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Who's
Spying on You?
April 15, 2004
Spyware…the very name sounds sinister, crafty, and threatening.
Is it lurking inside your computer? Why should you care? According
to the campus computing help desk, IT Express, spyware is the
culprit of many students’ computing woes.
What is spyware and adware?
Spyware is software that gathers marketing information about
you-- such as which sites you visit on the web, and how long
you stay at those sites. Adware is a little more overt than
spyware: it is a component by which you view ads in lieu of
paying for software applications.
Where does spyware come from?
Spyware and adware “piggyback” onto other programs
you choose to download. Tucked away in the fine print of user
agreements for many “free” downloads and services
is a stipulation that the company will use spyware to monitor
your web habits for business purposes You may choose to keep
certain spyware programs on your computer in exchange for the
free services that accompany them, but you should be aware of
how that might affect your computer.
What is the risk?
The two basic risks of allowing spyware and adware programs
onto your computer are:
- Compromised privacy - you may not want information about
your web habits and other personal information sent to a third
party.
- Computer dysfunction- You could have hundreds of spy or
ad packages loaded on your computer without even being aware
of it. These programs hog CPU space, slow down your machine,
use your internet connection to transmit information back
to data collection sites, and can lead to general computer
dysfunction. One of the most widely-used Web browsers, Internet
Explorer is especially susceptible to dysfunction due to spyware.
How do I know if I am at high risk for system problems
due to spyware or adware?
If you often download software from the Internet without checking
the user agreement, especially peer-to-peer software such as
Kazaa, you are probably getting spyware along with it. Users
of Internet Explorer will most likely feel the effects of spyware
sooner, since it is the web browser targeted most by spyware-authors.
How can I detect spyware and root it out of my system?
Anti-spyware programs can detect and remove spyware from your
computer.
PC users can try these anti-spyware and anti-adware programs:
Although spyware problems have been uncommon for Macintosh
users, anti-spyware tools such as Aladdin Internet Cleanup (available
at http://www.aladdinsys.com/)
are now available for the Macintosh.
Tips for avoiding spyware-related problems:
- Try using the web browser, Mozilla, which is available
on the Internet Tools CD at the UCD Bookstore Computer Shop
for less than $5.
- Read the user agreement for free programs before clicking,
“I accept.” Know what you are downloading!
- Regularly scan your computer with an anti-spyware program.
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