Here's Looking at You - and Your Data: What Is Spyware?

Summary: There are different types of computer spyware you should know about. Learn how to recognize the symptoms of spyware.

Nobody likes being spied on. Even someone looking over our shoulder can feel like an invasion of personal space. Now cybercriminals are finding new ways to spy, monitor, manipulate and steal private data. Spyware started as the digital dark side of advertising, monitoring your online purchases, activities and preferences and directing you to other websites. It is also used by cyber criminals to steal identities and harvest sensitive private data to sell on the dark web.

What is Spyware Used For?

Spyware is not a James Bond gadget used for espionage, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, some types are used by advertisers and is called adware. Spyware is a type of software that, once installed on a computer, can proactively redirect you to other, possibly malicious websites, force pop-up ads to appear and monitor the user’s web browser activities. The most dangerous examples of spyware and adware can log what keystrokes you have hit on your keyboard and capture your most sensitive private data, including credit card numbers, bank accounts, login credentials, medical information and many other categories of personal information.

How Can I Tell If Spyware Is on My Computer?

Before you can remove spyware, you must recognize the symptoms it creates. Here are some signs that you may have fallen victim to spyware:

• Slow Computer – If your computer is getting slow and programs are taking forever to load, it could mean that spyware is running in the background and draining resources, such as RAM, which affects functionality.
• Redirection – If you type a known website’s URL into your browser and are taken to a different website than what you have typed, you likely have spyware installed.
• Non-Stop Pop-Ups – If you are bombarded with pop-up ads for things you do not want and have never asked for, these windows are the product of adware installed without your knowledge.
• Search Engine Swap – A sudden change in the search engine used to execute searches is another strong indicator of the presence of adware.
• Mystery Toolbars – When browsing, if you suddenly notice a new toolbar, you did not proactively install, adware might be installing it to give you more things to click and more ways to be compromised.
• The Appearance of Task Tray Icons – Just as a new toolbar in your browser is cause for concern, so is the appearance of icons in the taskbar at the bottom of your screen. Advertisers and hackers count on user impulsivity to click on the icon that might install unwanted software on your computer. (Our warning mantra is “Always think before you click!”)
• Home Screen Changes – If you open your browser and suddenly see a new home screen, you should take note and seek expert IT security help.
• Windows Error Messages – Error messages alone are not necessarily related to spyware. Other issues can cause your computer to send error messages. However, repeated error messages, in tandem with some of the other above symptoms, can be a sign of interference by adware.
• Keystroke Malfunctions – Although a broken keyboard can cause the same symptoms, if you find specific keys stop working when browsing, adware could be the culprit. Likewise, if the keyboard works in other programs but not in your browser, you can eliminate the physical keyboard as a cause of the problem.

Adware installations are sometimes challenging to detect. However, rootkit viruses take spyware to a much more dangerous level. Rootkit viruses allow bad actors to hijack control of a computer system (at the operating system level) with all its files and functions without the user knowing. Rootkits can be installed via a click on an innocent-looking email download or an infected application. So again, “Think before your click!” The good news is that your anti-virus program can run a rootkit scan.

What Is a Rootkit Scan?

Rootkit scans are performed through anti-virus programs. However, the only sure way to detect the presence of rootkits is to run the scan from a computer with a clean system. Otherwise, the cybercriminal can be tipped off and circumvent or compromise the scan. In the worst cases, rootkit viruses might only be removed by reinstalling your system software. Your IT technician can help with this scan.

What Are Cookies on a Computer and Should You Care About Them?

Cookies on a computer are files with small amounts of text that share your computer’s identity with other computers. However, HTTP cookies contain user browsing history and other data related to your online behavior. They are meant to enhance a user’s browsing experience by remembering certain identifying and behavioral data about them, making browsing more personalized, faster and more efficient. However, when compromised and in the wrong hands, identifying data stored in cookies can be breached by cyber thieves and used to hack into users’ bank accounts, credit cards, payroll and many other personal and financial platforms that you visited on your computer. To lessen the chances of data being stolen through cookies and spyware, it is wise to regularly delete cookies in your browser. Clearing browsing history and cookies is part of essential IT maintenance.

Spyware that generates pop-up advertisements is one of its most benign forms. However, hackers can compromise all a user’s personal data, and the user might not know about it until it is too late. Network cyber security is vital to your digital privacy and protecting your identity. To fully protect personal and business data on your computer, enlist the services of IT security professionals to help you defend your system against cyberattacks and preserve digital privacy. Spyware is just one form of malicious software. There are many others. Your IT technician can regularly assess your computer and network, perform rootkit scans and remove dangerous software and computer viruses. The technician will also verify that your antivirus software is up-to-date.