Security Sin 6 – expert opinion
jjones | Guides | 19/12/2008 11:59am
No Comments
See also
Security Sins
Learn about the seven security sins
Beat the seven security sins
Not investing in security can leave your data, identity and privacy at risk – we show you how to stay safe
Check your security with Windows Security Center
Learn how to use Windows Security Center to find out how secure your computer really is
Security jargon explained
Learn the lingo
Join our campaign!
Pledge your support for our campaign and you can win security software worth £50
What’s the difference between spyware and viruses?
Originally, viruses were written to achieve notoriety. Very often they caused havoc with users’ data, crashed systems by infecting and corrupting files, and clogged networks with bogus traffic. In time, viruses evolved into spyware, financially motivated software designed to blend into the system and run unnoticed.
Spyware can reside in almost any part of the computer, making it more difficult to identify and remove. It can also hook itself into core functional areas so that if a removal isn’t completed properly, the user is exposed to further loss and damage to the system.
What’s the difference between spyware and adware?
While spyware is designed to record or monitor an individual’s computer activity, adware (advertising-supported software) automatically displays or downloads advertisements. Both adware and spyware can make money for the authors, but adware writers make theirs legitimately from the advertisers who use adware to promote their products.
What are the dangers of spyware?
When a PC is infected with spyware, every keystroke, web site, password and online conversation can be monitored and recorded by the perpetrator. Other effects include more advertising pop-ups, changed browser settings, slow net connections and reduced PC performance.
This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am and is filed under Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
