Freeware, Adware, Spyware, Scumware…all versions of the same philosophy…to watch your every move and track your habits online and invade your privacy.

Privacy is very important to me, as I am sure it is to you too. Oh, I am sure you have seen those pages where you can agree to a program that will change your cursor into some innocuous icon of some sort. Are you aware however, that once you agree to allow your cursor to become a cute little whatever, that you are actually agreeing to allow this company to install spyware on your computer? They will monitor your browsing habits and report back 'home' with where you've been and what you have done.

Sounds a little paranoid you say? A bit too cloak and dagger? Well, there are only three things that spyware is used for: marketing, monitoring and reporting.

I was very curious about all this so I did a search engine inquiry on "spyware". Boy! Was I ever shocked! Go ahead, run a search yourself if you don't believe me. What I found was that in addition to some wonderful sites that are dedicated to educating surfers, like you and me, about the sneaky ways we are lured into installing a freeware or shareware program on our computers (with our blessing I might add); there are also sites advertising ways to infiltrate other peoples' privacy. All on the very same page!

I have mixed feelings about spyware used by employers to check on their employees' computer usage. I figure that it is their equipment, resources and time they are paying for so they have every right to stipulate how it is to be used. I do however, draw the line at snoop-ware infringing on my personal time and equipment in the privacy of my own home. Ah, there's the rub!

Oh sure, I believe that we all want to be as thrifty with our money as possible and everyone loves a good deal. However, there are many marketers out there in cyber-ville that have jumped on the bandwagon to make a fast buck any way they can with the dot-com crash and added some interesting things to their so called freeware programs.

Have you ever done a search and found the listing absolutely full of either green or yellow underlined words? Each one of those listings is a paid advertisement from a web master that has paid cold, hard cash to list their web site. If you click on those listings with the green or yellow slime you will find yourself whisked away to another web site sometimes from a competitor or even to a web site that has not the faintest relationship to what you were originally researching. What these "slime-masters" have done is to buy keywords and incorporate them into whatever it is they are selling.

For example: Let's say you are curious about how the black box in airplanes works or what it does. When you run a search for "black box" on certain search engines you will find the listing filled with the yellow or green highlighted words "black box". If you click on one you might be taken to a site that sells de-scramblers (black box) that you can purchase to steal cable television away from the cable company.

Even company names that we are familiar with have done some pretty slimey things to track your browsing. Whether or not they are intentionally being slimey is up to you to decide. My opinion is that they are very aware of what they are doing and doing it purposely.

Some freeware or shareware comes bundled with a tracking program. Some will tell you that the information they collect will not be sold or exchanged and is only for their marketing information. Yeah, right…and I have a pig that flies.

Most of these programs will insist that you read their TOS (terms of service). The problem with that is that these terms are worded in such a way as to be nearly incomprehensible. (Yes, I understand the words separately, it's just that when put all together in a sentence they become nonsense.) What they may call "privacy" is what another may call an invasion of privacy.

Often what they don't tell you is that once this monitoring/tracking program is on your computer it stays on your computer and can interfere with the performance of your computer or other programs (i.e. crashes). Some do offer a way to remove the offending scumware.

So, you are probably thinking, "If I don't know it's there and I haven't had any problems with my system then what is the harm?" Well, nothing…I guess. But are you really comfortable knowing that somewhere on your system there is a little invisible spy following you around to every web site, gathering information on you that reports back to it's "mother" somewhere out there in cyber-land? What if that little 'spy' somehow infiltrates your personal information and breaches your credit history or steals your identity? It could happen. It has happened. It gives me the creeps.

There are several wonderful websites that are dedicated to getting the word out. Here are two that I really like because they tell you the problem and what can be done about it without mincing any words.

http://scumware.com/index.html

There are some wonderful blockers/washers available as well:

Ad-Aware: from Lavasoft Visit their home page Ad-Aware removes the files that are used by advertising supported soft ware to "call home" and exchange statistical data. The program will find and list all detected files. Removal is optional and may cause some adware programs to quit working. Works with: Adware, Alexa, Aureate v1.0.2.0 and 3.0, Comet Cursor v1.0 and v2.0, Cydoor, Doubleclick, DSSAgent, EverAd, OnFlow, Flyswat, Gator, TimeSink v1.0 and v2.0, Web3000 and Webhancer.

ZoneAlarm: Visit their home page ZoneAlarm provides essential protection for Internet users. Combining the safety of a dynamic firewall with total control over applications' Internet use. ZoneAlarm gives rock-solid protection against thieves and vandals. It makes ironclad Internet security easy to use. ZoneAlarm gives you control over the door to your computer. Invisible to the Internet and potential intruders. If you can't be seen, you can't be attacked. Because you tell ZoneAlarm how you use your computer, the firewall only allows traffic that you understand and initiate. ZoneAlarm's firewall provides the ultimate intrusion security for your personal computer. Works with: All

SpyChecker: Visit their home page. Detect "Spyware" before you download; from the convenience of your own system tray. Or you can bookmark this page and use the one here if you prefer. Spychecker can detect almost one thousand so called "Spyware" products by name. If you are not sure if the freeware program you are interested in is in fact advertising supported Spyware, simply enter the name in the Spychecker box and hit "Check". Spychecker will query the constantly updated Spychecker.com database and display the results in your browser, complete with a link to the privacy policy of the ad-company and more. Works with: Aureate/Radiate, Web3000, Conducent/TimeSink, Cydoor and several others.

Before you download the next freeware or shareware that catches your eye, double check that you are not picking up an unwanted hitch-hiker. Mom always said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… Hmmm, seems Mom was pretty smart after all.

Some more resource links: Spyware Block List File.

Here is a handy-dandy data base search engine. Enter (part of) the name of the spyware you are looking for; or or you can check the full list.

I highly recommend X-Block Cleaner. It is freeware which can be upgraded by purchasing a license. While you are there, sign up for their newsletter. I've found it very informative.