Spyware can make your computer run as slow as molasses and pop up annoying ads, but often its primary aim is to steal your personal data.
Marketers and identity thieves may be watching your every move online. They can plant "spyware" on your computers, which collects personal information such as passwords, surfing history, and Internet search strings. They may use this information to send you pop-up advertisements, change your search results, and steal your identity.
What is Spyware?
Spyware is any kind of software that gathers and transmits information about you and your behavior without your knowledge, according to the security experts at CA. Spyware comes in many forms and goes by many names. You may not realize that your PC is infected with spyware, but you may notice that it takes longer than usual to start-up or connect to the Internet.
Adware is the name given to the software that delivers those annoying pop-up ads based on which websites you've visited, and its presence can slow your PC down to a crawl.
The toolbars that you plug into your web browser may also contain spyware. While most toolbars are helpful, others do some unexpected things. For instance, a common toolbar is WhenU.SearchNow, which can hijack your search results, presenting you with search results that are different than if you were not running it.
Hijackers are software that takes control of communications. Again, there are many forms of hijackers. A browser hijacker alters your computer's browser settings so that you are redirected to websites that you had no intention of visiting.
Some forms of spyware are annoying or offensive, but spyware like keyloggers are downright dangerous. Keyloggers can record every word you type or send over the Internet. Criminals use keyloggers to capture your passwords, account numbers and other personal information, which they can use for identity theft, fraud or other illegal activities.
Criminals can also plant backdoors on your computer. Backdoors are software that criminals use to gain unauthorized access to your computer. Using a backdoor, a criminal can do virtually everything that you can do on your computer when you're in front of it -- even though he might be on the other side of the world.
Backdoors can be used to control computers as part of a "botnet." Botnets are a serious problem, taking advantage of unprotected computers connected to the Internet. With more computers at home that are connected to the Internet via always-on broadband connections, individuals who don't keep their computer security protections current are putting themselves at even greater risk. Once part of a botnet, criminals can use your computers without your knowledge or permission to send spam, viruses or conduct other unwanted activities.
How You Get It, How You Get Rid of It
You can inadvertently infect your computer with spyware or other malicious software by clicking on links in e-mails or opening file attachments. The criminals are increasingly clever, so these days you don't have to "do" anything for your computer to be infected. You can get spyware simply by visiting a malicious website in what's known as a drive-by download. The website can take advantage of security holes in some of your computer software to install unwanted or malicious software like spyware.
File sharing via peer-to-peer networks is another common source of spyware and other malicious software. Many "free" software programs actually contain malicious software. It's particularly important to educate your kids about the dangers of downloading software from peer-to-peer networks. Spyware and adware also come bundled into software that you intentionally download, such as a free screensaver or a toolbar.
Spyware can be extremely difficult to remove manually, so the best defense is a good offense. Make sure that your computers have anti-spyware software as a part of their security protections, which should include antivirus and desktop firewall software. Be sure to choose an anti-spyware solution that both detects and removes spyware, adware and other non-viral malicious code to protect your confidential data and the performance of your PCs.
You should be wary of anti-spyware software from unknown sources or origins, because some of these applications are fakes. These rogue security programs pretend to provide a service to you, but in actuality they try to trick you into paying for the ineffective detection and removal capabilities they advertise. Some of these rogue programs actually contain malicious software, while others are just useless. After scaring you into thinking your computer has spyware, the software offers to sell you a fix that will remove the supposed problem. After you pay up, the scheme will either undo the damage or offer no resolution at all.
CA Internet Security Suite 2007 provides all the computer security you need to prevent theft of personal data, and stop viruses, worms, trojans and spyware. It will also block spam and pop-ups and prevent hacker attacks. CA Internet Security Suite 2007 has "real-time spyware protection that prevents and removes unwanted ActiveX controls, Browser Helper Objects and browser toolbars; prevents malicious changes to the Windows Hosts file; and protects Internet Explorer settings, including your home page, favorites and search pages."