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Converting More Free Downloads to Paid Customers
Do you give web site visitors the opportunity to download a free trial of your product or service with the intention that they will come back and purchase? How are you following up with these visitors? Asking them to fill out a form and...
"Explosive Success Via Email!"
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that email is the most important communications development in the history of the world thanks to the Internet. The reason is simple. We can now communicate on a global scale in a matter of minutes. This is an...
How to Create Backing Tracks If You Don't Play All the Instruments... or Any
Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the world knew. You've also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. They need to be recorded, MP3ed and put on the net ASAP. But you've got two problems. First, you...
Microsoft Blues
With the advent of 'Service Pack 2' for Windows XP operating system, Microsoft have really made the forums hum.
Every forum on computer problems is replete with complaints that since downloading and installing 'SP2', many 'third party'...
Secure Your Data - Windows Data Backup Computer Software
In nowadays computers have entered almost every imaginable domain in our lives - from our homes to space shuttles. As they hold more and more precious data - in material or merely sentimental way - securing that data is not only option, but a must....
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Arm Yourself Against Snoops With Spyware Counterintelligence
Spyware is the cyber-equivalent of a peeping Tom. No one would think of sitting by while someone hide in the bushes watching their every move, so why do so many allow spyware snoops to moniter them online? In some cases the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the content of your email and the 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 the 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 the more common forms of spyware include:
1. Adware - Those annoying pop-ups ads that plaster your screen fall into the 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.
2. Keystroke Loggers - This type of spyware logs everything that you type. Whether that is a personal note, a password, or a credit card number. Anything and everything that you type is captured and forwarded to the person watching your activity.
3. Browser Hijackers - This form of spyware will commonly change your home page to a so-called search page that is filled with less-than-useful pay-per-click results. This flavor of spyware also logs the URLs that you visit.
4. Snoopware - This variety of spyware can monitor a PC user's every action. In addition, these programs were specifically designed to go undetected by the person being monitored. Snoopware used to be primarily found only in the workplace, but, as snoopware became more affordable, its usage grew. Employers, suspicious spouses, coworkers, parents, and strangers are just a few of the people that may unleash snoopware on your system.
How Spyware Invades Your System Without Warning
The sad fact is that you have probably installed a very malicious spyware program on your computer without even realizing it. Your system may been infected with spyware if you have ever downloaded:
1. File-sharing programs 2. Freeware 3. Shareware 4. Music 5. Games 6. Screensavers 7. Video clips 8. Pictures
Even some programs that can be purchased in stores contain spyware.
Spy(ware Detection) vs. Spy(ware)
It would be virtually impossible to prevent spyware on your own. Even the most hyper-vigilant defense would most likely let spyware slip through the cracks. The only way to absolutely ensure that your system is protected is to monitor your computer with spyware prevention and removel software.
A firewall is another invaluable resource that should be used in conjunction with a spyware prevention and removal program. The firewall monitors your PC's Internet connection and shields it from unwanted actions by third-parties. In doing this it prevents spyware from connecting with remote sites without your permission.
Once spyware infiltrates your system it can be quite a chore to remove. Uninstalling the program that was bundled with the spyware won't do it. That will only remove the main application from your system, while the spyware application remains. After spyware has entered your computer your best course of action is to install a spyware prevention and removal program. In addition to preventing spyware infection these programs will also remove the spyware that has already infected your system.
About the Author
Heather Wallace is a writer whose work has been published in national, regional, and online publications. Additionally, she has written articles as a newspaper correspondent. Visit http://www.fetchingsites.com/SpywareIntel.html to run a free spyware detection scan on your computer.
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Tucows Downloads - Download Freeware and Shareware Software |
Download freeware, shareware, and demos. Maintains over 45000 software titles that are tested, rated, reviewed and ready to download. |
www.tucows.com |
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Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com |
Download shareware, freeware and Demo software for PC, Mac, Linux, and Handhelds categorized into categories, plus software reviews. |
www.download.com |
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Computer software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
This includes application software such as a word processor, which enables a ... Application software is often purchased separately from computer hardware. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Shareware.com - Search for shareware programs and free software ... |
Search for shareware programs from more than a dozen downloadable software directories. |
www.shareware.com |
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Jumbo: Free & Shareware MP3 files, Games, Screen Savers & Computer ... |
Source of free and shareware computer programs and utilities for PC and Mac. Evaluate software and read product reviews. Download games and screen savers. |
www.jumbo.com |
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Computer Software in the Yahoo! Directory |
Browse categories featuring sites devoted to computer software, including shareware and freeware download sites, operating systems, desktop customization, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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IEEE Software |
IEEE Computer Society's magazine covering all aspects of software, including software engineering. |
www.computer.org |
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Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software |
ZDNet's Software Directory is the Web's largest library of software downloads. Covering software for Windows, Mac, and Mobile systems, ZDNet's Software ... |
downloads.zdnet.com |
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FSF - The Free Software Foundation |
Free software is a matter of liberty not price. Think of "free" as in "free speech". |
www.fsf.org |
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Apple - Software |
Software products for your digital life. ... The perfect addition for professional review. QuickTime Broadcaster. Encoding software for live events. ... |
www.apple.com |
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Open Directory - Computers: Software |
In Partnership with AOL Search. about dmoz | report abuse/spam | help. the entire directory, only in Computers/Software. Top: Computers: Software (38471) ... |
dmoz.org |
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freshmeat.net: Welcome to freshmeat.net |
About: The Web browser is probably the most frequently used software today, ... Web professionals can use the software for functional testing and regression ... |
freshmeat.net |
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Software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |
Listing of the GNU software packages. |
www.gnu.org |
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Sun Software |
Get enterprise-class software--Solaris 10 OS, the Java Enterprise System, ... Sun Java StorageTek Software reduces cost and complexity with a single, ... |
www.sun.com |
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Internet Real Estate.com -- owns and operates a portfolio of the ... |
SOFTWARE.COM · SWEEPSTAKES.COM · PHONE.COM PODCAST.COM ... Software.com | Sweepstakes.com | Phone.com | Podcast.com | Shop.com | Safety.com ... |
www.internetrealestate.com |
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Joel on Software |
A weblog by Joel Spolsky, a programmer working in New York City, about software and software companies. |
www.joelonsoftware.com |
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Amazon.com Software: Computer & video games, business, accounting ... |
Online shopping for computer & video games, business & office productivity software, software from Microsoft, Apple, Adobe & more; accounting, antivirus, ... |
www.amazon.com |
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IBM Software - Home Page |
IBM home page for all of its software products, including Lotus and Tivoli, with keyword search, category browse and AZ product names. |
www.ibm.com |
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Opera web browser: Homepage |
Copyright © 2006 Opera Software ASA. All rights reserved. Skip navigation. Opera Software ... Copyright Opera Software ASA . All rights reserved. ... |
www.opera.com |
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Google Directory - Computers > Software |
Search only in Software Search the Web ... Software Categorized by Letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ... |
www.google.com |
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