Computer Watch

RICHARD MOROCHOVE

Toronto Star Feb 21, 2005

Which do you believe is the bigger threat: computer viruses or spyware?

Microsoft thinks it's spyware, judging by its recent release of a beta test version of a new application, Microsoft AntiSpyware. The software giant does not distribute an anti-virus program.

If you don’t have up-to-date anti-spyware protection on your PC, Microsoft's move is one more move that you need it.

Most computer users have learned, some from sad experience, about the need for protection against computer viruses. But anti-virus applications will not protect you from spyware.

Why should you care if you have spyware installed on your PC? You may not want to harbour a spyware application that tracks your moves on the Internet and reports the results to others, usually for advertising related reasons.

There are other considerations. Spyware uses precious computer resources, such as memory and hard drive storage. It also uses a chunk of your microprocessor’s power. In extreme cases, multiple spyware programs can slow your computer down to a crawl or cause it to crash.

Why would Microsoft release a program to combat spyware, a relatively recent threat, when it doesn’t provide an anti-virus solution to fight malicious software that’s been attacking computers for years?

I think the software giant is worried it may lose control of the Web browser market. One can acquire spyware while downloading programs from the Internet. Spyware is bundled with the Kazaa file sharing application, for instance. However, most users pick up spyware while surfing Web sites using Internet Explorer.

Sometimes the spyware disguises itself, perhaps masquerading as a pretty cursor enhancement. Sometimes, particularly in earlier versions of Internet Explorer, it will be downloaded without your consent

According to Web analytics firm WebSideStory, Internet Explorer was the choice of 90.3 per cent of US.-based Internet users as of Jan. 14, 2005. That sounds like a comfortable market share. However, it dropped from 91.8 per cent the prior month and from 95.5 per cent in June 2004.

The biggest beneficiary of Internet Explorer’s slide is Firefox, the recently released Open Source browser from Mozilla. Almost 5 per cent of users switched to Firefox by January. By last Friday, the total number of downloads of the free software from mozilla.org had surpassed 25 million in the little more than 100 days since its release. Firefox has some extra features and Is considered less susceptible to spyware attacks than Internet Explorer.

Why doesn't Microsoft just fix the flaws of IE? That's easier said than done, given the complicated way the Web browser is integrated with Windows. Last week Bill Gates announced the next version of Internet Explorer., version 7.0, should be available by summer, ahead of its planned release in 2006.

Microsoft took a quick-fix approach that fights the spyware allowed through IE. In early January, Microsoft announced that a beta test version of Microsoft AntiSpyware was available for free download from its site. The program is a derivative, minus a few features, of an application created by Giant Software, a software developer Microsoft acquired in December.

Aside from defending IE’s market share, Microsoft had other reasons. Before you can download AntiSpyware, Microsoft’s Web site asks to check the legitimacy of your copy of Windows. So it’s one of the first examples of Microsoft's new tough anti-piracy stance.

Gates also stated that the final version of AntiSpyware would be free to users, but only those who are running the latest, patched version of Windows XP, with SP2 (Service Pack 2). So Microsoft is using AntiSpyware as a carrot to encourage users to keep Windows current.

I've tested Microsoft’s AntiSpyware. It compares favourably with other spyware leaders such as Ad-Aware and Spybot-S&D (Search and Destroy). However, it does have its limitations.

AntiSpyware assumes you use Internet Explorer as your browser. So it's inadequate protection if you've already switched to Firefox. Furthermore, in common with all the other anti-spyware applications I've tested, it doesn't catch all instances of spyware. So using a second anti-spyware program would be beneficial.

Should you use Microsoft AntiSpyware? It's a pretty good program, even in the beta stage, despite its limitations. If you run Windows XP SP2 and use Internet Explorer as a web browser, I recommend you download AntiSpyware from Microsoft’s Web site and install it.

Richard Morochove, FCA is a Toronto-based computer consultant. E-mail comments to computerwatch@morochove.com