Why Anti-Spyware Is Important Ⓐ

Whether you’re aware of it or not, somebody can be watching every move you make on your computer. Such a person is said to be a computer spy. It doesn’t matter if you’re jumping from site to site online, checking your email, or typing up a document in your word processor, you may be watched. How is this done? Through a software program referred to as spyware. Worst of all, you remain unaware that it is happening.

Why do people spy on innocent computer users? What do they care about your personal computer habits? Spies seek information as to who you are, where you live, what you do on your computer, and what sites you frequent online. With the data they gather, they take it and sell it to third parties as a source of income. Worst of all, they do it in an underhanded, immoral, and often illegal manner while invading your privacy.

Spyware, also called malware, installs itself on your computer without you even knowing about it. With it, facts are accumulated about your personal computing habits and this information is being sold to advertising firms whom push unwanted ads at you. It all happens as these malicious programs record you keystrokes and send them to a third party. This is how thieves get your usernames and passwords...

How does spyware find its way into your computer? Through the following ways:

1.It arrives in an automatic download form from a website you are surfing, known as “drive-by downloading.” Porn sites or the like can be a chief source of spyware.

2.You can be tricked into clicking on a link that downloads spyware from a website.

3.Pop-up windows telling you that you won a prize are a common example.

4.Spyware can be embedded in the installation of a free or pirated piece of software you download. Peer-to-peer (P2P) sites that offer shared MP3 and video files such as Kazaa are more than likely to transmit spyware when installing them.

5.Spyware can be found in email attachments from senders you don’t even know. Such attachments come in commercial email and are deemed as spam. . .