Computer Security Free Tips By: Trevor Snipe

Coming up with online sources for her law school thesis on money laundering was a task that was made simpler for a certain student with the help of Google. As you can imagine, this was definitely a great tool to her in the process of writing her thesis. After several months of doing so, she was confronted with problems like being directed to a weird page totally not related to money laundering every time she types the same words.

As the persistence of the problem lingered, she grew increasingly certain that it was the result of being bugged rather than a problem with Google or her internet connection. Despite being annoying, when the bugging comes from a human, it can be gotten rid of. Computer bugs such as adware and spyware, the problems faced by the law school student, are not as easily disposed of. As the student only uses her computer for doing academic research and basic word processing, she is not very technology savvy.

Unfortunately, her case was incredibly common, as there are many people who fall prey to harmful and annoying problems known as spyware and adware. Despite the fact that it did not become a popular part of the English language until 2000, the origin of the word 'spyware' dates back to 1995. This term refers to computer software program or script that infiltrates a personal computer and accesses a user's personal information.

Typically examining the keystrokes and browsing history of the computer user, this spying can also include hard drive infiltration. Though these methods seem like the kind of severe tactics one would expect out of a good Hollywood spy flick, anyone can fall prey to spyware. Calling people affected by these attacks victims is accurate, as no one wishes to have their online activities monitored. Though perhaps practical for spying on criminal activity, spyware is frequently used for purposes such as gathering credit card information that have no productive societal purpose. Anti-spyware programs should never be considered 'optional' for any computer.

Part of protecting your computer includes blocking spyware and its cousins, adware and malware. Online adware and spyware blocker programs are easily available to help in this endeavor. Because they cause a lack of privacy and can disrupt normal computer use, spyware, adware, and malware can be just as much of an annoyance as viruses and worms, even though they are do not self-replicate as those programs do. Unfortunately, the immense slowing down of infected computers is one of the side effects that can result from these programs.

Spyware continues to live up to the appropriateness of its name, as many spyware infections hide their presence - if not their harm - so well that no one can detect that it is spyware causing the difficulty. It only makes sense to install a good blocker in order to prevent the installation of these infectious programs.

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