All of a sudden, I started getting popup ads coming through on my office computer. This isn't suppose to be possible by the way this office's firewall blocks such traffic. I'd be sitting here reading one of your diaries and I'd start getting window after window of ads for useless stuff.

Sidebar: You know, I can't think of the last time I actually looked at these type things before I immediately closed them. Why do advertisers think this stuff really work? Besides, if I spent any time actually attempting to remember whose ad I closed, it would only be to make sure I'D NEVER BUY THEIR STUFF AGAIN.

So I walk in Monday morning and the little virus alert is going off. The McAfee VirusScan software has identified 12 items that should be removed but...it can't seem to handle the tasks. What do I do? I call tech support of course. An hour later I've got the only guy in the company who DOESN'T have to wear a tie tracking down the solution to the problem.

I had more than a dozen "ttps.exe" files located in different subfolders throughout my computer. This is one of at least three known pieces of spyware. The other known Trojans of this type are "syslog.exe" and "OWMngr.exe." It seems that spyware or adware is a pretty common problem for most users. So common that PC Magazine found that, "[a]ccording to a recent report from research firm GartnerG2, more than 20 million people have installed adware applications (adware being a type of spyware that reports back on a subject's activities to serve up targeted advertising), and this covers only a portion of the spyware on the loose."

Without properly set security controls, you could be a victim of a "drive-by download" just by visiting a web site or clicking on an ad. But you can fight back by installing one of the many freeware apps developed by software engineers that take this type of invasion kind of personally. Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.2 is on of them (donations requested but not required). I am currently using Ad-aware 6 by Lavasoft as that is our new office standard. It comprehensively scans your "memory, registry, hard, removable and optical drives for known Datamining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, Keyloggers, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components." After running Ad-aware, it discovered more than 40 offending files which it immediately quarantined. Last night I went home safe in the knowledge that my machine is clean.

This morning after reading a couple of diaries I noted it started happening again. I ran Ad-aware again this morning and had 4 more offending files.

I'm sorry but those of you with bravenet guestbooks seem to be carriers.

I don't know what to tell you. I now have to practice more safe browsing. I've added those of you I know using the bravenet services to my "trusted sites" with the highest level of security and deleted all my cookies. We'll see how it goes but I just thought you'd like to know and maybe test your own machines.

Anyway, for them what care...

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