There are a lot of differing opinions on what the definitions of Spyware/Adware should be.  In order to help we have provided brief explanations.

Adware

Adware, can do a number of things from profile your online surfing and spending habits to popping up annoying ad windows as you surf. In some cases Adware has been bundled with other software without the user's knowledge or slipped in the fine print of a EULA (End User License Agreement). Not all Adware is bad, but often users are annoyed by adware's intrusive behavior. Keep in mind that by removing Adware sometimes the program it came bundled with for free may stop functioning. Some Adware, dubbed a "BackDoor" may not perform any activity other then profile a user's surfing activity.

AdWare can be obnoxious in that it performs "drive-by downloads". Drive-by downloads are accomplished by providing a misleading dialogue box or other methods of stealth installation. Many times users have no idea they have installed the application. Often Adware makers make their application difficult to uninstall.

Spyware

Spyware is a potentially dangerous beast because it can record your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information Spyware covertly gathers user information and activity without the user's knowledge. Spyware can record your keystrokes as you type them, passwords, credit card numbers, sensitive information, where you surf, chat logs, and can even take random screenshots of your activity. Basically whatever you do on the computer is completely viewable by the spyware. You do not have to be connected to the Internet for the Spyware to be active.

The latest permutations of Spyware include the use of routines to mail out user activity via e-mail or posting information to the web where the spy can view it at their leisure. Also many spyware vendors use "stealth routines" and polymorphic techniques to avoid detection and removal by popular anti-spy software. In some cases Spyware vendors have went as far as to counter-attack anti-spy packages by attempting to break their use. In addition they may use routines to re-install the spyware application after it has been detected.

Malware

Malware is slang for malicious software. Malware is software designed specifically to disrupt a computer system. A trojan horse , worm or a virus could be classified as Malware. Some advertising software can be malicious in that it can try to re-install itself after you remove it.

For the purpose of simplicity Malware is software specifically engineered to damage your machine or interrupt the normal computing environment.

Page Hijackers

Hijackers are applications that attempt to usurp control of the user's home page and reset it with one of the hijackers choosing. They are a low security threat, but obnoxious. Most Hijackers use stealth techniques or trick dialogue boxes to perform installation.

 

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CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT does not support or install the following software programs and recommends that you do not install them on CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT owned computers. Each is known to negatively impact CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT computing in one or more of the following ways:

 

Think before you add that cute free dress up program

Installation of such software is a direct violation of the ACCEPTABLE USE AND INTERNET SAFETY POLICY FOR THE COMPUTER NETWORK OF THE CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.

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Alexa
Web Search tool (adware)

ATTune
(spyware)

AudioGalaxy
(spyware, copyright infringement, high bandwidth use)

 Aureate / Radiate
Spyware "bundled" with many free downloads, screen savers, web sites, etc.

Bargain Buddy
Advertising (spyware, bandwidth use, computer resources)

BearShare
File Sharing (spyware, copyright infringement, high bandwidth use,)

Bonzai Buddy
PC "Pet" (resource drain, application conflicts, no purpose whatsoever)

Brilliant Digital
Brilliant Plan to Usurp Internet Bandwidth

Comet Cursor
Animated cursor (probable spyware, waste of resources, possible application conflicts)

CommonName
Targeted advertising (spyware, resource drain)

CyDoor
(spyware, resource drain)

DLDER
(spyware trojan)

Gator, OfferCompanion, Trickler, GAIN
Very intrusive spyware that auto-fills web forms. Dangerous because it caches and "remembers" credit card numbers.

