- Spyware comes from free software installations, websites that you have visited, mobile devices that are infected with spyware or purposefully contain spyware for tracking consumer activities, compact discs, digital video discs and external hard drives, including jump drives. Spyware can enter your computer when you download videos and music or other software. Antivirus software will typically prompt you to give an application permission to install various components. Some of these components may be spyware. Spyware also infiltrates your operating system by masking itself as an antivirus program, like Antivirus XP.
- Spyware installs itself onto your hard drive in the form of an application running in the background. It monitors your online activities. It steals your personal data, including PIN numbers, passwords, user names and account information. Spyware can also be more active, changing the settings on your computer, which often causes your computer to lag noticeably. Spyware will often change your browser homepage to advertise to you or to monitor your computer. One method to trick you into "allowing" spyware on your computer is convincing you to install software for working from home. For example, online shopper jobs require you to install a program to track where you shop. What they don't tell you is that your all of your computer activities are being monitored.
- Spyware installs itself in your Favorites folder to set up toolbars and gadgets in your web browser. The result is slower Internet browsing. Pop-up ads appear on your desktop, even if you're not online. The spyware does this through a number of ways. The most prevalent is the backdoor method, typically through a rootkit program. Rootkit programs remove the "bin login" executable from the operating system and replace the login with a unique backdoor login. This allows spyware programmers to log in to your computer even if you change the user accounts settings.
- To deter spyware, use Microsoft Defender (it comes with Windows Vista), and purchase a product like BitDefender for added security. No security software program is perfect. Use multiple programs to protect your computer, such as Commodo Antivirus and Norton Antivirus. There are always some spyware programs that one security program won't detect but that another one might detect. Multiple programs give you more security.
