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Hello! I'm Josh Whitman, owner of TrailsWeb. I've been writing software and working with computers since 1993.
One of my most popular services here in Flagstaff, AZ is restoring peoples' computers after they've become too infested
with unwanted software. I've never had a problem with this kind of software getting onto my own machines, and I'd like
to share with you how I do that.
What you should always know on the Internet.
What is the URL of the website?
The URL (Universal Resource Locator) of this page is "http://www.trailsweb.com/articles/internetsafety.asp". The domain name, "trailsweb.com", appears in
the beginning of every page you can access on my site. Even though your address bar says you're at "http://www.domain.com",
if there's a bunch of extra stuff at the end you may be redirected to a different site. If the URL is not straightforward,
you may not be at the site you think you are.
What information is being offered?
If the site is asking you for personal information and you didn't initiate the request, look out. If you're being asked
for financial information, your telephone number or address, or other information not directly pertaining to the purpose
of your Internet visit, don't fill it out. If the site is offering to protect your computer from "bad software", it's
probably not trustworthy. Reputable antivirus programs, like Norton Antivirus, can
keep you computer safe from most of the threats on the Internet. The Internet Security/Firewall sister applications can
also tell you which programs on your computer are accessing the Internet and let you choose whether to allow or block those
programs, essentially eliminating the threat of any spyware (and trojan horses) that's already been installed on your machine.
Am I really clicking the button I think I am?
When a window opens on its own (pop-up), the address bar that shows the URL is often disabled. The only safe way to close a
window like this is with the "x" in the corner. Clicking a close button on the page itself can authorize that page to
run code on your computer. Generally, browsers have built-in checks that ask you before they allow a website to install
software or reset your homepage. Even clicking "Cancel" on a dialog box from a know URL can authorize a site to run
code on your machine.
Should I install this program?
Many sites offer free services via install-on-demand applications. Dell has one such application that scans your computer
and identifies which hardware drivers you should install in case you lost the disks that came with your system. This is
useful, perfectly safe to install, and makes owning a Dell easier. Other programs, like the one that inspired me to write
this page, offer to scan your computer for spyware for free or perform a similar, potentially desirable task. The
chance that this software actually does what it says is slim. Unless it's an absolutely essential program from a clear,
well trusted URL, DON'T INSTALL IT.
Once you install an application on your computer, in most cases you're giving it permission to run with as much permission
as you have. That means the program can write, delete, and change files, access the Internet, record
keystrokes (like when you type in your password), initiate emails, locate sensitive data on your computer and send it to
the Internet, take control of your desktop, etc. Windows is built to make the Internet safe, but useful. Many parties
exploit that usefulness by deceiving an inexperienced or underinformed user to gain access to your computer. Installing
any software that is not from a trustworthy company can expose you to that, so be sure you know what you're installing,
why you're installing it, and where you're installing it from.
Four types of Websites
Every website on the internet fits into one or more of these categories.
First is the hobby site. This site was built by someone who just wants people to know about their really cool
hobbies. I'm a fan of Celica.net, where I can get all kinds of info and share
stories with other celica owners. My dad has a web page that shows the progress he's making on the two-story garage
he's building in his yard. These websites are generally interesting to read, don't generate any money or are very
obvious about how they make money, and are totally straightforward about their content and purpose.
The second is the informative site. These sites are designed to expose information to the Internet community.
The Arizona Daily Sun has a website where you can look through the classifieds,
read articles, and get other information about Northern Arizona. This site does make money through advertising and
classified listing sales, but it's main purpose is to publish information. One of the sites I built is a
place for my friend Mark Thomas to publish the music he writes to the Internet. These are
websites that exist to provide a public outlet for published media.
The third, and most common website, is the company site. These websites serve as another channel of marketing,
sales, and customer service for a company. TrailsWeb.com is built to expose our products and services, allow customers
to purchase products or pay for services, and extend a digital branch of support , information, and service to our
customers. Other websites, like AZNORTH.com, extend their product advertising
(like real estate) to the Internet audience. If a website lets you do things electronically that the company that
owns it does for you outside of the Internet anyway, it's falls into this category.
The fourth type is the "Internet" website. These sites offer Internet and software services exclusively.
