Be wary of spyware posing as holiday screensavers
This is the season for twinkling holiday lights and Christmas trees. Neighborhoods are aglow and houses are shining. But before you fall for an Internet pitch urging you to do the same with holiday programs for your computer, you’d better think before downloading.
My NBC-TV High Tech Report this week notes that there are scores of sites urging you to decorate your desktop this holiday season with great-looking Christmas-themed screensavers and wallpaper like this very popular Night Before Christmas animated scene.
But beware! Not all of of the sites check their programs for spyware or viruses.
And also watch out for sites that install a toolbar or adware that turns your browser into a virtual advertisement.
The vast majority of these sites offering free stuff like this are there to get your e-mail address, or to subscribe you to receive advertisements or trick you into clicking on other ads.
The site I recoomend the most is Freeze. It has no spyware that I could find and offers some very cool animated screensavers, like a very popular Night Before Christmas animated scene.
My recommendation is don’t download anything unless it is guaranteed to be virus or adware safe. And just to be sure, have some strong anni junkware programs like Adaware or Spybot Search and Destroy ready to scan that software after installing it… just to be sure.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Mike, speaking of spyware, I recently noticed that the Discover Card website is offering extra Cashback Bonuses to those cardholders who shop with various retailers through the links on their Shop Discover website. Sounds like a good idea, right? Caveat: The links all go through LinkSynergy, a company well-known for their spyware. You can’t even trust a ‘trusted’ site like Discover any longer. How sad…
December 6th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
I’m sorry Mike, but even freeze.com is off my list. The following is an excerpt from their privacy policy statement.
“We offer our Services to you in exchange for your agreement to receive e-mail, view promotions, advertisements, or participate in other offers. We also offer you the opportunity to participate in contests and to download third-party software.”
”Offers include e-mail, promotions, advertisements contests and third-party software presented by our Partners and us.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that identifies or could be use to identify, contact or locate you. It also includes your credit card number.
Partner is an advertiser, or other entity with whom we have a business relationship to provide Offers.
Service includes but is not limited to our screensaver, wallpaper, game, animated gif, clip art, buddy icon, greeting card, browser skin, font, desktop theme, html editor, sound effect, social networking, storage, and calendar software as well as the Freeze YOURSCREEN™ Personal Desktop Manager and the Freeze Toolbar.”
Let me see if I have this straight: “Offers include e-mail, promotions, advertisements contests and third-party software presented by our Partners and us.” (Translation: SPAM LIST). Believe me, once you get your email address on a spam list the only way to stop it is to change your address.
December 7th, 2006 at 10:51 am
According to my McAfee site advisor the free screen saver site that you have at the top of the page brings up a red flag,and an advisory that they have tested it and found spyware and downloads,and also the freeze.com site did not have anything good to say. Where do you get your information from on these sites? You may have just directed alot of people to a bad situation. I think you need to back on KWWL where I saw you this morning and tell them you were wromg!!!!
December 11th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
The Firefox/IE plugin, “McAffee site advisor” that Carolin mentioned above is a great way to avoid spyware, viruses and e-mail spam. Of course its not perfect and theres still the possibility of getting nailed, but you’ve gotta have some fun sometimes right?
February 13th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I just had my girlfriend install a Freeze screensaver and it infested my computer with tons of ad- and spyware. Fortunally it seems the highly useful anti-spyware program Ad-Aware was able to get rid of it. I agree with the previous comments, check your facts before vouching for a site like that.
March 17th, 2007 at 8:12 am
herbal viagra…
news…
May 18th, 2007 at 6:04 am
First theres another site that say you can watch free movies its got that man from taladegga nights on it dressed as a elf i forget its name tho then thiers a site that has caused me great amounts of real grief Called Xoft registry cleaner they placed images on my computer and my computer had to be taken to richmond virginias tech specialist so why is it that that site aint been shut down yet for putting that sick stuff on my computer such as kids and animals together if you get my meaning also how do you make an officer of the law present you with a copy of the warrant he gave to staples to get your computer ive still not seen the warrant they was given and ive noticed since my computer was returned some things are missing from the antivirus i bought like all the high and severe risk viruses that norton had a record of and now dont where are they at? i know i asked alot but i need to know thank you mike with sincere thanks Mr Robert O Byrd.
May 18th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Also you have that so called 100% free cleaner added to your site here called reg cleaner you lied dude its not totally free wheres your head at?, Michael Jacksons (NeverLand) I think you better slow down before you get yourself into legal trouble dude I seen you on WVVA NBC TV6 in Bluefield West virginia telling us folks how to solve problems well all YOU and NBC is doing is creating them for us remember you can go to jail too for fraudulent misrepresentation to the public in effect you started these issues for me to now have to go threw get your facts straight before you get us folks pissed off what are you anyway a publicity lover?.
June 20th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! wbryoyqhtktye
August 7th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Discount Car Parts…
Discount Car Parts…
August 8th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
1963 Corvette for Sale…
Chevy Corvette for Sale…
August 11th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
This section contains tactics …
They are similar because they are sketchy and morally dubious ….
September 7th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Hello
Your home page its great
G’night
October 10th, 2007 at 6:06 am
Thanks for the info about ’s Tech News!
October 11th, 2007 at 12:53 am
computer tips…
Cool, very good article, i like it…..
November 28th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
backseat bangers backseatbangers…
hottest backseat bangers backseatbangers…
December 4th, 2007 at 12:54 am
All Internal…
all internal…
December 19th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
BMW Mini Gearbox…
BLOW OUT PRICES MASSIVE SUMMER SALE …
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 am
lengthen my penis…
lengthen my penis…
January 19th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
all internal videos…
all internal videos…
January 26th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Write your comments here, please. - I know you can write it here. Not Me
February 5th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Paris Hilton sexy sex tape pictures and videos…
Recently leaked footage of the new Paris Hilton sex tape…
February 11th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
daylesford accommodation…
daylesford accommodation…
March 7th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
advance america cash advance advance advance america cash center…
All advance cash loan online cash advance credit card…
March 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
poker 5 draw…
Ogni giochi online poker gratis live action poker…
March 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
poker gratis in italiano…
Attraverso scommesse online poker online flash…
March 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am
giochi baccarat…
Come dei casino online casino online italia…
March 11th, 2008 at 7:45 am
casino on line bonus…
Spesso casino on line legali casino on line roulette…
March 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am
cingular free ringtones usa…
If You are info nextel personal remember ringtones sprint download free ringtones wwe…