Is your computer spying on you?

By George Kocke
Network Administrator, Visitation of Our Lady School

What are adware and spyware?

Adware and spyware are types of data-collecting software designed to monitor or spy on your computing activities. Adware and spyware use your computer's memory and hard drive space. In doing so, they drastically reduce the performance of your computer. Computers infested with adware and spyware typically have many more than just a single instance of such software sapping valuable system resources.

In addition to slowing up your computer, spyware causes unnecessary traffic on the local area network as well as the wide area network which means that spyware makes the internet slower for everyone on the Archdiocesan network. Spyware and misconfigured PC's constitute 30-40 per cent of all internet traffic at the Archdiocese.

Adware programs mainly monitor your web browsing and search habits and send the collected information to online marketing and advertising firms. These firms then send both browser-based and stand-alone popup ads to your computer and share your information with other such firms. Most adware programs are installed on a computer by and with the knowledge of users.

Some spyware is also used for advertising purposes, but spyware is typically much more malicious than adware. Spyware is usually installed on a computer without the knowledge or consent of users. In addition to monitoring your web browsing and search habits, spyware can scan files on a hard drive or network, install other malicious programs, monitor keystrokes, collect credit card and online banking information, change a web browser's default home page and perform many other undesirable activities.

How are these programs installed?

Adware is usually installed by and with the knowledge of the user. Adware is frequently bundled with free (not related to free software such as Linux, Mozilla, Firefox, OpenOffice, etc.) or shareware programs downloaded from the Internet. Games, screensavers, weather monitoring programs, peer-to-peer file swapping programs and other "useful" or "cute" programs often come bundled with adware. These programs usually won't work without the installation of the bundled adware. Many websites offering such programs clearly state that they are bundled with adware while other websites hide the information deep into the license agreement.

During the installation of such programs, the user is usually presented with a dialog box and "license agreement" stating that the adware will be installed. Most users don't read these dialog boxes or the terms of the "license agreement" and quickly click the "next" or "install" buttons.
Spyware is almost always installed without the knowledge or consent of the user. Some spyware is installed through the exploitation of security holes or features (ActiveX) of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser. Simply looking at certain web sites can cause the installation of spyware. Spyware can also be installed by merely clicking on links in email or clicking on an email attachment.

Preventing the installation of adware and spyware

Preventing the installation of most adware is actually fairly easy. Users must get into the habit of reading the license agreements and dialog boxes presented to them during the installation of software downloaded from the Internet.

If a program's web site or installation routine states that the program is bundled with adware, don't install it!

Preventing the installation of spyware installed by running an email attachment is also easy. The solution in this case is to simply not click on or save the attachment unless you know who the sender is and the exact purpose of the attachment. Be wary of people (even friends or relatives) sending email with "cute" or "funny" email attachments. In addition, be very careful when clicking on links in email. You should also consider using an email client other than Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express as these programs are riddled with security holes and are well known for being responsible for the spread of email based viruses and worms.

The best way to prevent the installation of spyware is to stop using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) as your web browser. IE is a conduit for spyware and other malicious programs to be installed on a computer. New security holes and exploits are discovered in IE on a weekly basis and Microsoft is very slow to fix such problems. Computer security experts have long warned of the dangers of IE. Because of the huge number of IE security problems, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a recommendation in July of 2004 that users switch to a more secure web browser.

Unfortunately, IE can't be removed from your computer since Microsoft has made it an integral part of the Windows operating system and is needed to install updates. However, you can start using an alternative browser to minimize your risks.
The two most common alternative web browsers are Firefox and Mozilla, both made by the Mozilla Foundation. Both Firefox and Mozilla use the same core browsing software. Firefox is simply a web browser. It has no other purpose than to let you look at websites. Mozilla is a collection of programs (suite) including the browser, an email client and a web page editor (Composer). Download and install whatever fits your needs.
Both Firefox and Mozilla will prevent almost all browser based spyware installations from taking place. Both also have a built in popup blocker and a adblock module that can be download that will help save your sanity. There is no need to worry about losing your bookmarks or "favorites" as both Firefox and Mozilla will import them from IE.

If you don't want to stop using IE, please be sure to frequently run Windows Update or turn on automatic updates. Even though Microsoft is slow to respond to IE security problems, keeping Windows updated with the latest fixes will slightly reduce the risk of IE-based spyware installation.

