Download dos & dont's
- — 03 February, 2004 08:08
Maureen Thomas had a challenge: to create a Web site that would provide information and links on job placement resources that could be used by people who may never have used a PC, much less a Web browser. Complicating the task further, Thomas had no experience building Web sites and no budget to speak of.
Thomas tried several Web design programs but found most of them too time-consuming to learn, too expensive, or both. Then she came across the CoffeeCup HTML editor (www.coffeecup.com/html-editor) on a shareware download site, which filled the bill perfectly.
"Basically, I needed something with easy image placement and resizing, font versatility, and the ability to easily place lots of links on the site," Thomas explains. "CoffeeCup let me do all that without ever even visiting the help page." The price? A bargain-basement $56.
Of course, everyone's needs are different, and anything less than a fully-featured, shrink-wrapped software package with all the bells and whistles might not work for you. But if you're like many of us today, you have to do more with less - consumers and companies alike are working to strict budgets. If you're willing to do a little research, you might be able to save a few bucks on your next software purchase without compromising productivity or security.
The first step is to take a hard look at which features you really need. (If you're shopping for a utility, start by making sure Windows doesn't already provide one that'll suffice.) Maybe you've already got an antivirus program and a firewall, for example, but you need a better spam filter - and who doesn't? If so, the $US20 IHateSpam for Outlook (www.sunbelt-software.com) is a great, inexpensive choice. Or maybe you need to do occasional word processing and spreadsheet work, but not enough to warrant opening your wallet for Microsoft Office. In that case, try the free OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org).
Gotta shop around
Once you've determined what you need, you can focus on finding the most affordable software for the job. Since most software developers now offer free trial versions of their products, it's easier than ever to shop around and determine first-hand which tool works best for you. You might settle on a simple downloadable freeware utility, or a collection of individual apps that together can do what a more expensive, bundled package does.
If you're lucky, you'll find downÂloadable shareware that does the job and costs less than anything you'd find ensconced in shrink-wrap. Prices for seemingly comparable shareware apps can vary as widely as share values on the stock exchange over the past five years, so if you find a tool that sounds promising but breaks your budget, just keep searching. Chances are there's another one out there that'll do the job for the right price.
Patty DeViva learned that lesson first-hand. When DeViva needed a Web statistics application, she looked around online and downloaded a trial version of Funnel Web Analyzer, a package that retails for over $1200. "It was useful software," she says, "but with [our] budget constraints, I really couldn't afford it". Eventually, DeViva discovered AccessProbe, an application that had all the features she needed. "The icing on the cake," says DeViva, "was going to my boss and letting her know that all we needed was $US40".
Shareware havens
Two of the biggest and most widely known shareware sites are Download.com (www.download.com) and Tucows (www.tucows.com). Both of these sites are comprehensive and well organised, with thousands of shareware and freeware apps for virtually any operating system. You'll also find evaluations, advice, and such practical details as file sizes, download times, and system requirements.
No doubt the biggest hassle involved in trying out any software - but especially freeware - is ousting unruly gangs of spyware, adware, and other pests that can end up clogging your hard drive.
To guard your hard drive against uninvited guests, look for sites that test and screen the shareware for tagalongs. (Not many sites do this, since most make money by posting adware-supported downloads.) Some sites, like Download.com, say they'll "do their best" to label the titles that include adware, but, ultimately, it's up to you to keep the spies at bay.
Always read the end-user licensing (also called terms of service) agreement before you download. If the software includes any spyware or adware, the agreement should mention it. Also, perform a custom install if you can, and closely monitor what's coming on board during the download. If you see files with the names of companies known as adware producers (Cydoor and Gator, for example) or with names other than the maker of the program you're downloading, chances are you're getting adware. If you haven't already done so, it's a good idea to install an anti-adware application and regularly use it. Lavasoft's Ad-aware (www.lavasoftusa.com) and Spybot Search & Destroy (http://spybot.eon.net.au) are popular (and free) utilities that will reliably rid your system of unwanted adware files (for the latter, see the PC World January 2004 cover CD).
Before you invite any strange files onto your hard drive, make sure you have a burly uninstaller that will make them disappear - for good - when you want them to. A good free option is MyUninstaller, available at http://riedersoft.ath.cx:85/~users/nirsoft/utils/myuninst.html. Finally, don't forget to flush out your Registry regularly; Registry Healer (http://kslsoft.virtualave.net) will do the job painlessly. (The free version of this utility fixes only a few problems at a time. If your Registry is really messy, you're better off investing $US20 in the full version of Registry Healer.)
