Introduction: Most people have heard the term spyware before, or now, more commonly referred to as malware. Malware is malicious software (hybrid of “malicious” and “software”) designed to steal private information, harvest personal information, harm your computer, or otherwise do unethical and nefarious things that you aren’t aware of. Malware can install itself without you knowing and usually masquerades as a helpful utility designed to improve your computer’s performance. And the irony: it does exactly the opposite.

The Internet is a wonderful tool used for many purposes. Although, like vehicles used in a bank heist or to get the kids to soccer practice, the Internet can be used for both good and bad. The key to avoiding most malware is to stay away from porn sites (free you know what), offers that are too good to be true (free Xbox360 anyone?), and thoughtlessly clicking the “Next” button while surfing the web.

Avoiding all malware is akin to never catching a cold. So don’t feel like you’ve done something wrong when you experience something similar to the scenarios I’ve listed below.

Scenarios: You’re trying to find a used copy of Vin Diesel’s 2002 movie “xXx” on DVD. So you type “xxx dvd used” into Google. Woo-eeee are you in for it! If you’re not familiar with legitimate online businesses that sell DVDs, you could end up with a monitor full of four letter words, in both textual form and Full Monty form. So, you end up clicking all over the place, including the “Next” button repeatedly to get the darn screens out of your face before your wife or colleague notices. Next time you boot up the computer, pop-ups fill the screen before you even start your web browser and your computer seems as slow as Grandma’s.

You’re trying to locate a free game to kill some time or a free program to do whatever. You think you’ve found the website with the wares you want, and even better, it appears legitimate. You give them your information, you install something via your web browser that supposedly makes their services operate seamlessly, and everything is all gravy. Then later you notice small re-occurring charges on your credit card from some bizarre named vendor (worst case scenario), your computer starts acting oddly, mysterious pop-ups appear, your inbox is spammed, or you’re being warned that your immediate attention is required to fix the computer before it spontaneously combusts.

Solution: Install, update, and run the FREE malware removal program Spybot Search & Destroy and a similar program (if you feel so inclined) PCTools Spyware Doctor. For this how-to, I’m going to focus on Spybot Search & Destroy. PCTools Spyware Doctor is similar, if not more intuitive [free version here]. I’ve had a lot of success with Spybot and trust the program, which I was I’ll be showcasing it in this tutorial.

• Download Spybot from the safer-networking website. When the download completes, double-click and install the program. The setup wizard will guide you through the process; including backing up the system registry, downloading the latest protection updates, and helping you get started with the program.

• Familiarize yourself with the interface.

  

  The pane on the left holds the most common tasks you’ll be performing, including Update, Search & Destroy, and Immunize. The middle pane displays the first couple important steps: Search for Updates, and Check for problems. Use the Recovery option later if you experience issues after scanning and removing malware threats (I’ve never needed to use it, but is nice to be aware of).

• Search for updates. Always remember to search for the latest threat definitions before running the scan. Like your anti-virus software, new threats are detected daily and the program should be updated often to ensure system protection and detection of the latest threats. Click the Search for Updates button in the middle of the program window, or alternatively, the Update button in the left pane. A new window will pop-up asking you to search for updates, and if updates are available, to select the download location. After choosing your download location, available updates will be displayed. Mark all the check boxes, and click the Download button near the bottom. Wait a few moments for the updates to be downloaded and installed. Then click Exit to return to the main program window.

• Search and destroy! Now we can try to locate the baddies on your system and eradicate them. Click the Check for problems button in the middle of the program window, or alternatively, the Search & Destroy button in the left pane. The scanning process can take anywhere from 10-45 minutes depending on your computer’s hardware. Once the scan is complete, a list of detected malware issues will be displayed for you to analyze. Some issues can include “cookies” that have been determined by the software vendor to be malicious (or better yet, a threat to your Internet browsing privacy). Cookie threats aren’t generally as disruptive as software threats, but still safe to remove. You’ll know if you have software threats by clicking the + sign in the displayed list of threats. Software threats install themselves in the Program Files directory, Windows directory, and the system registry, which Spybot Search & Destroy makes very clear where the bugs are located. Browse the list of detected threats, uncheck any you believe are not threats (careful, many threats masquerade as useful applications!), and then click the Fix Selected Problems button to remove the malware. In some cases, a system reboot and rescan (before many system files are opened) is necessary to remove the remaining malware. I advise to do this, because some bugs can’t be removed while they are being used by the operating system.

• This is a very important step. Immunize the system! Spybot Search & Destroy comes with a handy feature called Immunize that prevents many known websites and malware threats from being accessible by your computer or installed in the first place. Click the Immunize button in the left pane, then click the Immunize button in the middle pane (with a big green “+” sign next to it) to engage the program’s preventative measures for known malware.

  Your computer should now be threat free and protected from many known malware issues. There are other solutions available to perform similar actions, such as the aforementioned Spyware Doctor. Also, Microsoft offers a free malware detection and removal program called Windows Defender. There are numerous commercial vendors, like McAfee, Symantec, Lavasoft, and so forth, but I have found the free solutions to be just as effective. For severe malware infections, use a combination of Spybot, Spyware Doctor, and Windows Defender.

Tech Tip: If you’re connected to the Internet, you’re susceptible to malware infection. The key to avoiding the bugs, is to browse safely (ha!). Here’s a few tips to remember: avoid clicking on pop-ups, too good to be true offers, and the all-too pervasive “Next” button. Treat malware as you do a virus -- with weekly scans by your favorite anti-malware software.

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