As a computer user you should be aware of how easily your privacy is being violated. An ever growing problem, your PC can become infected simply by visiting a website, downloading a file or opening your email. Not only is it a huge violation of your privacy, it is a giant and costly nuisance.
Engineers design spyware bugs that attach themselves to your computer so that every time you log in and surf the net they collect information about where you’ve been. Most of these spyware files are not designed to be malicious, but to track your behavior and learn what you are interested in so that the information can be packaged and sent back to the spyware creator.
The spyware creator then sells this information about you to companies who want to spam you with advertisements and pop ups. For example, if you look at a website regarding books you might end up being plastered with huge amounts of spam mail for book clubs. Worse case scenario, you could start receiving emails that are being sold to everyone regardless of what your interests are. How many times have you received unwanted, unsolicited spam by sites of an inappropriate subject matter?!
The most unscrupulous spy will pass secrets on to extremely inappropriate sites that contain pornography, creating situations where you will avoid allowing children or your great-grandmother from accessing your computer. Defending your PC can be done in several ways. One is to be more careful about who you open the door to. Refuse email from senders you don’t know. Stay away from places you don’t trust. Install good security and raise your settings to high. Chase intruders from the porch by getting a good firewall and antivirus software.
A few guests may sneak in the back door while you’re otherwise occupied, so run scans on your PC on a scheduled basis and root them off of the couch. Research any new anti-spyware programs and use them. New ones are being developed constantly. And always get those updates for your antivirus software.
Your computer registry is one of the most vulnerable areas of your machine for spyware programs. It is also a good way to end up with a destroyed computer. Several spyware programs being placed on your computer regularly will, over a short period of time corrupt your system and the next thing you know, all you information is gone and you’re seeing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death!
Most importantly though, don’t ignore your registry. Even though a good antivirus program can get the spy out of the house, good spies also leave listening devices hidden around in your registry that can activate when you turn your computer on again. This can only be done by obtaining a good registry cleaning program that will back up the registry as well as getting rid of the spyware for good.
