What Is Spyware?
By Jack Mason | November 10th, 2008You have probably heard of spyware before, but it isn’t a term that many people know it’s meaning. We all know it’s a bad thing, but it’s important you understand what spyware is and why it has gotten such a bad rap.
When you hear the term spyware, it is refering to programs or software that gets installed on your computer without your knowledge. These programs can cause all sorts of problems on your system – here are a few examples:
1) Sniff out personal data and pass it on to the programmer of the spyware. There have been many cases where even financial data have been compromised.
2) Install additional or unwanted computer programs causing the computer to perform well below par.
3) When you are online, you are redirected to certain websites that have other harmful files such as viruses or other infections.
4) Sneak in and change your computer’s settings so that your computer is vulnerable to other attacks or infections.
I could make the list a lot longer, but you get the point – spyware is a pain in the ‘you know what’!
Apart from the activity above, Spyware also slows down your Internet connection and make life miserable when you are surfing the Internet – many of those annoying pop-ups appearing out of nowhere are the result of spyware making its way on your system.
How does Spyware get into a computer?
Spyware is always introduced into a computer through deceptive means, and the user will have no clue when this infiltration happens. Here are some instances of how Spyware can enter your system:
1) Download programs that offer movie or music downloads. These are often offer for free and will automatically install spyware on your system.
2) Many programs that you download will come with spyware when you install them. These are usually “utility” type programs that offer some type of benefit – some examples are “toolbars” or foreign exchange rate calculators.
3) One of the trickiest ways that spyware will make its way on your computer is by immitating your operating system’s regular messages.
If you are using MS windows, you might get a popup with a message that looks like it’s from your operating system, however when you click on it you end up installing some form of spyware.
How can you tell if there’s Spyware on your computer?
Spyware creates a huge volume of unwanted activity on a computer, causing it to slow down or even crash. Spyware also slows down browsing speeds as it keeps accessing advertisement websites or passing out the user’s data to hackers or other advertisers. If your computer runs slower than it used to or you seem to be getting more advertisements, you like have some spyware on your computer.
Many people notice that there computer is running slower than usual and they just assume it’s a hardware issue, however spyware is often the culprit.
You have to take the right steps to kill Spyware now!
If you suspect computer is infected by Spyware, you have to move immediately and get it removed before it causes any more damage. There is Spyware in every nook and corner of the Internet, and chances are your computer is already host to several Spyware programs unless a quality anti-Spyware program is protecting your system.
Make sure you use a spyware remover that will scan your entire system for any existing infections, eliminate any malicious files it finds, and then provide full protection against future infections.
Tags: business, computer viruses, computer;internet, computers, home, Home Business, software, spyware, technology
January 27th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Spyware also comes bundled with registry cleaners, wallpaper changers/swappers, system tray clocks. I personally think that spyware is more dangerous than common virii because it’s created with the sole purpose of bringing profits to creators. Another common source of spyware infections is websites, including those listed by Google – there are tons of them installing malware silently onto computer. Finally, p2p networks (torrents, emule, etc) contain an ocean of infected files which are distributed between connected computers.
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