Thursday 29 March 2007

Spyware Symptoms

There are spyware symptoms that tell you when your computer is infected. From a slow PC or network, to new toolbars, to erratic search results and a brand new default homepage that you didn't ask for, beware of these symptoms hinting at your pc being infected.

When we talk about spyware symptoms, we talk about both how you get spyware and what the symptoms of having spyware in your system are. Knowing this can help you in choosing an effective antispyware and adware removal tool.

Spyware is a major threat to security and privacy since it monitors your computer activity without you being aware of it and relays that information to someone who wants to use this information for commercial purposes.

How Spyware Comes Into Your Computer

Usually spyware shows up as irritating pop ups or spam that you obviously don't want. The Trojans behave like viruses. You unwittingly allow spyware into your computer when you browse the web or through Peer to peer file-sharing programs where spyware gets bundled within the programs you download. More surprisingly, though you could be installing legitimate software, and the spyware and adware would be incorporated in it, especially with free downloads like screen savers. You agree to an end user agreement that runs to several pages and when you consent to the download, you have already given permission to let all the spyware in!

The Effects Of Spyware

How do you suspect you have spyware in your system? Here's how:

Slow, Slower, Slowest: Your PC or network is slow, and it takes longer to shut down or boot. It takes longer to connect to the Internet and the connection speeds are significantly slower. Just a couple of adware programs can affect your pc drastically. Bandwidth is wasted since spyware is using it to send its own info.

What's that new toolbar: Some spyware hijacker programs just present you with toolbars you never asked for, that quietly spy on you.A new desktop shortcut? Another irritating freebie from your spyware.

A brand new default homepage that's up to no good: You certainly didn't ask for it. And worse still, your spyware wont let you change it. Or visit websites of your choice.

You didn't look for it: When you browse and search, your spyware comes up with search results quite different from what you ought to have got, and then they direct you to websites of their own choice.

Error pages: When a particular URL you looked for can't be found, error hijackers just show strange new error pages. Sometimes they show pages loaded with full page ads you just cant seem to close. Adware can really mess up your computer and make it barely functional.

Removing Spyware

Spyware removal is not easy and quite risky. Spyware uninstallers do not completely uninstall and sometimes reinstall themselves. They rewrite your registry. So just install an antispyware solution that finds and removes all spyware and adware cleanly. Protect your pc.

This article is free for republishingSource: http://www.articlealley.com
Occupation: Site Admin, technical expert and author.

A Singh is the Technical Head of http://www.pcmantra.com, a leading company in the business of development of computer security and PC performance enhancing software such as our registry cleaner: http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm , Window Cleaner, and Anti Spam Filter. The author is an expert in the issues related to Registry and PC performance. You can read all the articles written by him at: http://www.pcmantra.com/resourcecenter.aspx
http://www.pcmantra.com

Sick of Spam?

There is nothing worst than spam, and I don't mean the edible type. Spam that fills your mail box with possible viruses and spyware. It is such a waste of time sifting through the spam to find legitamate emails.

There are ways to combat this and one is 'MySpamBin'. This spam filter elimnate 98% of spam and you will need no software, hardware or maintenance. It really is effortless email security. MySpamBinis a resilient and cost effective solution that ensures very high levels of email security. Not just anti-spam and anti-virus technology, but a complete email management system.

Once you have purchased the filter it is a fast and easy to implement and quick and easy to activate and manage. It is highly configurable for groups, department and individual policies can be created and maintained. It is hastle free, resource efficient which frees up bandwidth storage and IT resources.

For more information visit www.myspambin.com.

Your 'No' Could Mean 'Yes' To A Trojan

Similar to viruses, Trojans copy, distribute and kill your data. Obviously since you would never permit these actions, Trojans do not bother to ask for your permission.

Trojans are deceptive programs which don't take no for an answer. Any keystroke means yes to them. They are mainly designed to steal your data from your pc. But if you have antispyware guarding your pc, you need not worry.

What Are Trojans?

Basically Trojans appear quite harmless. They quietly enter your computer, either as email attachments or bundled in with other software programs. They are a kind of spyware. Spyware works by keeping track of what you do when you browse the web without you being aware of it. It is quite irritating and can cause major problems if you don't use any antispyware program to keep your pc clean.

