What is Spyware
Spyware is a common name for tiny software applications, that run on a personal computer (PC) to hijack valuable information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, or to take control over the infected computer without the user's knowledge nor permission.
The spying functionality of spyware programs can range from behavior monitoring, collecting sensitive information stored on the computer or sent over the Internet to taking remote control over the infected machine.
Typically, a spyware application runs in the background so that the user is not aware of its existence. This exposes user to a number of threats, because all information generated during normal work can be saved and relayed to a third party by the spyware software running at the same time on a PC.
Spyware programs can install additional application onto your system, divert your Internet traffic or display annoying advertisements. It can even alter your PC's settings or replace genuine, trusted Web sites, such as online banking sites, with fakes whose sole purpose is to steal passwords or bank account information and send it to criminals.
Spyware does not replicate itself in the way common computer viruses do, but it requires user's action to infect the system. For example, a spyware-infected computer will not attempt to infect other computers over email or replicate itself in any other way, it would rather introduce tricks and manipulate online content to deceive the user and to make them do what the spyware want them to do, for example to visit a specially manipulated Web site.
How does my PC become infected by Spyware?
Spyware infects the system when a user runs or installs an infected application. Typically, no spyware can spread without human action. There are numerous popular applications such as Limewire or Kazaa known to be have spyware under the hood. Spyware distributors often claim to be providing a useful program that is free to download for everyone. In most cases, these are tiny utilities such as registry cleaners, image manipulation or download assistants. Stay alert, before downloading or installing any free software from untrusted sources because these often contain hidden spyware.
In some cases you can come across spyware programs in downloadable music or video files.
Another method spyware distributors use to deceive Internet users into installing their spyware software is building booby-trapped sites that contain links, pop-up windows and scripts that allow spyware to infect your PC once you click them. These links and banners may look harmless at a first glance, it can say for example “Click here to optimize your Internet connection” in a JavaScript pop-up. Once clicked, a download process starts in the background and the system is being infected. Some spying software can penetrate the system directly by exploiting security holes in resident applications such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or even MS Office when you surf the Web at the same time the affected application is running.
What are signs of a spyware infection?
Once your PC gets infected, you may experience weird system behavior or significant decrease of your PC's performance. You will notice numerous additional new processes running on your computer (you can check running processes in the Windows Task Manager window) you haven't seen there before. These processes can consume much of your CPU's processing power, have an impact of system's stability and overall performance.
If you spot any unwanted or unknown processes in the Windows Task Manager that consume your system resources in an unjustifiable high percent, you definitively should run an anti-spyware check.
However, not all spyware will manifest itself in such an obvious way. In those cases, users will complain about poor system performance thinking its caused by a hardware failure. Some users will contact Microsoft Windows Help Center to remedy the problem, some will replace hardware components in a hope this will remedy the problem. Unfortunately, in some cases, where systems are badly infected by numerous spyware, it may be impossible to get rid of the malware without fully reinstalling the operating system.
Some spyware applications display adverts on your PC in a form of a banner, pop-up window, screensave or desktop background. If you see new adverts coming up on your screen in regular time intervals without the apparent reason, you may have fallen victim to a spyware program.
How can spyware steal my identity or other sensitive information?
Spyware is designed to hijack, collect and rely information from your computer to cyber criminals or to take over the control of your PC. Therefore, once spyware is successfully installed on your system, it is pretty easy to a typical spyware to steal your passwords, credit card numbers or bank account information when you log in to your online bank.
Spyware exposes your identity to a serious risk. The Federal Trade Commission says there have been 28 million Americans to fall victims to identity theft which resulted in financial loss of nearly $53 billion for private users, businesses and organizations.
What's the difference between spyware, virus and adware?
Because both viruses and spyware install themselves without user's knowledge nor consent, it's not always easy to distinguish between these two types of malware.
Normally, viruses tend to replicate, mutate and distribute over email. Some of them are designed to do harm to your system. Some of them not.
On the other hand, adware is designed exclusively to display advertisements that do not expose you to a risk, buy are irritating can distract your attention from normal work.
Spyware, however, monitors your behavior looking for passwords, credit card numbers and identity information and then sends it to criminals over the Internet.
What should I when when I suspect I've been affected by spyware?
If you suspect you've fallen victim to spyware, you should immediately unplug your PC from the Internet to prevent possible data leak. Next, you should install an effective spyware remover such as Webroot SpySweeper or PC Tools Spyware Doctor and perform a thorough system scan. The programs listed on this website are the best spyware removal software available today, so you can pick any of them to do the job for you.
Only after you have run full system scan and installed resident anti-spyware protection, Internet access can be restored.
How can I prevent spyware on my computer?
In fact, spyware is not completely preventable because it mutates very quickly and no spyware remover can protect you 100%. However, best spyware removal software can detect up to 99.9% of infections, so you should definitively get one.
Having installed spyware removal software, you must not forget about precautions and basics of Internet safety when downloading software and files.