| |
Warning! 91% of all PCs are infected with Spyware.
Stop the menace
before it strikes you!
|
News Flash(3 May 2005) - A dramatic 34% increase in spyware website in just 3 short months! (Jan-Mar 2005)
|
Do you know that spyware can ...
- give hackers access to YOUR bank accounts.
- report on EVERY site you and your family ever visit.
- record your passwords and the sites they belong to.
- make your applications crash
- modify your critical files and programs
- monitor every key you ever press - NOTHING is private.
- and MUCH MORE ...
|
Are you aware that spyware could be lurking in
your computer while you're reading this? Here's a report from the US Department of Justice ...
24 year old stole passwords to illegally access bank accounts through Spyware!
"Between Feb 14, 2001, and Dec 20, 2002, Jiang secretly
installed special keylogging spyware on computer terminals
located at Kinko's stores throughout Manhattan - to
surreptitiously record keystroke activities on those
computers, and collect usernames and passwords of Kinko's customers."
"Jiang also admitted that he then used the confidential
information he obtained to access, or attempt to access, bank
accounts belonging to other persons, and fraudulently open
on-line bank accounts."
|
What surprised me most was the fact that it took nearly 2 full years before they discovered the spyware. Quite unbelievable!
Lest you think the spyware threat is confined to public computers and terminals, the following results may startle you:
Washington DC - October 25, 2004. National Cyber Security Alliance and AOL released the results of their comprehensive study on home PC security. Among the key findings
...
- 4 in 5 users have spyware on their computer.
- The average infected user has 93
spyware components on their computer.
- The most spyware components found on a single computer during the scan was a staggering 1059!
- An overwhelming majority (89%) said they were not aware of the spyware infection.
- 9 in 10 of the infected users (90%) said they don't know what these programs are or do
- Nearly ALL of the infected users (95%) said they never gave permission for these spyware programs to be installed!
In another separate study conducted by WebRoot and Earthlink (a major American ISP), over 4.6 million scans were conducted, and the results were no less than startling ... a whopping 116 million instances of potential spyware were found!
(ref: Spyware Audit)
|
Is Spyware lurking somewhere on your computer ... monitoring your online activies ... and
perhaps stealing your credit card info?
Read the reports below ...
|
Spyware aka advertising-supported software or adware has been until recently a fairly benign snooper on your surfing habits. The data it gathers is then used to target you with tailored advertising, either in pop-up windows or emails.
The problem is that these software spies are starting to get nasty. Spyware is
being written and propagated with the express purpose of
recording personal data such as passwords and credit card
numbers, or hijacking your browser and bookmarking porn or other undesirable sites, or grabbing your web dialler.
Some spyware even features self-updating code so that conventional freeware removal tools have no effect.
F-Secure, UK & Ireland (22 Nov 2004)
|
Spyware has evolved tremendously in sophistication and speed in which it infects unsuspecting users ...
|
The Next Real Threat - NEW YORK. Spyware will replace the mass-mailing worm as the biggest nuisance and security threat facing businesses in 2005. That's the chilling assessment from Roger Thompson, director of content research security management at Computer Associates International Inc. "Your data is at risk and there's nothing we can do right now to stop it," Thompson said.
He confirmed a researcher's recent findings that the best-performing anti-spyware scanner is NOT capable of detecting all the "critical" files and registry entries installed by the malicious programs.
eWeek.com (9th Dec 2004)
|
34 percent increase in websites that hosts spyware in 3 short months!
|
Dramatic increase in Spyware - Anti-spyware vendor Webroot monitored a dramatic increase in the number of Web sites that host spyware, ready to infect the unwary visitor, the U.S.-based company said.
Webroot's proprietary spyware crawler, dubbed "Phileas," has detected over 220,000 Web sites infected with some sort of spyware. From January to March 2005, Webroot's data showed an increase of 34 percent in the number of malicious sites found that hosted spyware!
