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Monday, March 17, 2008

Adware and Spyware Software

When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative adware and spyware article should help you focus on the central points.

Adware is any software application software which makes banners appear the whole time it is in function. Also, the adware program can install components that will transmit information about the user and its behavior and this work on his PC. Unlike spyware programs, the user is asked when the program is being installed. Actually, an adware application is the application that, along with its basic functionality, has a different one, the one that makes it show commercials once in a while, downloaded periodically from certain internet servers.

Spyware is a program, usually downloaded from the internet, which sends information about the user without him knowing it, every time he connects to the internet. Usually, the packages sent contain marketing information and not confidential information, although some programs can do that too.

Even if some applications are both adware and spyware, this is not a generally true situation. Most of the times spyware applications have installed themselves and they are working without the user knowing it, opposing the adware applications that cannot be installed without the consent of the user.

For a long time quality and free software was installed and used for free but once the complexity of the programs became greater their costs have risen till the point the developers just had to find out methods to diminuate them. One of the easiest ways was delivering along with their programs application like adware and spyware. On the other hand, many commercial programs became usable freely and legally by passing the line to the adware category.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

From the harmless intention of showing some commercials and till elements of analyzing and stocking information about the user and his software or hardware configuration the developers had to install on the target computer supplementary modules. If at the beginning it was only an engine that downloaded commercials and showed them in pre-calculated windows, the adware industry has evolved and grew a great bit since then. Now they use different instruments, from altering your browser and its settings and till launching background applications that monitor your PC activity.

Among the effects that follow installing spyware and adware are the next ones:

- Adding links to various magazines
- Adding new commercials on the web pages, sometimes replacing the existent ones
- Monitoring browser behavior in commercial purposes.
- Gaining access to passwords and credit cards.
- Slowing down the computer.
- In some cases they can call telephone numbers with high costs.
- Changing the browser's homepage in commercial purposes.
- Strange icons and new software might appear on the desktop.

You can enter their online sites and try the services for free, then decide what to use.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of adware and spyware. Share your new understanding about adware and spyware with others. They'll thank you for it.

About the Author:
Hans Hasselfors is the founder of http://www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com. You may find varied adware and spyware articles in our article

Computer Virus Scan, Your 24/7 Dutiful Guard

Computers nowadays will not last without the installations of a good anti virus software. It is recommended that a frequent computer virus scan be done to ensure that your computer has not been infected with a virus. Most of us have probably experienced computer defaults caused by a virus attack and feel that you are not safe enough from hackers. So, keep your computer safe from these dangerous virus threats.

Install Computer Virus Scan software and protect your personal data from hackers, detect and remove spywares, adwares and web dialers. Virus scan softwares also restore your computer if it is already infected. They will detect the infections and have them removed, deleted or quarantined.

Imagine having a malicious program destroying your files and computer in seconds? These could be files that you have worked so hard for. So why not secure your computer? Nobody wants his hard disk destroyed, personal information stolen and files erased.

With the growing number of viruses - worms, trojans and other hazards that can easily infect your computer, protecting your PC has never been more important. Especially now that computers has been given a more important role in our daily lives.

The availability of virus scan softwares and the development of new programs in the light of this problem put an ease to many of the computer owners. Virus scan destroys all viruses which could have penetrated into the system mostly, cleaning up takes only but a few seconds.

While at first install it would do a thorough computer virus scan to ensure that there is no virus hiding anywhere in your pc. After that it would do occasional computer virus scans to maintain the cleanliness of your computer.

Computer virus scan programs also detect potentially unwanted applications like spyware, adware, web dialers and more.

Advanced antivirus technology detects and removes all latest versions of worm, email, download and other computer viruses, including Sobig, Lovsan (MSBlaster), Bugbear, Palyh, Fizzer, Klez, Sircam, Nimda, CIH, "I love you" virus, "Anna Kournikova" virus, Hahaha, Badtrans, Vbs funlove letter, Melissa and many other worm, back door and Trojan Horse viruses.

With a computer virus scanner on duty, you will almost never contract a virus. You can surf the Internet safely, read your emails and download files without being worried about viruses.


After installing a computer virus scanner, it will act as a 24/7 guard to your computer. Tirelessly it will guard your computer against attacks from viruses and preventing harm from other malicious software.

