Spyware software is unfortunately a massive industry where the only losers will be those without virus protection.
Spyware software doesn't just spy on you, it controls your digital life and steals your confidential personal and financial data. Leading virus protection software programs now come with built-in antispyware. And it works!
Spyware is a relative new kid on the block in the virus protection industry. Spyware really became a massive industry and a crippling security flaw between 2003 and 2006. Since then there has been no going backwards for this incredibly dangerous version of malware. Spyware software is a program that when downloaded onto your computer can secretly monitor system activity and detect information like passwords and other confidential information and relay the information back to another computer. In the early days of spyware, flaws on Internet Explorer allowed downloads to be enacted without your permission. These "drive by downloads" would occur when users stumbled across a site, for instance via a link in a spam email or even by mistyping a website name.
There is a fake virus remover called "Antivirus 2009" (formerly known as Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2007 etc). If you have their spyware on your computer it will constantly bombard you with messages to buy their antivirus software. Stick with products from known brands such as Norton Antivirus 2009, Norton 360 and Norton Internet Security.
Nowadays spyware is still unknowingly downloaded from Web sites (typically in shareware like peer to peer software or other free software programs), email messages, and instant messenger software. You may unknowingly download spyware by accepting an End User License Agreement from a software program.
Spyware can do some ugly things besides merely spying on you. Spyware activities may include:
The latter is a practice favoured by the makers of the fake virus remover called "Antivirus 2009" (also klnown as Antivirus 2008, MS Antivirus). After scanning your PC with Antivirus 2009, this "scareware" pretends that your PC is being attacked or shows the famous blue screen of death, all of which is intended to force you to buy a full version of the rubbish.
For years the biggest antivirus software makers were slow to react to the massive threat spyware posed. In the last 2.5 years however, software from the major virus removers also includes antispyware. This has been a godsend for users as for several years the industry was untamed and unregulated, with many of the smaller players actually making a killing by distributing spyware themselves with the intent of forcing users to choose their own spyware remover.
Even today conducting a search on Google is not the best way to find the best spyware remover as many of them are small operations of one or two developers. If it can't be found at a major retailer like JB Hifi or Harvey Norman or you can't find reviews then be wary.
Spyware is a relative new kid on the block in the virus protection industry. Spyware really became a massive industry and a crippling security flaw between 2003 and 2006. Since then there has been no going backwards for this incredibly dangerous version of malware. Spyware software is a program that when downloaded onto your computer can secretly monitor system activity and detect information like passwords and other confidential information and relay the information back to another computer. In the early days of spyware, flaws on Internet Explorer allowed downloads to be enacted without your permission. These "drive by downloads" would occur when users stumbled across a site, for instance via a link in a spam email or even by mistyping a website name.
There is a fake virus remover called "Antivirus 2009" (formerly known as Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2007 etc). If you have their spyware on your computer it will constantly bombard you with messages to buy their antivirus software. Stick with products from known brands such as Norton Antivirus 2009, Norton 360 and Norton Internet Security.
Nowadays spyware is still unknowingly downloaded from Web sites (typically in shareware like peer to peer software or other free software programs), email messages, and instant messenger software. You may unknowingly download spyware by accepting an End User License Agreement from a software program.
Spyware can do some ugly things besides merely spying on you. Spyware activities may include:
- Collection of personal infomation.
- Installing additional software without your permission.
- Changing your computer settings to disable virus detection programs.
- Slow down your computer with the intention of forcing you to download a paid program to speed up your computer.
- Changing your home page or search pages to help them flog services they make money from such as adult content.
- Showing annoying pop up windows.
The latter is a practice favoured by the makers of the fake virus remover called "Antivirus 2009" (also klnown as Antivirus 2008, MS Antivirus). After scanning your PC with Antivirus 2009, this "scareware" pretends that your PC is being attacked or shows the famous blue screen of death, all of which is intended to force you to buy a full version of the rubbish.
For years the biggest antivirus software makers were slow to react to the massive threat spyware posed. In the last 2.5 years however, software from the major virus removers also includes antispyware. This has been a godsend for users as for several years the industry was untamed and unregulated, with many of the smaller players actually making a killing by distributing spyware themselves with the intent of forcing users to choose their own spyware remover.
Even today conducting a search on Google is not the best way to find the best spyware remover as many of them are small operations of one or two developers. If it can't be found at a major retailer like JB Hifi or Harvey Norman or you can't find reviews then be wary.
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Norton Antivirus 2009 |
Norton Internet Security 2009 |
Norton 360 |