Spyware. How to detect spyware on your computer How to create spyware

Spyware is a program installed on a computer without the knowledge of its owner, which collects information about the user for later use by the owner of the spyware for fraudulent purposes. Spyware can be broken down into two different categories: spy-watchers and adware-spyware.

Adware collects personal information about the user, such as how much time he spends on the computer, what programs he uses, what websites he visits, and what online purchases he makes. An e-mail address book can also be stolen.

All of this information is then used to target promotional content in the form of pop-ups, browser redirects, emails, and the like.
Any spyware uses the resources of the processor, RAM, and the Internet, as a result of which the user also bears direct costs from the presence of spyware. Of course, no one wants to be followed or advertised. Therefore, you need to know how to get rid of such programs.
, such as Symantec, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, etc., may offer some protection, but it is best to use dedicated anti-spyware. The best such programs, in our opinion, are Lavasoft's Ad-aware and Spybot's Search & Destroy, which are absolutely free to use to scan your computer for spyware. However, if you want continuous protection, you will have to buy paid versions.

In this review, we will tell you about 6 popular computer / laptop spyware, as well as tell you how to protect yourself from them.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to control the actions of a person using a computer without his knowledge. This need may be for the head of the enterprise, who wants to check whether his employees spend their time efficiently while sitting at a PC. Or a jealous spouse wants to make sure that his half does not have an unwanted infatuation on the Web. Also, caring parents will want to detect the unkind addictions of their child in time, and respond to this in advance.

For such a question, a solution is provided in the form of spyware that allows you to absolutely legally install them on users' devices. The principle of operation of these utilities is to covertly collect, analyze user actions on the computer, and provide data results. It is worth noting that there is a fine line between legal use and malicious espionage using these programs, perhaps determined only by the internal motive for their use.

Neo Spy

Neo Spy developers have worked hard to maximize the functionality of this program. The list of available functions, even in the free version, will satisfy the most demanding user. What spy features are available:

1. Control over the user's computer activity, startup time and duration of programs.
2. Function "keylogger" - reading the order of keystrokes and then saving to a file. The document displays everything that the user typed - correspondence, passwords, input data.
3. Screen captures are another opportunity to detail information about the user's work. Standard settings allow you to make a frequency of 1 image per 12 seconds (allowable minimum of 1.2 seconds), while rendering the behavior of the cursor. You can also view the screen online.
4. Connecting to a webcam with the Internet. This is a great opportunity for the security function, parental control, monitoring the actions of the attendants.
5. Reports on the sites visited by the user.
6. Tracking the GPS coordinates of the device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) on which Neo Spy is installed. This option will allow you to know at any time about the location of your loved ones or employees. If the device is stolen, its location can be tracked, and the thief's face can be photographed or recorded on video.

This is just an incomplete functionality of one of the best, according to users, spyware. According to the strong recommendations of the Neo Spy developers, when establishing control over employees, the latter must be informed. This is done for ethical reasons, of course. Prices, depending on the version, range from 820-1990 rubles.

Neo Spy Benefits:

• wide functionality;
• Russified interface;
• absolutely hidden mode of operation.

Real Spy Monitor

With the help of this program, you can monitor the active activity of the user, controlling and receiving reports on the actions performed. Since this utility can also block a number of actions, it is ideal for use with parental controls.

The downside is the display of the program process in the task manager and the relative high cost of the paid version. Since Real Spy Monitor has an English-language user interface, this may also seem like a disadvantage to some.

Features of Real Spy Monitor:

1. Work in "keylogger" mode.
2. Report on running programs and documents.
3. Saving the user's full correspondence in messengers.
4. Save screenshots.

Actual Spy

Actual Spy is essentially a keylogger that provides the ability to collect the basic necessary information. Thanks to this program, as well as the fact that its activity on the device is completely hidden, it is possible to carry out surveillance absolutely anonymously.

Since the utility can work in normal and hidden modes, it is necessary to make settings to hide it completely. The program may not be displayed in running processes and may not attract attention, remaining completely unnoticed.

