Tuesday, July 21, 2009

How Do Spyware Infect A System?

Facetime Communicetions, an online security company, estemates that almost 79 per cent of the world's computers are affected by spyware. Spyware installation can happen through various means. Most of them rely on the security loopholes in the host system. Here are some of the tactics by which they infect a system:

1. Automatically: Some spyware, such as Claria Corporation's tiny program called Gator, get installed without any notification. This happens when you visit a web page infected by the spyware. Only if you have set your browser security to the high level, you will get a notification of this installation.

2. By Tricking Users: Some spyware trick users with a message stating that the system is infected by viruses and Trojans, with a button to start scanning. If you click this button, it will spark a spyware installation instead.



3. As Browser Add-ons: Sometimes, spyware applications are installed as browser's add-ons. Installing unverified toolbars, buttons, or other functionalities to your browser may cause this. Therefore, it is recommended that you install add-ons only from the browser's official website, which contains verified components only.

4. With Software Packages: Sometimes spyware programs are bundled with the installation packages of other software. This is the case with many Peer-to-Peer file sharing applications. The issue here is that if you remove the specific piece of spyware, the original application may not run properly. So, many people see it as an unavoidable risk.

5. Through Unknown E-mails: Viewing and clicking links on emails from unknown senders may not always be safe. Some of these links may be already infected by a piece of spyware looking to expand its presence.

See Also
spyware removal software

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