CMPnetAsia - 3 May 2005
|
"Today, security professionals estimate that over 91% of all
internet connected PCs are infected with spyware!"
 |
From: Adrian Ling
Fri, 03 Sep 2010, 3:57 PM
Dear Friend,
If you've been following the various news reports, you'll know that spyware is here to stay. In fact, according to one security company, spyware will be the biggest online threat in 2005!
I've asked my friend, Steve, to share with you his recent encounter with spyware ...
|
Hi, I'm Steve Dimeck,
Do you know there's a brand new spyware that can get into your
computer without you knowing even if you have AntiVirus and
AntiSpyware installed? And when you try to get rid of it, it
totally wrecks your system?
I didn't know until a few days ago. On Thursday, the 25th of
November (Thanksgiving), my computer was infected by a spyware
that literally took control of my web browser and wrecked
my machine when I tried to get rid of it.
Let me tell you what happened...
After we were all done with our Thanksgiving dinner, I went online to do some quick research for my next article. But
instead, I stayed up all night battling a spyware from
hell!
Shortly after I got online, my Norton Antivirus and my adware/spyware removal software Spyware Doctor, started going
wild with notifications of spyware presence in my computer.
I immediately stopped doing what I was doing and got Spyware
Doctor to scan my hard drive. Before long, it gave me a report
of about 196 infected
files with Trojans and some other types of
adware/spyware virus residing on my hard drive!
I was shocked when I saw that. Just the day before the computer was fine!
So then, I spent hours going through the whole procedure of
removing the virus from my hard drive and soon it was clean. Or
so I thought...
Everything looked normal. If you don't know much about website
development, you may never notice that something was wrong. And
that's really dangerous, because anything can happen once your
system is infected!
As I continued with my research, I noticed something very strange. Many of the links that I clicked on, led me to one
particular website that was filled with hundreds of
different affiliate programs and products.
Regardless of what website I would look at, every single website
had these links placed on specific key words and phrases, such
as: money, internet marketing, data, webhost, home based
business, business opportunity, work, and others. And all
of the links would take me to this website with the hundreds of products. That was very unusual.
But when I looked at my website, much to my surprise I saw the same links on my site!
I couldn't believe it! It's my website. I wrote those webpages.
I didn't put those links there. And yet when I looked at the website the links were there!
I called my sister and I asked her if she was seeing the same
thing on her computer as I was seeing on my computer. She looked
at my website and told me that she wasn't seeing any of those
additional links, other than my usual links.
That made me realize that something was wrong with my computer. I saved the file that I was typing for my next article so I
could devote my attention to finding a solution for this
problem. A strange thing happened as soon as I hit the save
button.
The file reformatted itself! Hyperlinks were placed on
all of the key words (as I already mentioned some) that were
found in the file. But who placed those links?
When I clicked on the link, it took me to the same page with the
hundreds of products. I got very scared because I felt like I
was losing control of my computer. From my previous experience
(but not as extreme), I've learned that the spyware always stays
in touch with the hacker's server, constantly transferring
information about my activities gathered from the registry.
This looked like a very serious spyware. So I immediately
unplugged my Internet connection. This way, the hacker was no
longer going to be able to pull information from my registry,
and I was going to face the virus without any additional input
by the hacker.
But regardless, I lost the battle. For THREE FULL DAYS I tried
to remove the spyware, but without any luck...
The Spyware Doctor narrowed it down to one trouble file, which
was a type of Trojan that existed in my System32 directory.
The Trojan was renaming itself every few
seconds by randomly selected names.
Norton Antivirus said that this type of Trojan gave no visual
indication that my computer had been infected. It was dropping a
copy of itself with a randomly named executable file.
Every time the Spyware Doctor would find the Trojan, it
was unable to locate it and it couldn't remove it. That's
because the Trojan already had a different name.
Also, what I found out was that I was never looking at my
Internet Explorer browser. I thought I was, but I wasn't. I
found a Java Script that was taking the source code from any
website that I would go to, reformat it by adding the links to
the selected key words and then display the new code in another
window that was being generated by a remote server.
