What the difference between Spyware, Adware, and Viruses?
...SPYWARE...
Spyware is a catch-all term for any type of software that
is designed to mine your computer for data, log your keystrokes
or other use of the computer, or allow unauthorized remote access
to
your computer.
Spyware may arrive on your computer in the form of a trojan or other
virus, or it may be placed on your machine by a script kiddy or amateur
hacker who came upon your computer during a random scan for vulnerable
IP addresses.
Much less commonly, spyware may be placed on your machine by someone
who specifically wants to track your activities for one reason or
another.
But the great bulk of spyware is less glamorous. In fact, it isn't
even illegal.
...ADWARE or ADVERTISING RELATED
SPYWARE...
Most spyware is advertising-related. If you have ever downloaded
a "free" program like KaZaa, Bonzi Buddy, Gator, or many,
many others, then it's almost certain that you have spyware running
on your computer. Even simply visiting some Web pages (especially "adult" sites,
warez sites, hacking and cracking sites, and some "free" online
diary and journal sites) can install spyware on your machine.
Advertising-related spyware (usually called adware) is software
that mines your computer for data -- such as records of your Internet
usage -- and sells this information to advertising companies. From
there, the information will be used to send you targeted ads and
spam. Depending on the company collecting the information, the data
may also be sold to others who care to purchase it.
Once spyware programs are installed and running on your computer,
you really have little control over what information is mined and
how it is distributed.
In addition to violating your privacy, spyware also slows and destabilizes
your computer. It consumes system resources and wastes network bandwidth
running advertising processes that do not benefit you in any way;
and it clogs your computer's registry with garbage entries that can
create software conflicts, errors, and sometimes even system crashes.
There are, as of this writing, more than 20,000 different advertising
spyware programs in use; if even a small fraction of these make it
on to the same computer at the same time, the machine will be rendered
useless.
...VIRUSES...
Although there are many kinds of Viruses, they're all harmful in
many ways and in most instances much more harmful than adware or
spyware. Although despite anything you might have heard, viruses
cannot do any damage to hardware, nor can spyware or adware. They
all attack your software and if the virus is harmful enough it can
do damage to main system files allowing your computer to not boot
up, or even your most critical documents. One of the worst things
about viruses is that they can replicate throughout your system and
anyone you may or may not be in contact with.
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Spyware/Adware/Virus Removal
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