Virtual Eyes

Beware: free spyware and adware programs come with some of your favorite downloads.




The Internet is a wonderful tool. It works like a virtual web, connecting everyone within its network from all parts of the globe. With many salient features, the Internet has become so popular that virtually everyone around the world has access to an Internet connection. This popularity has spawned more and more products, services, and information that anyone with Internet access can enjoy.

Your PC is probably infected with adware & spyware if:

• You have downloaded music online
• Your PC is running extremely slow
• You are pestered by those horrible popup ads
• Your homepage keeps changing
• Click here

Unfortunately, it is precisely because of its popularity that some less than scrupulous groups have come up with free spyware and adware programs to take advantage of the connectivity that the Internet provides. Spyware is also known as adware and in some cases, it is labeled as malware. Simply put, spyware is a computer software that comes bundled with some programs that are downloadable from the Internet and it works as a virtual spy within your system. To the uninitiated, it may seem that the idea of espionage happening within one's own personal computer sounds either like a joke or a great exaggeration but the truth of the matter is that spyware is something that should give Internet users pause.




The purpose of spyware is to secretly track a variety of personal information from the user of the computer using some techniques like tracking internet browsing patterns, logging keystrokes and some spyware are even sophisticated enough to scan documents from the computer's hard drive. There are many reasons as to why spyware is proliferated in the Internet. One such reason is to enable unsolicited pop ups us a targeted marketing tactic but sometimes, spyware or malware is used to be able to commit criminal acts such as identity fraud by stealing passwords and vital credit information.




This spyware business is an extremely difficult and potentially dangerous program. It runs undetected within your system so that you are unaware that your computer activities are being tracked. It is obviously an infringement to one's right to privacy and its processes utilize your computer's system causing a slow down in your computer's performance. Like all types of espionage, the installation of spyware into your system is tricky.




Free spyware and adware programs often come bundled along with some freeware downloads that you may be enticed into installing. There are also some unsolicited pop-ups that you may encounter while browsing that look like regular Windows system generated pop-ups and clicking on these will cause you to unknowingly install unwanted spyware.




While the mere fact that you are on the Internet and browsing immediately makes you vulnerable to spyware, there are some measures that you can take to ensure safer web usage. For instance, you should install legitimate anti-spyware programs to detect, eradicate and prevent future installations of spyware on your system. Don't be so trusting of anti-spyware downloads on the Net because some of those are there to trick you into installing free spyware and adware programs into your computer.




Likewise, be very careful also of free programs that you download on the Internet. Some free versions of programs contain spyware so be sure to read the agreements before agreeing to install certain products. Also, it should be noted that older versions of Internet Explorer make one's system very vulnerable to spyware attacks because of its close link and integration to the Windows platform.

The High Price of Things that are Free

We cannot help but be enticed by things that are free. Despite knowing at the back of our heads that nothing comes free, we can't seem to shake off the natural hopeful tendency that tempts us to believe that free items have no strings attached.

Your PC is probably infected with adware & spyware if:

• You have downloaded music online
• Your PC is running extremely slow
• You are pestered by those horrible popup ads
• Your homepage keeps changing
• Click here

This is particularly true with the case of unwanted adware and spyware that some of us unknowingly download and infect our systems with. Adware and spyware are programs that are unwittingly installed into our computers because they come bundled with some freeware and shareware programs that are downloadable from the Internet. Computer and Internet users are usually careful about installing suspicious programs that may contain viruses and worms that can disrupt the computer's system.




This is why spyware and adware use deception to get individuals to downloading them either because they are intricately bundled into legitimate parent programs and sometimes, spyware and adware can even masquerade itself as security or computer optimization software to trick one into installing these unwanted programs.




However, in some cases, one doesn't even have to install anything to get the computer system infected with spyware and adware. Simply browsing and visiting certain sites can launch an attack. These adware and spyware programs can be launched due to vulnerabilities in your Internet browser's security. This way, spyware and adware can automatically infect your system without you having to download anything. This is especially true of earlier versions of Internet Explorer because it is intricately connected to the Windows operating system.




For this reason, it is important to free yourself from security and privacy risks by equipping yourself with adequate spyware and adware protection.Spyware and adware at the very least can cause you annoyance from unwanted pop up advertisements that can erratically appear on your computer monitor. In moderate instances though, your privacy can be greatly compromised since spyware can track your Internet habits. However, severe cases can mean a serious attack on your security against identity theft and fraud.




While you indeed should be wary of free programs, there are some free spyware and adware protection programs that you can use manage your Internet risks properly. There's Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot S&D, IE-SPYAD, Spyware Blaster, HiJack This, XP-AntiSpy, and X-Cleaner are some of the more popular free spyware and adware protection programs. Before trying out some other free spyware and adware protection program though, you should make sure of its legitimacy.




There are rogue spyware or malware that are disguised as security software. Before trying these out, you should do your research and ask around for recommendations. Dependable and secure free spyware and adware protection programs however are vital protection needed in every computer. These free spyware and adware programs work in two ways. The first is by providing real time protection by proactively preventing new spyware and adware from infecting your system.




