Basic Spyware Tips
Nowadays, it’s a sad but true fact that spyware and adware programs are a far greater threat to your internet security than the dreaded computer viruses. Indeed, spyware, adware and other so-called malware (such as key loggers and trojan horses) actually constitute the biggest single online threat to your privacy and the security of your data.
It’s also a major reason for system slowdowns on computers, as these types of programs generally use up precious system resources including RAM (memory) and hard drive space.
So, let’s look at some basic facts about spyware and adware, where these programs come from, what they are, and what you can do about protecting yourself.
Spyware comes in various guises and forms, but basically, it is a program or piece of information that is secretly placed on your computer, that sends data about you or your computer habits to someone else on the Internet, without your knowledge. This can be a company that is collecting data, or a thief seeking to steal access to your computer or the information held in your database (passwords, credit card details and so on).
Spyware can also be a program that places unwanted ads on your computer, often in the form of a malicious cookie. A cookie is a little piece of information placed in your web browser to track your web habits, which, in its more generally benign form, is useful as, for example, a web site can see you have visited it before and let you on without a registration process. Again, in its more benign guise, a cookie can help you by keeping track of your progress through a web store. They are also used to customize website ads to your likes and dislikes.
But, obviously, when they are used for spyware or adware purposes, a cookie is not a welcome guest on your PC!
Spyware programs can get into your computer in several different ways. Sometimes they arrive as an automatic download from a website you are surfing. Porn and online gambling sites are notorious for this, for example.
Sometimes, if you download a free or illegal piece of software, they are embedded in the installation process, or spyware can get on your computer via an email attachment that you shouldn’t have opened. (Tip here - if an e-mail comes from an unrecognized source with an attachment, DO NOT open it - it’s almost guaranteed to be some sort of program that you definitely don’t want!)
Spyware and adware are bad news for several reasons:
They hog precious system resources like memory and hard disk space. If you computer runs much slower than it did previously, then it probably is infected with spyware. If you have never done a spyware scan, then it’s almost guaranteed that there is spyware on your system slowing things down.
They can seriously compromise your privacy and security, providing outsiders with information about your computer habits. For example, by installing a keylogger, spyware can capture your keystrokes and send it to a third party. This can potentially expose your user IDs and passwords to thieves.
Other program such as trojans which allows someone to log into your computer remotely and use it for their own purposes like sending spam or launching malicious attacks on other computers on the Internet, making it look like you are at fault.
So, it’s bad! Let’s look at how to get rd of it.
There are lots of both paid and free anti-spyware programs out there, and, like all things in life, some are better than others. The question often asked is, which is better, a free program or a paid one.
The simple answer is that the best approach is a combination of the two, and, unlike anti-virus programs, you can run more than one anti-spyware program on your system without any problems.
First thing to do is to install the totally free Spybot Search and Destroy program, which will eliminate 70-85 per cent of all known spyware.
The, invest a little money in a good paid program like Spyware Doctor, NoAdware or Spyware Nuker to complete the job for you. Yes, I know that it means spending some money, but if it can prevent someone stealing your credit card details, for example, then it’s a sure fire thing that its going to be money well spent.
Another advantage of the paid programs is that they generally have a more effective “pro-active” nature to them than the free programs do. In other words, they are usually far better at stopping spyware and adware actually getting into your PC in the first place, and, clearly, preventing the problem is far easier and less time consuming than having to deal with it once your PC becomes infected.
Steve Cowan is an enterpeneur,businessman & writer.Steve is also an international racing driver & full time father.Find more,visit his site at http://webbizz99.com/spyware & adware
Tags: adware remover spyware, adware spyware, anti spyware, free spyware, removal spyware, spywareFree Anti Spyware Programs Available for Direct Download
My search for free spyware programs I can download began when I decided to protect my computer and my privacy from malicious Spyware programs. I already knew that there were things called Spyware and Adware out there on the Internet, and that I really ought to protect myself from them by installing one of these for free spyware programs I can download. But somehow I kept putting it of and never really got around to start searching for free spyware programs I can download until two weeks ago when a particularly annoying piece of software lured itself into my precious computer and began to harass me constantly by changing my Start Page to the page of some bogus search engine. It was also impossible for me to do a normal web search. Each time I tried to access one of the larger search engines, I was promptly redirected to this fake search engine. This is when I realised that I could no longer keep putting the search for free spyware programs I can download off.
