Spyware has been a serious threat to the privacy and online security of the broadband users as spyware can access and collect all your personal information like passwords, credit card numbers which are stored in your PC.
Some potentially dangerous spyware can even change your PC settings and can make it run slow. At times, it can be vexing to see your home pages change or the loss of important data or malfunctioning of essential programs on your PC.What is spyware? How does your system catch malware or spyware, meaning who sends such unwanted stuff on the internet? How the performance of your PC can be adversely affected?
Spyware
Spyware is, in simple words, a program that is purposefully sent to a PC to do the things which a programmer wanted it do. Most spyware are adware spyware meaning they are not so much threatening like malware. Adware often come with the free stuff that you download from the internet or when you visit certain websites. They stay in your hard disk, use the resources of your PC until you find and remove them, but they do not unstabilize your computer. They can slow down your system, though.
Malware spyware is more like a virus and immediatly corrupts very important system files and makes your PC unstable in no time. They access your personal data, steal your personal information like credit card numbers and other bank details and send them across the internet. Spyware detection and its removal becomes diffucult at times, there is no way that you can delete spyware as easily you think, it is a painful task to kill them,sometimes you even have to format your hard disk to remove spyware.
How do you download spyware?
You actually download spyware from internet, though, without your knowledge. An adware usually lets you know that you are downloading because a pop up would come and ask you whether you want to download or just want to skip.
However, spyware gets installed on your PC without your knowledge, using deceptive methods. Most people want to make free downloads – often the latest movies, or a recent popular music album or software that is otherwise very expensive. The websites, for example, torrent sites let people to download without asking a penny. But, it is possible that the uploader of the files might have included some malware (virus). We download and when we unzip or execute those files without scanning, the undetected spyware may soon attack the core of our PC, in no time.
If you download anything from the internet, it is important that you scan them first. Spyware which are purposefully installed in your PC to steal your personal information monitors your internet activities, the websites you visit, the passwords and credit card details you enter etc. There could be symptoms that show the presence of spyware or your PC could function normally depending on the resources that spyware use.
Generally, you may note following changes on your PC, when it is attacked internet spyware.
- Unstable internet connection. Very slow or frequent disconnections.
- Change of your home page
- Performance of antivirus, firewall is affected.
- Unwanted programs, sites, popups
- Sometimes your system may collapse
- Protecting your PC from Spyware.
Spyware removal and protection from their attack.
- As we said, you cannot delete spyware like a file. You need to detect what spyware it is, so you need the best antispyware software to do all these things – detection, removing the spyware and cleaning your system of all such wanted harmful programs.
- The best way to protect your PC from spyware is take preventive methods when you use your internet connection. While you can get antispyware to protect your PC, it is equally important that you are able to distinguish anything suspicious from a useful program like cookies. Please follow the simple steps to make sure that no spyware can reach your PC.
- Spyware also enters your PC via suspicious emails like spam, don’t open as it may lead to installation of some malware including spyware.
- If you find it is a spam, use the spam protection feature provided in the email account.
- When you download software, shareware from dubious sites, make sure that any spyware is not installed with that software. It is better to avoid downloading such software.
- Use an efficient antispyware. Antispyware provides realtime security against spyware meaning they can block spyware from accessing your PC and would prompt as soon any spyware try to access your PC. They not only check for spyware in your hardware but also prevent spyware from getting into your PC while you are browsing.
- Some antivirus programs come with additional antispyware protection features. They can save your money as well as provide complete security.