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Home Small Biz Advice General What Is Spyware?
What Is Spyware?

    

When you turn on your computer, you expect that everything will run smoothly.  Sometimes it doesn’t work that way.  Computers do have problems and one common problem is spyware.

We’ve all heard of spyware, but what is it?  It sounds so ominous and scary.  The truth is that spyware is scary and dangerous for your computer and anything that you've saved on your hard drive.

You access the Internet via your computer.  If you see a program that you like, you download it.  Many people don’t pay attention to the messages that pop up before a download begins.  They warn about site certificates and verifications.  Not paying attention could create a pathway for spyware to sneak in.

Spyware and viruses slow down the functioning of a computer.  One day your laptop is running smoothly and the next day it takes half an hour to open a Word document.  That is a telltale sign that something has gotten into the works and is fooling around.

Spyware is so named because it gains access to your computer without your knowledge.  These are programs that work behind the scenes within programs that you download.  Spyware can hide anywhere.  Free and paid downloads can contain spyware, although more freeware is affected.

If the owner of the program doesn’t tell you that there are other programs or add-ons that will also be downloaded, then they are being negligent.  Spyware that can steal your personal information makes them criminally negligent if that information is used to commit crimes such as identity theft.  

Read the fine print before agreeing to download anything.  That means the terms of use.  Even if you read it the owner could use fancy jargon to disguise their spyware attachments.  It is unscrupulous even if the purpose of using the spyware is to track customers for the owner's business.  The customer has the right to choose.

Just because something is on the Internet doesn’t make it safe.  We can be too trusting at times and take for granted the fact that all websites do not have our best interests at heart.  Some are set up with the express purpose of gaining access to your computer and messing things up.

Spyware can operate independently of the program it hides in.  Even if you uninstall the offending program, the spyware can be left behind and you won’t even know it.  Most of us are basic computer literate individuals.  Searching for spyware on our computer is beyond our forte.

Keep spyware from being a scary problem for you with a good anti-spyware program for all of your computers.  Carefully screen all of your downloads so that you can protect your personal information from being stolen.
 

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