Can Spyware Really Put Your Personal Information at Risk
If you’ve ever had to deal with spyware on your computer, you’re not alone…
Experts estimate that 9 out of 10 computers are infected with spyware and that most users don’t even know it. And while not all spyware poses a threat to you or your personal information, there are certain types of spyware that certainly fall into that category.
There are two types of spyware that can be particularly dangerous and leave you vulnerable to identity theft or other types of fraud. The first type of software is called a keylogger, which are sometimes packaged as part of a spyware application. These programs monitor your keystrokes as you work on your computer, perhaps checking your bank account online, logging in to check email or other password protected sites. Once your keystrokes are captured, this information can be sent back to the spyware program’s creator who can use that information for identity theft. Some experts estimate that this type of activity has resulted in billions of dollars worth of fraud just in the U.S. and a countless number of victims. Of course, this all could have been avoided if they had properly secured their systems…certainly a tough lesson to learn the hard way.
The second type of program is a dialer. These are becoming less and less common since many people are making the switch to broadband internet connections (i.e., cable modems, DSL, satellite, or fiber optic). However, the way these programs work is to take advantage of users who still use a regular modem and phone line to connect to the internet. But instead of dialing in to the Internet Service Provider, the program causes the modem to dial a long-distance number instead, often times an overseas number. You can imagine how quickly this could run up your phone bill, but as stated previously, these are becoming less effective thanks to high-speed internet connections.
Either way, spyware can definitely pose a threat to your personal information or business data by allowing hackers unfettered access to your system. We recommend that you incorporate a firewall, anti-virus program and anti-spyware program into your suite of tools to keep your system free of spyware and that you practice safe computing habits in terms of the sites you visit and programs you download. That way you are less likely to come in contact with spyware and will have the necessary software tools to keep your system secure as another layer of defense.
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Tags: adware, anti spyware, spyware, spyware removal, stop adwareHow to Get Rid of Adware and Remove It from Your Computer For Good
Adware is a category of malicious programs that are created in order to display advertisements, usually in the form of popups, on infected computers. These programs are usually innocuous, not causing any specific type of damage, but they are still nuisances to most computer users. If your computer is infected with adware, the good news is that there are ways to get rid of this annoyance, though it can be difficult since adware tends to come back or reinstall itself.
First, you should invest in a good quality adware remover. In fact, you should get a program that also scans for spyware since this should cover you in terms of adware as well. This should be used in addition to your anti-virus program, which is also an essential tool for the modern computer user. A spyware/adware remover will scan your system and list any potential adware programs that are found on your computer. Most programs will give you recommended actions and more information about each item they find. That way, you can do some quick research via the program or on the web to find out if what the scanner finds is something really harmful or just a false alarm. Yes, false alarms do happen, so don’t worry if you see a lot of items show up in the list once you run the scan…at least not at first. Just take each item one by one and determine if it’s really a problem.
There are free and paid programs available. Some companies allow you to download a free trial or do a free scan via the web. That way, you don’t have to invest in a program that you may not need and can still scan your computer. Of course, if you find something, you’ll have to pay for the full program but the good thing is, these programs are very affordable and usually come with free updates as new threats are found and added to the database.
If you’re being barraged with popup ads, especially if it’s happening even when you’re not online, it’s time to run a scan for adware and clean up your system. In addition, take a few minutes to educate yourself on the growing threat of adware, spyware and other internet dangers to your computer. As an informed user, you’re one step ahead of most and will be able to avoid most of these problems in the future.
For a limited time, get exclusive access to our anti spyware mini-course - protect yourself from this growing threat. A $29.00 value, yours free if you sign up now. Click here for our free Spyware Removal Mini-Course.
Tags: adware, anti spyware, spyware, spyware removal, stop adwareAnti-Spyware Tips for Safe Computing Spyware Prevention
Just when you thought you were finally comfortable with the computer, along comes another thing to learn…security. With more and more people online, it’s no surprise that we have to be increasingly careful about what we do and where we go online. In addition, we need to understand at least a little about safe computing and avoiding things like spyware. Spyware is one of those unfortunate side effects of computer technology and can have cause serious damage, both online and offline. These programs cause anything from annoying advertisements to appear at random to actually monitoring your web surfing and keystrokes so others can steal your personal info. But you don’t have to be a computer scientist to combat this growing problem. Some basic safe computing tips will help you avoid spyware and other similar internet nasties.
As scary as the idea of spyware might sound, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. First, there are quite a few things you can do to reduce the risk of a spyware infection or avoid it altogether. And for the most part, all of these things are plain old good computer security practices anyway and apply to issues besides spyware, making this a good list to for all computer users to review. Here are some preventative measures you can take:
- Keep your software up-to-date. This especially includes your operating system (Microsoft Windows for most of us) and your web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, etc). Usually most of these programs can be set to automatically update themselves or prompt you when an update is available. Go ahead and take a few minutes to do that whenever you’re prompted. It can save you hours of headaches in the future if it helps protect your system.
- Be cautious about which sites you download programs from. There are tons of free programs, movies, games and other software all over the internet. However some of these programs (like the toolbar example mentioned above) are havens for spyware. All free programs aren’t bad, but just like in the real world, be careful about “taking candy from strangers”.
- If you don’t know what a program is, don’t run it or install it. If you’re on a Windows machine and see an unknown file ending in .exe, you probably shouldn’t run it until you determine what that program is. To find out what a program might be, try going to Google and doing a search for that file name. It will only take a minute and could save you from a huge hassle later on.
- If you’re getting bombarded with pop-up ads, don’t click on any of them. If you do click on them, you may inadvertently load a spyware program on your computer. This includes links that say something like “Click Here to Close”. Use the little orange “X” in the corner of the window instead and that will close the window without you needing to click on anything in the advertisement.
- Don’t click on any links that are in email SPAM. It doesn’t matter what the offer is, if you’re getting emails and you don’t know the sender or didn’t subscribe to that site’s newsletter, etc. then you should avoid the ads and delete the email. Some of those emails will just lead to more SPAM and if they’re offering software, the software can actually be riddled with spyware.
If you think your computer might have spyware on it, experts advise that you take three steps:
- Purchase an anti-spyware program.
- Set it to scan periodically but at the very least, once a week. It would be even better if it scans every time you start your computer as long as that doesn’t slow down your start up too much.
- Delete any software programs the anti-spyware program detects that you don’t want on your computer.
For a limited time, get exclusive access to our anti spyware mini-course - protect yourself from this growing threat. A $29.00 value, yours free if you sign up now. Click here for our free Spyware Removal Mini-Course.
Tags: adware, anti spyware, spyware, spyware removal, stop adware