My original browser window was getting killed and I was looking
at a cloned window with inserted links. That was happening with
such speed that I didn't even notice it because of my fast Internet connection (cable modem).
After I unplugged the Internet connection, my computer was no
longer functioning properly. I couldn't access my "windows
explorer" window any more, I couldn't open my Internet Explorer
window and I lost control over many other functions.
But each time I would turn the Internet modem back on, my
computer would start to work fine. Only, the Spyware Doctor
would give me a notification that over 40 dangerous files were immediately being
downloaded into my hard drive!
The Trojan that I couldn't remove because of its re-naming
capability was probably staying in touch with the hacker's
server. So I switched the Internet connection off for the last
time and I shut down the computer.
Right now as I'm writing this, I don't have a computer at home
because I gave it to a technician to reformat the hard drive and
try to save as many files as possible. I'm writing this from
another computer and I'm really worried that none of my files
will be saved... that will mean months of work down the drain!
I have since learned that my antivirus and anti-spyware software
would not protect me against the Trojan threat. I needed a
firewall to protect me, and make sure my computer was invisible online.
Please, don't let this happen to you! Install a firewall on your
computer so you can make your IP address invisible to hackers.
As I'm finishing this article two weeks after the virus attack,
my Norton Firewall is working at full force. Every time a hacker
tries to send Trojan files to my hard drive behind my back, a
window in the bottom right corner pops us notifying me of the
dangerous executable files being blocked from entering my hard
drive.
I lost over 90% of my files but I've learned my lesson the hard
way.
Steve Dimeck
The Best Survey
|
I can't imagine losing over 90% of my files, could you? ...
Months, perhaps years of data lost in the blink of an eye ... scary!
The Adverse Effects of Spyware ...
A brief summary of what Spyware can do:
- Inundate your computer with irritating pop-up ads!
- Hijack your web browser and change your home page.
- Add to your favorites/bookmark and redirect you to other sites without your permission.
- Monitor your online activities such as sites you visit and your online shopping habits.
- Relay the collected data back to its makers or other 3rd parties.
- Connect to the internet and download a boatload of other spyware programs and trojans!
- Collect your email address and make you a target of spam.
- Use up your computer's resources - CPU, memory and bandwidth! This will slow
your computer to a crawl.
- Cause some of your applications to crash, e.g. Windows explorer.
- Delete, modify or disable files, programs and essential Windows components and services. Some spyware will attempt to disable your firewall or antispyware software.
- Use your computer to send spam! According to a whitepaper (Oct 2004) by Sophos, it was estimated that as much as 40% of the world's spam is sent by 'zombie' home computers that are infected with 'spam trojans'.
- Steal your passwords, credit card
information and other sensitive information...
Bottom line: Spyware is the most prevalent threat to your online privacy and security today!
|
What is Spyware?
So, what exactly is "Spyware"?
Spyware is usually a piece of software (although it can be hardware) that's installed on your computer without your knowledge. Its purpose is to gather information about you (e.g. browsing activities, your keystrokes, personal info, etc) for later retrieval by hackers and advertising companies that control the spyware.
It has other names such as adware, scumware, malware, crapware, trojan-horse, keyloggers, etc ... basically, they're different types of Spyware. For simplicity sake, we'll just call them "spyware" in this document.
We can generally group spyware into these 2 categories:
- Commercial Spyware. Also
popularly known as "Adware" - It monitors your online activities (e.g.
sites you frequent, what kind of things you buy online, etc). The data it
gathers will be relayed back to the spyware company and be used to
inundate your computer with Pop-up Ads.
NOTE: You'll know if you've this type of spyware on your computer if you're bombarded with pop-ups!
- Surveillance Spyware. This is
the dangerous and insidious type.
Examples includes Key Loggers, Screen Capture devices, and trojan-horses.
