Spyware

Anyone who owns a computer knows about the threats of viruses and worms. But over the past ten years there has bean another concern annoying computer owners to death. This problem is Spyware and  Adware. Many have suffered troublesome attacks of pop-ups that these programs cause but for some users these terms are still foreign. Here is a brief crash course in what Spyware is and what steps can be taken to get rid of it or to avoid it altogether.

            For unfamiliar people the biggest question that needs to be answered is what Spyware and Adware is and what are the differences among them. It is important not to get these two names confused with the term Malware. Malware is any program that can harm your computer. Examples of Malware are the viruses and worms we are all so cautious about. But Spyware and Adware is not malicious to a computers well being. In fact, they do not harm the computer at all. What they do falls on the lines of privacy invasion and just utter annoyance. Spyware is a program that gathers information about users such as what sites they have visited and what type of downloads do they have. They then take this information and send it to advertisers. Of these programs do this without the knowledge or permission of the user. Adware is a type of Spyware that basically does the same thing in that it gathers information about a user but also spams pop-ups of advertisements related to the information it gathered. Obviously both cause concern of privacy and prove to be very bothersome.

            Now that the definitions are out of the way, the next important thing to know about Spyware and Adware is how to prevent  them from infecting computers. Spyware can infect a computer in a number of ways. Mostly it is by tricking an unsuspecting user into installing it. For example, a user may receive a pop-up stating your computer is infected and that you need to install a program in order to protect your computer. Chances are that pop-up is just a sneaky way to download some Spyware. Down loading almost anything can put you a potential risk for Spyware, especially when illegally downloading. Pirated songs and movies, as well as the programs used to down load them, are loaded with links and attachments which allow Spyware access. But that are also ways for Spyware to infect a computer without the user even having to down load anything. Various pop-ups and websites are sometimes set with a Spyware installer that only takes one click or visit of the site to activate the installation. In order to prevent these programs from being installed a computer needs to have updated security features. Proper virus protection programs are also able to prevent Spyware.

            Now if a computer does get infected by Spyware or Adware the process to remove those programs requires more downloading. Unfortunately it is not just a simple search and remove process. There are plenty of programs on the web that are designed to remove Spyware. Most of the time these programs are free to install and are very effective. So if a computer is having unwanted pop-ups then it might be helpful to download one of these programs. And remember in order to prevent Spyware careful web searching and responsible downloading is required.