Google.com is an excellent search engine and makes its money from website submissions.
The services they offer reside entirely on the Internet and are fully automated. Sites that reroute traffic or generate pop-up advertising belong here.
Commission Junction offers clickthrough services that let webmasters profit
from Internet traffic through banner ads.
Identifying the Threat
All of these websites are perfectly good ways to use the Internet. People can learn about someone else's experience
in do-it-yourself projects, read about recent events or technical data, purchase or get assistance with a company's
products, and locate or suggest resources on the Internet. So where is the danger and how do you recognize it?
Ask yourself, "Where is this website making money?" The answer should be obvious. On TrailsWeb.com, I make
money when you buy my software, when you contact me to build you a website, or when your questions are answered by the
information I've published on the site. Celica.net makes money when you buy a product from one of their suggested
retailers. Some sites just don't make money, like my dad's Garage Construction page. Google makes money from paid
search submissions and pay-per-click listings. The Arizona Daily Sun makes money by selling classifieds through
their site, increasing awareness of their newspaper, and enhancing the value of their advertisements by exposing
them to Internet users in addition to the readers of the printed edition.
If a company makes it's money by bundling software with the products they install on your computer, it's a safe bet
the bundled products aren't ordinarily welcome. I've been asked to bundle various applications with PDAssistant in
exchange for payment whenever someone uses the bundled program. GAIN, the Gator Advertising and Information Network,
comes bundled with several applications and generates popups on your screen when you type different keywords into
your browser. Personally, I don't care to be advertised to while I'm using the Internet. But that's how the company
makes money. GAIN sells advertisements to various companies and pays software developers whenever GAIN gets installed
on someone's computer.
GAIN is one of the nicer programs out there. Some pop-up inducing applications will also generate revenue by
downloading and installing even more pop-up software on your computer, earning a commission for the developer and
clogging up your system resources with additional software.
Even further down the food chain are virus-like programs that seek out your sensitive data, like passwords and financial
information and send them to a server somewhere on the Internet. If one of these gets on your computer, you could find
yourself the victim of identity theft or theft of intellectual property. These programs might even be used to compromise
your corporate network security. These are the really dangerous spyware programs.
Fortunately, programs like this last bunch are very illegal and law enforcement does have programs to identify and
prosecute malicious developers.
Then there's viruses. The bottom of the barrel. These are usually just scraps of code stuck in other files. Once that
file is used on your computer, whether you open a document or run an executable, the virus code runs and does its dirty
work. Some viruses are just stupid and annoying. Others, however, can cause serious damage. Viruses can wreak havoc
on the Internet by generating huge volumes of infected email. They can cause your computer to stop responding, delete
your files, format your hard drive, and even damage your computer hardware. The Internet is like a Petri dish for viruses,
so make sure your computer is wearing gloves before handling the World Wide Web. A good virus scanner (like Norton) knows
the digital signature of a virus that's hiding in a file, and will delete it before the virus can run.
How can I use the Internet safely?
Security has quickly become the biggest concern in the computer industry, and accordingly, software architects are
focusing more and more on this issue. Like driving a car defensively, using the Internet defensively will make you
safer and even eliminate the cost of having someone like me fix your system when it's finally brought to
its knees by bad software.
Be aware of your surroundings. Know and trust the URL of the site you're browsing.
Only use a qualified mechanic. Don't trust your computer with software unless you feel it is reputable and free of
bundled applications. There are plenty of liars out there, so don't believe something just because a website says it.
Stay out of bad neighborhoods. If you're cruising through streets laden with pop-ups, pornography (yes,
pornography is one of the most dangerous places your computer can visit on the Web), homepage reset requests, and
auto-install software beware. You're in the bad part of town and should head back to the legitimate business and
information world.
Know where you're going before you drive. If you're not looking for something specific like a good deal on 12V
Milwaukee batteries or software to help you convert contacts between Palm
Desktop and Microsoft Outlook, you're much more susceptible to being taken to a website where your computer may be
compromised.
I'm perfectly comfortable on the Internet all day with a basic virus scanner because I'm careful about where I go on
the web and how much trust I place in the content I find there. Hopefully, after reading this, you'll be a confident
web user with a clean, swift, safe computer.
-Josh
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