Spyware programs can cause a lot of harm, and even when they stick to relatively harmless mischief such as displaying those irritating pop-up commercials I still view it as a large intrusion of privacy that someone might be gathering and storing information about me, without my knowledge or consent. I therefore set out on my online journey, trying to find free spyware programs I can download. It thought it would be a piece of cake. I mean, we have all seen those blinking banners about free anti-spyware programs, haven’t we? Well, it turned out to be much harder to find free spyware programs I can download than I first expected.
When I did a little research I quickly found out that a lot of the so called Anti-Spyware programs heavily marketed in banner advertisements online are actually fake Anti-Spyware programs. They are promoted as free spyware programs I can download, but are in reality created by the same persons that gain from the Spyware programs. All these fake free spyware programs I can download will not protect my computer at all. Instead, a majority of them will even install new Spyware on the computer! When a computer user scans his or her computer, the fake program will claim that all Spyware have been removed. In reality, the Spyware is still there and can continue to send out personal data each time the computer is connected to the Internet. So, I had to be very careful in my quest for free spyware programs I can download.
I also clicked on advertisements for several pages that claimed to provide free spyware programs I can download; only to find out that those programs was not free at all. When I read the fine print, some kind of fee always turned up. Another problem that I encountered when searching for free spyware programs I can download was that some programs are only free for a limited period, sometimes as little as a week. I know from experience with other types of software that one week is not enough to find out whether I feel comfortable with a program or not. Besides, I was looking for really free spyware programs I can download, not semi-free ones. I want to be able to switch to a new program if a program doesn’t suit me, or if I new program is released that is much better than my current one. If I use Anti-Spyware programs that come with a large fee, I’m not able to do this without seriously over-heating my credit card. How ever, after almost giving up hope I found several free spyware programs I can download. I am currently using one of them, and will try out another one next month. So, my advice to all of you out there is to take your time when searching for free spyware programs to download. I finally found several free spyware programs I can download, and so will you. But be careful, always read the fine print and only download Anti-Spyware programs from reputable sites.
New forms of malicious Spyware and Adware are constantly created and in order to protect your computer from infestations you must choose a high-quality program and keep it updated. Supportcave.com offers free spyware programs I can download
Tags: adware removal, free spyware, spyware removalTop Ten Spyware and Adware Threats Identified
On December 8, 2004 Webroot, an award winning anti-spyware solution provider, released a press release identifying the ten most significant emerging spyware and adware threats. Most of these you probably haven’t heard of and a few may surprise you.
It is estimated that 9 out of 10 computers are infected with spyware, also known as, adware, scumware, malware and many others.
Here’s the top 10.
PurtyScan - popup ads that trick users into installing by claiming to find and delete pornographic images.
n-CASE - adware program that delivers targeted popup adds. This program is usually bundled with freeware.
Gator - adware program that displays banner ads based on your Web surfing habits. This program is usually bundled with the Kazaa file-sharing program, as well as other free software programs.
CoolWebSearch - hijacks home page, Internet Explorer settings, and Web searches.
Transponder - monitors sites visited and any data entered into online forms, and then delivers targeted ads.
ISTbar/AUpdate - spyware posing as a toolbar. Has been reported to display porn, pop-ups, and to hijack homepage and Internet searches.
KeenValue - an adware program that collects personal information and delivers advertisements.
Internet Optimizer - hijacks error pages and redirects them to its own site.
Perfect Keylogger - records all keystrokes (including personal information, passwords, etc), clicks and web sites visited.
TIBS Dialer - hijacks phone modem and redirects to pornography pay by the minute phone sites.
The following precautions are recommended in the fight against spyware: install Microsoft security patches, avoid downloading and using freeware; and disable ActiveX downloads in Internet Explorer. In addition, install at least one anti-spyware program, some experts actually recommend that you have two installed. For starters you can download one of the free spyware removal programs such as Spybot Search & Destroy or Ad-aware. There are also a few good anti-spyware programs on the market that proactively protect your computer (alert you before the spyware is installed). When purchasing an anti-spyware program you need to be sure it is from a reputable company as many of the anti-spyware programs available actually place spyware on your computer. They do this by offering a free scan, which places the spyware on your computer as it is scanning. Then they entice you to purchase the product to remove the spyware.
In conclusion, if you take a few precautions and install anti-spyware software on your system you should be well protected in the fight against spyware.
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Lisa Smith is the webmaster of 1stSpywareRemoval.com
offering in depth information on spyware, anti-spyware reviews, news and free spyware scans.
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Tags: adware, adware removal, anti spyware, free removal spyware, free spyware, removal spyware, spyware
