What are spyware and adware?
Spyware is software installed on your computer without your knowledge that gathers information, such as surfing habits, for later retrieval by advertisers and/or other interested parties. It can record and send through the Internet your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information. Spyware is often sold as a spouse monitor, child monitor, surveillance tool, or a tool for spying on users to gain unauthorized access. Spyware can enter a computer as a virus or through installation of a new program. Marketing companies are the primary users of spyware programs.
Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen.
How can spyware and adware affect my PC?
In addition to being a nuisance by bombarding your computer with advertisements, spyware and adware can slow down your Internet connection, as well as make your PC run slower. The spyware program will continuously "call home" and send statistical data related to your online habits back to ad servers using your Internet connection. The adware popup advertising would then be directed back to your PC from the marketing companies. This constant transfer of data is why at times your PC may not work at optimal performance.
Following are just a few of the many different ways in which spyware can affect your system:
- Some spyware programs can hijack an Internet connection (and possibly the entire computer) for the program’s own use (for example, as a spam relay).
- Some spyware programs can collect information about a user, including personally identifiable information, and send it back to a central server.
- Some spyware programs can use the hijacked Internet connection to only download updates to malicious software it has planted (such as advertisements).
- Keystroke loggers and screen capture utilities can be installed by a third party to observe behavior or capture passwords and other information. These programs attempt to harvest personal information, including usernames and passwords, and should definitely be removed.
- Adware applications install themselves (or “piggyback”) on other applications and track users’ behaviors and take advantage of their Internet connection. These programs can cause pop-up ads and affect a system's performance.
How did spyware and adware get onto my PC?
Spyware is often bundled with popular freeware applications as a way for the creators of those applications to get paid for their work. Marketing companies pay the creators of the software for the opportunity to include the spyware on the applications.
Known freeware applications that contain spyware programs are popular music file-sharing programs. Many programs that promise to accelerate download speed or enhance some other aspect of your PCs operations may also come with spyware. Not all spyware installations are evasive. Some file-sharing programs will actually reveal up-front that spyware will be loaded onto the PC.
How can I protect my PC from spyware and adware?
Routinely scan your computer for non-virus threats, such as spyware. The Charter Security Suite™ offers real-time spyware scanning (enabled by default), combined with antivirus protection.
Note: Running third party software like "Ad-Aware" to remove adware or spyware is not recommended in addition to having the Charter Security Suite™ installed. Additional third party programs like the ones listed below may interfere and interrupt the Charter Security Suite.
- Ad-Aware
- AVG 6
- PC-cillin
- McAfee
- Norton
Does the Charter Security Suite™ remove spyware and block pop-ups?
Yes. The current version also detects and removes rootkits from your system.
Does Charter provide additional technical support for spyware/adware issues?
The Charter Internet Technical Support Staff focuses support on the connectivity between cable modem and personal computer. Technical support for any spyware or adware issue is currently outside the scope of their support.
Can I also run a third-party spyware/adware removal program?
Charter Security Suite™ currently includes an anti-spyware application, so third-party applications are not necessary to protect your system.
Lots of spyware is found every time I scan the computer. What is causing this?
Most likely, the majority of found spyware items are so-called “tracking cookies.” Cookies are items in Internet browsers that Web sites use to save some information on the user’s computer. These can compromise your privacy.
How do I delete spyware quarantined by the Charter Security Suite™?
To permanently delete quarantined spyware, follow these steps:
- Open the main user interface
- Click Settings
- Under Virus and spyware scanning, click Open Quarantine located towards the bottom of the program
- Select the spyware to delete by highlighting the line and clicking Delete
Can I restore quarantined spyware within the Charter Security Suite™?
Yes. To restore quarantined spyware, follow these steps:
- Open the main user interface
- Click Settings
- Under Virus and spyware scanning, click Open Quarantine located towards the bottom of the program
- Select the spyware to restore by highlighting the line and clicking Restore.
Can I restore deleted spyware within the Charter Security Suite™?
No. If you choose to delete quarantined spyware, it is not possible to restore it. Because some legitimate software can erroneously be identified by removal programs as spyware, it is generally a good idea to wait a while to make sure that your software applications are functioning as they should before permanently deleting quarantined spyware.
I have software that is no longer functioning after cleaning spyware from my computer. What should I do?
Some software you use may contain spyware, and after you clean spyware from the computer, that software might not function properly. If you choose to continue using the software in spite of the spyware, you can restore the quarantined spyware. After restoring it, you can make a manual scan for spyware and choose to exclude the needed spyware. Then it will no longer be found in real-time scanning or manual scans.
Note: if you choose to delete the detected spyware, it is not possible to restore it.
How do I allow or block certain e-mail addresses within the Charter Security Suite™?
- Open the main user interface
- Click Settings
- Under Internet, click the E-mail filterning option
- Choose either Allow senders... or Block senders... located towards the bottom of the program
- Click Add
- Type the e-mail address you wish to either add or block within the Address: field. Click OK when finished.
If you want to allow or block mail from certain domains, add “*” as the wildcard to indicate any address in that domain and then add the rest of the address after “@” sign.
For example, type “*@charter.net” within the address field to allow all mail coming from the Charter domain.
How can I change the Spam Control settings within the Charter Security Suite™?
- Open the main user interface
- Click Settings
- Under Internet, click the E-mail filterning option
- Choose either the Medium or Aggressive option under Spam and phishing filter mode
- Click OK when finished.
All marks belong to their respective owners. Some of the links in this article are to Internet sites maintained by third parties, no inference or assumption should be made and no representation may be implied that either Charter or its affiliated entities operates or controls in any way any information, products or services on these third party sites.