DRAFT

Preventing and Removing Spyware

Spyware is a type of malicious software designed to gather your personal information without your knowledge. Attackers use spywares to spy on an individual's computer usage, to record user behavior and to collect data. This can include sensitive data such as passwords, credit card numbers, and your browsing history. Spyware can monitor your movements and track your internet activity, what you do online and sometimes even in the physical world. 

Often, you won’t notice anything amiss while spyware quietly records your typing strokes and personal information into a log file that it is later transmitted. 

Spyware can be used to know your habits, target a phishing attack with more precision, steal someone's identity, or sell the collected information to third-parties.

How does a spyware install? That kind of attack can start with a simple pop-up window that tells you your computer clock's time is off or claiming to be a spyware alert. A spyware can install through a general phishing attempt by clicking a link in an email. Spyware can install through browser extensions that might seem legitimate. 

Protecting yourself from spyware is almost the same as protecting yourself from any other malware. Use these good practices for preventing spyware installation on computers:

1. Best Defense:
   1. Having reliable and up-to-date antivirus software.
   2. Keeping your operating systems (i.e. Windows, iOS, Android) and applications up-to-date.
2. When Downloading and Installing Software or Browser Extensions:
   1. Only use as few legit web browser extensions as possible.
   2. Download software only from the official websites.
   3. Using portable versions helps ensure you don’t get any bundled extras.
   4. Don’t do the quick or normal install. Always Custom install all your applications watching carefully that no other programs are slipped in and installed too.
   5. Pay attention to the permissions and access rights given to browser extensions.
3. Additional considerations:
   1. Using a password manager is a great way to prevent keylogging attacks.
   2. Avoid clicking pop-ups by blocking pop-up ads.
   3. Avoid clicking on suspicious links and follow good practices to spot phishing emails.
   4. Consider using virtual keyboards for sensitive input.

Common Signs of Spyware on Your Computer:

• Your computer runs slower than usual
• Strange pop-up ads or toolbars appear.
• Unknown processes are using up resources in your Task Manager.
• Input lag when typing or clicking your mouse/trackpad.
• The mouse pointer disappears briefly during use.
• Unexpected or more frequent app and system crashes or freezing.
• Unexplained spikes in internet data usage.

How to Discover Spyware and Keyloggers:

1. Check Installed Software:
   • Look for any apps or programs that you didn’t install or that seem out of place.
2. Monitor Task manager:
   • Open Task Manager and expand it to show more details.
   • Add columns to display publisher names.
   • Scroll through the list of processes to identify any unusual entries.
   • Go to “Startup apps” on the left side, and check those which have the status “enabled”
3. Check the startup entries
   • C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
   • click="javascript:toggle_dynamic_var("userprofile");" title="Click to edit dynamic variable: userprofile">No value assigned\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
4. Review your browser’s extensions
   • For Chrome, go to chrome://extensions/. For Firefox, go to about:addons.
5. Try scanning your system using Malwarebytes free edition

If you have doubts you can reset your computer..

More and more, spyware is found on smartphones. Follow these tips to prevent spyware installation on smartphones:

1. Keep your Android or iOS up to date with security updates
2. Be aware of the permissions requested by apps. 
3. Never install mobile apps on a smartphone from a source outside of Google Play Store on Android. Activate “Only install apps from trusted sources” setting.
4. Never jailbreak your phone

Removing Bloatware

Bloatware is when Windows and computer manufacturers pre-install programs on our computers that we don’t want or need. Bloatware takes up extra space and can slow down our computers. If your system is new, you can do a full reset of the OS. Notice that when you reset your computer and choose the option “keep my file”, it is likely to reinstall Manufacturer’s apps. To avoid this, reinstall Windows to a clean state, without your data.

Otherwise, if your system is not new and you don’t want to reset it, then you will have to manually delete the bloatware. Note, there used to be several applications to help automate bloatware removal, but they have not been updated in the last several years. They are risky to use now, so you can’t safely automate bloatware removal at the present.

In Windows 11, you can easily uninstall any application or Windows Store app using the “Add or remove programs” feature. Type the name of the application in the Search apps box. 

Click the 3 dots to the right of the application’s name and select Uninstall.

Here is the 2022 list of Windows bloatware.

Here are the lists of manufacturer bloatware (i.e. Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc).