Spyware is
cyber-equivalent of a peeping Tom. No one would think of sitting by while someone hide in bushes watching their every move, so why do so many allow spyware snoops to moniter them online? In some cases answer is simple. They may not even know that they are being watched.Spyware comes in all shapes and sizes. It can simply be annoying or it can be downright dangerous. The more worrisome varieties of spyware can:
1. Slow down your system 2. Crash your PC 3. Log your keystrokes 4. Log your email 5. Log your chat sessions 6. Steal credit card details 7. Capture passwords 8. Screen capture your display 9. Collect personal data 10. Collect financial information
What is Purpose of Spyware?
There are many different parties who may want to collect your personal, financial, or sensitive information and there are several reasons why they might want to have it. Usually spyware users are:
1. Marketing Companies - They gather data from your PC about which sites you visit, which products you purchase, and details about email that you send.
2. Family Members - Even your own loved ones may be monitoring your activity. Parents can use spyware to keep tabs on sites that their children frequent and suspicious spouses could easily use spyware to track their mates activity online.
3. Roommates - Roommates are also possible spyware users. For example, when students enter college they must cohabitant with people that they don't even know. One of those people could easily be an unscrupulous person who is gathering important information with spyware.
4. Employers - Many employers, concerned about employees wasting time online, have installed snoopware on company computers. This software is designed to moniter both online and email activity. Your employer, therefore, could be monitoring you and judging you based not on your work performance, but rather on content of your email and sites that you visit while at work.
5. Crime Organizations - Thieves and all sorts of nefarious sorts use spyware everyday to collect credit card details, social security numbers, passwords, etc. They then use this information to steal your identity and, in process, make a considerable amount of money while ruining your credit and your reputation.
6. Identity Thieves - Spyware is a vital tool in an identiy thefts arsenal. It allows them to gather detailed information that they can then use to masquerade as you.
Is There More Than One Type of Spyware?
Spyware is just a broad term for a variety of different programs. A few of more common forms of spyware include:
1. Adware - Those annoying pop-ups ads that plaster your screen fall into category of adware. Adware also refers to any advertiser supported program. In order to display ads that are targeted to your interests your activity is monitored and, based on your habits, you are shown ads that should be of interest to you. Adware also puts a strain on your system resources because it must connect to a remote server in order to communicate your personal information with whomever is monitering you.
