Computer Corner

Most computer users have heard of “spam” (and we don’t mean the type that your grandparents may have eaten out of a can). Spam generally consists of unwanted email and other on-line solicitations. But while spam is merely annoying, spyware is more serious.

Spyware is a piece of software that is installed on a PC to secretly monitor the user's behavior. Usually (but not always) spyware comes in the form of “adware.” Adware, which typically consists of all those annoying pop-up ads, is the price you pay for many free or shareware programs, as is the case with email programs. The next time you access your Yahoo or Hot Mail accounts remember that this is how these companies make much of their money.

Most of the time spyware is installed without the user’s knowing about it, or consent. Since users will not install software if they know that it will disrupt their working environment and compromise their privacy, spyware deceives users, either by piggybacking on a piece of legitimate software such as Kazaa, or by tricking the user into installing it (the Trojan horse method).

Spyware programs can also collect various types of personal information such as your Internet surfing habits, your history list and even passwords or credit card numbers you have stored in a file on your computer. Spyware can even do things like changing your Internet home page and other computer settings. And to make matters worse, certain "rogue" anti-spyware programs masquerade as anti-spyware software, while actually being spyware themselves!

Anti-spyware programs can combat spyware in two ways: the first pro-active approach aims to keep spyware from getting on your computer to begin with, not unlike a firewall. The second approach will allow you to scan your computer to remove any spyware that may have gotten onto your computer without your knowledge. Programs that use the first approach typically cost about $30 and up. Programs that use the second approach, such as Lava Soft’s ®AdWare and ®Spybot Search & Destroy, are freebies.

For an informative and much more complete discussion about spyware, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware.

Next time we will discuss flash memory, a.k.a. solid state memory, flash drive, key chain drive, or memory stick, what it is, and why you need this fairly new and very inexpensive technology.

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