WHAT IS A COMPUTER VIRUS?
Computer viruses are small software programs
that are designed to spread from one computer to another
and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might
corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail
program to spread itself to
other computers, or even erase everything on your hard
disk.
Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail
messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it
is essential that you never open e-mail attachments
unless you know who it's from and you are expecting it.
Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images,
greeting cards, or audio and video files.
Viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet.
They can be hidden in illicit software or other files or
programs you might download. Once a virus is on your
computer, its type or the method it used to get there is
not as important as removing it and preventing further
infection.
ABOUT ADWARE & SPYWARE
Spyware and adware, also called "malware", are files
made by publishers that allow them to snoop on your
browsing activity, see what you purchase and send you
"pop-up" ads. They can slow down your PC, cause it to
crash, record your credit card numbers and worse.
When you consider the amount of valuable personal
information stored on your PC, including credit card and
banking details, personal e-mails and documents,
shopping and browsing habits, the risks of having
software intruders become obvious. Known consequences of
spyware and adware include identity theft, computer
problems, slow Internet access, changed homepage and
favorites, and excessive numbers of pop-up adverts.
Anti-virus software and firewalls do not fully protect
your system against the majority of spyware and privacy
threats. You need to make sure you protect yourself;
Maksys will remove these programs and protect you from
further infection.
WHAT IS ADWARE?
Adware is any software application in which advertising
banners are displayed while the program is running. The
authors of these applications include additional code
that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through
pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a
computer screen. The justification for adware is that it
helps recover programming development costs and helps to
hold down the cost for the user.
adware has been criticized for occasionally including
code that tracks a user's personal information and
passes it on to third parties, without the user's
authorization or knowledge. This practice has been
dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer
security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic
Privacy Information Center.
WHAT IS SPYWARE?
Spyware is part of an overall public concern about
privacy on the Internet. spyware is Internet jargon for
Advertising Supported Software (Ad-ware). It is a way
for shareware authors to make money from a product,
other than by selling it to the users.
There are several large media companies that offer them
to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a
portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you
don't have to pay for the software and the developers
are still getting paid. If you find the banners
annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by
paying the regular licensing fee.
Spyware can come in the form of cookies; information
transmission, web bugs, and most are deliberately hidden
so users are unaware of the spyware.
WHAT IS THEIFWARE?
Thiefware is software being used in an unethical or
disagreeable manner. The term does not necessarily mean
that the software is involved in outright thievery or
other serious criminal activity as determined by law.
Some of the software mentioned places links on
victimized sites for visitors to click on, leading them
away to other competitor sites. Many site owners would
say the software is stealing visitors, which makes
thiefware an appropriate name for such services and
software.
WHAT IS PHISHING?
Phishing is an e-mail fraud method in which the
perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking email in an
attempt to gather personal and financial information
from recipients. Typically, the messages appear to come
from well known and trustworthy Web sites.
Web sites that are frequently spoofed by phishers
include PayPal, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, Bestbuy, and America
Online. A phishing expedition, like the fishing
expedition it's named for, is a speculative venture: the
phisher puts the lure hoping to fool at least a few of
the prey that encounter the bait. |