The background scanner will operate continuously, watching for viruses as you are using your computer for everyday tasks. You do not have to do anything. In the software, a computer virus scanner will perform this function and do the entire job automatically, in the background, ensuring the safety of your computer. Or, if you wish, you can configure it to schedule, run and manage your own scan operations.

The scanner starts when you start your computer, and stays in memory until you shut it or your system down. The scanner also includes optional features that keep your computer from connecting to dangerous Internet sites.

If you plug-in permanently or just connect periodically to the Internet, computer virus scan softwares automatically checks for the latest virus definitions, patches and fixes -- then updates itself automatically. This is your first line of defense against computer viruses. In some anti virus software they can also be your second, third and fourth.

S. Stammberger is the owner of Computer
Virus Helpers
. Her website offers articles and tools to help protect your computer against viruses.

9 Warning Signs You Might Be Infected With Spyware And/Or Adware

FACT: Chances are your machine is hosting spyware. There are currently over 78,000 Spyware and Adware programs on the Internet that can affect your PC.

Here are 9 warning signs you should be aware of, if any of them pertain to you then your PC is most likely infected:

If you start you Internet browser and the homepage that pops up is not the one that has been set by you. You then change it back to what you want and then it goes back to something you didn't set again. This is one of the more common features and ways to tell that you have been taken over by some sort of spyware and that you should rid your system of it immediately.

If you get pop-ups that have been personalized with your name on them or you begin to receive pop up ads while you are not even connected to the Internet or don't have a browser open. This is one of the more annoying ways that your system will let you know that you have something other than normal operating in your system.

You start receiving very expensive phone bills that have you placing many calls to 900 numbers that you never heard and ones that have hefty per-minute rates. Spyware takes over your phone line due to the connection that you have in conjunction with that phone service, whether dial-up or broadband.

You enter a searchable item into your required Internet toolbar or address bar and then all of sudden an unapproved searching system handles your search. More infamous items are infected with stuff such as Mysearch Bar and other spyware type search engines that only take you to their approved sites.

Another sure fire way to know that you have spyware operating on your system is that you have view your favorites list and you have favorite sites in their that you did not put in yourself and have found that other sites you put there are no longer found. You delete these items but they always show up again in your favorites.

Your system begins to run slower than normal. If you are a updated Windows OS user you pull up your task manager system information screen and see that your system is running at 100%, then you are infected with spyware because your system always needs a little free space in order to process information, which is why your system slows down when you have spyware on it.

At a time when you are not doing anything online, the send or receive lights on your dial-up or broadband modem blink just as wildly and lively as when you are online downloading a file or surfing the Internet. Also, your network icon on your screen will be flashing rapidly showing you that you are working on receiving and sending information from your system at a very rapid rate. This is the job of spyware here to send and receive information to your system without telling you.

A search toolbar or other browser toolbar appears even though you didn't request it or install it. Your attempts to remove it fail, or it comes back after removal. Parts of spyware registry files hide themselves in your system under aliases and unless you find all of them and remove them, then they will never leave your system, causing them to show up over and over again.

And the final sign is: Everything appears to be running normal but the most deceptive and devious spyware leaves no tracking information for you to find it anyway. This is the sure way to get you to check your system on a routine and regular basis so that you are sure you have no signs of an infection.

When not on his soapbox, Andrew Wroblewski is doing battle with the thousands of spyware programs that can affect you via his anti-spyware and spyware removalwebsite: http://spyware.pcwash.com where you can get a FREE spyware scan of your computer system.

Spyware IS Good

How many times per week do you run your antivirus protection or anti-spyware or adware programs to ensure that your paranoia about having an infected machine is just that, paranoia? With so many problems in the computer infection world, one cannot really blame themselves for checking up on their system on a routine basis. However, do you ever really think about where all these programs come from because someone out there must be sending them out, they don't just appear through spontaneous generation. This makes one ponder the question as to who is sending these things?

There are thousands of spyware, adware, and Trojan horse programs that are running rampant throughout cyber space as you read this article. But if you really think about it, just as war might be considered good for the economy, these computer infestation programs are good for the economy. If you are not sure what I mean, just think about Spybot, Spyware Nuker, Adaware, and countless other detection and removal programs. This is a new sector of the economy that has only sprung up as a result of those programs that can take control of your computer.

Just as with the medical industry making billions of dollars per year on not finding cures for AIDS and cancer, because financially these cures would allow them to make less profits each. It seems like information technology companies do not want to rid the world of all the infectious programs that can endanger your PC. The reason for this is that they find profit in the misfortunes of others. The continual emergence of new Trojan or adware makes it necessary for people to spend money for protection. If this sounds familiar that is because it is the same philosophy employed by organized crime. You pay them for protection but they are not going to do anything to ultimately cure each case but just get more money from you after something happens and tell you that it is not going to happen.

In short, Spyware is good for the economy because it allows for more money to be reinvested into the market through purchasing new and updated protection programs to keep you computer clean. It makes you put more money back into the economy and allow the software creators of these protection programs to prosper. Who knows, it could be these companies that created some of these programs that you need their software to cure. Just think about it, spyware IS good.

Now that you have read that, please read this. If you believe any of that, I have an oceanfront house in Oklahoma that I can sell you at a great price. Spyware, Trojan programs, and adware are nothing but a group of programs put on this planet to annoy us at all times. Most spyware and adware programs offer you free versions of their software that is sufficient enough to monitor your system on a regular basis. Although, there are those that offer a more detailed version at a higher price, most free versions are sufficient. Spyware is not good and these programs help keep it that way. Don't believe the hype!


When not on his soapbox, Andrew Wroblewski is doing battle with the thousands of spyware programs that can affect you via his website: Spyware Removal, where you can learn how to get rid of the about:blank hijacker too.

Businesses Face Spyware Threats on a Day to Day basis.

The network administrator an a company ran a normal web activity report of all the enterprise's users and found that the employees were logging thousands of hits per day on a single site that had nothing to do with the business. What was found was not that the employees were slacking while at work, rather the network was infected with spyware that was tracking the surfers' activity then sending the information back to the web site for a third part to review and use, all without the employees' knowledge.

Spyware can and will slow a computer's bandwidth as well as cause the network to gradual decrease its speed. Many companies are beginning to worry about spyware because it has become so easy to get and install into unknowing users' computers. Most employees do not know that by clicking on a pop up or web site or by downloading free files such as a screen saver they are letting spyware into the system.

There are numerous programs available to find and delete these malicious spyware applications. Taking preventative measures against spyware will save networks much more time and money than if they wait to remove the spyware after it is already installed and doing its work. Users cannot think they are safe surfing the internet without spyware protection. It is necessary for personal and business network computers to find and use an anti-spyware program that will not only scan for current infection but also protect your computer while you are online.

The above mentioned business used Wavecrest's Cyfin monitoring program to solve their problems and detect any unusual activity occurring. Wavecrest includes a Cyblock filter so while employees are online the software is protecting against future spyware invasions. For more information on how Wavecrest's security works visit their site at wavecrest.net.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.1st-in-eliminate-spyware.com , a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.1st-in-spyware-detection.com/ as well as spyware scanner, http://www.1st-in-spyware-removal-tools.com/

Safely Surfing the Internet and staying free from Spyware.

The internet has quickly become a dangerous place to take your computer without first having sufficient security equipment installed and running. Intruders using viruses were the first threat and spyware has become the most prevalent threat against user's privacy and computer functioning. Having only anti-virus and firewall protection will no longer fully protected your computer from the many internet threats.

Signing online without first having good anti-spyware protection will now invite in privacy intruders you would not normally allow in. With spyware in you computer there is seemingly no end to the personal information that can be extracted. The information the intruder desires is easily logged by spyware programs and sent back to the originator.

Spyware can steal information about your computer's operating system, the computer's address and system specific information such as what type of processor and the type internet browsers you have. It will also record what web sites you visit and other internet usage information. All this information collected by spyware intruders is used to create a profile for you
that the intruders use for advertising purposes by bombarding you with annoying pop ups and email ads.

A spyware program with a keylogger can be potentially the most dangerous for of spyware because it works by logging each key stroked into your computer. You user names, passwords, instant message chats, email messages, credit information and more can all be caught and sold or used by third party intruders. Other forms of spyware take snapshots of your screen as you work online at different times. Any type of spyware infection should be taken seriously and measures to minimize the privacy
invasion should be taken.

