testimonials

"When I started my agency I already knew of The Lucid Eye Web and Computer Services. I contracted them from the beginning because I knew how important my computer systems were to my business. I am happy to say that I have never had any problems. And I think The Lucid Eye will keep it that way ".


Melissa McCoy - Travel Agent

Virus and Spyware/Malware Removal

Warning! Do not install InternetOptimizer. It is a malicious program.

We get calls daily from customers all describing very similar problems with their PCs. Their symptoms include greatly diminished system performance, major stability issues (crashes and hangs), and difficulty connecting to internet sites. In nearly all cases the PC owner has no awareness of spyware and assumes the degraded performance to be hardware related. In the overwhelming majority of those cases we find that the computer is infected with a variety of malicious software programs designed to compromise the security and performance of the computer. Solutions can range from a simple removal of the offending software to a complete formatting of the hard-disk and re-installing the operating system and software programs.

To help you gain a better understanding of the subject we have included the following information.

Adware

Adware can do a number of things from profile your online surfing and spending habits to popping up annoying ad windows as you surf. In some cases Adware has been bundled with other software without the user's knowledge or slipped in the fine print of a EULA (End User License Agreement). Not all Adware is bad, but often users are annoyed by adware's intrusive behavior. Keep in mind that by removing Adware sometimes the program it came bundled with for free may stop functioning. Some Adware may not perform any activity other than profile a user's surfing activity for study. AdWare can be obnoxious in that it performs "drive-by downloads". Drive-by downloads are accomplished by providing a misleading dialogue box or other methods of stealth installation. Many times users have no idea they have installed the application. Often Adware makers make their application difficult to uninstall. A "EULA" or End User License Agreement is the agreement you accept when you click "OK" or "Continue" when you are installing software. Many users never bother to read the EULA. It is imperative to actually read this agreement before you install any software. No matter how tedious the EULA, you should be able to find out the intent BEFORE you install the software. If you have questions about the EULA- e-mail the company and ask them for clarification.

Spyware

Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party. Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, spyware is designed to exploit infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.

Spyware is potentially more dangerous than Adware because it can record your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information. Spyware covertly gathers user information and activity without the user's knowledge. Spy software can record your keystrokes as you type them, passwords, credit card numbers, sensitive information, where you surf, chat logs, and can even take random screenshots of your activity. Basically whatever you do on the computer is completely viewable by the spy. You do not have to be connected to the Internet to be spied upon. The latest permutations of Spyware include the use of routines to mail out user activity via e-mail or posting information to the web where the spy can view it at their leisure. Also many spyware vendors use "stealth routines" and "polymorphic" (meaning to change" techniques to avoid detection and removal by popular anti-spy software. In some cases Spyware vendors have went as far as to counter-attack anti-spy packages by attempting to break their use. In addition they may use routines to re-install the spyware application after it has been detected.

Malware

Malware is slang for malicious software. Malware is software designed specifically to disrupt a computer system. A trojan horse , worm or a virus could be classified as Malware. Some advertising software can be malicious in that it can try to re-install itself after you remove it. For the purpose of simplicity Malware is software specifically engineered to damage your machine or interrupt the normal computing environment. Examples of Malware include: Page Hijackers, Hijackers are applications that attempt to usurp control of the user's home page and reset it with one of the hijackers choosing. They are a low security threat, but obnoxious. Most Hijackers use stealth techniques or trick dialogue boxes to perform installation.

Dialers

A dialer is a type of software used by pornographic vendors. Once dialer software is downloaded the user is disconnected from their modem's usual Internet service provider and another phone number and the user is billed. While dialers do not spy on users they are malevolent in nature because they can cause huge financial harm to the victim.