Recognizing Spyware on Your System

By Semeli Karen McPherson 

 

Remember the time when you are browsing and suddenly pop ups start appearing out of nowhere, you get e-mails from unknown sources asking you about renewing your software that you never installed. Your search starts redirecting you to unknown websites and seems like irrelevant. You have drastic drop in your system performance. All these indicate that you have a spyware in your system. Beware it is dangerous to your system and the data that you have. If only you knew how it entered your system, could you have avoided it in the first place? Now the question is how did this happen exactly.
Spyware enters your system when you click a pop up window, install a software or even while you agree to a policy or adding a function to your browser unknowingly. There are applications that use these methods like generating fake alert messages of virus or malware attack and even pop ups with cancel button. As soon as you hit the cancel button, a spyware is installed in your system unknown to you.
Browser add-ons
While looking for add on tools for your browser there are numerous choices available online. A tool bar, software enhancement, additional search box and other such plug ins are often a few of the examples of spyware. Additionally, these can hijack your browser once you install these. Another thing to remember is that these are not easy to get rid off, as these get embedded in your system and hard to detect and remove.
Drive-by download
This is the most common method to deploy spyware in your system. Usually a website or a pop up window will automatically download a spyware on your system. You will be prompted with a message from your browser seeking your permission to install it. However, often even this message does not appear in the lack of security settings.
Masquerading as anti-spyware
This is a hidden trick that is often used to install the harmful software in your system. Often you will get an alert message that says installing a tool will help you detect and even remove spyware from your system. As soon as you run it on your system to remove it, the software instead gets installed.
Piggybacked software installation
This includes applications where you share data online or exchange files. For example free file sharing software and peer to peer, this acts as a gateway to spyware. Here you need to be careful about the installation list that contains installing spyware in your system. The file-sharing application contains more than what you have asked for. Beware of free versions that are advertised as alternate version to the software that you are looking for.
Why should you be concerned?
The minimum risk that it can cause to your system is to run the infected application as soon as you boot up your system and then consume the RAM and processor. This results in system slow and immediate drop in system performance. additionally, numerous annoying pop ups will start appearing, browser speed will drop down so low that you will not be able to use it. Your browser can be reset that will start displaying ads as soon as you launch it.
Some spyware are designed to redirect your searches by gaining control on the search results. You will not be able to reach any sensible searches and your search will be misdirected. Another thing that will happen is that your DLLs or dynamically linked libraries will be modified. This will result in connectivity failure. You will not able to establish online connection or even network connections. Apart form this your every activity will be monitored including your passwords, browsing history, your documents and other personal information.
You will be automatically connected to dial-up services that are way too expensive. Apart from this, your firewall settings are changed to give way to other malware on your system.
What to do?
Install an anti-spyware/antivirus like Kaspersky, Norton, and AVG that will help provide you overall protection against any online threat. Get in touch with an expert who will help you through with it.

She is a Technology writer who is keen on any new emerging technology updates. She is working with Qresolve as a Technical Support Engineer. Semeli Karen McPherson has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones, computer support and more. She caters to the segment of core technology and provides viable solutions to any issues related to technology and software. Her expertise and skills in handling key technology issues is immaculate and quick result bearing. Through her articles and postings she aims to provide knowledge and solutions to common technology issues that a user faces.

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