Spyware removal from network computers
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Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2005
Chapter 3.
Spyware removal from
network computers
There are many programs that, once on user’s PCs, start working without user’s
knowledge. Such software can do such things as collect information or change
user settings for the Internet or your system. These programs are called
spyware. For more information on the main spyware types, see Appendix A of
this guide.
Acronis Privacy Expert Corporate enables you to completely clean user’s
computers of spyware and protect it from future intrusions.
3.1 How spyware gets on user’s PC
One of the most common ways that spyware gets on a user’s PC is from new
software installations. This is particularly true with freeware and shareware.
When user installs such applications, they can implement software modules that
collect information on Web sites user visits, user’s PC configuration, and other
sources
Other common sources of spyware include peer-to-peer networks, gaming
portals and other similar Web services.
Sometimes spyware is installed by commercial applications whose makers want
to collect additional information about users, their habits and preferences.
3.2 How to recognize spyware?
Though in many cases spyware works without users’ knowledge, there are signs
that you should watch for:
Hard drives LEDs are blinking even when no programs are running or
documents are open
User’s PC receives and sends unknown information via the Internet, even
though the Web browser and e-mail client are not active
The home page setting of the Internet browser has changed without the
user’s consent
The user sees ads or pop-ups while running programs or visiting Web sites
If you notice any or all of these activities on your users’ computers, you need to
run Acronis Privacy Expert Corporate to find and eliminate spyware performing
unauthorized operations on the workstations.
