What Can I Do About Spyware, Adware And Computer Viruses?
To many computer users spyware, adware and computer viruses are all the same. In a way they are: they have all been infiltrated onto your computer and none of them are going to do any good for you, the computer owner. They are all a majestic pain in the neck.
However, there are differences between them and, as a computer owner, you might just as well know what those differences are so that you may correctly decide how many resources you are going to dedicate to getting rid of them.
Spyware: spyware is like a parasite. It can be delivered to your computer via email attachments, as part of a free program or even as part of a program you paid for. Often, spyware is attached to something useful that individuals pass about because it is helpful, humorous or pornographic.
When the ebook or email is opened, the parasitic spyware goes off and secretes itself somewhere in your computer. Spyware may do lots of things, but like all decent parasites, it is not there to injure your computer.
It is there to read your key presses, scan your disk drives and record the websites you visit. Then, say, once a week, while the computer is inactive, it sends all this knowledge home to its creator. The creator can then use this knowledge as he or she wants, but first they have to untangle it all. Software will do that.
The least that will occur is that the data will show that you have been looking for, say, new shoes on line and you will receive tons of spam on new shoes. One of the worst things that could occur is that it will have read your banking details and there may be an attempt on your bank account.
Adware: adware is similar, but it is seen as very nearly legitimate. Typically, a useful program like a download accelerator will record where it has downloaded files for you from and it will report that back to its creator and you will be spammed again.
Robbery is not part of the raison d’etre of adware. Look in your cookies and you will see dozens of these little programs collecting knowledge on your every move. Most of the big names in the computer world, including Google, use Adware in the form of cookies to find out what you would like before anyone else does, so that they can be the first to serve it up to you.
Computer Viruses: include Trojans, worms and all the other forms of malware to most people. These are normally disruptive or destructive in nature and intended to ruin your computing or surfing experience. It is simple to understand why someone would make spyware and adware, but not viruses. Some people appear to get a kick out of causing turmoil for others.
The only manner to keep spyware, adware and computer viruses off your computer is by using powerful antivirus software and a firewall. Numerous individuals are pleased with the amount of protection that the free Windows firewall and AV software offers.
Others employ the free Windows firewall, but use a third party free AV program. Yet others purchase a commercial package that has its own firewall and AV software. It just depends on the level of protection that you are happy with and whether you are prepared to pay for it.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.