_and_troj.htm
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• “The Cost of Spyware to Your Business”. iS3 Research Center. April 21, 2008 http://download.stopzilla.com/docs/iS3/pdf/learning/intermediate/iS3-cost-of-spy
ware.pdf

• “Spyware_infestation “. “Spyware”. WikiPedia. Photo. (May 19, 2006). April 21, 2006. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Spyware_infestation.png


External link to PDF file: http://rapidshare.com/files/109415906/SpywarePaper.pdf.html

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