Main features of Actual Spy:

1. Tracking keystrokes and clipboard contents.
2. Data about the startup and shutdown of applications and programs.
3. Report on visited pages in the browser.
4. Systematically saving screenshots of the screen.

Spy Go

Spyware designed to monitor and track the actions of a PC user. Its functioning is based on the principle of reading keystrokes. However, in addition to this, the utility has a number of functions that are useful for managers, parents, and jealous spouses.

List of SpyGo features:

1. Reading passwords from any services (mail, social networks, dating sites) using a keylogger.
2. Monitoring and full reporting of web page visits.
3. Recording what is happening on the PC monitor.
4. Tracking online using a webcam.
5. Listen to what is happening within the radius of use of the device.

In addition to the free option, which allows you to monitor only 20 minutes a day, the developers offer to purchase paid versions of SpyGo. The price range ranges from 1980-3750 rubles. The program is suitable for versions of Windows XP, 7, 8, Vista.

snitch

The program in its functionality has the entire list of features necessary for tracking and collecting information from a computer. However, a distinctive feature of Snitch is the ability to work effectively even if the tracker or monitored module does not have a static ip address. This allows you to use the utility even in the absence of an Internet connection. The program is easy to use, does not consume large PC resources, but is very effective.

Benefits of Snitch:

1. Functioning of the program even without access to the Internet.
2. Reading text by keystrokes (correspondence, passwords).
3. Browser page traffic report.
4. Analysis of information in the clipboard.
5. Completely hidden installation mode.
6. Small requirements of the program absolutely do not slow down the device.

The program is developed in a single version and is operational immediately after registration. At the same time, you do not need to make any preliminary settings to get started.

Ardamax Keylogger

Another utility designed to read information from pressed keys is Ardamax Keylogger. Easy and simple to use, the program will save the data entered in the windows of any programs, browsers, filling forms, and provide a detailed report on correspondence, passwords, requests. Thanks to a special stealth mode, the program is not displayed in the task manager, Windows startup folders, system tray and Start menu.

Features of Ardamax Keylogger:

1. Reading typed texts from all filling forms, including popular instant messengers.
2. Completely invisible mode of operation.
3. Visual observation with the ability to take screenshots and photos.
4. Sound recording of what is happening with the help of a microphone.

The developers offer to download a trial version for review. If the client wants to purchase the full version, it will cost him $48.96.

How to protect yourself from spyware

The above spyware is a tool that can be used both for the benefit of people and for harm. If parents seek to protect their child from visiting malicious sites, and use the program in order to respond to danger in time, this is a good motive. The use of keyloggers by business leaders to control employees is also used to the benefit of the business. Although the developers strongly recommend notifying employees about the installation of this software on their PC.

It is unlikely that anyone would wish to be watched without his knowledge. Even those who install similar programs to others on devices. You need to know that all programs of this type are classified as spyware viruses. Therefore, in order not to become a victim of intruders and not to lose personal data, it is necessary to install an antivirus on your computer, sharpened to recognize spyware, keylogger. For example Spyware Terminator or Super Anti Spyware.

4.7 (93.33%) 3 votes.

Almost all users are familiar with viruses and the consequences of their impact on computer systems today. Among all the threats that are most widespread, a separate place is occupied by spyware that monitors the actions of users and steals confidential information. Next, we will show what these applications and applets are, and consider how to detect spyware on a computer and get rid of such a threat without harm to the system.

What is spyware?

To begin with, spyware applications, or executable applets, commonly referred to as Spyware (spy in English "spy"), in the usual sense, are not viruses as such. That is, they have virtually no impact on the system in terms of its integrity or performance, although when infected computers are able to constantly reside in RAM and consume part of system resources. But, as a rule, this does not particularly affect the performance of the OS.