The other type of protection provided by free spyware and adware programs is the detection and eradication of existing spyware and adware that is already installed in your computer. Not all free spyware and adware protection programs are created equal. Some of the free spyware and adware protection programs mentioned above can only do one type or protection and some can do both. It is better to get a free spyware and adware protection program that can do both for better value and risk management.

Covert Online Spies

The Internet is a powerful tool that provides everyone online a way to be connected to each other, gather a lot of information and enjoy convenient services like online shopping and banking. However, many of us Internet users are at constant risk of adware and spyware downloads that make us extremely vulnerable to malicious acts.

Your PC is probably infected with adware & spyware if:

• You have downloaded music online
• Your PC is running extremely slow
• You are pestered by those horrible popup ads
• Your homepage keeps changing
• Click here

We often unknowingly fall prey to adware and spyware downloads as we innocently use the Internet. These adware and spyware downloads can come bundled with some freeware programs we use and sometimes, simply browsing a site puts us at risk. The business of being infected with unwanted adware and spyware downloads can be very serious. Some adware and spyware or malware proliferate the Web to infect our computer systems which gives us no control over unsolicited pop ups as part of targeted market efforts.




On extreme criminal cases however, spyware called malware, is used to take note of keystrokes, scan our computer's hard drive and steal important passwords and financial information. The information gathered covertly is used for identity theft, which can cause us major headache and at least thousands of dollars to clear our names.




These adware and spyware are unknowingly infect our computers and most of the time, we don't even know that they there. However, you can start becoming suspicious of adware and spyware downloaded into your system when you begin to have uncontrolled pop-ups from unsolicited sources. Sometimes, even without the telltale pop up ads you may notice a suspicious slow down in your computer's processing without any apparent reason. Your system slows down because these adware and spyware parasitically use up your system's resources to be able to perform their functions.




The only way you can be sure if your computer system is infected with adware and spyware downloads is by installing an anti spyware program that will detect and flush out the unwanted programs. The proper anti spyware can also prevent future adware and spyware downloads. You need to choose an anti spyware program that does both.




Be wary of downloading anti spyware on the Net because some spyware are disguised and marketed as a free anti spyware.




One more thing you can do to protect yourself from unwittingly downloading adware and spyware programs is to read the fine print. When installing a new program into your computer, you are asked to tick off an option of whether you agree or disagree with the programs end user license agreement (EULA). Do yourself a favor and read what is written in the agreement before agreeing to proceed in the installation. Many shareware and freeware programs come bundled with spyware and adware programs and in some cases you can learn about them by reading the agreement carefully.




Because adware and spyware come bundled with your download, these programs will not run independently of the spyware it comes with. This means that if you have a good anti-spyware system installed in your computer, you won't be able to install the infected program.




Consequently, if an existing program infected with spyware is in your system, your anti spyware system will attempt to remove the infection. Since most spyware are closely bundled into certain programs, the removal of the spyware may cause the legitimate program it comes with to stop functioning as well.

Adware and spyware, knowing the basics

People think that there is actually no difference between a spyware and an adware. Spyware is just a web term used to refer to an advertising supported software, which is otherwise known as adware. These are the pop-up ads that often come out whenever we open a website or download a shareware software. But according to some web experts, spyware is much much more.

Your PC is probably infected with adware & spyware if:

• You have downloaded music online
• Your PC is running extremely slow
• You are pestered by those horrible popup ads
• Your homepage keeps changing
• Click here

Supporters of spyware and adware say that though it can be pretty annoying at times especially if you are really in a hurry, both do give consumers huge benefits. Because the product ads generate income for developers of shareware software, consumers can get them for free. Developers are in turn paid for their work. Of course, if you don’t want to be bothered by the constant pop-ups, you can always pay the licensing fee or the regular fee for the software. If you want it for free, you just have to sacrifice through the spyware.




There is however another downside to it. Spyware, from the name given to it, is actually used as a tracking device in your computer system. These tracking devices will look into your surfing habits, your chatting logs and even the number of times you open your email. If designed or programmed the right way, it can discover just about everything else in your system.


And because the program runs in the background, there is no way that a person can control the kind of information that he or she sends out.




These kinds of programs were actually originally used by parents or people in the business sector who wish to track down and put on record web activity. It is actually beneficial but not when people are not aware that they are being tracked down. This is often the case when people download software over the Internet. As mentioned before, it is used by companies to advertise their products and in turn help the developers of software keep their costs down so that they can afford to offer their programs for free.




Although privacy issues indeed come into play, there is nothing illegal about it. In fact, its use is prevalent all over the World Wide Web. There are however some areas that people who value their privacy will object to. Because of this, people are given the option to refuse the software.




There is really no way that one can avoid adware and spyware as these programs are packaged with the software that you will be downloading from the Internet. The most that you can do is to avoid downloading from the internet and to refuse any file downloads that you did not personally authorize. It is also good to only view websites that have a good reputation or those that have anti-spyware and adware programs installed in their pages.