Using Google as a research aide for her thesis on money laundering was a common occurrence of one individual law school student. While writing her paper, the student found this to be a very important tool. Within months, the law school student began to experience a fluke as her trusty search engines began directing her towards completely unrelated websites that had nothing to do with money laundering.
Her hopes of it being an easy to repair problem with the internet or the search engine were dashed as the glitch refused to go away, and she was forced to concede that she had likely been bugged. Despite being annoying, when the bugging comes from a human, it can be gotten rid of. Adware and spyware, the computer bugs that infected the law school student’s computer, are not as easy to get rid of as human bugs. The law school student was definitely not an advanced student of technology, as she typically only used her computer for school related purposes of research and writing.
Seemingly complex computer problems that boggle the minds of most computer uses, like the law student, can typically be summed up with the words spyware and adware. In 2000, the word ’spyware,’ which had been around since 1995, became a fixture in most people’s computer dialogue. Personal information is infiltrated in this method, using either a software or script that allows another person access to the computer.
Not only are the user’s keystrokes and browsing history examined in this type of computer intrusion, so too is the user’s hard drive. Though spyware employs the kind of methodology that sounds like it came out of a James Bond movie, anyone can be a victim. Invading other’s privacy is a highly intrusive act that definitely makes the innocents involved victims. Technically, spyware can be used to track criminals, but what happens when the program is used for criminal activities like obtaining credit card information’ Because of the hostile nature of these potential infiltrations, every computer should have an updated anti-spyware program.
In attempting to protect yourself, you should block not only spyware, but adware and malware, which are similar programs, as well. Spyware and adware blocker programs can be obtained online. These programs both remove and disable existing bugs and help prevent the future installation of similar malicious software.
Conclusion
Spyware, and its cousins, adware and malware, are not self-replicating like viruses or worms, but they cause irritation to the busy computer user nonetheless, as they cause disruption in the use of the computer. Unfortunately, the immense slowing down of infected computers is one of the side effects that can result from these programs. Despite sluggish systems and continual privacy invasions, some spyware programs are able to hide themselves well enough to prevent anyone from identifying them as the culprit. The best step is always a good offense, in this case a blocker, to prevent your system from becoming infected with the malicious programs.