normal. The next day your browser's homepage has been changed to some
off-color site and your desktop is serving up some program you don't
recall installing.
Termed adware, the Internet is filled with programs that
hijack your PC for profit, most hidden inside so-called "free"
downloads and pop-up ads that forcibly install software on systems with
improper security configurations. This doesn't mean that all free
downloads are bad or that all pop-ups try to surreptitiously install
software. It does mean, however, that you'll want to play close
attention to both the licensing agreement of free downloads and the
security settings in your browser.
What exactly is Adware?
Generally speaking, adware is a program that installs an additional
component that feeds advertising, often by delivering popup ads or by
installing a toolbar in your browser.
Some adware may hijack your browser start or search pages,
redirecting you to sites other than intended. Unless you're a fan of
guerilla marketing, such tactics can be annoying. Worse, the mechanism
that feeds the advertising can introduce system anomalies or
incompatibilites that cause problems with other programs and can even
disrupt the functioning of the operating system.
A hijacked start page or toolbar can be difficult to
reconfigure to its original settings because adware typically
integrates itself in a manner that exceeds the average user's technical
capabilities. Even more frustrating, the now present system anomalies
can prevent even seasoned users from accessing the system areas they
need to delete the offending program.
Of course, removing adware that is installed in exchange for
free use of a program may violate the End User Licensing Agreement for
that program. Once the adware has been successfully removed, the
original free program the adware was bundled with may no longer work.
It pays to read the EULA before installing any software - particularly
free software that is more likely to be bundled with advertising.
Some adware is a bit more insidious than others. In order to
provide targeted ad banners, Adware often contains another hidden
component that tracks web useage. When this occurs, the program is no
longer considered Adware but instead is termed Spyware.
What is Spyware?
Spyware surreptitiously monitors your computer and Internet use.
Some of the worst examples of spyware include keyloggers that record
keystrokes or screenshots, sending them to remote attackers who hope to
glean user IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive
information.
Most often, though, spyware takes a more benign (but still
quite offensive) form. The information gathered, often referred to as
"traffic data", can consist of monitoring the web sites visited, ads
clicked, and time spent on certain sites. But even in its more benign
form, the collected data can morph into something far more insidious.
Spyware tracking can link your system's unique numerical
hardware ID (MAC address) and IP address, combine it with your surfing
habits and correlate it with any personal information gathered when you
registered for free programs or entered data in web forms. The spyware
purveyor then trades this information with affiliate advertising
partners, building an increasingly complex dossier on who you are and
what you like to do on the Internet.
Read the fine print
With your privacy at stake, you may wish to think twice about the
high price of free software. We all like a good bargain, but how good
is that bargain when you end up spending the majority of your online
time battling popups, filtering spam, and witnessing your connection
speed slow to a crawl?
Of course, there are shining examples of free software that
really are free with no strings attached. Admittedly tedious, the best
way to sort good from bad is to simply read the EULA or privacy
statement that accompanies the intended product or site.
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