Users will most likely know they have been infested with adware because it almost always come with numerous annoying pop ups that signal an infection. Spyware is usually more difficult to detect because it is programmed to work silently. As it build on your system the computer's functions will become noticeable slower and browser pages will take longer to load.

Spyware can also take control of a computer causing browser crashes among other annoying and potentially dangerous malfunctions. If you internet browser page has been abruptly changed or you printer and CD players begin acting odd they your computer is usually infected with spyware.

You can begin avoiding spyware by knowing what types of programs come with spyware or adware packages when downloaded. Many of the popular freeware and file sharing applications come with adware. Kazaa is widely known for having several adware applications piggy backing their way into your computer as does the free download of Weatherbug and DivX. The newer version of DivX has rid itself of adware so users can feel safer.

Even anti-spyware tools can trick users into installing more spyware because some of the scan and removal tools are produced by the spyware distributors. Spyware Nuker is one such programs which tells users it will eliminate spyware when it actually skips over some infections during the scan and can install or let in additional infections. The best spyware tools immunize your system and then block spyware packages from getting in the system.

Any spyware removal tool you choose to use should be updated before each scan and the scans should be run at least on a weekly basis. Many anti-spyware protective tools can be programmed to run automatically at whatever schedule you choose. Some of the top rated anti-spyware tools include AdAware, Hijack This, PestPatrol, Spybot Search and Destroy and SpySweeper and each is a free download. Once you have found a free product that suits you consider paying for a more advanced version
to get greater protection.

To continue surfing the internet safely while keeping your privacy it is vital that all users arm themselves with some sort of spyware protection tool. Many computer malfunctions and technical support calls stem from spyware infections.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.1st-in-eliminate-spyware.com , a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.1st-in-spyware-detection.com/ as well as spyware scanner, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/

Steps Forward in Fighting Spyware

During 2004 there were significant strides in the battle against spyware which will change the future of the invasive threats. The Federal Trade Commission and the United States Congress addressed several issues involving spyware in an effort to minimize the threats coming from the quickly growing industry. Before these spyware issues were brought to government attention spyware was known to be nearly anything that was an internet related threat.

There is now a formal definition telling that spyware is "software that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge and which may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge." Also working against spyware, the congress passed several bills to stop spyware from installing and running itself on someone's computer without their knowledge.

Most spyware distributors were able to sneak around the news laws set into place by the legislation passed by making their spy software more difficult to remove. Spyware will install unwanted toolbars, show pop ups, alter security settings, change your browser home page and change or delete system files. Other forms of spyware can log each key stroke you make and then send or sell it to unknown parties.

Spybot Search and Destroy and Lavasoft's AdAware programs are available to personal computer users for free to combat spyware threats. On the other side, spyware companies approached their invasive methods in a different way by coaxing users into buying their products which would then install spyware. To stop these efforts by spyware the FTC filed suits against Seismic Entertainment Productions and SmartBot.net who were selling their spyware to be installed as an anti-spyware product.

These companies' programs, Spy Wiper and Spy Deleter, would send warning messages to users that their system had spyware and by purchasing and installing on of these programs the threats could be detected and removed. On the contrary, the programs would bombard a user's computer with pop ups and install additional spyware, causing computer malfunctions.

PestPatrol is another example of spyware companies' stealth like methods. This popular anti-spyware product will actually detect spyware applications on a fresh computer with Windows XP that has not been connected to the internet yet. This is usually a definite sign of rogue spyware. These false claims by anti-spyware products are partially the reason why it is estimated nine out of ten computers are infected with spyware.

Studies done by industry experts at IDC have predicted the spyware market will grow up to $400 million dollars by 2008. Major security companies such as McAfee and Symantec are already beginning to include anti-spyware software in their product packages. Yahoo, Earthlink and Microsoft have also joined the anti-spyware world, releasing their versions of spyware removal tools.

By Microsoft breaking into the anti-spyware world several smaller spyware tool companies may be smashed because users will most likely prefer the trusted company's software over an unknown.


Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.1st-in-eliminate-spyware.com , a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.1st-in-spyware-detection.com/ as well as spyware scanner, http://www.1st-in-spyware-removal-tools.com/