Re: Spyware / Adware
Snyder, Dave (D.F.) wrote:
Security,
I just purchased Debian Linux for my home PC and waiting for the CD's to
arrive this week. I'm looking forward to installing so I can eventually
divorce myself from Microsoft Windows.
I've had more calls in the last few weeks from friends and relatives
regarding SpyWare and Adware that was downloaded and running on their
Windows PC's.
I don't understand if you would like to speak about SpyWare and Adware
or virus, trojan, worm, ...
Adware and SpyWare are software that log your activity and send constant
report to one site. Basically they log user activity for market surveys.
With these logs they build a database to understand what people like and
so sell this information to others, for example to publicity society.
But some of these programs can do other things, they can read all your
files, all your informations, ... and send they to someone.
So Adware and SpyWare don't delete file, don't crash your pc, don't
replicate to the network; they only spy and send information to someone.
Also ms-winwods do that: it send information to microsoft. For example
if you intall a firewall on a ms-windows. At the first program crash you
can see a dialog box that ask you if you want to send information to
microsoft so it can improve the system; you can reply yes or not, but
the system try to send informatio to microsoft (if you have a firewall
up you can see that some packets are blocked). Also in installation and
upgrading it do something like that.
Is Linux vulnerable to these unwanted downloads and if so, how do I
protect Linux so I don't have a similar issue?
Adware and SpyWare are not unwanted downloads. They are inside some
programs that are free or shareware and run under ms-windows. You must
download and install one of that software to download and install they.
Most of this program haves some banner on when you run they.
Note that if you uninstall a program that have an Adware and SpyWare or
spyware on it you remove only the program, not Adware and SpyWare.
Basically Adware are software that look only what you do when you surf
the web, what banner you click on and things like that. Spyware are
programs that also stole you some information on your pc.
Under GNU/Linux I never see a program with some Adware/Spyware, all
program I have see are free software, but all come with source so it is
very hard to hide a SpyWare or an Adware.
So I think that GNU/Linux is free of this type of pests if you use only
free software. Probably there are some non free software that run under
GNU/Linux that can have on it some of these.
Ciao
Davide
Thanks
Please reply to all so your answer gets sent to my personal email address.
*Dave Snyder
ITS - DBA Supervisor PD/Finance/OGC
iTek Building - Dearborn - Office: W2F197
Phone: 313 62-16647 - Fax: 313 206-3543 - Pager: 313 795-7892*
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