Spyware is the fastest growing online threat, infecting nearly 90% of Internet connected PCs. So, what can you do if you want to be spyware-free?
Malicious software goes by many names: Spyware, worms, viruses, Trojans, Adware, keystroke loggers, pests, and more. "Spyware" often is used to mean all malicious software other than viruses. I prefer the term "malware" as it's a bit more descriptive. This page is for removing any type of malware.
Freeware is a great concept. Advertiser supported
software that doesn't cost you anything, but is it really free? All you have to
do is give your name, address, phone, e-mail, and some other general
information. Not a bad trade-off, right? But, what if your personal information
was also stored elsewhere on your hard drive, and transmitted your personal
data via the Internet back to advertisers in exchange for more advertising? Ah,
now is it free or is it spyware aka adware.
Advertising Supported software
(adware) is the most common, however some programs (spyware) will spy on your
activities as well for market research. Adware is a way for shareware authors
to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are
several large media companies Web3000, EverAd, and Aureate, just to name a few,
that offer to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of
the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software
and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying,
there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee.
Based on comparative reviews and
testing, top rated retail anti-spyware software may offer important benefits
over freeware -- Better support, more frequent updates, better discovery and
removal of difficult spyware (root kits, etc.), and better pro-active protection
measures. For more choices, see the comparative review links above.
Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first.
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information.
That does not mean all software that provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but you "pay" for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
Other kinds of spyware make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.
These programs can change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. These programs also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you originally had them.
While this may be a great concept, the downside is that the advertising
companies also install additional tracking software on your system, which is
continuously "calling home", using your Internet connection and reports
statistical data to the "mothership". While according to the privacy policies of
the companies, there will be no sensitive or identifying data collected from
your system and you shall remain anonymous, it still remains the fact, that you
have a "live" server sitting on your PC that is sending information about you
and your surfing habits to a remote location.....
There are also many PC surveillance tools that allow a user to monitor all kinds
of activity on a computer, ranging from keystroke capture, snapshots, email
logging, chat logging and just about everything else. These tools are often
designed for parents, businesses and similar environments, but can be easily
abused if they are installed on your computer without your knowledge.
The definition of spyware varies depending on who you ask. The calling card of a spy is that it is sneaky and not easily noticed. My own take on the matter is that spyware is any software that performs sneaky activities behind the user's back--these activities can range from installing itself onto your computer, gathering information on you and transmitting it across the Internet, downloading files or running programs on your computer, messing with your system settings, or even trying to silently pass itself on to others.