T ECH T IP Disarming pop-ups If you’re annoyed by the pop-up windows can present pop-up solicitations – which the title bar. While Windows Messenger that may appear while you’re browsing are frequently of questionable or offensive Service has some applications in larger Web pages on the Internet, you’re not nature – even after you’ve closed your network environments, most users alone. In fact, pop-ups are so unpopular Internet browser. Having this material can and should disable this on their that the business of managing and appearing on your computer could be Windows 2000/XP/2003 computers. blocking pop-up windows has emerged upsetting to your staff, and damaging to 3. Spyware, adware, and other malware: as another cottage industry in the your reputation. More recent and sophisticated pop-up computer world. Intriguing legal implications have arisen advertising may be a symptom of But pop-ups are more than annoying: They from the some of the pop-up advertisers, having malicious software on your may also indicate that your computer particular in the United States. In a recent computer. These advertising pop-ups has been infected with spyware. This case, a software company was ordered to may offer offensive materials, and may article discusses some of the basics shut down its advertising, which appeared even provide a means for unauthorized around pop-up windows and how to deal in the form of pop-ups messages. access to your computer and files. with blocking pop-ups themselves. Ironically, the software being advertised was a pop-up blocker! Blocking pop-ups What are pop-ups and why Different approaches work best for each Types of pop-ups should I care? of the three primary types of pop-ups. Pop-up advertising windows evolved as There are three basic types of pop-up 1. BROWSER POP-UPS windows: a way of showing additional information A variety of free or modestly priced soft- about a Web page without taking you 1. General browser pop-ups: These can ware is available for download to deal with away from the original Web page entirely. actually be useful and desirable. Many the problem of pop-ups. For example, the Advertisers and others seized on this Web-based software applications rely “Google toolbar” (available at opportunity to sell or present special on the use of pop-ups to present key toolbar.google.com) will prevent extra offers to Web users. According to instructions and information. pop-up windows whenever you browse to Nielsen NetRatings, a Web advertising Unfortunately, a great deal of Internet a site. As well as being free and effective, researcher, the use of pop-up advertising advertising is presented the same way. the Google toolbar keeps count of the has tripled over the last two years. pop-ups it has blocked, and allows you 2. Windows Messenger Service pop-ups: to permit pop-up screens on a one-off At the same time, the use of pop-ups and These often appears as grey banner basis simply by holding the <Ctrl> key other unsolicited advertising has also ads with a “Messenger Service” line on taken a darker turn. Some spyware now when clicking on a link. 34 T ECH T IP Other search engines such as Yahoo and window – even those that don’t have a Fortunately, there are reasonably effec- MSN also offer similar free downloads. little “X” in the top corner. tive ways of eliminating spyware from Microsoft has responded by updating your computer. The two leading software 2. SHUTTING DOWN WINDOWS Windows XP and Windows 2003, so they programs for dealing with this issue are: MESSENGER SERVICE now offer pop-up blocking facilities as This is something more of a technical • Spybot from www.safer-networking.org well. The next version of Internet Explorer exercise. If you’re unsure about adjusting /en/download/index.html; and is slated to include pop-up blocking; the settings of your computer, seek recent versions of most other popular • Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de. technical assistance before proceeding. browsers such as Netscape, Mozilla, and Note that shutting off the messenger Both are very well-respected products, Opera already have this feature built in. service is only the first step in making sure and many people are actually using both For Macintosh users, the “Safari” browser your computer is secure from these kinds at the same time, in an effort to pick up already has pop-up blocking built in. of attacks. The following are the instruc- different types of spyware. If you do Internet service providers (ISPs) are also tions for shutting down the messenger choose one of these applications, be entering the fray, and offering built-in service, but it’s important to implement sure to keep them up-to-date (much as pop-up blocking with their portal software. a personal firewall as well. See http:// you need to update anti-virus definitions A prime example is AOL, which offers support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330904 regularly). In today’s Internet, it’s a best pop-up blocking with its more recent for technical details. practice to use these or equivalent releases of its browser. programs to maintain the security of i) Click the Start button and choose Run; your computers – in addition to keeping Tip: Take care in selecting a free pop-up ii) Type services.msc into the text box and spyware pop-ups at bay. blocker download. In some cases, these press Enter; have been reported to have contained Like most areas of technology, the use and spyware themselves! iii)Locate and double-click on the abuse of pop-ups is in a state of constant Messenger item on the listing; change. With the release of new versions of More sophisticated software that offers Internet Explorer and Windows operating pop-up blocking includes Pop-Up Stopper iv) Select “Disabled” in the box that systems in recent months, traditional from www.panicware.com and PopUpCop appears – this will prevent the service pop-up advertising has taken a blow. from www.popupcop.com. These programs from starting when you reboot; Taking the steps described will bring you are reasonably priced, and offer more v) Under service status, click the Stop up to date in the battle against pop-ups, features that can be customized than the button if the service is running. but it remains to be seen what new forms free downloads. of advertising will emerge in the future. This will disable the Windows Messenger Some firewall software programs you Service, and stop many of the pop-ups may already have installed also offer David Reid is Director of Information that come through in this fashion. pop-up blocking. For example, ZoneAlarm Systems with LAWPRO. from www.zonealarm.com is a popular Tip: don’t let the similar terminology “personal firewall” product, and offers trick you: The “Windows Messenger an effective means of blocking the pop-ups. Service” described here is not the same http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/mis thing as Windows Messenger, Microsoft’s ctools/fwpopblock.html offers an excellent instant messaging program. list and description of a variety of other 3. SPYWARE POP-UPS pop-up blocking options. The subject of spyware and other malware Tip: Whichever option you choose, make could fill an entire issue of LAWPRO News. sure that you still have control over Simply put, spyware or malware is usually whether or not pop-ups appear. As men- described as a file or program that tracks tioned earlier, many Web sites have valid your computer activities without your pop-ups built into the way they operate; knowledge. you want to ensure that you have a The broader term of malware (or means of getting at those pop-ups if you malicious software) refers to any file or need them. program that intentionally works in a Tip: if you’d just prefer to deal with the damaging way on your computer (thereby pop-ups as they come, remember that including things such as spyware, as pressing <Ctrl>+W on your keyboard well as computer worms and viruses, and, will close the current browser or pop-up to bring us on point, browser pop-ups). © 2004 Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company. This article originally appeared in LAWPRO Magazine “Practicing Law in an E-World”, December 2004. It is available at www.lawpro.ca/magazinearchives. 35.