INTERNET SECURITY (Safe Use of the Internet)

Privacy Rights | Identity Theft | Spam | Spyware | "Hotbar" and Other Spyware

http://www.privacyrights.org/
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer education, research, and advocacy program. Our publications empower you to take action to control your personal information by providing practical tips on privacy protection.

Identity Theft

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index.html
Welcome to the U.S. government's central website for information about identity theft. This site is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. Please continue to visit this site often and share the information with your family, friends and colleagues. More information will be added to the site regularly, including government reports and Congressional testimony, law enforcement updates, and links to other sites with helpful information about identity theft.

Spam

http://songseek.com/spamorg/index.htm
Spam.org Info about reducing spam, or junk e-mail on the internet. Our goal is the dispersal of accurate and useful information. The special project underway at this time is a comparison of spam filters, the page is a work in progress.

http://www.uakron.edu/vpcio/opsys/spamfaq.php
The University of Akron FAQ on spam (unsolicited bulk email)

Spyware

http://spybot.safer-networking.de/
Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove spyware of different kinds from your computer. Spyware is a relatively new kind of threat that common anti-virus applications do not yet cover. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you didn't intentionally install, if your browser crashes, or if you browser start page has changed without your knowing, you most probably have spyware. But even if you don't see anything, you may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging that is silently tracking your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile of you that will be sold to advertisement companies. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm in trying to see if something snooped into your computer, too :)

http://www.lavasoft.nu/
Get Rid of Spyware now. Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility designed for all Win9x / ME / NT40 / W2000 platforms It scans your system for components of known spyware parasites and lets you remove them safely.

"Hotbar" and Other Spyware

What is hotbar?
Their website says it enhances and personalizes your internet and email applications. While this may be true, there are a few facts that you should know about this software.

1. This is not an official upgrade from Microsoft Outlook.
2. Hotbar is considered Adware / Trackware. It is a program that adds graphical skins to Internet Explorer toolbars. It monitors all websites you visit to add link buttons to its toolbar dependant on the websites you visit. Is Hotbar violating your privacy? Yes, it spies on websites visited and forms filled in, even when the toolbar is disabled.
3. Is Hotbar a security violation? Yes. Hotbar has a silent update feature, which means, that without your knowledge or approval, this software will go to its home website and download newer versions automatically.
4. Does Hotbar cause problems with the computer system? Yes, it can slow down your computer or cause lockups when you are using your web browser or email.

Hotbar also tracks information entered into web forms, which may include names, addresses, passwords, credit card numbers, phone numbers, social security numbers, or any other text strings which a user might type into a web form. Although the hotbar end user license agreement states that they intend to respect your privacy, it also states that they are free to change the licensing terms at will. Additionally, computers with hotbar installed will automatically download and install the latest program updates without notification or user intervention. Please take a look at the pages below:

http://www.ouhsc.edu/it/security/security-rules.asp
http://www.ecu.edu/itcs/cas/newsletter/st2002-NOV.htm
http://www.usq.edu.au/its/newstaff/Hotbar.htm
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/HotBar.html
http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm

This last link makes for some good reading. It is at the zdnet download site and features the opinions/reviews of people who have installed hotbar. Apparently it has caused some real headaches for people working in the computer support field.

http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3302-2366-10156187.html

How to remove Hotbar

1. Click on Start, Control Panel (or Start, Settings, Control Panel)
2. Click on add/remove programs
3. Locate hotbar, click on it one time (so it is highlighted)
4. And choose remove
5. You will be asked to check which programs you wish to have it removed from choose both outlook and internet explorer.

Please note there is other adware / trackware otherwise known as"spyware" - some of the most common are Gator, Offer Companion and BonziBuddy.

Check out these websites if you would like more information on the different types of "spyware" that is out there:

http://www.accesscomm.ca/internet/security/spyware.html
http://www.pdxtc.com/200201-spyware.htm
http://grc.com/oo/spyware.htm
http://virgolamobile.50megs.com/spyware/spyware.htm