Spyware has become a dangerous part of the online world; a software that is downloaded onto your computer to track your habits and activities without your knowledge. So what’s the harm in that? What’s so dangerous about spyware? This article will show you some of the most important reasons why you should block spyware.
Why block spyware?
Most of the time spyware is used to track and monitor your Internet surfing habits and activities and is used in conjunction with adware to help target specific audiences for advertisements. Advertising companies will take your personal interests from the adware they have sent out and then send advertisements to your computer that targets your specific interests. Spyware however can be used to monitor much more than just your online surfing habits; depending on who has sent the spyware out. Here are just a few of the things that spyware can monitor about you:
• Passwords and email addresses
• Credit card numbers
• Social security numbers
• Online banking activity
Spyware has become one of the biggest privacy threats out there today because your personal information can be sent to anyone without you even knowing. Identity theft and fraud are one of the biggest reasons why you should block spyware from your computer. A third party can easily use spyware to steal your personal information and identity without your knowledge. And the biggest concern is that you have no control over what the spyware software is monitoring and who it’s being sent to. For these reasons alone many computer and Internet users have chosen to block spyware from their computer.
How can you keep spyware off your computer?
So now that you are aware of why you should block spyware and the dangers of having it on your computer, the real question is how to keep it off your computer? The best method of protection against spyware is prevention and believe it or not you can do some fairly simple things to keep your computer from getting spyware. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do yourself to keep spyware off your computer:
- Install a Firewall: Firewalls are programs that can filter the data coming into your computer and going out by way of the Internet. They are the “gatekeepers” that only let authorized data onto your operating system. If you install a new program the firewall will warn you before you connect to the internet it will ask your permission to do so. Without your permission a spyware program cannot get onto your computer.
- Read before you click: This should be an obvious way to keep spyware off your computer but so many people are used to clicking “ok” or “yes” just to get the pop up off the screen that they don’t realize that the advertisement they just clicked is also connected with a spyware program. If you read the licensing agreement it will tell you tat spyware is included with the package.
- Update your computer: You should always update your computer to help prevent it from getting unwanted programs on it like spyware. Operating systems commonly come with security holes and in order to stay on top of them you need to continually update your operating system, ant-virus software, email programs, and Internet service providers.
Hopefully this has opened your eyes a little wider to the dangers of spyware, why you should block it, and how to prevent it from getting on your computer. Spyware can be dangerous so if you want to keep your data and computer files private make sure you keep your computer free from spyware.