Trojans are one of the worst kinds of spyware that eventually destroy your data after stealing it. There are some Trojans called remote administration tools, which permit access to your computer every time you log in - and you won't even know it. Whoever accesses your pc can easily pick up files from your system, remove or add programs, and even control your keystrokes.

How Trojans Land Into Your PC

Similar to viruses, Trojans copy, distribute and kill your data. Obviously since you would never permit these actions, Trojans do not bother to ask for your permission. The spyware installer does not care about the means used to rob your data. It is well known that there are many Internet marketers who trick you into installing certain software bundled in with Trojan spyware into your computer. They use a pop up ad to attract you, and then as if you want to install it. Whether you say yes or no is irrelevant. Even if you say no, they follow up with another pop up ad to ask if you are really sure. In spite of clicking no, your keystroke simply sets off a download into your computer without your being aware of it.

Drive by downloads are a common method for Trojan spyware to sneak in to your pc. Here is what happens - you browse a website and see a popup asking if you want to download something and the way it asks you, you sometimes end up saying yes, thinking that you need to download it to look at the web page. So when you say yes, it looks like you are allowing the download. If you say no, you are hounded by pop ups that wait for you to just click to start off the download, making it happen without your knowledge.

Everyday there are new ways being devised by spyware installers to get into your system. Get antispyware software to control this and keep your pc free of spies!

This article is free for republishingSource: http://www.articlealley.com/
Occupation: Site Admin, technical expert and author.

A Singh is the Technical Head of http://www.pcmantra.com, a leading company in the business of development of computer security and PC performance enhancing software such as our registry cleaner: http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm , Window Cleaner, and Anti Spam Filter. The author is an expert in the issues related to Registry and PC performance. You can read all the articles written by him at: http://www.pcmantra.com/resourcecenter.aspx
http://www.pcmantra.com/

Facts You Should Know About Spyware

Every PC user must control and arrest spyware through antispyware and adware removal tools. Spyware comes in various forms and the most commonly found is the illegally installed spyware. It is used to secretly get information in unethical ways, which is why good antispyware software needs to be used against it.Spyware Avatars

As software that picks up information from your computer without your consent, Spyware assumes many forms. It can be Trojans, web bugs, adware and commercial software that are used to keep an eye over someone's computer to track what they are doing or to illegally get their secret information like passwords to bank accounts etc. Trojan software gets into your system by duping you into thinking it is something else, just like viruses. Web bugs come as ActiveX controls and cookies that just follow you around as you browse the web. Once they know your habits, they show you popups with advertisements they think you might be interested in. This sort of software or remote administration software can be stopped by firewalls.

The commercial computer monitoring spyware software includes URL recorders, key loggers, chat and screen recorders, program loggers etc. and antispyware can guard you from this. The key loggers just track all your keystrokes, which means just about everything you do on your computer. Then you have those screen loggers that can just take a picture of your screen, in spite of you having firewalls installed.Can Cleaning Your Registry Or Deleting Your Startup Items Help?
The problem with spyware and adware is that they run as hidden files so they don't show up on the task list, the registry, or the startup items. They lodge themselves where startup cleaners cannot find them and they run invisibly. But good antispyware software or adware cleaner can find them and eliminate them.

The seriousness of running antispyware cannot be emphasized enough; just as business people use legal spyware to legitimately keep track of their employees' online activities, employees who hold grudges can also spy on their bosses illegally. They could steal credit card numbers or trade information off to competitors.Is Spyware Software Legal?
Generally quite a few spyware is legal, for example, when an employer has it in the computers used by his staff and the staff is aware of it. But it is illegal to install spyware on someone else's computer without their knowledge.

Spyware is evolving by the minute and it is not mandatory for a spy to be near your computer to spy on you. It can be done in many dangerous ways. In spite of being viewed as a criminal offence, illegal adware and spyware is being installed to secretly get information in unethical ways. Make sure you get a reliable antispyware or a combination of adware removal programs that can keep your computer clean and safe.

This article is free for republishingSource: http://www.articlealley.com
Occupation: Site Admin, technical expert and author.
A Singh is the Technical Head of http://www.pcmantra.com, a leading company in the business of development of computer security and PC performance enhancing software such as our registry cleaner: http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm , Window Cleaner, and Anti Spam Filter. The author is an expert in the issues related to Registry and PC performance. You can read all the articles written by him at: http://www.pcmantra.com/resourcecenter.aspx
http://www.pcmantra.com