Regular internet surfers may have experience of PC infection, when browser opens several pop-up windows simultaneously, tens or hundreds applications installed automatically and all run at the same time.
Computer's speed slows down and takes longer for applications to run and browser speed also goes down as well. Not only this the PC's settings eg wallpaper, time and browser's homepage also change without user's knowledge.
All these show that a software namely spyware is monitoring or administrating the computer's activity and make changes on its own rather than user's will.
A user must know about the spyware to protect his/her system from hackers or identity theft.
Spyware is a software, which covertly gathers computer's information through the user's internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for commercial gains. Spyware applications are combined with hidden component of freeware or shareware programmes that can be downloaded from the internet. Once it is installed, the spyware starts monitoring user's activity on the internet and transmits information in the background to someone else.
Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.
THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF SPYWARE PROGRAMMES TO THREATEN ONLINE BROWSING, INCLUDING:
1. Cookies
2. Adware
3. Malicious programmes like keystroke loggers
Cookies represent mostly a danger of lost privacy. In other words, someone could use a cookie to track your presence across multiple sites, combine that data with several databases, and figure out a lot more information about you than would make you uncomfortable.
Adware tracks your movement across sites, it spies on your installed software and computer habits to then serve up advertising, modify websites before you see them, and generally do things without your knowledge with the intention of trying to get you to buy things.
Keystroke loggers and other malicious programmes exist for one purpose: to cause personal mayhem and financial damage.
Spyware gets into any computer in several different ways.
First, it rides along with software, which is downloaded from the internet and installed on the system.
Second, they come as e-mail attachments and automatically install themselves on computer when the e-mail message opened.
Third, hackers find an open port on your computer and use the 'back door' to install basically anything they want.
And fourth, the more malicious types, like keystroke loggers, can even get installed by someone with direct physical access to your computer.
Many internet security experts advice that a fresh installation of operating system can remove all spyware from the computer, which could clean the entire data and all suspicious scripts along with system software. But in this way all important data could vanish.
Another method of spyware removal suggests that keeping up-to-date anti-virus programme and activating firewall may defend computer from hackers. But some experts believe the most up-to-date anti-virus programmes and firewalls will not catch all the spyware that can infest computer.
A programme is needed that specifically scans system for the tens-of-thousands of existing spyware programmes along with the new ones appearing daily.
THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET FOR SPYWARE REMOVER, SOME OF THEM FREE:
SPYWARE DOCTOR: Spyware Doctor is a very powerful, but yet highly user-friendly spyware remover, made by PC Tools, reputable computer security experts. This product is effective and easy-to-manage.
SPY SWEEPER: Spy Sweeper is one of the most powerful and effective spyware removers available today. This Webroot Software's product uses unique, patent-pending parasite detection and removal.
SPYBOT SEARCH AND DESTROY: Spybot - Search & Destroy is one of the very first spyware removers appeared in the computer security field. It has plenty of functions and is absolutely free to use.
WINDOWS DEFENDER BETA 2: Windows Defender Beta 2 is an advanced spyware remover released by the leading software company to replace Microsoft AntiSpyware, a similar beta product. Although the programme is still in.
FINALLY, YOU CAN RUN YOUR COMPUTER PROPERLY BY LEARNING THESE TIPS:
-- Keep anti-virus programme current
-- Install a firewall
-- Carefully scan software before installing
-- Scan computer for spyware weekly
-- Stay up-to-date on this growing threat.
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