[aageneral] Spyware 101: Understanding and Fighting Spyware
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Title: Spyware 101: Understanding and Fighting Spyware
Author: Doug Partridge
Author Email: doug@secureyourcomputer.net
Formatted to 60 characters per line
Word Count: 513
-------------------------------------------------
Spyware 101: Understanding and Fighting Spyware
Doug Partridge © 2005
In a short amount of time, Spyware has gone from relative
obscurity to an almost daily mention. This article was
prepared to help you understand the basics and tell you
where you can get more information.
What is Spyware?
Quite simply Spyware is a type of rogue software program that gets
copied to your computer without warning or permission. The
goal of Spyware is to monitor and record information about
you. In some cases, Spyware gets loaded on your PC just by
visiting the wrong websites.
What is its purpose?
On the serious side, "Keyboard loggers" do just that -
record the keys from your keyboard as you type. This is an
extremely menacing form of Spyware. As you can imagine your
accounts, passwords, emails anything you type is susceptible
to keyboard loggers. In fact, this is the kind of Spyware
that is largely responsible for online identity theft.
In the case of Adware it's to "profile" your online
activities and interests. This information is used by
advertisers to promote ads and pop-ups targeted to your
specific interests.
Is Adware Spyware?
There is some debate on this, but the consensus is that if
Adware records and submits information about you ... it falls
under the category of Spyware.
How does it get on your computer?
In the case of the less harmful varieties they are usually
bundled with some Shareware or "free" programs. The peer-to-
peer (P2P) music downloading programs are notorious for
including Adware with their programs.
A word of advice: be extremely cautions about the programs
you install on your computer.
It's often said that Spyware can be installed on your PC
"just by visiting the wrong website." This statement is
absolutely true, but have you wondered how that's possible?
After all, website operators do not usually have the ability
to install programs on people's computer without their
knowledge.
It's because hackers are able to exploit security
vulnerabilities in web browsers (most commonly Internet Explorer).
Usually Microsoft releases fixes for security
vulnerabilities shortly after they are discovered - yet the
average Windows user 1.) doesn't know about the vulnerability
and 2.) doesn't know about the fix.
What this means is that most people go for long periods of
time with vulnerable versions of Internet Explorer.
Removing the Menace
Legislators are hurrying to create laws banning Spyware ...
wonderful, but how does this help you now? The bottom line,
you need a dedicated Spyware removal program. Anti-Virus
programs have proven ineffective in discovering and removing
Spyware. In fact, the Anti-Virus vendors are just beginning
to look out how they can incorporate this functionality into
their programs. Again, this is serious problem that
requires action now.
The good news is that there are several high-quality Spyware
removal that will not only detect and remove Spyware, but
will also provide "always on" protection to block new
infections.
We've only just scratched the surface - please visit
http://www.SpywareHelpCenter.com - this is a free website
where you can learn more about Spyware and find a removal
program that's right for you.
-------------------------------------------------
Doug Partridge is the founder of Spyware Help Center,
a free site dedicated to Spyware education and removal.
Free Details => http://www.SpywareHelpCenter.com
-------------------------------------------------
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in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
A copy would be appreciated at doug@secureyourcomputer.net
Note: this article has been optimized to rank well with
keywords Adware & Spyware.
Title: Spyware 101: Understanding and Fighting Spyware
Author: Doug Partridge
Author Email: doug@secureyourcomputer.net
Formatted to 60 characters per line
Word Count: 513
-------------------------------------------------
Spyware 101: Understanding and Fighting Spyware
Doug Partridge © 2005
In a short amount of time, Spyware has gone from relative
obscurity to an almost daily mention. This article was
prepared to help you understand the basics and tell you
where you can get more information.
What is Spyware?
Quite simply Spyware is a type of rogue software program that gets
copied to your computer without warning or permission. The
goal of Spyware is to monitor and record information about
you. In some cases, Spyware gets loaded on your PC just by
visiting the wrong websites.
What is its purpose?
On the serious side, "Keyboard loggers" do just that -
record the keys from your keyboard as you type. This is an
extremely menacing form of Spyware. As you can imagine your
accounts, passwords, emails anything you type is susceptible
to keyboard loggers. In fact, this is the kind of Spyware
that is largely responsible for online identity theft.
In the case of Adware it's to "profile" your online
activities and interests. This information is used by
advertisers to promote ads and pop-ups targeted to your
specific interests.
Is Adware Spyware?
There is some debate on this, but the consensus is that if
Adware records and submits information about you ... it falls
under the category of Spyware.
How does it get on your computer?
In the case of the less harmful varieties they are usually
bundled with some Shareware or "free" programs. The peer-to-
peer (P2P) music downloading programs are notorious for
including Adware with their programs.
A word of advice: be extremely cautions about the programs
you install on your computer.
It's often said that Spyware can be installed on your PC
"just by visiting the wrong website." This statement is
absolutely true, but have you wondered how that's possible?
After all, website operators do not usually have the ability
to install programs on people's computer without their
knowledge.
It's because hackers are able to exploit security
vulnerabilities in web browsers (most commonly Internet Explorer).
Usually Microsoft releases fixes for security
vulnerabilities shortly after they are discovered - yet the
average Windows user 1.) doesn't know about the vulnerability
and 2.) doesn't know about the fix.
What this means is that most people go for long periods of
time with vulnerable versions of Internet Explorer.
Removing the Menace
Legislators are hurrying to create laws banning Spyware ...
wonderful, but how does this help you now? The bottom line,
you need a dedicated Spyware removal program. Anti-Virus
programs have proven ineffective in discovering and removing
Spyware. In fact, the Anti-Virus vendors are just beginning
to look out how they can incorporate this functionality into
their programs. Again, this is serious problem that
requires action now.
The good news is that there are several high-quality Spyware
removal that will not only detect and remove Spyware, but
will also provide "always on" protection to block new
infections.
We've only just scratched the surface - please visit
http://www.SpywareHelpCenter.com - this is a free website
where you can learn more about Spyware and find a removal
program that's right for you.
-------------------------------------------------
Doug Partridge is the founder of Spyware Help Center,
a free site dedicated to Spyware education and removal.
Free Details => http://www.SpywareHelpCenter.com
-------------------------------------------------
########################################################
Looking For Quality Content?
The Syndicator provides free, quality syndicated articles
for your website that are automatically updated each week.
Syndication feeds include:
Business/Sales
Internet Marketing/Promotion
Web Design/Development
Biz Tips
Web Design Tips
Home & Family Matters
Dinner Ideas
Health & Fitness
Horoscopes
AngelVoice
Headlines
and more...
http://www.web-source.net/syndicator.htm
########################################################
Post Articles: mailto:aageneral@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: mailto:aageneral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: mailto:aageneral-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
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