Safe Computing home
Get protected. Get connected.

Backups
Always have at least two copies

Best practices
Keep your computer safe

Campus Manager
Register your computer

Malware
Aka spyware or adware

Passwords
Why and how to choose a strong one

Updates
Why bother with these

Viruses
Keep your computer healthy

Safe Computing - Malware

You've probably heard of spyware and adware, but you might not be sure what they are. Spyware is software that reports your activities to someone else. It can be as simple as an advertising cookie in your Web browser, or as malicious as a password-logging program. Adware is software that causes advertising to appear on your computer. It's mostly just annoying, but is very frustrating and can also slow your computer down. Most spyware and adware is installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent. Collectively, spyware, adware, viruses and other malicious programs are called malware. We address viruses separately in their own section, below.

Odds are, you have a small amount of malware on your computer right now. Some signs are:

• Popup advertising on sites that don't normally have it (such as Macalester.edu).
• The homepage in your browser keeps changing.
• There is a strange toolbar in your browser that you don't remember adding.
• Your computer is running much slower than it used to.

Prevention

Right now, most malware affects Windows users. Macintosh users should not get complacent - they can still be affected by some minor spyware, and it's just a matter of time before there is a major outbreak of malware for OS X.

Most malware comes from the Internet. A large proportion of this malware is designed to exploit Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser, so using an alternative browser is a good idea. See the Best Practices section of this Web page for more info on making your browsing habits safer.

Jump to Best Practices

The last line of defense against malware is a protective program. They are usually referred to as anti-spyware or anti-adware, but all they search for many kinds of malware. Macalester provides two options for preventing malware: Symantec Antivirus and Spybot: Search & Destroy.

• Symantec Antivirus isn't just for viruses any more. As of version 10, it now scans for many kinds of malware and is quite good at it. It can prevent malware from being installed on your computer and remove what is already there.

  Get and Use Symantec Antivirus (pdf document)

• Spybot: Search & Destroy is a free program designed to prevent and elminate malware.

  Get and Use Spybot: S&D (pdf document)

Cleaning

If you've already got malware on your computer, please try to clean it off yourself. See the following documentation for instructions:

• Using Spybot S&D (pdf document)
• Using Symantec Antivirus for Windows XP (pdf document)
• Using Norton Antivirus for Mac OS X (pdf document)

If you are unable to remove the malware on your own, please contact the Help Desk for additional assitance.

Macalester College · 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105  USA · 651-696-6000
Comments and questions to ITS Web Group