Getting rid of adware and spyware

Preventing the installation of adware and spyware in the first place is best, but many computers already have such software installed. There are several solutions to this problem.

While adware and spyware are not computer viruses or worms, some antivirus software manufactures are starting to include adware and spyware removal tools with their software. Even if your antivirus software does not detect adware and spyware, please make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date.

There are a number of programs that can be downloaded for free (spybot can be downloaded from ftp://archdiocese-no.org/spybotsd13.exe) for personal use or for a fee for corporate or educational use that will attempt to remove adware and spyware from computers. It may take the installation of more than one program to remove adware and spyware from a computer. In some cases, no removal programs will rid a computer of adware and spyware. Please be aware that some spyware removal programs are themselves spyware!

Some computers may be so infested with adware and spyware that the only solution is to backup any important files, wipe the hard drive and reinstall the operating system. In such cases, the immediate installation of all operating system updates is crucial as the installation media may be several years old.

In addition, it is highly recommended to install an alternative web browser and email client as soon as possible. If you are not familiar with the installation of a computer operating system, it is advisable that you allow a professional to do this for you.

Resources

US Homeland Security warning on Internet Explorer

Firefox and Mozilla

Adware and spyware removal:
Ad-aware
Spybot
Spyware/AdWare/Malware FAQ and Removal Guide

So you want to create a web site...

By Pam Mather
Coordinator, Internet Services Department

Whether it's for your office, your school, your parish, or for your own personal use, there are some good practices to follow when setting up a website.

Use the HTML editor you feel comfortable with
An HTML editor assists the user in writing HTML code for web pages. Although HTML code can be written and edited with any text editor, a program specifically designed to be an HTML editor can be more convenient. The most common type of HTML editor used by beginners is referred to as a WYSIWYG program. WYSIWYG (pronounced "wizzy-wig") is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, and is used in computing to refer to the technology that ensures that what you see on the screen is what your final output will look like. Examples of WYSIWYG HTML editors are Macromedia Dreamweaver, Microsoft Frontpage, and Netscape Composer.

Draw a plan for your site
Before you do anything for your website, sit down with paper and a pencil and make a site map. Figure out what pages you want to include, and how they will all link together. (see example, below) It doesn't have to be a very detailed plan, but something that will help you organize your site and make it navigable for visitors.

Use folders and subfolders to organize your site
Don't put all of your web pages, graphics, and photos into the main folder of your site. Create "images" folders and "graphics" folders. Make a different folder for each section of your site. For example, as in the example above, you may choose to organize your site with these folders:

• aboutus
• newsletter
• help
• links
• calendar

And within each folder, you would have index.html (the main "about us", "newsletter", etc page) and other pages, such as faq.html, sept04.html, etc, as seen in the example at left

Name your files wisely
When naming your web pages, follow these guidelines:

• Do not use spaces in your file name
• Use all lower-case text
• If you need to make a space, use the underscore (_) character
• End your file names in .html
• Use short file names

Now for the fun part...design!
The key to good web page design is simplicity. Busy backgrounds, fancy buttons, and animated graphics only distract your visitor from the real point of your site...the content. So keep your background either white or a light color, and keep graphics simple and not too flashy. Tables are a great way to keep everything in line and neat looking, and most WYSIWYG editors can create tables for you.

A few more hints to keep your web design clean and usable:

• Don't use frames. Not only does it make the design more confusing for you, but some browsers don't work well with them.
• Check out how your site looks in different browsers. Not everyone uses Internet Explorer! Look at it in Netscape and Mozilla Firefox as well.
• Save your graphics in the .jpg and .gif file formats. These two formats should be used exclusively in web design, to keep file sizes small and page loading time fast. Confused about which format to save your graphic in? Here's a simple rule of thumb: photographs and other graphics with a lot of colors and gradients should be saved as jpgs. Simple drawings and buttons with solid backgrounds should be saved as gifs.

Unless you have designed web sites before, some of this article may be confusing to you. So here are a few web sites that you can visit to get more information. And if you have any questions about this article, email me at pmather@archdiocese-no.org.

http://personalweb.about.com/od/basicwebdesigntips/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webpage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML

Internet Resource Committee meeting update

The Internet Resoucre Committee meeting had its first meeting of the new school year on October 14, 2004. It was also the first meeting for Justin Gibson and Pam Mather, the two new members of the Internet Services Department team. Justin has taken over as Director from Ken Beasley, who is enjoying retirement, and Pam took over as Coordinator from Tonya Pettigrew, who moved to Colorado in July.

