What is spyware?
In general, spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Data collecting programs that are installed with the user’s knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared.
Some websites or banner advertisers install tracking software, or spyware, on your computer. It sends information about your surfing habits to the installer to allow them to better target the advertising they send you. You are not notified that spyware has been installed and there is no way for you to know what data is being sent or who is collecting it. Because these spyware programs are always running in the background when your computer is on, they can significantly slow down your computer’s operation.
Spyware, also known as Malware, is potentially far more dangerous threat than Adware because it can record your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information. Spyware is often sold as a spouse monitor, child monitor, a surveillance tool or simply as a tool to spy on users to gain unauthorised access. Spyware is also known as snoopware, PC surveillance, key logger, system recorders, Parental control software, PC recorder, Detective software and Internet monitoring software.
Spyware is a small program that can sit on your PC and spy on your Internet activity without your knowledge. Fraudsters use spyware to steal your personal data, so your privacy can be threatened. This information can then be sold or passed on to advertisers or other third parties. Spyware can track the web pages that you visit and the files that you download, to create a profile of your Internet usage. Once installed, spyware can: Monitor your Internet usage Take a log of your typing on your keyboard and websites. This can be used to obtain usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. Change your homepage making it difficult to reset it. This is known as Homepage Hijacking. Cause excessive pop-up advertisements. This is known as Adware. Monitor browsing habits to gather information regarding your preferences, in order to personalise pop-up advertisements. Although not really damaging, this can be very annoying. Redirect you to web pages you didnt want to visit Slowing down you
Spyware has been around for a number of years but has become a common way for legitimate and malicious parties to gain information about your computer habits. Though some forms of spyware are legal, malicious code can be used to modify your computer to go to sites other then you requested. A simple example is a modification to the .host. file on your computer. Most computers have this file though it is rarely modified. If an entry is put into the host file to resolve the domain www.austintelco.org to an IP address of 192.168.2.1, then when a user attempts to browse to that url, their computer will use the entry from the host file rather then performing a DNS lookup. Since spyware can be loaded onto your computer through web browsing or applications downloaded via the internet, it is difficult to defend against.
