That's right. Many types of spyware can record and retrieve information from your computer or internet browsing activities. Some will even go as far as to redirect your internet connection so that it makes a stop at their systems before continuing on to the intended destination. This can be a pontential hazard, especially if you are working with classified information such as financial or student records.

Below is the body of an e-mail message written by NDSU IT Security Officer Theresa Semmens about this situation, and one spyware program in particular called MarketScore:

Recently, we have noticed NDSU employees and students downloading an adware program called MarketScore.com. Pat Seaworth, the NDUS general counsel, has stated that downloading of programs of this nature is in direct violation of 1901.2. Downloading this program may also be in violation of the Federal laws currently in place to protect the privacy of individuals. For more information, please read the definition below and the Indiana University Knowledge Base article. If you do see this program or others that are similar to it on machines, please remove it.


Why Is This Important To Me?

If you use Windows and sign up with services such as MarketScore, ALL of your Web connections are automatically routed through their servers. This includes secure Web connections and single sign-on applications such as PeopleSoft.

The spyware runs at startup and collects, analyzes and stores everything the user sends to and from a Web site, including personal and confidential information entered in on-line forms and secure/encrypted transactions in campus applications. This could include e-mail (if you use a Web client), usernames and passwords, social security and credit card numbers, PINs, bank and purchase transactions, and other confidential information.

Such access can seriously compromise your personal information. If you share access to a computer with others, you could unintentionally be providing access to their personal and confidential information. If a campus computer or application is involved, you could be exposing confidential University information to an unauthorized outside entity, which is against State law and campus policy.


What is MarketScore and how can I remove it?
MarketScore (the commercial name) or ossproxy (the program name), previously called Netsetter, is a program advertised to enhance Internet speed. However, if it is installed you will not in fact notice an increase in speed. Rather, this software poses a threat by installing a trusted certificate authority in your browser and routing all your Web connections through its proxies, logging and analyzing them on behalf of MarketScore's customer sites. This includes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) traffic, which it decrypts, then re-encrypts, and communicates with your target host.
Be aware that the MarketScore service collects, analyzes, and stores everything you send to and receive from any Web site. This includes passwords, credit card numbers, and e-mail (if you use a browser-based mail program).
Many spyware removal programs, such as Spybot - Search & Destroy, can find and remove MarketScore.

ACCS strongly urges everyone to download and run Spybot Search & Destroy. Not only may spyware be a potential violation of various policies & laws, but it can also cause your computer to perform poorly and/or crash.

You can find Spybot Search & Destroy at Download.com or at it's offical website:
http://www.safer-networking.org. If you are unfamiliar with Spybot, please read the official Spybot tutorial.

For tips on preventing spyware, click here.

If you have any questions regarding spyware or how to remove it, please contact the ACCS helpdesk at 231-9666 or accs@ndsuext.nodak.edu.