But their main purpose is to track the user's work, and, if possible, steal confidential data, spoof e-mail to send spam, analyze requests on the Internet and redirect to sites containing malware, analyze information on the hard drive, etc. it goes without saying that any user should have at least a primitive anti-virus package installed for protection. True, for the most part, neither free antiviruses, nor even the built-in Windows firewall, give complete confidence in security. Some applications may simply not be recognized. This is where a completely logical question arises: “What then should be the protection of a computer from spyware?” Let's try to consider the main aspects and concepts.

Types of spyware

Before embarking on a practical solution, you should be clear about which applications and applets belong to the Spyware class. To date, there are several main types:

• key loggers;
• hard drive scanners;
• screen spies;
• mail spies;
• proxy spyware.

Each such program has a different effect on the system, so below we will see exactly how spyware penetrates a computer and what they can do in an infected system.

How Spyware Penetrates Computer Systems

Today, due to the incredible development of Internet technologies, the World Wide Web is the main open and weakly protected channel that threats of this type use to infiltrate local computer systems or networks.

In some cases, spyware is installed on the computer by the user himself, however paradoxical it may sound. Most of the time, he doesn't even realize it. And everything is banally simple. For example, you downloaded a seemingly interesting program from the Internet and started the installation. In the first stages, everything looks as usual. But then sometimes windows appear with a proposal to install some additional software product or add-on to the Internet browser. Usually all this is written in small print. The user, in an effort to quickly complete the installation process and start working with a new application, often does not pay attention to this, agrees to all the conditions and ... as a result, receives an embedded "agent" to collect information.

Sometimes spyware is installed on a computer in the background, then disguising itself as important system processes. There can be plenty of options here: installing unverified software, downloading content from the Internet, opening dubious email attachments, and even simply visiting some unsafe resources on the Web. As it is already clear, it is simply impossible to trace such an installation without special protection.

Consequences of exposure

As for the harm caused by spies, as already mentioned, this does not affect the system as a whole in any way, but user information and personal data are at risk.

The most dangerous among all applications of this type are the so-called key loggers, in other words, they are the ones that are able to monitor the character set, which gives an attacker the opportunity to obtain the same logins and passwords, bank details or card pin codes, and that’s all. that the user would not like to make available to a wide range of people. As a rule, after determining all the data, they are sent either to a remote server or by e-mail, naturally, in a hidden mode. Therefore, it is recommended to use special encryption utilities to store such important information. In addition, it is desirable to save files not on a hard drive (hard drive scanners can easily find them), but on removable media, or at least on a flash drive, and always along with the decryptor key.

Among other things, many experts consider the use of the on-screen keyboard to be the safest, although they recognize the inconvenience of this method.

Tracking the screen in terms of what exactly the user is doing is dangerous only when confidential data or registration details are entered. The spy simply takes screenshots after a certain time and sends them to the attacker. Using the on-screen keyboard, as in the first case, will not work. And if two spies work at the same time, then you can’t hide anywhere at all.

Email tracking is based on the contact list. The main goal is to change the content of the letter when sending it in order to send spam.

Proxy spies cause harm only in the sense that they turn the local computer terminal into a kind of proxy server. Why is this needed? Yes, only in order to hide behind, say, the user's IP address when committing illegal acts. Naturally, the user is not aware of this. For example, let's say someone hacked into the security system of some bank and stole a certain amount of money. Tracking actions by authorized services reveals that the hack was carried out from a terminal with such and such an IP located at such and such an address. Special services come to an unsuspecting person and send him to jail. Isn't there really nothing good in that?

The first symptoms of infection

Now let's move on to practice. How to check your computer for spyware if, for some reason, doubts about the integrity of the security system have crept in? To do this, you need to know how the impact of such applications manifests itself in the early stages.

If for no reason at all a decrease in performance is noticed, or the system periodically “hangs”, or refuses to work at all, first you should look at the load usage on the processor and RAM, and also monitor all active processes.

In most cases, the user in the same "Task Manager" will see unfamiliar services that were not previously in the process tree. This is just the first call. The creators of spyware are far from stupid, so they create programs that disguise themselves as system processes, and it is simply impossible to detect them without special knowledge in manual mode. Then there are problems with connecting to the Internet, the start page changes, etc.

