There is no such thing as a free lunch, and one of the costs of using free content on the web is the risk of spyware.
Fortunately, building smart habits for using the internet can dramatically reduce the risk.
Spyware is a piece of software that does not benefit the computer user and is usually installed without the user's full knowledge.
The first way that spyware can benefit the software's developer is to drive traffic to a website that earns him or her money.
Whether through pop-up advertisements for the website or redirecting the user's browser automatically to the site, the developer gains visitors to his or her own site or a client's site.
The second way is to record the user's behavior, thus the "spy" in spyware.
The software can monitor the sites that the user visits and, most insidiously, record the user's keystrokes.
The developer can then have access to the user's name, passwords, and even credit card information.
Without the user knowing it, the spyware installs itself and runs in the background of the computer.
Downloading peer-to-peer clients is the most well known source of spyware.
Since the P2P software is free, the provider makes money by bundling the software with spyware, which is actually stated in small print buried in the software agreement.
Spyware can also be bundled with games, screen savers, and other free software.
Malware can also be installed through pop-up ads.
When the user clicks on the button in the pop-up that reads "Close" or "Cancel," the button actually begins the download of the software.
Lastly, spyware can sneak into a user's computer through vulnerabilities in the web-browser itself.
So how can you protect yourself from spyware? Here are some tips:
Fortunately, building smart habits for using the internet can dramatically reduce the risk.
Spyware is a piece of software that does not benefit the computer user and is usually installed without the user's full knowledge.
The first way that spyware can benefit the software's developer is to drive traffic to a website that earns him or her money.
Whether through pop-up advertisements for the website or redirecting the user's browser automatically to the site, the developer gains visitors to his or her own site or a client's site.
The second way is to record the user's behavior, thus the "spy" in spyware.
The software can monitor the sites that the user visits and, most insidiously, record the user's keystrokes.
The developer can then have access to the user's name, passwords, and even credit card information.
Without the user knowing it, the spyware installs itself and runs in the background of the computer.
Downloading peer-to-peer clients is the most well known source of spyware.
Since the P2P software is free, the provider makes money by bundling the software with spyware, which is actually stated in small print buried in the software agreement.
Spyware can also be bundled with games, screen savers, and other free software.
Malware can also be installed through pop-up ads.
When the user clicks on the button in the pop-up that reads "Close" or "Cancel," the button actually begins the download of the software.
Lastly, spyware can sneak into a user's computer through vulnerabilities in the web-browser itself.
So how can you protect yourself from spyware? Here are some tips:
- Obviously, the first step is to install a spyware blocker.
Especially if it is part of an internet security package that includes an anti-virus, this should be a mandatory part of every computer.
It is so important that it is worth paying for a quality program from a well-known company.
Not only can free spyware blockers be ineffective, sometimes they can be actual spyware masquerading as anit-spyware. - Be very careful with what you download.
Most websites that are worth visiting can display multimedia through just a few common plug-ins: Adobe's Flash, Apple's Quicktime, Sun's Javascript, and perhaps Real Player and Window's Media Player.
If you go to a site that asks you to download a new plug-in, click "no.
" You will almost never need it.
Furthermore, avoid download games and other applications just for fun; if they are not bundled with spyware, they at least will bloat your computer and make it run a little slower.
If you need to download a program, do so from a well-known source.
CNET's Download page is a reliable source. - When pop-ups do appear, close them with hot-keys instead of clicking on a button inside the pop-up.
Hot keys are keyboard combinations that perform common tasks.
In this case, you can close the active window on your screen by hitting ALT and F4 (MS Windows) or CMD and W (Mac OSX).
Since the pop-up is the active window when it appears, hitting the hot key combination will close it quickly and safely.
I found this tip on this article: http://knol.
google.
com/k/anonymous/blocking-spyware-is-a-habit/2qjzv3ttqs6xz/1# - Be smart about email.
Though opening a mysterious email is discouraged, opening a mysterious attachment is forbidden.
Only open email attachments that you are expecting from people you know.
If you receive an unexpected email with an attachment from someone you know, send them a quick reply asking him or her about the attachment.
Email attachments are a very common source of spyware and virus, especially ones that end in the ".
exe". - Since MSWindows is the most common family of operating systems, almost all spyware is written or it.
Using Mac OSX is much safer; using Linux is even more so.
Avoiding Internet Explorer is even easier.
Because IE is tied so closely to the Windows operating system, it is especially vulnerable to spyware.
I recommend using Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Opera as your web browser.
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