GoZilla
Download accelerator (slows boot time, drains resources, multiple spyware)

iMesh
File Sharing (spyware, copyright infringement, high bandwidth use, . Known bundled third-party applications include GAIN, Cydoor, Hotbar, eZula TopText, New.Net, CommonName, SideStep, NetPal, FavoriteMan, VX2, FlashTrack, and BonziBuddy. )

Kazaa
File Sharing (spyware, copyright infringement, high bandwidth use)
Stealth Network Hides Inside Kazaa

OnFlow
Targeted advertising bundled with many "free" applications (spyware)

Weatherbug
Continuous, real-time weather reports (high bandwidth use, potential security risk, slows boot time, can disable printing) Free version is bundled with MySearch Bar a Web Search tool (adware)

Web3000
Advertising spyware that overwrites the important wsock32.dll system file (spyware, potential security risk)

WebHancer
Extremely intrusive spyware, can disable internet connection

Webshots
Wallpaper rotation utility (spyware, slows boot time and system operation, application and operating system conflicts)

Hotbar
Hotbar is an Internet Explorer plug-in that lets you skin your browser title bar. It also collects tons of information about your surfing habits, logging every web page you visit and every search you perform, and then sending the results back to Hotbar.

Hotbar, for example is a program that installs hundreds of animated cursors, wallpaper, Internet & email applications skins and backgrounds.

Sound Good? Not!

Reported Issues:
*It can cause Windows to take over five minutes to start
*Windows runs slow
*Frequent crashing
*Active desktop problems
*Explorer locks up
*Incompatible with Yahoo! companion
*Web browser speed Slow
*Privacy issues
*Excess of unwanted bookmarks installed
*Possible email loss

HuntBar
HuntBar is a toolbar providing searching features, which is added to every Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer window. 
It also changes your home page and search bar settings to point to HuntBar's servers, and automatically opens this search bar when it detects you using any other search engine
 

This is  an exhaustive catalog of extraneous,
unnecessary or unsupported software.

Numbers
100% Word Search Free®
123Search®
2MinuteWarning®
3d Anarchy®
3D Frog Man Demo®
3D Maze Man Demo®
3D-FTP® 3rd block®

A
Abe's FTP Client®
Abe's Image Viewer®
Abe's MP3 Finder®
Abe's Picture Finder®
Abe's SMB Client®
Absolute Yukon Solitaire®
Access Diver III®
Aces and Kings Solitaire®
Acorn Email®
AcqURL®
ActionOutline Light 1.6®
Active 'Net®
AddAce®
Add URL®
Add/Remove Plus!®
Add/Remove Plus!®
Address Rover 98®
Admiral VirusScanner®
Advanced Call Center®
Advanced Maillist Verify®
AdWizard®
Alchemist Demo®
Alexa
Alive and Kicking®
alphaScape QuickPaste®
Appload Notify®
ASP1-A3®
Auction Explorer®
Aureate Group Mail®
Aureate SpamKiller®
AutoFTP PRO®
AutoUpdater aupdate.exe Aupdate
AutoWeb®
AxelCD®

B
Balloon Pop Demo®
Banner Crafter®
Beatle®
Binary Boy®
BinaryVortex®
Bingo Demo®
Bingo Master Demo®
Blast Thru Demo®
Blue Engine®
BookSmith : Original®
Bonzi Buddy
buddyPhone 2®
BuddyLinks
Business Letter Punch®

C
Calypso E-mail®
CamGrab®
Capture Express 2000®
Cascoly Screensaver®
CDDB-Reader®
CDMaster32®
ChanStat®
Charity Banner®
Chat PicPluck®
Cheat Machine®
Check & Get®
Check4New®
Chinese Checkers Demo®
ChinMail®
Clabra clipboard viewer®
Classic Peg Solitaire®
CoffeeCup Free HTML®
CoolWebSearch (Remover Here!)
ComTry Music Downloader®
Comet Cursor
Connect ?®
Crazy Drake Demo®
Crazy Puzzle Demo®
CrushPop®
Crystal FTP®
CSE HTML Validator Lite®
CS Telnet®
Cursor Maker®
CuteFTP®
CuteFTP 3.0®
CuteFTP 3.0 beta®
CuteFTP/Tripod®
CuteMX®
CutePage®

D
Danzig Pref Engine®
DateTime®
DB to HTML Express®
Debt Relief®
Delphi Component Test®
Delphi Tester®
Develop Critical Thinking Skills®
Dialer 2000®
DigiBand NewsWatch®
DigiCams - WebCam Viewer®
Digital Postman®
Digital Postman®
DirectUpdate®
DL-Mail Pro 2000®
DNScape®
Doorbell 1.18®
dotCool Builder®
DoubleClick
Download Minder 1.5®
Download Wonder®
DownLoader v.1.1®
Dweebs Demo®
Dwyco Video Conferencing®

