Spyware - The Threat Within!How Spyware Affects the Computer End User
Skimming past the display panel at his local store, he is unable to make up his mind about which pair to select for purchase.
He postpones his shopping and decides to return tomorrow with a clear mind to aid in his decision-making.
On reaching home, he is taken aback by finding a business promo in his mailbox advertising the latest make of shoes and trainers too! This leaves Matt in a state of mental surprise.
He wonders how is it possible for the shoe company to find out what he was interested in? Incidents like this are very rare in the real world unless you fill something out at the store, but the Internet is another story! If this had happened there Matt might have thought that there some type of spyware involved.
However, most of us at one time or another have undergone a similar experience on the Internet.
It is very common nowadays to find your mailbox being flooded with promotional campaigns related to recent online product searches.
The explanation for such an event in the virtual world exists, but more than likely the explanation on the Internet is the existence of spyware on your system! Spyware belongs in the malevolent class of computer software.
The core reason behind the development of this software is to maintain in-depth details related to the victim users activity on the Internet.
This is most definitely not acceptable to the user as this jeopardizes their system performance as well as their individual privacy.
The threat level of this software varies with the nature of information stealing tasks the software is designed to do.
Certain versions of this software are powerful enough to gain access to the credit card numbers typed during online transactions being undertaken on your system.
This poses a serious threat to your financial records and money in your accounts.
Less dreadful versions are restricted to maintaining a log of websites visited during each online session.
This record is then handed over to some third party and usually trouble for you.
As a consequence, the third parties, mostly being brand advertisers, obtain a pool of potential target locations for directing their advertisements and business packages.
The user is then bombarded with a lot of brute promotional material, which in most cases results in leaving the user perplexed and greatly annoyed as the junk mail piles up! The most effective way of getting rid of spyware is to use specialized software built solely for the purpose of eliminating it.
It is also a healthy practice not to download stuff from notorious sites rich in this malicious breed of software.
Also, read an honest review about anti-spyware software before you purchase it and you will be happy to have a fully protected operating system!