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Desktop Security Software Risks - Part 1
This is the second in a series of articles highlighting reasons why we need a new model for anti-virus and security solutions.
Reason #2: the Desktop Security Software Risks
The risks of placing software on the desktop are such that I...
Less Stress and More Success
Less Stress and More Success By Katherine Vargo Stop cursing your computer. End your frustration with these top computer solutions. You are just four steps away from being more productive and having fewer headaches. Step 1: Install an...
Protect Your Computer...and Your Business!
We all take the computer for granted. I mean, all we have to do is switch it on and it's ready to go. But did you ever stop to think what would happen if your computer suddenly crashed? And that is the only computer you have to work on!
What...
Script Kiddies II - An advice to parents
After the feedback on the previous article, I thought that it would be beneficial to write another, exploring the Script Kiddie problem in a bit more depth. If you haven't already read the previous item "Script Kiddies - Vermin of the Internet", it...
Success Stories - 12 Doers Share Their Secrets: Interview with Ben Prater
Ben, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is a 26 year old software development consultant. He says that his job is to help people turn their dreams into reality. After years of looking at the Internet from the outside, Ben decided to take the advice of...
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WHAT IS SPYWARE AND HOW DO I REMOVE IT FROM MY COMPUTER?
Spyware is a menace to any computer, but there are many free Spyware removal products online to help out.
It sounds rather sinister, doesn't it? In a way, it really is. Spyware (another name for Malware or Adware, which is Internet-speak for "advertising supported software") enters your computer without your explicit consent. You see, Spyware normally comes packaged with other programs, which you do want and actually choose to download. If you aren't too cluey about how to detect Spyware in a potential download (and let's face it, who is), you simply won't know that you've downloaded and activated the Spyware software.
What does Spyware do? It collects information about you and your business or organization to help advertising companies place better targeted advertising copy on the websites you visit. That is, advertising that may actually be of interest to you. OK, in theory, it's a reasonable idea. You are going to be surfing anyway and these days websites survive thanks to their advertising, so wouldn't you rather see ads that may be of some relevance to you? For example, if you are sitting at a computer in New York, Spyware will tell advertisers your geographical position and hence target ads that are relevant to New Yorkers (restaurants and stores in the area or events taking place in the area). If you happen to visit the same website from Paris, those ads will be French ads.
How does Spyware work? Once the software program sneaks into your computer (via some download you've made, for example, Kazaa) it follows you around as you surf the net. It
collects information about you from your hard drive. It sounds illegal doesn't it? Well, it isn't. Not yet anyway.
What it is really interested in is your surfing history. It wants to collate all the information that will help advertising companies better target you as a consumer. And so, it collects information on what you like to read online, which websites you browse to and, most valuable of all, where you go shopping on the Internet and what you buy.
But once in your system Spyware can be very annoying. At its worst it can severely impair your computer's ability to function, using up to 50% of its memory. It doesn't do it on purpose, it's not vicious like a virus, but it is destructive whether it wants to be or not. It can block your Internet access and just generally cause your computer to be so slow that you cannot use it without banging your head on your keyboard. Or, unless you format your hard drive.
There are lots of ways to protect your computer from this menace. Spyware removal programs help you track Spyware and purge your system of the software. Try an Internet search for Free Spyware Removal or Free Spyware Removal Program. This will bring up various results including the Lavasoft's Ad-Aware program, which is the most popular. Some websites will also offer you a Free Spyware Removal or Adware Removal online.
About the Author
Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of free-spyware-removal-finder.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
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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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