They're designed to
capture and log all your keystrokes - e.g. your credit card info, username and passwords and email addresses. It may also capture other personal information such as your name, birthdate, sex, online buying habits, etc.
NOTE: These type of
spyware programs do NOT announce their presence. Their purpose is to collect personal, financial and other sensitive (personal and financial) data about you, and everyone that uses the infected computer. (Case in point - it
took
nearly 2 years before they discovered the spyware in the Kinko's incident)
How do I know if my computer is infected?
If you do not have any anti-spyware software that provides Real-Time Online
protection, then chances are, you would be infected.
Do you know that you can be infected simply by ...
 | ... visiting certain websites? Yes, even if you did not download anything!
|
| ... downloading music files? E.g. Some
Windows Media files are actually spyware in disguise.
|
| ...downloading that beautiful sunset screensaver?
|
| ... downloading those free smiley icons?
|
| ... installing one of the popular file-sharing (P2P) software such as grokster, Kazaa, imesh, etc?
|
There are many other insidious ways spyware can infect your computer!
For example, some spyware programs would appear "harmless" and "dormant", they
don't seem to do anything - but do you know that their sole purpose
is to secretly connect to the
Internet and download a boatload of other spyware programs? ... And these are real
nasty ones too!
And,
Do you also know that it is possible to be infected even
if you clicked the "No" button of an ActiveX pop-up?
The crafty spyware perpetrator has disguised the "No" button as the "Yes"
button,
i.e.
the code behind the "No" button actually meant, "Yes, go ahead and install!"
The correct way of closing these ActiveX pop-ups is by clicking the "X" button
on the upper right corner of the pop-up box.
This is just one of the many tips covered in Spyware Secrets Exposed!
There are many such sites out there. You must be careful of the sites you visit ... a seemingly 'harmless' sites (e.g. those
with free smileys) may not be that harmless after all ...
|
"
...now if you think that your computer is safe from spyware intrusion prepare to be shocked at some of the ways it can infiltrate your system. It's only a matter of time when.
Following the clear instructions in "Spyware Secrets Exposed!", my PC was finally spyware free and at the same time another infuriating problem disappeared whereby Windows Explorer would crash many times a day when I double clicked a file.
The saving in lost time and sense of relief is incalculable...
"
Harvey Segal
Supertips.com
|
How do I get rid of Spyware?
Spyware is bad. Getting rid of it is NOT easy.
In my friend's case, he had to reformat
his disk-drive.
Ouch! Definitely not a solution I'd recommend ... although in
some extreme cases, it may be the only solution as in Steve's case.
So, how do you get rid of spyware?
Most people would have you believe that all you need is an antispyware program.
Nothing could
be further from the truth!
At the time of this writing, there're over 78,000+ different types and variants of spyware ... and growing daily!
In contrast, there are only about 200+ antispyware programs in the market ...
...But before you rush out to buy that antispyware program
you saw last week, here are some truths you need to know ...
 |
Not every anti-spyware software is created equal. Many of them are rip-offs and give you false-positives. Most of them use scare tactics to make you purchase
the software!
March 11, 2005 - Anti-Spyware Assasinated by FTC ...
FTC alleges that Spyware Assassin and its affiliates used Web sites, e-mail, banner ads, and pop-ups to drive consumers to the Spyware Assassin Web site. After exposing consumers to a litany of the dire consequences of having spyware on their computers, the Web site warns, you WILL eventually experience credit card and/identity theft ...
The FTC charges that, the defendants' free remote scan is phony, and the defendants' representations that they have detected spyware on the consumer's computer are deceptive.
According to the agency, the pop-up that announces that consumers have spyware pops up automatically, even when the computer is clean and does not have spyware installed on it.
|
Are you surprised? Out of the 200+ anti-spyware software in the market, only a handful are the real deal ... and many them are actually FREE! ... Why pay $30-$50 for a piece of software that may not work? ... Or worse still ...
|
|
This may SHOCK you ... but do you know that some of these anti-spyware programs ARE actually SPYWARE in disguise?
Yes, it seems bizarre - but some of the "anti-spyware" programs are actually spyware in disguise!
I'll show you where you can get a list of these rogue programs.
Many people have fallen victim
to these spyware perpetrators. DON'T be their next victim!
|
|
NO single anti-spyware program can detect and remove every
spyware programs on your computer! According to an indepth study by an instructor at the University of Illinois, nearly EVERY anti-spyware application on the market detects less than 50% of all the spyware (yes, even the creame of the crop)
|
|
eWeek.com Lab tested 3 enterprise anti-spyware software and released a report on 14 Feb 2005, titled "Spyware Hasn't Met Its Match—Yet"
|
So, then, what is the real SOLUTION?
Don't get me wrong, anti-spyware software is a critical
component in your fight against spyware - but it is NOT
enough!
Knowledge is your best defense against spyware!
For example, with the right knowledge, you'll know which bogus
antispyware to
avoid, and use only the top notch anti-spyware programs like the pros.
These are the same programs used by the security
professionals themselves. Many of them are FREE! Or have a free version.
Why spend your
hard earned money on sub-standard programs? ... Or worse still, a bogus anti-spyware program?
Don't succumb to the scare tactics used by some
parties to get you to buy these suspect programs!
In Spyware Secrets Exposed!, you will discover....
 |
The 5 most popular methods and tricks that spyware use to infect your computer - often without your knowledge! And how you can prevent it from happening - pg. 10
|
|
Want to know who are some of the big corporations that are
funding these spyware programs? You might be surprised or
shocked! - pg. 5
|
|
The little known technique that almost no one uses - It will
minimize the
spyware risk by 80% or more! This technique uses
a built-in feature of Windows XP and it works even if you do
not have any anti-spyware programs!
- pg. 62
|
|
The essential anti-spyware programs that you must have on your computer. These
are the software programs used by the security professionals themselves. - pg 21
|
|
Certain nasty spyware requires specialized tools - especially the persistent type that mutates. Where to get these tools and and how to use them. - pg. 22 & 43
|
|
In addition to antispyware programs, you will need 2 other critical security software programs -
I'll show you where you can download them for free! - pg. 24 & 25
|
|
The 3 essential steps you must take before you even start the scanning process. - pg. 30
|
|
The correct method of scanning and cleaning your computer. Have you tried scanning and cleaning your PC only to find the spyware re-appear the next time you reboot? - pg. 30
|
|
How to set up real-time monitoring of your system to prevent spyware from slipping in un-noticed. - pg 35 & 45
|
|
The "Multi-Layer Defence Technique"
- Discover why this is the best approach
in protecting AND preventing your computer from the spyware threat!
- pg. 42
|
|
How to keep your PC updated with the latest security patches and fixes - automatically! -
pg. 48
|
|
How to configure your Internet Explorer (IE) for maximum security. This is absolutely critical because if your IE is not properly configured, spyware programs can easily install themselves in your PC without your knowledge or consent! - pg. 51
|
|
Where to go should you need professional help. There are a number of dedicated sites that provides professional advice to help you rid the spyware in your computer. - pg. 69
|
You will find all
this information (and much more) in "Spyware Secrets Exposed!"
|
"
... I just went through Spyware Secrets Exposed and
implemented the cleaning routine you proposed.
I found 27 pieces of Spyware on my PC... including a
program that I was using to help me against Spyware in
the first place!
After I cleaned my PC with the free programs you
recommended, my PC runs faster and several programs now
run properly. For example, initially I couldn't make
"Traffic Equalizer" work while my Outlook Express was
open. But this time, it created all the pages I wanted
at a devilish speed ...
George Katsoudas
FrankensteinMarketing.com
|
This Step-by-Step ebook will arm you with all the knowledge you need to combat spyware and keep your computer clean from all spyware, adware, scumware, malware, keyloggers, and whatever-else!
And more importantly, you'll know how to defend your computer from spyware like the pros!
Arming yourself with anti-spyware software is only half the battle ...
"It's the "Knowledge" that makes the real difference!"
Note: The ebook is in PDF format, so it's Windows and MAC compatible. However, the instructions
are relevant to PC users only - as most spyware targets the PC and not the MAC.
It's Your Call ...
You've read the various news clippings, and you've seen for yourself the dangers
of spyware ... or probably experienced it yourself - will you take action now
to protect yourself?
Remember that your privacy, your personal and financial data is at RISK!
Let me just summarize the benefits of Spyware Secrets Exposed!
 |
Save Money! - why risk buying software that may not work - or worse still, a
possible spyware program in disguise? Why not download the free antispyware software used by the security consultants themselves?
NOTE: These are the same tools used by the security professionals and computer technicians to repair spyware infected computers. If you were to purchase the commercial equivalent for each of these tools, it would cost you a bare minimum of $150!
|
|
|
Increase your Productivity! - How much is one days' work worth to you?
If you rely on your computer as much as I do, a day's work is worth hundreds,
if not thousands of dollars.
"An ounce of protection is worth several days of fixing the problem!"
Using the "little known technique", you can cut down the spyware menace
by 80% or more - even if you do not have any other protection in place!
This
secret alone is worth the price of this ebook - a mere $49.97
$29.97!
|
|
How do you place a $$$ value on your personal files and data? Your online Privacy? Your accounts and passwords? - Imagine what it'll be like if someone had stolen your identity to obtain loans or credit-cards ...
But just for interest's sake ... Gartner has placed an average $$$ value ...
July 2004 e-Data InfoSec: Gartner Says Spyware-Related Thefts Resulted in $2.4 Billion in Direct Fraud Losses!
Based on a survey of 5,000 online U.S. adults in April of 2004, Gartner estimates 1.98 million online adults have experienced this sort of crime in the past 12 months. The cost is
approximately $2.4 billion in direct fraud losses, or an average of $1,200 per victim.
|
How much are your personal files and data worth to you?
How do you place a dollar value on months (or perhaps years) of work?
A small investment ($49.97
$29.97) now to protect your work can save you a fortune later!
Just ONE malicious spyware attack could cost you a fortune in lost data and business - remember, over 91% of PC are already infected.
"Spyware Secrets Exposed!" will save you from that
enormous
expense and inconvenience!
|
"Your Satisfaction is 100% Guaranteed!"
 |
If for any reason, you aren't thrilled and satisfied with your purchase, just contact us within 90 days and you'll receive a prompt and courteous refund. No quibbles and no hassles.
Try it out for a full 3 months -- completely risk free!
You have nothing to lose, the risk is entirely on us. That's how confident we are that you will benefit from "Spyware Secrets Exposed!"
|
|
Click here now for your RISK-FREE Trial of
"Spyware Secrets Exposed!"
$49.97
Only $29.97
[Your order is processed by ClickBank and is 100% safe and secure!]
Once your credit card/check is approved, you will sent to a
special download page where you can download your
Spyware Secrets Exposed! ...
Even if it's 2:01 am in the morning!
Sincerely,
[adrian@spyware-secrets.com]
Special Bonus:
In addition to written instructions, you will also receive
video tutorials to make sure you can easily understand and use
these powerful antispyware tools to keep your computer safe and
secure!
The videos will include a case study of spyware
infection in real-time, and you can see for yourself how spyware
can infect your computer! I will also show you (in real-time)
how the "secret" technique will stop spyware dead in its tracks!
This is the best deal ever, where else can
you find such powerful methods to combat spyware at such an
incredible price?
|
Get your copy now via our Secured Server
Get your RISK-FREE Trial of
"Spyware Secrets Exposed!"
$49.97
Only $29.97
[Your order is processed by ClickBank and is 100% safe and secure!]
|
|
