COMPUTER SECURITY Part 3 - Use Spyware/Adware, Popup and Spam Removal Tools SPYWARE and ADWARE A lot of people are not even aware of spyware and adware or what they do. Have you ever visited a website, and you soon notice that you are getting pop-up advertising that seems related to that site somehow? Or you've recently installed a downloaded program, and the same sort of thing happens? The reason for this is that a small program is installed on your computer, usually without your knowledge, that is keeping track of what websites you visit, and what programs you already have. It sends this information out to somewhere, then you get advertising back, in pop-up ads or Spam email that is related to it. The general term for these programs is spyware. Because that is what they are doing, SPYING on you. Besides privacy issues, having Spyware running on your computer contributes to your PC running slower than it should. POP-UP ADVERTISING A second-cousin to spyware, Pop-up ads are just like they sound: internet windows that pop-up on your screen, trying to sell you something. Very annoying, though essentally harmless. There are a number of ways they can be dealt with. First, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP has a new Pop-up blocker built in, that will ask you if you want to allow a pop-up. Second, follow the Firewall practices discussed in Part 1 and most pop-ups will be blocked from reaching your PC. Finally, you can install special pop-up blocking software designed to block pop-ups. Best Practice: Update to SP2 and get behind a Firewall. A few pop-ups might get through now and then, but not nearly as many as without protection. SPAM EMAIL SPAM Email is defined as unsolicited email of any kind. It is a modern scourge. Current estimates are that up to 80% of email traffic is SPAM. Advertisements for Viagra, get-rich-quick schemes, internet pornography, ink cartridges, chain letters, and on and on. Sadly, it does not look like it will be going away very soon, despite the US and Canadian governments attempts to regulate it. The simple reason being that it works. The cost of sending it out is so low compared to conventional advertising that even getting less than a 1 percent sale rate means profits for the spammer. While basically harmless, SPAM does cost billions in the form of lost productivity, network slowdowns and "pain in the neck" value to spend time delteing it all. There are ways to reduce the amount that of Spam that reaches your in box. Many internet providers are starting to use filters to catch a lot of it, and 3rd party products are available to to the same. The easiest way is to avoid giving out your email address unless you trust the person you give it to. This is especially true when you give out your address on a website. If you sign up for access to certain websites or buy something on the internet, or worst of all, post your address on your own website, chances are that your address is going to end up on a Spammers list somewhere. Removal Tools. Check out our Links page for links to some of the more popular programs for removing or reducing Spyware, Spam and Pop-up Ad's. There is a lot of it out there.