E
EconForecast®
EasySeeker®
EmmaSoft ChatCat®
EmmaSoft dBrow®
EmmaSoft KeepLan®
EmmaSoft Soundz®
eMNGma®
EnvoyMail®
Essay-Punch®
Extreme Animals Demo®
Extreme Bugs Demo®
Extreme Dinosaurs Demo®
Extreme Orchids Demo®
EZ-Forms FREE®

F
File Mag-Net®
File Sniffer®
FileSplit®
FlexSpex®
Folder Guard Jr.®
FourTimes®
Free Picture Harvester®
Free Solitaire®
Free Solitaire®
Free Spades®
Free Submitter Pro®
FreeImageEditor®
FreeIRC®
FreeNotePad®
FreeSite®
FreeWebBrowser®
FreeWebMail®
FreeZip!®
FTPEditor®

G
Galactic Invasion Demo®
Galaxy of 3D TetriMania Demo®
Gardener Demo®
Garret Demo®
Gator
GetRight Demo®
Glowing Bugs Demo®
GoHip - Useless Browser extension
Go!Zilla®
Go!Zilla WebAttack®
GovernMail®
Grafula®
Grammar Fitness Suite®
Gunther's PasswordSentry®
Gypsee®

H
HangWeb®
hesci Private Label®
Hexx Wars II®
Home Buyer's Calculator Suite®
Hotbar
HTML Translator®
HTTP Proxy-Spy®
Huey v1.8 Color Picker®
Hotbar (Hot Bar)
Huntbar (Hunt Bar)

I
Iban Technologies IP Tools 3.1®
Idyle GimmIP®
Idyle GimmIP®
iFind Graphics®
Image Carousel®
Image Site Grabber®
imageN®
InboxSpecialist®
Incredimail ?  
Infinite Patience®
InfoBlast®
InnovaClub®
InstallZIP®
Intergalactic Exterminator Demo®
Internet Tree®
Internetrix®
InterWebWord Companion®
IPLAY®
iSolitaire®
IVOX®
IVOX ICQ®

J
JetCar®
JFK Research®
jIRC®
JOC Email Checker®
JOC Web Finder®
JOC Web Spider®

K
KVT Diplom®

L
LapLink FTP®
Lexicon Demo®
Link Crafter®
LineSoft Download®
LivePaper®
Loan Calculator Plus®
LOL Chat®
Ludo Safari Demo®

M
Mahjongg Master 2 Demo®
MailAlert®
Mail Them®
Meracl FontMap®
Meracl ImageMap Generator®
Midnight Oil Solitaire®
MidWaviPro®
Mini Golf Demo®
MirNik Internet Finder®
More Space 99®
MouseAssist®
MP3 Album Finder®
MP3 Album Finder®
MP3 Fiend®
MP3 Grouppie®
MP3 Mag-Net®
MP3 Renamer®
Mp3 Stream Recorder®
MP3INFO-Editor®
Mr. Cool®
MSi-Clip®
MultiSender®
Music Genie®
MX Inspector BIG AD®
My Genie Patriots®
My Genie SE®
My GetRight®

N
NeatFTP®
Nebula Fighter Demo®
Net CB®
Net Scan 2000®
Net Vampire®
Net-A-Car Feature Car ScreenSaver®
NetAnts®
NetBoard®
Netbus Pro 2.10®
NetCaptor 5.0®
Netman Downloader®
NetNak®
NetScoopFinance®
NetSuck 3.10.5®
NetTime Thingy®
Network Assistant®
NeuroStock®
NewsBin®
News-Lynx®
NewsShark®
NewsWire®
NfoNak®
NotePads+®
Notificator 1.0b®


O
Octopus®
Of The Day Quizzer®
Oxide Demo®

P
Paragraph Punch®
Patriot Slots®
Pattern Book®
PCDJ PHAT®
People Seek 98®
Personal Auction Track®
Personal Search Agent®
Personal Stock Monitor SE®
Photocopier®
Photocopier®
PicPluck®
Pictures In News®
Ping Thingy®
PingMaster®
PKZip®
Planet.Billboard®
Planet.MP3Find®
PMS®
Powerzip 2000 Lite®
ProtectX 3®
ProxyChecker®
Puzzle Master Demo®