How to check your computer for spyware

As for the check, regular antiviruses will not help here, especially if they have already missed the threat. At a minimum, you will need some kind of portable version, like or Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (or better, something like a Rescue Disc with a system check before loading it).

How to find spyware on a computer? In most cases, it is recommended to use highly targeted special programs of the Anti-Spyware class (SpywareBlaster, AVZ, XoftSpySE Anti-Spyware, Microsoft Antispyware, etc.). The scanning process in them is fully automated, as well as the subsequent removal. But even here there are things worth paying attention to.

How to remove spyware from a computer: standard methods and third-party software used

You can even remove spyware from your computer manually, but only if the program is not masked.

To do this, you can go to the programs and components section, find the desired application in the list and start the uninstallation process. True, the Windows uninstaller, to put it mildly, is not very good, because it leaves a bunch of computer garbage after the process is completed, so it’s better to use specialized utilities like iObit Uninstaller, which, in addition to uninstalling in the standard way, allow you to perform an in-depth scan to search for residual files or even keys and entries in the system registry.

Now a few words about the sensational utility Spyhunter. Many call it almost a panacea for all ills. Let us disagree with this. It scans the system still nothing, however, sometimes it gives a false positive. The problem is not in this. The fact is that uninstalling it turns out to be quite problematic. For an ordinary user, from all the number of actions that need to be performed, it's just that his head is spinning.

What to use? Protection against such threats and searching for spyware on a computer can be carried out, for example, even using the ESETNOD32 package or Smart Security with the Anti-Theft function activated. However, everyone chooses what is best and easier for him.

Legalized spying in Windows 10

But that's not all. All of the above only concerned how spyware penetrates the system, how they behave, etc. But what to do when espionage is legal?

Windows 10 is not the best in this regard. There are a bunch of services that need to be disabled (communicating with remote Microsoft servers, using identity to get ads, sending data to a company, telemetry based location, getting updates from multiple locations, etc.).

Is there 100% protection?

If you look closely at how spyware gets into your computer and what it does afterwards, there is only one thing that can be said about 100% protection: it does not exist. Even with the use of the entire arsenal of security tools, you can be sure of 80 percent, no more. However, on the part of the user himself, there should be no provocative actions in the form of visiting dubious sites, installing unsafe software, ignoring antivirus warnings, opening email attachments from unknown sources, etc.

How can you find out what your child or employee is doing on the computer? What sites does he visit, with whom does he communicate, what and to whom does he write?

To do this, there are spyware - a special kind of software that collects information about all its actions unnoticed by the user. A spy program for a computer will solve this problem.

Spyware for a computer should not be confused with a Trojan: the first is absolutely legitimate and is installed with the knowledge of the administrator, the second gets on the PC illegally and carries out hidden malicious activities.

Although malicious programs can also be used by legitimate tracking programs.

Spy applications are most often installed by business leaders and system administrators to control employees, parents to spy on children, jealous spouses, etc. At the same time, the “victim” may know that she is being monitored, but most often she does not.

Overview and comparison of five popular spyware

NeoSpy

NeoSpy is a universal keyboard, screen and user actions spyware. NeoSpy works invisibly and can hide its presence during installation.

The user who installs the program has the opportunity to choose one of two installation modes - administrator and hidden. In the first mode, the program is installed openly - it creates a shortcut on the desktop and a folder in the Program Files directory, in the second it is hidden.

Program processes do not appear in Windows Task Manager and third-party task managers.

The functionality of NeoSpy is quite wide and the program can be used both as home tracking and in offices to control employees.

The spy program is distributed in three versions under a shareware license. The price is 820-1990 rubles, but it can also work for free (even in hidden mode) with restrictions when viewing reports.

