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| I Spy... |
| by Jan Johansen |
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| We’ve all been battling computer viruses for years, but spyware is a newer – and I think much more dangerous – invasion of our systems – and our lives. |
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| Spyware is software that collects personal information about you without your consent, and usually gets placed on your computer by a website you’ve visited or software you’ve downloaded. It can add unwanted toolbars to your web browser, cause unstoppable Internet windows to open on your screen, and even collect your credit card & bank information without your knowledge. |
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| Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia has a great article about spyware that anyone with a Windows-based computer should read. The article states that: |
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9 out of 10 computers connected to the Internet are infected – |
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Computers where Internet Explorer (IE) is the primary browser are particularly vulnerable to such attacks not only because IE is the most widely-used but because its tight integration with Windows allows spyware access to crucial parts of the operating system. |
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80% of surveyed users' computers had some form of spyware – |
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An average of 93 spyware components were found per computer (such counts usually include cookies which report back to a website, but are not software as such). 89% of surveyed users with spyware reported that they did not know of its presence, and 95% reported that they had not given permission for the installation of the spyware. |
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| In my opinion, you can’t have enough anti-spyware protection. Norton and McAfee both offer spyware detection options, and Microsoft now has a free downloadable utility for Windows XP. |
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