Knowing and Understanding Spyware and Adware

Online, January 16, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Now let we try to learn and understanding about Spyware and Adware. This article I take from several website on internet. Ok now let we begin.

Spyware is a type of malware that is similar to but different form computer viruses. Like a Trojan horse, spyware typically gets installed in the background when you're installing another program, without your knowledge or consent. Unlike a virus, however, spyware doesn't replicate itself; its job is to spy on your system, not to spread itself to another computers.

That's right, spyware surreptitiously sends information about the way you use your PC to some interested third party. And that's not a good thing.

How Spyware Works

Just what type of information does spyware monitor? Here's a short list of what a spyware program could do:

1. Record the addresses of each web page you visit
2. Record the contents of each email you send or receive-along with email
addresses of people you correspond with
3. Record the contents of all the instant messages you send or receive-along
with the usernames and addresses of your IM partners
4. Record the entire contents of each chat room you visit-and log the usernames
and addresses of other channel members
5. Record every keystroke you type with your computer keyboard-including
usernames, passwords, and other personal information
6. Record all your Windows-related activities, including the movement and
operation of your mouse
The information recorded by the spyware is typically saved to a log file. That log
file, at a predetermined time, is transmitted (via the Internet) to a central source.
That source can then aggregate your information for marketing purposes, use the
information to target personalized communications or advertisements, or steal
any confidential data for illegal purposes.
And it's not just about the information that spyware records. Spyware can also
slow down your computer; the added load of spyware programs in your system's
memory inevitably leads to sluggish performance, at the very least. In addition,
some spyware programs do more than just slow down your system and hijack
your computer, launching pop-up windows and advertisements when you visit
certain web pages. If there's spyware on your computer, you definitely want to
get rid of it.

Adware: A Special Kind of Spyware

Then there's a special type of spyware called adware, which is used by advertisers
and marketers to gather information about your consumer behavior. Like other
types of spyware, adware is typically placed on your PC when you install some
other legitimate software, piggybacking on the main installation. After it is
installed, the adware works like spyware, monitoring your various activities and
reporting back to the host advertiser or marketing firm. The host firm can then
use the collected data in a marketing-related fashion-totally unbeknownst to
you, of course.

For example, adware might monitor your web surfing habits and report to the
advertiser which sites you visit. The adware might pop up a window and ask for
your demographic data, which it also reports back to the host. The adware might
even use your personal data to generate its own targeted banner ads, and display
those ads on top of the normal banner ads when you visit other websites.
Like standard spyware, adware is something you want to avoid. Not only does it
transmit sensitive data to third parties, it can also slow down your PC's performance.

How to Become Infected with Spyware

Unfortunately, spyware is relatively easy to encounter; it can get onto your
computer in many of the same ways that viruses can. Typical means of transmission
include email attachments, misleading links on websites, and files downloaded
from the Internet.
Some of the biggest sources of spyware are peer-to-peer music-trading networks.
Not legitimate online music stores, such as Apple's iTunes Store, which are
almost totally free of viruses and spyware, but instead the rogue file-trading
networks, such as BitTorrent, Blubster, and LimeWire. In many instances,
spyware is actually attached to the file-trading software you have to download to
use the network; when you install the software, the spyware is also installed.
(And you can't remove the spyware without also removing the host software-
which causes some users to keep the spyware!)
Another way to have spyware installed on your system is to be tricked into doing
it. You go to a website, perhaps one mentioned in a spam email message, and

click on a link there. What you see next looks like a standard Windows dialog
box, asking you whether you want to scan your system for spyware, or optimize
your Internet browsing, or something similar. In reality, the "dialog box" is just a
pop-up window designed to look like the real deal, and when you click the Yes
button, you're authorizing the installation of spyware on your system. In some
instances, clicking No also installs the software, so you're damned if you do and
damned if you don't.
Finally, some spyware is installed through known security holes in the Internet
Explorer browser. When you navigate to a web page controlled by the software
author (again, typically from a link in a spam email message), the page contains
hidden code that exploits the browser's weakness and automatically downloads
the spyware.