Q
QuadSucker/Web®
Quadzle Puzzles®
QuikLink Autobot®
QuikLink Explorer®
QuikLink Explorer Gold Edition®
QuoteWatch®
QuoTracker®
QWallet®

R
Radiate
RahJongg Demo®
Raptor Call of the Shadows Demo®
Real Estate Web Site Creator®
Recipe Review®
ReGet®
ReGet 1.6®
Resume Detective®
RingSurf®
RoboCam 1.10®
Rosemary's Weird Web World®
RubberDuck H30+®

S
SaberQuest Page Burner®
SafeNet Mail®
SBJV®
SBWcc®
Scout's Game®
ScreenFIRE®
ScreenFIRE - FileKing®
ScreenFlavors®
Sea Battle®
Shakespeare Punch®
Shizzam®
ShortKeys Lite®
Simple Submit®
SimpleFind®
SimpleSubmit v1.0®
Simplicity Personal Organizer®
Site Select®
SK-111®
SL4 Historical Montage®
Smart 'n Sticky®
SmartBoard 200 FREE Edition®
SmartDoc 3.0®
SmartSum calculator®
Sonic Mail®
SonicMail®
Sound Agent®
Space Central Screen Saver®
Speedy Eggbert Demo®
Splash! Siterave®
SpyBan
SSScanner®
SSSiter®
SSSpider®
StartDrive®
Star Miner Demo®
Static FTP®
StayOn Pro®
StockBrowser®
Stock Profit Spread Calculator 32®
Subscriber®
SunEdit 2K®
Superball Challenge Demo®
SuperIDE®
Surf Saver®
Sweep®
SweepsWinner®
System Agent®

T
Tagger®
TetriMania Master Demo®
Text Transmogrifier®
The Mapper®
TheNet®
TI-FindMail®
TIFNY®
Time Zone Converter®
Tinybar
Tools 3.1®
Total Finger®
Total Whois®
Tracking The Eye®
Trade Site Creator®
Trade Trakker®
Tray Note Plus®
TS-Image Mapper®
Tunnel Blaster Demo®
TWinExplorer Standard®
TypeWriter 1.0®

U
uICE®
UK Phone Codes®

V
Vagabond's Realm®
VeriMP3®
Vertigo QSearch®
Virtual Access®
Visual Cyberadio®
Visual Surfer®
VOG Backgammon Main®
VOG Backgammon Table®
VOG Chess Main®
VOG Chess Table®
VOG Reversi Main®
VOG Reversi Table®
VOG Shell®
VOG Shell History®

W
W3Filer®
War Demo®
Web-Cam VCR®
Web Coupon®
Web Page Authoring Software®
Web Registrant PRO®
Web Resume®
WebStripper®
Web SurfACE®
WEB2SMS®
WebCamVCR®
WebCopier®
Web-N-Force®
WebSaver®
Website Manager®
WebStripper®
WebType®
Whitehouse Mambo Parody®
WhizFolders Organizer®
Whois®
WhoIs Thingy®
Win A Lotto®
WinEdit 2000®
Word+®
Word Connect Demo®
Word Search Mania Demo®
Wordwright®
WorldChat Client®
Worm®
Writing about Reading®
Writing for Business®
www.devgames.com®

X
xBlock®
Xupiter Toolbar -- Xupiter is another IE toolbar add-on that contains links to the xupiter.com search engine. It runs at startup, delivers pop-up and pop-under ads, and periodically hijacks your browser homepage. Its adware also tries to phone home, attempting to log you on to the Net periodically.

Y
Your ESP Test®

Z
Zion®

Zip Express 2000®

Xupiter Tool Bar (Once active in a system, it periodically changes users' designated homepages to xupiter.com, redirects all searches to Xupiter's site, and blocks any attempts to restore the original browser settings.)

 

 

If you have questions about software not listed here, please  email  rrivet@Chicopee.mec.edu  before installing an application.

 

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