Adware and Spyware
According to a report of CNN, more
then 90% of all computers are
infected with adware.
In addition to viruses and worms, there are other threats to PC security from the Internet. Some of this takes the form of adware and spyware. These are programs which contain malicious code used to gather information about someone without their knowledge, track their browsing habits or provide the code writer with access to your PC.
Malware– A term meaning malicious software. Malware is software designed to disrupt a computer system. A trojan horse, virus , or worm would be classified as Malware.
Spyware – A software that collects personal data like names and e-mail addresses without a user’s consent. It is usually installed on a computer as the result of downloading a new program. It can often cause system slowness, crashes, and problems in general.
Adware– Gathers user information for the purposes of advertising, installing programs, and sending cookies to other spyware programs. Some adware will push popup windows based on keyword searches and visited websites.
Virus – A parasitic program written intentionally to enter a computer without the user’s permission or knowledge. The word parasite is used because a virus attaches to files or boot sectors and replicates itself, thus continuing to spread. Viruses that replicate can cause serious damage to programs and system performance.
Worm– Self-replicating computer program, similar to a computer virus. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program; however, a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself.
Trojans – A destructive program containing hidden code which can view, modify, and delete data; monitor your actions online; and use one computer to attack other computers. They often can have backdoors that allow hackers access to your computer.
Since the explosion of broadband connection, the spreading of spyware and adware has been spreading at an alarming speed. If you surf the web often, you probably have adware installed on your computer. Adware is software that shows advertisements on your screen. When you click on these advertisements the maker of the adware program makes a couple of cents. Not much, but if they have 10.000’s of computers running their adware they can make a nice buck. So you can imagine that there are a lot different kinds of adware programs out there. Some are quite innocent, but others can really damage your system.
If you find that your PC is acting strangely, slow or has unidentified software installed, then you may be infected with some form of spyware. if you are inundated with pop-up advertisements, then you could be infected with adware.
Symptoms of Adware
There are few symptoms of adware. They include the following:
-
Web pages advertising goods popping-up while you are online or offline.
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Your Internet homepage has been changed and you do not know how.
- An unexpected toolbar appears in Internet Explorer and you do not know how it got there.
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Page redirects
Symptoms of Spyware
There are a number of symptoms of spyware. They include the following:
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Your computer has a mind of its own. Spyware is a program and so it uses CPU cycles, memory and
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Your Internet connection.
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Your computer runs slower than normal.
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You get a lot of bounced back e-mails or evidence of e-mails being sent without your knowledge.
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Your Internet homepage has been changed and you do not know how.
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An unexpected toolbar appears in Internet Explorer and you do not know how it got there.
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Your firewall alerts you to an unknown program or process trying to access the Internet.
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New shortcuts appear on your desktop or your taskbar, or even your system tray.
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New entries appear in your favourites folder that you did not put there.
- Excessive popup windows appear that you are unable to stop or close.
- Every time you do a search, you end up at the same unusual, unknown website.
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There is a new program in the add/remove section of your control panel.
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Your anti-virus and/or firewall is mysteriously turned off.
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You are unable to access any of these: task manager, regedit, MSCONFIG, which just pop up and
- then disappear.
The less innocent adware programs only try to change your homepage, or add a pop-up here and there. The more aggressive adware programs will try to put their links in your start menu , desktop or your emails. The absolute worst type of adware will change or replace pieces of your operating system so they can show even more advertisements to you. These “hacks” usually do a lot of damage to your system and its programs.
Because there are so many different adware programs out there on the Internet trying to infect your computer, it is not uncommon that a computer has more then one type of adware infection. These multiple infections only intensify the problem ,since they all are fighting to change the settings of your computer
Not all adware is bad and for most people it is just very annoying. So how can you stop this problem? The first thing you will need to do is to ensure adware removal from your computer is to install and adware remover. You can obtain free adware removal software but in some cases in order to successfully remove adware you may have to uninstall the program it came with. Your adware removal software will help to identify these programs. If you decide to purchase an adware remover a brief internet search will provide you with all the information you need on both paid adware remover software and free adware removal software.
Another clear sign of an adware infection is that your computer is very slow. This is because adware programs use a lot of resources from your computer. If you have multiple adware infections your computer can run out of resources, making it extremely slow. Simple things like opening Word or a browser becomes a long wait.
How to Protect your PC against
Adware and Spyware?
Below are a few easy, cost-effective steps you can take to make your computer more secure.
1. Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.
2. Run an antivirus program and update it regularly;
3. Use a virus scanner before you start to use any floppy disks; Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in
case your computer is damaged or compromised by a malicious program.
4. Make sure that only authorized persons have access to your PC;
5. Don’t use illegal copies of software;
6. Review your browser and email settings for optimum security.
7. Do NOT open unknown email attachments. It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address.
8. Do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes.
9. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.
10.Use a personal Internet Firewall to help protect your computer from by viruses, Trojans, and worms; Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet.
11.Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard. This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer.
Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Office programs. And Update your softwares.
How to get rid of Adware and
Spyware?
If your pc get infected with adware or spyware, to get rid of these adware infections you need to do more then run a virus scanner. Most adware programs are not seen as viruses , so the virus scanners do not do anything against it. To properly protect your computer against adware and spyware it is highly recommended to install an adware remover.
An adware remover can detect and remove any adware or spyware infections on your computer. Some of the better adware removal software can even real time protect your computer while you surf the web.
Get Rid of
Adware and Spyware
Today
