How You Can Put An End To Spyware

Three important facts will help you understand the seriousness of computer problems caused by spyware:

Fact 1: A recent survey by NCSA (National Cyber Security Alliance) concluded that 90% of all PCs are infected with spyware.

Fact 2: Another survey by a software manufacturer estimates that each computer is infected by 28 different spyware.

Fact 3: It has been estimated by Microsoft that 50% of all system crashes are caused by spyware.

A spyware can be termed as an illegal software, program or a cookie that accesses your computer without your consent, with the intention of misusing, altering or stealing the information or settings of your system.

The advent of internet has increased the probability of assault on your computer by manifolds. These attacks can be in the form of viruses or spyware. While most of the users are aware of the potential threat posed by computer viruses, they are unaware of the magnitude of the threat caused by spy software.

The spyware are commonly used for following illegal purposes:

  1. To collect information about your internet browsing patters.
  2. To generate pop-up advertisements on your computer while browsing.
  3. To steal financial information like credit card or bank account no.
  4. To perform Identity theft and retrieve personal information such as your name, security no. , and so on.
  5. To run commands, such as iexplore.exe that are similar to legitimate Windows files and eat up your system resources.

There are various ways through which a spyware can access your system. They may enter your computer through shareware of free software downloaded by you. Visiting some dubious websites also cause spyware infections. Such malicious software can also come along with HTML emails.

Once your computer is infected with spyware, you may notice symptoms like a slow down in computer speed, frequent system crashes, increased pop-up ads, change in browser home page, new tools appearing on your browser and so on.

When infected, you must immediately take the following steps to put an end to spyware infection:

  1. Install an Internet Firewall to ensure that your system only receives information that is required and trustworthy.
  2. Keep your operating system updated to remove any security loopholes that can be exploited by viruses and spyware. Microsoft provides free updates and patches to take care of flaws in the operating system.
  3. Install a reliable anti-spyware that will not only remove existing spyware, but also provide real-time protection from any spyware trying to enter your computer. Also, make sure to keep your anti-spyware completely updated.
  4. Practice safe internet procedures. Be very careful while downloading free software and avoid visiting dubious websites. Do not open email from unknown sources. You should also ensure that internet security settings of your internet browser are set to at least “medium”. When you are not using the internet, it is a good idea to disconnect the internet connection.
  5. At times, you may find it difficult to uninstall mirar and other such spyware programs even when using a good anti-spyware program, as they make changes to registry keys and are thoroughly entrenched in your system. You must install and use a good registry cleaner software on your computer that will not only help you eliminate these spyware, but will also keep your computer efficient.
  6. As many spyware are designed to exploit loopholes in Internet explorer, you may consider switching your browser to Mozilla Firefox or Opera.

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