Spyware: what is it?

Contraction of English words spy (“Spy”) and software (“Software”), the term “spyware” refers to spyware that collects personal data in order to send it to a third party.

This type of malware is mostly hidden in freeware or shareware (shareware), but it can also be spread from an infected web page. They can be found in particular on websites with illegal content.

What information does spyware collect, and for what purpose?

A bit like prying eyes, “spyware” or “spyware” spy on your actions on the internet and have access to all your online activities. In practice, they run by themselves and discreetly as soon as you use your computer.

They are programmed to record all the information you enter from your keyboard or in a form. Some are also able to activate your microphone or your camera without your knowledge or to take screenshots. Without counting the most offensive of them who take directly Control of your machine! Many of these spyware are intended for advertising profiling.

Advertising profiling

The spyware installation is done without the victim’s knowledge. Once in place, the cookie will record different types of data according to its vocation: addresses of websites visited, requests typed in search engines, personal data (name, e-mail address, contact details…), type of products purchased online. Some may steal banking information. This information is used for profiling purposes to send advertisements targeted to the interests of the person who has been spied on.

What are the signs that should alert you?

The presence of spyware is not always easy to detect. But there are certain behaviors on your device that might set you off.

A suspicious slowdown, alert notifications sent by your anti-virus, unexpected shutdowns of your computer, messages informing you that your HDDs are full or the opening of Windows contextual are elements that predict the presence of spyware.

The main drawback of these malware is that, very often, it is us as the user who open the gate ! Indeed, sometimes their installation is the result of our actions and some downloaded files may hide an unwanted host …

To guard against spyware, the rule of thumb is to always verify the provenance of software before installing it on a computer. computer. Most software anti-virus recent ones detect spyware, but it is important to update it regularly.

How to get rid of it?

Do you have confirmation that your computer is infected with spyware? First step: contact all the administrations and financial institutions to which you are linked in order to inform them that possible fraudulent activities may take place. Secondly, get closer to the government service who assists and advises victims of cyber attacks. Finally, you also have the option of contacting a cybersecurity professional who will take care of cleaning your entire system.

Finally, if you run a business and you notice a data breach, you are required to notify the CNIL and you can also file a complaint with the police. And if the risk is very high (with regard to the privacy of users for example), you must also notify the people concerned.

But the infection is not confined to computers only. The smartphones are also the target of malicious intrusions. It is therefore necessary to remain cautious also on applications that you download to your mobile.

Some good practices to protect yourself as much as possible

Even if zero risk does not exist taking into account all the daily activities that take place on the net, certain habits must be taken into consideration in order to reduce the breaches as much as possible.

• Don’t download attachments sent by senders you don’t know. And in the event that the sender is one of your contacts, do not click and ask for confirmation before if you notice, for example, that the name of the file is suspicious. It may indeed be that your contacts are themselves the target of hackers !
• Just like the documents to download, be careful with hypertext links sent to you by e-mail but also on social networks, through instant messaging and by SMS. A tip: if you receive an unknown link, hover without clicking to bring up the target url at the bottom of your screen.
• Pay attention to freeware and to shareware, free software that can hide a spy extension in their code.
• The mention “Unsecured site” can appear when search engines are suspicious of a website that does not meet all the safety recommendations for Internet users’ browsing. Unless you are familiar with the site you want to go to, we recommend that you do not click.
• Illegal downloads (music, films, series, games …) are also gold mines for criminals who want to distribute their spyware by mass.

Companies with significant volumes data should also be careful. Moreover, to support these high-risk companies, continuous training in cybersecurity helps train future managers of data, network and systems security.