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Spyware |
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Spyware
is a general term used for software that
performs certain activities including
unsolicited advertising particularly in the
form of pop-up-ads; collecting personal and
private information; or changing the
configuration of your computer; and/or
re-routing page requests to fraudulent
websites - generally without your knowledge
or consent.
Strictly
speaking, spyware consists of
computer software that gathers and reports
information about a computer user. Broadly
speaking, the term can refer to a wide range
of related so-called malware products which
fall outside the strict definition.
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Spyware or other unwanted
software can get on your system in a number of ways. A
common trick is to install the software surreptitiously
during the installation of other software you have
actually purchased. The key issue in all cases is
understanding what the software will do and to agree or
not, to install the software on your computer.
Similarity
Between Spyware and Viruses
Spyware can
closely resemble computer viruses. In both cases, system
instability is the result. But there are some important
differences.
A virus
replicates itself and spreads copies of itself to other
computers if it can. Spyware generally does not
self-replicate. Whereas a virus relies on users with
poor security habits in order to spread, and spreads so
far as possible in an unobtrusive way, the former
usually relies on persuading unwary or credulous users
to download and install itself by offering some kind of
incentive or freebie.
A typical
program installs itself in such a way that it starts
every time the computer boots up, and runs at all times,
monitoring Internet usage and delivering targeted
advertising to the affected system. It does not,
however, attempt to replicate onto other computers —
it functions as a parasite but not as an infection.
A virus
generally aims to carry a payload of some kind.
This may do some damage to the user's system such as,
for example, deleting certain files, may make the
machine vulnerable to further attacks by opening up a
"back door", or may put the machine under the control of
malicious third parties for the purposes of spamming or
denial-of-service attacks.
A virus does deliberate damage to system
software, or data, or both. Spyware does accidental
damage usually only to the system software. The virus
on the other hand will in almost every case also seek to
replicate itself onto other computers and
functions not only as a parasite, but as
an infection as well.
Detecting
Spyware on Your Computer
There are a number of
ways you can identify if your computer is infected with
spyware. You might have spyware or other unwanted
software on your computer if:
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You see pop-up
advertisements appear on your screen even when
you're not on the Web; |
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Your home page - the
page your Web browser first opens to - or your
browser search settings have changed without your
knowledge; |
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A new toolbar that
you didn't want or request appears in your browser,
and you find it difficult to get rid of it; |
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Your computer takes
longer than usual to complete certain tasks and
appears generally slower than usual; |
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You may experience a
sudden increase in computer crashes; |
Solutions To
Spyware
A number of
software applications - including more recent versions
of Virus software - exist to help computer users search
for and remove these unwanted programs. However, you
should be alert and careful as some programs purge a
system of spyware, only to install their own.
To avoid the
problem altogether, computer users should refrain from
installing any piece of software that seems too good to
be true, such as so-called "free" music downloads and
the like.
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