Protecting Your PC From The Spyware Siege - Knowledge Is The Key
The key is to be properly informed. There is a wealth of information available regarding what to do to protect your PC and ensure your privacy. However, as with most technological subjects, you will encounter a significant amount of "jargon" and technical terms. To demystify some of the jargon, here are some plain English definitions:
Adware - Software that is offered for free, but that regularly bombards you with advertisements.
Blended threat - Malware that uses a variety of techniques to maximize its chances of replicating and/or taking control of a PC.
Botnet - A network of computers that has been infected with malware and is being controlled remotely for devious purposes (eg sending spam, or for use in denial-of-service attacks on corporate websites).
Identity Theft - Stealing confidential information (eg credit card numbers, bank account numbers, system passwords) and using that information for criminal activity.
Keylogger - Software that tracks what you type and sends it via the internet to another party.
Malware - Catch-all term for any kind of code with malicious intent, including viruses, worms, spyware and trojans.
Phishing - Attempting to access private information (eg passwords) by masquerading via email as a trustworthy person or company.
Ransomware - Software that encrypts data on a computer, after which payment is demanded to unencrypt the information.
Rootkit - Software designed to conceal its presence on a computer, thus enabling hacking and information theft without the user's knowledge.
Spyware - Software that attempts to surreptitiously track activity on your PC.
Trojan - A program that disguises itself as something else (eg a useful utility) as a distribution tactic.
Virus - Self replicating code which can often perform tasks such as hard disc formatting and personal information theft.
Worm - Malware code that replicates itself via network vulnerabilities.
Related Tags: malware, spyware, adware, trojan, virus, security, phishing, antispyware
Graham Johnston is a professional computer technician with over 10 years experience in removing viruses and spyware from PCs. He has written The COMPLETE Spyware Prevention & Removal Guide so that the average computer user can fix their own spyware problems, and prevent spyware from infecting their computers in the first place. Go to: www.Computer-How-To.com/antispyware
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