What can NeoSpy do:

• monitor the keyboard;
• monitor site visits;
• show the user's screen in real time via the Internet from another computer or from a tablet;
• take screenshots of the screen and save pictures from the webcam;
• control system events (turning on, turning off, downtime in the computer, connecting removable media);
• intercept the contents of the clipboard;
• Monitor the use of Internet messengers, record Skype calls;
• intercept data sent for printing and copied to external media;
• keep statistics of work at the computer;
• send laptop coordinates (calculated over Wi-Fi).

Thanks to the Russian-language interface, a wide range of functions, correct keyboard interception and a mode of operation completely hidden in the system, NeoSpy gets the maximum rating when choosing user control software.

Real Spy Monitor

The next spy is Real Spy Monitor. This English-language program not only has tracking functions, but can also block certain actions on the computer. Therefore, it is often used as a means of parental control.

For each account in the settings of Real Spy Monitor, you can create your own policy of prohibitions, for example, to visit certain sites.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of an English-language interface, it is more difficult to figure out how Real Spy Monitor works, despite the graphic thumbnails for the buttons.

The program is also paid. The license costs from $39.95.

Features of Real Spy Monitor:

• interception of keystrokes, clipboard contents, system events, websites, instant messengers, mail;
• work in semi-hidden mode (without an active window, but with the display of the process in the task manager);
• work with multiple accounts;
• selective autostart for different accounts.

In general, many users like Real Spy Monitor, among the shortcomings they note the high cost, the lack of a Russian-language interface and the display of the process in the task manager.

Actual Spy

Developers position Actual Spy as a keylogger (keylogger), although the program can do more than just record keystrokes.

It controls the contents of the clipboard, takes screenshots, monitors website visits, and other things that are included in the main set of spies we have reviewed.

When installed, Actual Spy creates a shortcut in the Start menu, so it can be seen by the user. The launch also occurs openly - to hide the program window, you must press certain keys.

Opportunities Actual Spy is not much different from the capabilities of competitors. Among the shortcomings, users noted that it correctly records keystrokes only in the English layout.

Spy Go

SpyGo is a spy kit for home use. It can also be used in offices to control employees.

To start monitoring, just click the "Start" button in SpyGo.

SpyGo is distributed under a shareware license and costs 990-2990 rubles, depending on the set of functions.

In trial versions, the duration of monitoring is limited to 20 minutes per day, and sending reports to e-mail and via FTP is not available.

Main features of SpyGo:

• keystroke monitoring;
• recording of all actions on the computer (launching programs, operations with files, etc.);
• control of visits to web resources (history, search queries, frequently visited sites, duration of stay on the site);
• recording what is happening on the screen;
• saving the contents of the clipboard;
• listening to the environment (if you have a microphone);
• monitoring of system events (time to turn on and off the computer, downtime, connecting flash drives, disks, etc.).

Important! The disadvantages of SpyGo, according to users, include the fact that it does not support all versions of Windows, often throws errors when sending reports, and is quite easily unmasked.

snitch

Snitch - the name of this program is translated as "snitch", and it is very unfriendly towards the user. Snitch spies on computer activity. It works hidden, does not require complex settings and has little effect on system performance.

The program is released in a single version.

Snitch Features and Features:

• monitoring of the keyboard, clipboard, system events, web surfing and communication in instant messengers;
• compilation of summary reports and schedules of controlled events;
• undemanding to the network configuration;
• protection against unauthorized termination of the program process;
• monitoring is carried out even in the absence of access to the network.

Of the shortcomings, you can notice conflicts with antiviruses

How to detect a spy on a computer?

Finding spyware on a computer that does not show itself in any way is difficult, but possible.

So, despite the legitimacy, the applications we have considered can recognize special antiviruses,"sharpened" for the search for spyware (trojans with espionage function), so we recommend adding the installed program to the exclusion list of such antiviruses.

And if you don't need to remove the spy, but only need to mask your actions from it, you can use anti-spyware tools that, despite actively spying on you, will prevent interception of keyboard events and screenshots.

Then your correspondence and passwords will not fall into the wrong hands.