Spyware

Have you ever experienced doing a rush and intensive research on the Internet, only to have the site you are navigating intermittently redirected to other non-useful sites? After rebooting, you found out that your computer setting has mysteriously changed, and the worst thing of all - you are missing important computer programs! Chances are, you are a victim of a spyware.

A spyware is a kind of computer program that is installed in a personal computer through stealth, without the knowledge or consent of the user. Spyware are installed for malicious reasons, including tracking and accessing user information particularly personal data and profiles, monitoring patterns of actions like the user's frequently visited sites on the Internet, and mocking the design and security features of established applications or programs.

Aside from unauthorized access to the user's private data, spyware can mangle the computer set-up itself, interfering with browser activity which opens up risks to virus infection on harmful websites, alter computer settings and delete legitimate programs installed. Simply put, spyware disrupts a computer user's working environment and leaves the user's privacy vulnerable to crimes like identity theft.

A spyware enters a computer system when a user unknowingly installs it into the PC setup. Authors of spyware use deceitful methods to trick users into installing this electronic nuisance. One method is by presenting them as a useful utility, usually through rouged applications (presenting itself as a security software) and Trojan horse (posing as a simple free application like screensavers, e-greeting cards or ad pop-ups).

Another method is by attaching spyware into legitimate software. These include piggybacking (using a legitimate software's secure backdoor) and bundling itself with other downloadable software like shareware.

A third method involves using the browser's (particularly Internet Explorer) very own security features by activating installation when users execute actions involving links and ActiveX components. Some spyware authors diligently study legitimate programs and applications like Javascript,Internet Explorer and Microsoft Windows for design and security flaws and exploit these flaws for the spyware's automatic installation.