Make no mistake: shareware isn't always the answer. A lot of lazy, sloppy programs lurk out there, and insidious spyware makes security a constant battle. But if you're patient and you know how to download safely, you just might find exactly the software you need - and keep your budget healthy, to boot. And what could be better than that?
Make sure your firewall is sturdyFirewalls provide an essential layer of protection by blocking the port probes and scans that some bad guys and worms use to decide which PCs are vulnerable to attack. A good firewall will also alert you when spyware installed on your PC attempts to access the Internet. But firewalls aren't foolproof. Even one from a reputable company can be leaky if it's misconfigured, and a holey firewall combined with an unpatched copy of Windows could permit malicious hackers to break into your system. A good firewall does its job in the background, so how do you know whether all is quiet because your firewall is operating perfectly or because the hackers just haven't yet spotted your vulnerable system? It's best to test the firewall yourself. I use several free sites to test my firewalls. They all work similarly: the Web site runs a script that scans the ports at your computer's IP address. If your firewall is properly configured, the test results usually will show that no probes from the scan made it through to your computer. If you run a Web server from your PC, or other software (like an online game) that listens for requests from the Internet, and you've opened a port in the firewall for that program, a scan will show the port as open. Sygate Online Services Security Scan (http://scan.sygatetech.com) is one of the most comprehensive scan sites. It offers six varieties of scans, though for most people the Quick Scan or Stealth Scan - which takes less than a minute - will be sufficient. The truly paranoid can choose to scan every well-known port, but that takes 45 minutes. Once I've run the Sygate test, I head to Audit My PC (www.auditmypc.com/freescan/prefcan.asp) for its privacy scan. In addition to testing the firewall itself, Audit My PC tests your machine for other vulnerabilities. The privacy scan reveals the weaknesses in your browser and identifies the kinds of information that any Web site can find out about you. The site also explains how to fix the problems. Last on my list of scans is RV10scan (www.qualys.com/security), the real-time service from Qualys, which can be found on www.Vulns.com. RV10scan not only looks at the port, but also sends commands to the port to see how the computer responds. It effectively figures out which buggy parts of your Windows installation are unpatched - and which spots in your firewall may not cut the mustard. Once your firewall passes the RV10scan, you can put your feet up, lean back, and breathe a well-deserved sigh of relief. - Andrew Brandt |
What is spyware?Spyware falls into two categories. The most common type is hidden programs embedded in larger apps that report information to advertisers. This sort of spyware is included in some shareware and freeware packages because, unfortunately, that's the only way some software developers can pay the bills. In many cases spyware applications are harmless marketing research tools. However, if you allow one piece of spyware into your computer you may well be setting yourself up for a future flood of the unwanted critters. You could justify tracking down and destroying spyware purely in terms of efficiency: because they're clandestine applications, spyware effectively steals your hard disk space and memory, creating performance issues. The software programs are also often poorly written, which can cause computer crashes. If you feel that these hidden programs invade your privacy, consider downloading some anti-spyware apps. More insidious types of spyware fall under the realm of PC surveillance tools. Users can monitor all sorts of activity on a PC, capturing keystrokes, taking periodic snapshots, logging e-mail and chat, as well as making a record of all visited Web sites. These tools have their rightful place in a virtual world that exploits the vulnerable. However, such tools can seriously violate your privacy if they fall into the wrong hands. How does spyware work? Spyware sits on your hard disk and continuously 'calls home' via your Internet connection, transmitting your surfing habits back to a third-party 'mother ship'. If you read the privacy policies of the companies involved, they will usually guarantee anonymity. It's up to you whether you trust such declarations, but it's probably just a matter of time before widespread privacy abuse is uncovered. The key point is that spyware is theoretically capable of sending much more than basic surfing statistics. What to do Reading the fine print is the first step toward avoiding many types of spyware. Never click Yes to a 'Do you want to download and install?' prompt unless you're 100 per cent sure the people who made it are trustworthy. It's not in the spyware company's interest to have its software removed, so it's unlikely that you'll find an entry for the app in Add/Remove Programs. Indeed, you might not even find a folder within Program Files on your hard disk. If the software is already on your hard drive then your best defence is to run a program that scans your hard disk for known spyware files, folders, Registry entries and tracking cookies. The software will then give you the option to remove unwanted spyware. Several anti-spyware utilities scan your PC's memory in real time to keep unwanted programs from installing and running in the first place. Spyware is still a relatively recent phenomenon and, as yet, there are no products from the major security brands, so the available anti-spyware packages can be crude. Spybot Search and Destroy, for example, may have a clumsy interface but it excels at scanning disks and removing the benign spyware products that are attached to fileswapping networks. Your best bet is to combine at least two leading products. - Guy Dixon |
