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Spyware:
Like a digital telemarketer who can "legally"
tap your phone
(If you haven't read their small print).
"[S]pyware is any technology that aids in gathering
information about a person or organization without their knowledge.
On the Internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone's
computer to secretly gather information about the user and
relay it to advertisers or other interested parties."
(Citation from http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com)
What is spyware practically and how can you keep it off of
your computer? Spyware is more than a nuisance and often a
major impediment to proper software functioning. By proper
software functioning I mean: Internet Explorer or other web
browsers connecting to the internet, Microsoft Office programs
properly opening, saving, and accurately running such internal
scans as spell check, or the computer itself able to turn
on without the "Blue Screens Of Death" or equivalent
boot problems. Yes, even the Operating System itself can be
negatively affected.
In our work with Barnard Student laptops, RCAs have seen these
and more problems caused solely by the spyware which the users
unknowingly install on their own computers. So what can one
do? Educate yourselves, read those pop up screens carefully
before you click "ok" and use spyware removal
tools. Don't use Peer to peer file sharing programs
like KaZaA, Gnutella, Bearshare which though seemingly generous
in providing free versions of the latest movies and music
albums, also often give your computers viruses and spyware
without your knowing. These small programs are easily tucked
within those very same movie and music files.
But before you give up on technology all together remember that
for every virus writer, software molopolizer, and spyware profitter,
there is a computer programmer giving away her or his work for
free. For this specific problem of spyware removal, there are
at least 5 freeware programs available. Freeware is software
which is . . . yup, you guessed it free. We at the Residential
Computing Program at Barnard recommend two: Ad-aware and Spybot:
Search and Destroy. If you check our consistently improving
Barnard Resnet website: www.barnard.edu/at/resnet
and follow the links to our security
page you will find several more security tips. Here are
some helpful links specifically concerning spyware. From the
PCMagazine article below you will find links to several spyware
removal tools. I have included two other links with more information
on Spyware: