Almost 35% of computers are infected with parasitic software termed
'spyware', 'adware' and 'scumware', it was reported today. As well as
posing a serious risk to the user's privacy and security, the software can 'steal' money from websites by altering the page viewed so the writer of thesoftware gets paid for the advertisements shown, not the owner of thewebsite.
(PRWEB) May 14, 2004--The average infected user has 2-3 spyware programs installed without their knowledge, and the worst case surveyed had 25 illicit programs running on their machine.
This is a critical issue for a website like GiveAsYouGet.net, which allows users to raise money for charity free when shopping online or searching the web, by taking the advertising commissions earned and donating them to charity.
"These programs pose a real risk to Internet users, violating their privacy and crashing their machines" said Jonny Platt, the owner of GiveAsYouGet.net "It is a betrayal of the users' trust and it is extraordinary that some companies are collecting data in such an underhand manner"
"By stealing revenue from sites across the web these programs threaten many of the free information sites that make the Internet such a useful resource."
The software, which is usually installed alongside free software without the users' knowledge, or through tricking the user into installing it with intrusive pop up adverts when surfing, poses a significant threat to the users' privacy.
Once installed this software will track a user's behaviour online - not just the sites they visit but also the data they submit to websites (including phone numbers, passwords and credit card numbers) and send it back to advertising companies who sell these details at a profit.
They also increase the amount of advertising a user will see, with intrusive popups appearing when visiting targeted websites or those that contain certain key words. Often when viewing one website adverts will be displayed for a competitor.
Worse still, some of the software leaves security holes in a machine making it easy for hackers to gain access, others are simply badly written, slowing a machine down and making it prone to crashes.
While these programs are not detected by conventional virus scanners removal is quick and painless. More information and free utilities to detect and destroy these programs are available from http://www.giveasyouget.net/spyware.php
Fortunately this will not affect the future of charity fundraising sites such as GiveAsYouGet, which is growing so fast it raised twice as much in April as in March this year. Steps have already been taken to thwart the adware, but as Jonny Platt pointed out, "We have done our utmost to prevent charity funds going astray by switching to ethical advertising networks, but we cannot be 100% certain they are safe until users are made aware and dis-infect their machines."
Thankfully, spyware will have no effect upon conventional online donations to charity made by credit card.
###
Contact Details:
Jonny Platt
Email: jonnyplatt@giveasyouget.net
URL: http://www.giveasyouget.net/press.php
Tel: 07092 036644
Address:
21E Lewes Court
University of Sussex
Falmer
BN1 9RU
Notes to Editor:
GiveAsYouGet.net (URL: http://www.giveasyouget.net/ ) is a price comparison service and search engine that helps users find the best deal on the web and then donates the commissions it receives - from 3 to 25% of the order - to charity, at no extra cost to the user. Additionally, simply by visiting sites through the GiveAsYouGet search engine a user can raise money for charity without buying a thing.
This quarter (1st April - 31st June) GiveAsYouGet.net is raising money for Action Against Hunger.
More information on Spyware and how to remove it can be found at http://www.giveasyouget.net/spyware.php . The two recommended free removal tools are Spybot Seek & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/) and AdAware (http://www.lavasoft.de)
The research was carried out in an anonymous survey of 62,330 computers browsing GiveAsYouGet.net and a network of other sites between the 14th and 28th of April. In total 21,683 machines - 34.79% - were infected with spyware with a total of 51,581 instances of spyware installed. The average number of applications installed on one PC was 2.38
The main companies profiting from intrusive advertising in the UK are: Claria (Formerly Gator), 180 Solutions and WhenU. The two main advertising agencies who continue to work with these companies are Tradedoubler ( http://www.tradedoubler.co.uk ) and Commission Junction (http://www.cj.com)
|
