What Is Spyware?

Spyware is a type of spyware which when installed on our system then it started to gather the information of the user of a computer without their knowledge and send the information to another entity. Spyware is hidden from the user in order to gather information about internet interaction, keystrokes (also known as keylogging), passwords, and other valuable data. Spyware can also negatively affect a computer’s performance by installing additional software, redirecting web browser searches, changing computer settings, reducing connection speeds, changing the homepage or even completely disrupting network connection ability.

Types Of Spyware

Adware

Adwares are used by the advertising And shopping businesses to know about your purchasing habits, preferences, household income, family composition and other demographic facts to better target advertising to entice you to buy from them and not competitors. If a marketing firm finds that you are an avid hiker, they will flood you with pop-up ads selling everything from boots to backpacks.

Keyboard Logger

This type of spyware is used by hackers. This spyware so designed that it can easily steal the user's personal information by logging the actual keystrokes typed by users on their computer. When users enter a PIN, password, or credit card number the keyword logger records it for the hacker.


Modem Hijacker

Modem hijackers tie into your phone line to make unauthorized calls and access member websites through your online connection. Usually, this spyware program is used to phone premium rate phone numbers and access elicit websites such as porno sites. You don't know about the access and calls until you see the unauthorized charges on your bill.

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Browser Hijacker

Browser hijacker spyware affects your Internet access by resetting your homepage and bookmarks. The goal is to direct you to undesirable sites with advertising spam. These programs are also data miners, recording your browsing activities and selling the information to advertisers.

Commercial Spyware

Not all spyware is unauthorized. In some cases, companies that provide free software and social networking platforms require you to agree to monitor with spyware in order to access their systems. They then direct targeted advertising at you when you use their system. In this case, you trade some of your privacy to access free software.


This software is sold for use by employers, employees, spouses, private investigators, identity thieves and others for one purpose: to record everything you do on your computer ... silently. These include URL recorders, keyloggers, chat monitors, screen recorders, program loggers, and more. While it may have legitimate uses such as monitoring your child’s Internet access or ensuring that employees do not access inappropriate websites on company time, it can be readily abused by unscrupulous people. Imagine the damage that could be done if an industrial spy got this on a PC belonging to a CEO or a Research & Development department.

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Web Bugs

Web Bugs are a form of adware that can track what you’re doing online, return that information to a third party, and allow them to pop-up ads or just monitor you for demographic purposes. While these forms of spyware are intrusive, they usually do not collect any personally identifiable information, just demographics. The spyware programs certainly load executable programs and take up resources running in your computer and can, usually by accident or poor design, interfere with your own programs or operating system causing unforeseen, unexplained crashes or abnormal behavior. The most often seen effect of adware is a general slow-down of your PC as more and more resources are diverted to the spyware programs and fewer resources are available for your own use.


Effects Of Spyware

● Spyware record the keystrokes such as usernames, passwords, email, phone number, physical address, name, credit card number, etc. Saved on your computer browser.

● Spyware reduces the processing speed of a computer and hence computer runs unusually slow --Spyware could be hogging the system's resources.

● Spyware reads the files stored on your computer.

● Ads are popping up even when your browser isn't open, or they are addressing you by name.

● Spyware Watch your word processing program.

●Your browser's home page has been changed without you doing anything.

● You have invasive toolbars appearing in your browser.

● Spyware read the cookies of the computer.

● Your antispyware and/or antivirus programs aren't working correctly. Like viruses, some spyware will sabotage the programs designed to detect and eliminate them.

● Spyware can update themselves leading to more and worse malware.

● There's a dramatic increase in Internet traffic, soaking up bandwidth on your Internet connection, making it slow.

● Unauthorized charges on your phone bill for 900 number pay-per-call phone calls that you didn't make.