SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series
Internet Security
What
is Spyware?
What is Spyware? Why is it so bad? The
definition of Spyware is: a category of programs that attach
themselves
to your individual operating system by opening or clicking
on certain offers or pop up ads. They track your computing
habits, where you go on the Internet and will trouble you with
unwanted ads to generate visits to their Web site. Spyware
is not a computer virus. A virus is a code designed to multiply
itself as many times as possible and spread to computers that
are connected to it. Viruses can be passed on through e-mail
and attachments that are sent with e-mail.
Spyware
does not usually damage your computer. It does get
into your computer without your consent and hides in the background.
It often makes unwanted changes and gives you targeted advertisements
or leads your browser to special sites or search results. Some
of the worst Spyware companies are Gator, Bonzi Buddy, and
CoolWebSearch. Most Spyware only targets Windows operating
systems. It can hog RAM and processor power causing your computer
to run slow.
Spyware
gets onto your computer by something you have done. You may have clicked on a pop-up window, adding a software
package often called freeware or shareware, and agreeing to
add a software package that is supposed to add new functions
to your Web browser.
Piggybacked software installation, especially shareware or
freeware often have Spyware included in their standard install.
If you’re in the habit of downloading free software or shareware,
you may download Spyware to your computer.
Another way of getting Spyware is a pop-up
window, which automatically tries to download and install
a program on your computer. You
may only get a warning from your browser letting you know the
name of the software and asking you if it’s ok to install it.
Be careful what buttons you are pushing when items pop up on
your screen.
Another method of picking up Spyware is through Browser
add-ons.
These are cute little animated pals or additional search boxes
that may include elements of Spyware as part of the deal. Some
add-ons are browser hijackers. These are hard to get rid of
as they embed themselves deep in your computer.
One
of the worst Spyware tricks is to masquerade as an anti-Spyware. It will try to convince you it is a tool to detect and remove
Spyware from your system. We have all seen the little pop up
box that looks like it comes from Microsoft Internet Explorer.
It invites you to scan your computer free and get a free spam
blocker. When you run the file, it will tell you that your
computer is clean, but it installs additional Spyware of its
own.
When Spyware runs an application in the background, it can
generate many pop-up ads, which in turn will slow down your
program. It can reset your home page every time you open your
computer, or redirect your Web searches. It can control the
results that you see and make your search engine almost useless.
Some types of Spyware can change Internet settings so when
you connect through your dial-up service, it will default to
pay telephone numbers. These can be expensive and you might
not know it is happening until you are hit with a high phone
bill. It can also change your fire wall settings to allow more
unwanted software to be attached to your computer.
Some Spyware programs are used to make web traffic statistics
look better then they are. They can force tons of pop-up ads
and create fake search results. In this way, they can claim
credit for displaying the ad to you repeatedly, and if you
click the ad by accident, it counts as someone expressing interest
in the advertised product.
Stealing
affiliate credits is another use of Spyware. Shopping
sites like Amazon.com and Ebay offer credits to a Web site
that successfully directs traffic to their item pages. All
affiliates want the credit for sending someone to their websites.
You can protect yourself from Spyware, by running a trusted
Spyware detector and removal program. Three programs that are
free and trustworthy are, Adaware, Spybot, and Microsoft AntiSpyware.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
> Home > Internet
Security Articles:
Main Page |
