Spyware and privacy protection

Madrid, January 7 2005 - Today´s Oxygen 24h-365d looks at how the increasing interest -on the part of malicious users and unscrupulous marketing
agencies- in tracking the habits of Internet users has led to a proliferation in spyware.

The term ´spyware´ refers to applications designed to gather data about users without them being aware of the presence of the application or its activities. These kinds of programs often enter computers hidden in programs that apparently pose no threat whatsoever, such as freeware, shareware or demos. Often, the source of the download is more of a factor than the file itself, as many well-known files are tampered with and spyware inserted in them, meaning that when a user installs the legitimate program, the spyware is installed as well.

Some spyware programs can draw up a detailed profile of a computer user, including, for example, the persons Internet habits, the amount of time spent online, favorite football team, etc. This type of information can be used -with commercial ends- to identify Internet users. While most companies obtain data on potential clients transparently and legally, as with all things there are exceptions. There are still malicious users and businesses prepared to obtain confidential information using spyware, regardless of the intrusion of privacy that this implies.

The following actions will help users avoid falling victim to spyware:

- Only download from trustworthy Internet sites, and take care to avoid dubious sites, regardless of how reliable the download file itself might appear.

- Make sure you have antivirus software installed on your computer and that it can detect and eliminate spyware. There are also programs designed specifically to root out spy programs, although it is advisable to combine this with effective antivirus protection.

- Protect your Internet connections with a firewall (hardware or software). This will prevent spyware from sending information out to others even if it has managed to infiltrate your computer, as it will need to use unprotected communication ports.

Oxygen3 24h-365d
by Panda Software

2005-01-08 09:05

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