Have you wondered why you’ve had problems connecting to Internet as of late?
Have your computer programs seem to have suddenly stopped working?
Are you being bombarded viciously by advertising popups are your computer screen?
Have you sat and wonder why people you have no idea are keep sending you a mass about of junk mail?
Worst of all, have you seen the money in your bank account disappear or your credit card balance get quite bigger?
Spyware - These may be a clue that you have been victimized by it and you are not alone.
What exactly is Spyware?
Describing Spyware can be put in simple terms - spies! It is a program that gets installed unknowingly on the computer that literally spies on what the users are doing.
Spyware monitors and collects data about the user, sending it over the web for someone else’s benefit. Sometimes, the benefit is to a company as well. Most times, no one knows this is even happening to them.
Not to say all Spyware is harmless because this is not true. Some programs just gather data about the types of websites the user visits and send popup ads with similar sites. They send the information on to ad agencies.
It is the nastier versions of spyware that most users sit up and take notice. These spyware programs want to get user’s passwords or numbers to their credit cards.
How did Spyware get its start?
Listed by records as starting on Oct. 17, 1994 Spyware made its first posting on a worldwide circulated bulletin board. As time went on, it became known as an espionage apparatus just like tiny cameras.
Gregor Freund who is founder of the Zone Labs used the term in a press release for one of its products. Thus, it sealed the fate for the word spyware, giving it status in computer language lingo.
However, in 2000, Gibson’s Research owner Steve Gibson learned that two ad softwares had been installed onto his computer without his knowledge. He suspected the companies had collected his data without any knowledge.
He later recanted this claim but still berated the two advertising companies for secretly putting the spyware on and making it hard for him to remove.
This event caused him to released OptOut, the first of its kind anti-spyware program. Since then others are followed his lead, coming up with their remedies to this annoying problem.
Spyware, even today, has become a top security threat with computers who run Microsoft Windows. Users that work with Internet Explorer are often times more targeted but not due to the popularity of said program.
The Sources behind Spyware
There are five sources of this infection.
- program who claim to make your computer Internet speed faster.
- Programs that say they will provide special offers while they are shopping using the Internet.
- Programs that allow for smileys and other animated cursors.
- Using file sharing programs including P2P networks.
- Spyware programs hidden as an anti-spyware software.
How do you know if you sustained spyware damage -
Here are two of the most common ways to know if you have been a victim of spyware:
- Browser has new toolbar icons that are unfamiliar.
- Sites you visit regularly before have never had popup advertisements until now.
How to remove Spyware -
The quickest and safest way to remove Spyware is to use anti-software programs. These are very similar to those in the anti-virus software.
Two highly recommended programs to remove Spyware safely are Spybot and Ad-Aware.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/spam-articles/spyware-exposed-must-know-facts-for-internet-users-754105.html
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