What Can Spyware Programs Do?

Spyware programs can accomplish a multitude of malicious tasks. Some of their deeds are simply annoying for the user; others can become downright aggressive in nature.

Spyware can:

• Monitor your keystrokes for reporting purposes.
• Scan files located on your hard drive.
• Snoop through applications on our desktop.
• Install other spyware programs into your computer.
• Read your cookies.
• Steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information.
• Change the default settings on your home page web browser.
• Mutate into a second generation of spyware thus making it more difficult to eradicate.
• Cause your computer to run slower.
• Deliver annoying pop up advertisements.
• Add advertising links to web pages for which the author does not get paid. Instead, payment is directed to the spyware programmer that changed the original affiliate's settings.
• Provide the user with no uninstall option and places itself in unexpected or hidden places within your computer making it difficult to remove.

Examples of Spyware

Note: While researchers will often give names to spyware programs, they may not match the names the spyware-writers use.

Here are a few examples of commonly seen spyware programs:

• CoolWebSearch is a group of programs that install through holes found in Internet Explorer. These programs direct traffic to advertisements on Web sites. This spyware nuisance displays pop-up ads, rewrites search engine results, and alters the computer host file to direct the Domain Name System (DNS) to look up preselected sites.
• Internet Optimizer (aka, DyFuCa) likes to redirect Internet Explorer error pages to advertisements. When the user follows the broken link or enters an erroneous URL, a page of advertisements pop up.
• 180 Solutions reports extensive information to advertisers about the Web sites you visit. It also alters HTTP requests for affiliate advertisements linked from a Web site. Therefore, the 180 Solutions Company makes an unearned profit off of the click through advertisements they've altered.

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