Save this article
Use this article for free on your own website
Republish this article for free on your own website or blog. Or search or browse for more articles that your audience will appreciate. Huge choice available. Ideal for finding quality, free content. Read our publishers guide.
We All Know Spyware Can Hurt Your Computer, But What Is Spyware?
You have probably heard of spyware before, but it isn't a term that many people know it's meaning. We all know it's a bad thing, but it's important you understand what spyware is and why it has gotten such a bad rap.
You have probably heard of spyware before, but it isn’t a term that many people know it’s meaning. We all know it’s a bad thing, but it’s important you understand what spyware is and why it has gotten such a bad rap.
Spyware refers to computer software that gets installed on your computer and goes on to cause malicious acts without your having a clue about what’s going on. Spyware can initiate the following malicious activity:
1) Sniff out personal data and pass it on to the programmer of the spyware. There have been many cases where even financial data have been compromised.
2) Add all sorts of extra programs and add-ons to your computer which you haven’t authorized. This is usually used to monitor your online activity and will cause your computer to run a lot slower than usual.
3) Automatically make your web browser take you to websites that have other harmful files such as viruses or other forms of spyware.
4) Without you being aware, spyware can change the security settings you have on your computer so that your computer is at an increased risk of getting viruses or having personal information stolen.
In short, Spyware is nothing but ‘nuisanceware’!
Apart from the activity above, Spyware also slows down your Internet connection and make life miserable when you are surfing the Internet - many of those annoying pop-ups appearing out of nowhere are the result of spyware making its way on your system.
Wondering how spyware makes it way onto your computer?
Most of the time you will never know for sure where the spyware on your computer came from. It sneaks its way onto your computer in various ways - some examples are:
1) Download programs that offer movie or music downloads. These are often offer for free and will automatically install spyware on your system.
2) A common way systems get infected is from “utility” type programs that are downloaded and come bundled with some form of spyware. There are all sorts of programs that are offered for free download on the internet - although they may serve a purpose many of them will also install spyware on your system.
3) Another method used by Spyware developers is to mimic the operating system’s messages so that you click on them. When you click on them the Spyware gets installed.
For example, if you are using MS Windows, the Spyware manufacturer may develop a pop-up that looks exactly like a message from Microsoft. When you are browsing, this pop-up may entice you to click on it - and when you do that - presto; you’ve just opened the doors for the Spyware.
It’s obviously important that you find out if there is spyware on your computer, but how can you find out?
One of the first warning signs is that your computer starts to run a lot slower than before and appears a little sluggish. Spyware will slow down your browsing speed and your overall computer’s performance.
Unfortunately, many people end up blaming their computer’s hardware if their system is running slower than usual. More often than not it is nothing hardware related - it is the fact that spyware has made its way onto their computer.
If you haven’t been paying attention to spyware, you must start doing something about it starting today!
Computer experts estimate that 9 out of every 10 computers have some form of spyware installed on them. It’s crucial that you protect your system and personal information by using a top-ranked anti-spyware program.
Make sure you use a spyware remover that will scan your entire system for any existing infections, eliminate any malicious files it finds, and then provide full protection against future infections.