Network Operations Center -- 5/23/2005
In March, 2005 we installed SpySweeper on all Administrative and Faculty PCs, except those which are locked down by DeepFreeze. SpySweeper Enterprise allows us to erase spyware and to prevent its installation - more information about spyware is in our March, 2005 newsletter.
2005/04/08: The most common spyware infection: Gator (8 infected PCs). Full report is at http://www.dowling.edu/mydowling/tech/topthreats.xls.pdf
Here we are collecting hints and tips about SpySweeper. If you have questions or suggestions please contact the Help Desk at x3445.
- My PC slows to a crawl when SpySweeper scans for spyware. What can I do?
Our antivirus, eTrustAV from Computer Associates, is scanning all activity on your PC at the same time. If you have administrative rights on your PC, you can tell it to snooze while the SpySweeper scan is underway:
- Look for the "EKG" icon in your System Tray, lower right on your screen. Right-click it.
- Select Snooze.
- Instead of 1 minute as it suggests, tell it to snooze for 30 minutes.
- SpySweeper scanned and deleted WeatherBug. I like WeatherBug. I want it back!
Sorry, but WeatherBug is usually packaged with spyware and won't function when the spyware is deleted. Here is another program that performs much the same as WeatherBug but contains no spyware: WeatherPulse. But please note: we do not support unauthorized software installation on Dowling PCs, and we advise you not to install WeatherBug, WeatherPulse or any other application without consulting with the Help Desk.
- Last week SpySweeper found and cleaned up plenty of spyware. This week there's more. How come?
Quoting a Merrimack College (MA) network admin on ResNet@listserv.nd.edu: "The user who continues to visit sites on the margins of society (porn, gambling, P2P, hacking) will continue to reap what they sow." Surfing at mainstream Internet sites can still install spyware sometimes, so let SpySweeper do its job and clean up those infections. It's those marginal sites that do the worst damage, though -- stay away from them.
- SpySweeper changed my home page to Dowling's Intranet. How do I change it back?
For Dowling PCs on campus it is appropriate that the browser home page point to the Dowling Intranet. Beginning on Friday, May 27 we will accomplish this by telling SpySweeper where the home page should be. SpySweeper will change it and try to prevent it from changing further. Our adjustment will only affect faculty and staff PCs; Computer Lab PCs are handled with a different mechanism and will point to the Student Intranet.
We hope you will leave the setting alone, but if you feel you must change it, here's how:
- Double-click on the SpySweeper icon
in your System Tray, lower right. - Under Options select Active Shields
- In the Protected Home Page field type in the home page you would like to use, for example: http://www.google.com
- Return SpySweeper to the system tray by clicking the Minimize button
at the top-right of the SpySweeper window.
That's it! SpySweeper will now enforce your new home page against any attempt to change it, whether by you or by any software that gets installed.
- Double-click on the SpySweeper icon