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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Protect your PC against Unwanted Toolbars



Browser toolbars can be very helpful. They can make short work of internet searches and keep some of your favorite utilities close at hand. However, some toolbars are not what they seem. While some are helpful amenities, others can compromise the security of your PC.


Commercial toolbars, like those from Google or Yahoo!, help you perform searches with ease, seek out deals while shopping on-line and are, in general, good citizens of the on-line community. Unfortunately, they have also been mimicked by questionable programmers for less worthy purposes. These toolbars arrive on your hard drive bundled with other downloaded software or perhaps from a banner ad or pop-up ad that you may have accidentally clicked. Maybe you received a false update warning and were convinced to answer it. Some websites are even capable of installing these annoyances in what is called a “drive-by” installation, where you are not even aware that it’s happening.



Why do programmers take the time to write and distribute something that seems so trivial? Unwanted toolbars are a way to put your computer at risk. They don’t look like they are harmful to your PC, but in reality, they are creating a portal from your system to the Internet. Through this portal, other malware, spyware or virus programs can be installed on your PC without your permission or even you knowledge. They can also upload information, like your browsing or shopping habits, to third parties via your internet connection. This allows advertisers to target their ads to you based on what you’ve looked at on-line. It’s an attempt to use your own interests to lure you to their sites. Toolbars can record the data you enter into on-line forms, like passwords and private information. Even the toolbars that are not truly malicious are quite often spam creators and ad generators. Advertisers pay the toolbar programmer to take you to specific sites. Toolbars, even the benign ones, sap your PC’s memory, slowing it down and limiting its resources.



HuntBar is one actual toolbar some users install. HuntBar comes with a pop-up blocker, decorative skins and a search feature which gets its results in part from Yahoo! but also displays paid ads as search results. However, it also tracks every search you make and every site you visit and sends that information back to its server. HuntBar changes your home page to its own and opens itself whenever it detects another search engine being opened. It can install programs its server sends to it, even without notifying you. Its most concerning feature is that it adds three unique processes to your system, in addition to the toolbar, which are mostly hidden from view. If you manage to remove one item, the others will fix the missing component and fill it back in on your next system restart. Obviously, it’s a tough job to remove it completely, which is why you may want to avoid it and other toolbars like it.



There are several ways to protect your PC against unwanted and potentially concerning toolbars. Using a dash of skepticism is one way to stay away from these bothersome appliances. If a site is offering free software, search the program’s name on a widely known and trusted site like Google to see if it has a bad reputation. Many of these unwanted toolbars have been exposed for what they are and have been widely discussed on-line.



When you do choose to install software, carefully read the contents of each dialog box as it appears so you don’t inadvertently install something you didn’t expect. Look for concealed warnings or requests for permission. Small, pre-checked boxes are one way these installations slip past some users. Like the fine print on a contract, the details of an installation are often small or had to read. It is almost always worth the extra effort.



A firewall, either hardware or software, is a wise choice of weapon for protecting your PC against all form of malware, including undesirable toolbars. Firewalls monitor and examine the information being passed from your PC to the Internet and alert you when something trips one of its alarms. They can also alert you when a program is attempting to make a connection and request permission for this connection to be made. The exchange of information can be stopped before it even beings. Windows XP comes with a built-in software firewall.



If you are using an older operating system, consider upgrading to a current version. Operating system manufacturers continue to tweak their products to keep up with the currents threats and older versions may not be able to keep up. If you use Windows, you may want to invest in upgrading to at least Windows XP. Enable the automatic update feature or visit the Windows Update site regularly and frequently for patches and alerts.



Protecting your PC against unwanted toolbars and other invasive software isn’t as difficult as it seems. These few simple methods, combined with your own vigilance, can help keep your system running well and keep you private personal habits and data just that – private.

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