A
angel
Spyware is a broad term for any type of software that
installs on you computer without your knowledge, and hides
in the background, conducting online activity that you
surely wouldn't appreciate. Most spyware applications
don't do anything particularly egregious; they may simply
send a list of recently visited web sites to an online
marketer. Others may be much more annoying, resetting your
home page URL, for example. Spyware has also been known to
steal a computer's processing cycles for a distributed
computing project, and the worst offenders will steal your
personal information and send it over the net to some scum-
bite. Spyware programs are sometimes hidden in file-
sharing applications that you voluntarily install, but
they can also be installed without your knowledge when you
visit a seedy website, or when you open an e-mail
attachment. Spyware isn't easy to get rid of once
installed, but Spybot search and destroy is free, and will
eradicate all of the spyware you have, of course that is
if you keep it updated like you would with anti-virus
software. Spybot, like many others, is anti-spyware. There
is a difference from anti-virus software and anti-spyware
software, I suggest you have both, and keep them updated
and scan you hard drive regularly like once a week.
You can get Spyware search and destroy at:
http://security.kolla.de
Additional Notes:
Ad-Aware performs many of the functions as Spybot search
and destroy, but the free version of Ad-Aware lacks some
of Spybot's important features. In order to block ActiveX
installers, one of the primary vectors of spyware
infestation, you have to upgrade to the plus version. So,
for the price (free), Spybot simply can't be beat.
installs on you computer without your knowledge, and hides
in the background, conducting online activity that you
surely wouldn't appreciate. Most spyware applications
don't do anything particularly egregious; they may simply
send a list of recently visited web sites to an online
marketer. Others may be much more annoying, resetting your
home page URL, for example. Spyware has also been known to
steal a computer's processing cycles for a distributed
computing project, and the worst offenders will steal your
personal information and send it over the net to some scum-
bite. Spyware programs are sometimes hidden in file-
sharing applications that you voluntarily install, but
they can also be installed without your knowledge when you
visit a seedy website, or when you open an e-mail
attachment. Spyware isn't easy to get rid of once
installed, but Spybot search and destroy is free, and will
eradicate all of the spyware you have, of course that is
if you keep it updated like you would with anti-virus
software. Spybot, like many others, is anti-spyware. There
is a difference from anti-virus software and anti-spyware
software, I suggest you have both, and keep them updated
and scan you hard drive regularly like once a week.
You can get Spyware search and destroy at:
http://security.kolla.de
Additional Notes:
Ad-Aware performs many of the functions as Spybot search
and destroy, but the free version of Ad-Aware lacks some
of Spybot's important features. In order to block ActiveX
installers, one of the primary vectors of spyware
infestation, you have to upgrade to the plus version. So,
for the price (free), Spybot simply can't be beat.