Overview As technology in the software field advances so does the maliciousness of unscrupulous individuals in the world. When things become easier with new developments there are also its unwanted disadvantages and this is nowhere but true in today's most talked about industry of software.
The world of internet is spreading at an unprecedented pace and thousands and millions of individuals are being connected together and so are their computers. If the internet has made things easier, it has also become an easy way for malicious people to spread their harmful development in software in the form of Adware and Spyware. For many the problem of Adware and Spyware might be a regular one but for those unsuspecting individuals who are not aware of such harmful things there is nothing but havoc on their computers. The more improvements in technology the more challenges one has to face. Most of the information exchange in the world today takes place through internet and it is very urgent to protect the system from viruses, hackers, Spyware, and other such cyber threats.
The internet is the best means for spreading the programmes of Spyware and Adware because through the internet these harmful software programmes can reach to millions of computers, hijack the useful and sensitive information about the users and use it for personal gains of the programme creator. A computer affected by Spyware and Adware is the most vulnerable and robs the user of personal information that is entered on the computer or any other internet activities like entering the credit card number, password and other such sensitive information. It thus always becomes important for the users to be as careful as possible before using the internet and take prevention with the different means of tackling the malice of Adware/Spyware.
What is Spyware?
In order to tackle the menace of Spyware one has to get familiar with the idea of what Spyware is. Spyware is nothing but a computer programme that sits on the user's computer without their knowledge. The name itself indicates the working of Spyware. Spyware is automatically installed on the user's computer and spies on the information the user types on their machines. These Spyware are programmed in such a way that once they detect the sensitive information they can send the sensitive and personal information of the user to its creator. In one way, Spyware can be very useful because it lets the user and software professionals know the flaws in the system and make improvements accordingly so that the flaws can be removed.
A study undertaken by the National Cyber-Security Alliance and AOL showed that as much as sixty-one percent systems are infected by the Spyware and ninety two percent of users were not even aware that their system was taken over by the Spyware. This statistics is the indication of the surreptious nature of Spyware. Although partial control of the system is generally found with, Spyware but its effects can be far more dangerous for the users. Passwords for the bank account of the users have been spied and used by others with the use of Spyware and have cost them losses ranging in thousands of dollars. Protection from Spyware The systems running on the Windows OS are particularly vulnerable to the attacks of Spyware because the Internet Explorer of Windows is closely integrated with the OS and the OS is the widely used platform for most of the computers in the world. Internet is the main place to infect systems with Spyware and hence one must use all the precautions ranging from firewall activation to anti-Spyware programmes so that the Spyware can be prevented from infecting the system.
When the user is surfing on the internet, they must take all the care before entering their sensitive information. One should never download freeware or shareware that is offered by many sites because it might contain a Spyware programme. One should always clean cookies and the history items from the system because the Spyware can intrude in the system through these means. Adware Adware like Spyware is the same kind of software that is installed on the user 's computer without their knowledge. Adware is also known as advertising supported software and its working is somewhat different from the Spyware. The Adware programme runs all on its own when the user uses their system, it can run, show and it even downloads advertising items without the users wanting it.
At times, an Adware can as well have a Spyware in it thus making the system of the user more vulnerable for data theft. Unscrupulous programmers integrate Adware in their software packages and keep on updating it, Adware is generally found in shareware. Adware mainly supports advertising needs and some of the notorious Adware programmes include, cursor mania, Top Moxie, clip genie, gator, crazy girls, Spyware doctor, hotbar, comet cursor, errorsafe, ICQ and many more. Though Adware combined with Spyware can be very ruinous Adware alone is not as harmful as Spyware and one can get enough protection from it. Adware Safety Tips Detecting Adware and Spyware manually is a great time consuming process but one can run the anti-Spyware and Adware programmes on their systems and get rid of the nuisance.
The first thing one can do to avoid these malicious programmes is to surf the internet in a secured way with the enabled firewall. The anti-Adware programmes can detect, keep in isolation, and remove the harmful programmes. Since, the Windows OS is the widely used OS in the world it is the most vulnerable platform for Adware and Spyware. In order to prevent Adware infiltration into the system one can use robust OS like Linux and Mac OS X. One should not as well have many toolbars installed in the browser because it can not only slow down the browser but also invite Adware. Regular security and OS updates are always recommended in the prevention tips for Adware. One can as well use alternative secure browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Safari so that the Adware do not intrude in the system.
Kim Adair is a Affiliate marketer, eBook Author, and FOREX trader who runs a blog to help anyone make money online! You can check it out over at http://www.affiliatecombat.com