Present at the meeting were Stephen Blum, Justin Gibson, and Pam Mather of the Internet Services Department; Holly Becnel and Sr. Immaculata of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese; Barbara Beben of Mt. Carmel Academy; Suzette Cochiara of St. Stephen; Cathy Griggs of the Diocese of Baton Rouge; George Kocke of Visitation of Our Lady School; David Krail of Catholic Charities; and Cathy Campanella of St. Philip Neri

Discussed at the meeting:

Broderbund Issues - S. Blum addressed Broderbund broadcasting and the effect it is having on our servers.

Forum Blocking - B. Beben asked for forums to be unblocked. S. Blum explained why all forums can't be unblocked, but that if Broderbund issue is resolved, then it might be possible to add more sites to the list of exceptions, since the load on the squid engine will be reduced from the current 80-90% utilization.

E-rate - J. Gibson discussed trying to get Priority 2 funding for the Archdiocese. The possibility of having a future meeting devoted to E-rate and related issues was discussed.

Bellsouth - J. Gibson talked about his meeting with BellSouth and their educational representatives. Working with E-rate knowledgeable reps from BellSouth would help the Archdiocese to get more funding for the schools. He also discussed what BellSouth told him with regards to more schools moving over from frame relay to DSL - they are saying it is a regulatory issue. Currently, there are 18-20 schools who still wish to move to DSL.

WAN Alternatives - Currently, J. Gibson and S. Blum are investigating alternatives to the WAN for the future. Sr. Immaculata and H. Becnel said to be wary of Cox because of problems St. Bernard Parish had with them.

Packeteer - S. Blum stated that the Internet Services Department is looking into Packeteer, a software program used to monitor, control, and accelerate performance over the network, which could help to mitigate Broderbund issues.

Goals of the Internet Resources Committee - S. Chochiara expressed the desire to clarify the goals and mission of the IRC.

A second meeting was held on December 9, 2004. Present at this meeting were Stephen Blum, Robert Cochran, Justin Gibson, and Pam Mather of the Internet Services Department; Holly Becnel of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese; Barbara Beben of Mt. Carmel Academy; George Kocke of Visitation of Our Lady School; Barbara Auten of Christ the King School; and Cathy Campanella of St. Philip Neri.

Discussed at the meeting:

Goals of the Internet Resources Committee - J. Gibson suggested having discussion at next meeting regarding goals/mission of the Internet Resources Committee

Software Resources - It was suggested that ISD set up a webpage or have a round-table discussion on software resources and buying software at a discount.

E-rate - J. Gibson discussed E-rate issues including looking at other districts' Requests for Proposals (RFPs) before ours is posted.

Deep Freeze - S. Blum discussed the software program Deep Freeze as a possible solution for spyware problems. The approximate cost, if purchased in bulk, might only be around $6 per computer. H. Becnel said that Houma-Thibodaux uses Fortress, a similar program, at their high schools, but the cost is higher.

BellSouth - J. Gibson said that BellSouth will now allow more schools to get DSL and to get off of the Frame Relay.

Wireless - J. Gibson and R. Cochran described Nortel wireless product that they learned about at a seminar. It may be a solution for some schools; it could solve problems with wireless security and mobility.

Parishes on network - B. Auten raised the question of when/if parishes would be mandated to join network and have filtered access to the Internet.

Changes made to ISD and Archdiocese websites

You may have noticed some changes to the Archdiocese (http://www.archdiocese-no.org) and Internet Services Department (http://www.archdiocese-no.org/isd) websites. We have been working on the to make the websites more user-friendly, and to help you find the information you need quickly.

ISD site - http://www.archdiocese-no.org/isd

If you've visited the Internet Services Department website recently, you will have noticed many changes. Not only have we changed the look of the site, but we've added more content. You will find information on spyware, viruses, and the Broderbund broadcasting problem. We've also added a Frequently Asked Questions page to help you if you have a question. We'd also like to invite you to submit a question you may want us to answer. Check this page frequently to see what we've added!
Archdiocese site - http://www.archdiocese-no.org

We have also changed the look of the website for the entire Archdiocese. Not only has the structure of the site been organized a bit, but we have also added some new features. The most useful change you will probably see is the addition of a search box at the bottom of every page. You should be able to find whatever you are looking for with this search feature. If you come across pages not found, please email us at isd@archdiocese-no.org so we can fix any broken links.