SaferEmails.com
THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES, SPYWARE, AND INTERNET SCAMS.
SaferEmails.comTHE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES, SPYWARE, AND INTERNET SCAMS. |
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Is A Computer Virus? Virus Resources And Tools Virus Alerts! Virus Information Center What Is Spyware? Spyware Resources And Tools Spyware Information Center What Are Internet Scams? Scam Resources Scam Alerts! Scam Information Center |
What Is Spyware?The term spyware refers to any type of computer program put on a user's computer, usually without their knowledge or approval, that tracks, monitors, records, attempts to take over their at least partial control of the user's computer without consent. There are two main kind of spyware programs, one that monitors the user and the second subverts what the user would like to do on their computer. According to a November 2004 joint study by America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance, 80% of surveyed user's computers had some for of spyware on it. In almost all of these cases the users said they did not offer permission to the companies to put this on their system. Adware, a form of spyware, refers to spyware programs that cause the user to be either hijacked and taken to the offending site, or he is subjected to numerous pop-up windows with advertisement in them. Some of the activities that spyware can run on your computer when you're not noticing are; numerous pop-up advertisements, theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit cards and accounts), monitoring of browsing habits for marketing purposes, and rerouting of where the user wanted to go to and instead hijacking them and taking them to usually an advertising site. Spyware is usually contracted through a downloaded or installed computer program. Kazaa, a file sharing program, was notorious for sending spyware to it's users. Many shopping related programs infect the user's computer with spyware once they are installed. Whether it is a program monitoring what you do or type on the Internet or if it is a program designed to bring pop-up ads onto your computer screen, it is not only an invasion of your privacy, but it is also a sometimes tremendous drain on your computer. All these secretive programs take up quite a bit of memory space, leaving fewer resources for you. |
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